• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Negative experience at Drake Landing

bigl0af

bigl0af

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
49
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Went out to Drake Landing today to shoot clays. Walked into the office open carrying, no problem. Started shooting, and on about hole 9 the guy on the four wheeler came up to me after watching my buddies and myself shoot a while. He asked if I saw the sign saying only shotguns allowed. I said I did but took that to mean only shooting of shotguns allowed, not that open carry was prohibited. He said I was to put the gun in the cart until I was off the course.

Sort of silly if you ask me that a shooting range would prohibit open carry, and as such I won't be returning as a customer!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
rotorhead

rotorhead

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
862
Location
FL
bigl0af said:
Went out to Drake Landing today to shoot clays. Walked into the office open carrying, no problem. Started shooting, and on about hole 9 the guy on the four wheeler came up to me after watching my buddies and myself shoot a while. He asked if I saw the sign saying only shotguns allowed. I said I did but took that to mean only shooting of shotguns allowed, not that open carry was prohibited. He said I was to put the gun in the cart until I was off the course.

Sort of silly if you ask me that a shooting range would prohibit open carry, and as such I won't be returning as a customer!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

All that for $20 / hour, too. :)
 
thebigsd

thebigsd

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
3,535
Location
Quarryville, PA
Yep, seems pretty stupid. Do you plan to pursue the issue at all? Send a letter to management, make a phone call, etc.?
 
62 Caddy

62 Caddy

Regular Member
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
82
Location
Raleigh, NC
Really stupid, it would be like telling a golfer at a par 3 course that you can't carry Drivers on the course, they must be left in the car. Wouldn't go back, and let them know it.
 
D

dashowdy

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2011
Messages
112
Location
raleigh, NC
I sent them a nice little e-mail about the above mentioned scenario and told them I would not be spending my money there and would not be telling any other 2nd amendment loving citizens to frequent there range either.
 
D

dashowdy

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2011
Messages
112
Location
raleigh, NC
Here is response from the management.

"I do own Drake Landing and do post signs on my course about handguns. Do to the fact we have had problems with people shooting firearms on the course in the past. Which can be a safety issue and I DO NOT AllOW HANDGUNS OR RIFLES on THE COURSE for safety!!! MY range guy is an ex Marine and is certified range safety officer. If he asked the gentleman to stand down I am behind him 100 percent. He didn't tell me about it but I will ask him. I hope you understand I am providing a service to the shooting community and most take into account everyone's safety. If you would like to discuss further or the person involved below is my contact info."
Thank you,
W. Dan Andrews
Drake Landing llc
919 552 9455 office
Open Wed-Sunday
 
bigl0af

bigl0af

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
49
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
dashowdy said:
Here is response from the management.

"I do own Drake Landing and do post signs on my course about handguns. Do to the fact we have had problems with people shooting firearms on the course in the past. Which can be a safety issue and I DO NOT AllOW HANDGUNS OR RIFLES on THE COURSE for safety!!! MY range guy is an ex Marine and is certified range safety officer. If he asked the gentleman to stand down I am behind him 100 percent. He didn't tell me about it but I will ask him. I hope you understand I am providing a service to the shooting community and most take into account everyone's safety. If you would like to discuss further or the person involved below is my contact info."
Thank you,
W. Dan Andrews
Drake Landing llc
919 552 9455 office
Open Wed-Sunday
Click to expand...

Wow you got a response before I did?! How you manage to do that?! Lol

Here's what I wrote:

" On Saturday, 21-April, a few friends and myself went to go shoot clays at your range as part of my bachelor party festivities. I've been to you're range before to shoot clays, and always had a great time. This time was different.

Before I describe what happened, I should tell you that I exercise my second amendment right to the fullest, and always openly carry a means of self defense - usually a Ruger P89 9mm pistol. Unless expressly prohibited by law, 99% of the time when I visit an establishment I'm armed. Being that you own a gun range I'm sure you understand.

So, I walk into the office, pistol on my hip of course, and sign up to shoot clays - no problem. We head out onto the range and at hole nine a worker on a 4 wheeler rides up, pulls me aside, and says that I have to take the pistol off. Of course, he insists he's doing me a favor because any other worker would've kicked me out. At this point I'm thinking to myself "that won't be necessary because we'll be leaving soon and I won't be coming back." He asked if I saw the signs saying no pistols allowed and I did but took it to mean no shooting pistols on the shotgun course - sometimes you do have to state the obvious.

I have to say I never expected my first negative open carry experience would have happened at a gun range. You have a great facility, and I'd love to go again, but not if it means removing my primary means of self defense!

I reported the incident at www.opencarry.org, and the response from local 2A advocates has been "wow we won't be going there to shoot!" Hopefully I can modify my original post to state your policy of disarmament had changed at some point in the not too distant future."

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
MKEgal

MKEgal

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
4,383
Location
in front of my computer, WI
Do to the fact we have had problems with people shooting firearms on the course in the past.
Click to expand...
That would be "due to". And it's a firearms playground. WTH do you think people are going to do, use bow & arrow? (Or is he trying to say that a shotgun is not a firearm? Which would be wrong.)

MY range guy is an ex Marine and is certified range safety officer.
Click to expand...
Big deal. I'm an RSO too.
But I have the sense god gave a kumquat so I understand that a pistol in a holster isn't a threat.

I hope you understand I am providing a service to the shooting community and most take into account everyone's safety.
Click to expand...
That would be "must".
And if he's so concerned about safety, why would he want people to handle their pistols, let them bounce around in the cart (I'm guessing a golf cart, maybe a hand-pulled cart, but in any case it's less secure than a holster), or maybe even be left in a car? Do they have a guard watching the parking lot so a pistol left in a car isn't stolen?

If it's in a holster, it's not going to go bang.
If it's being handled, it could go bang.
If it's bouncing around in a cart, it could go bang.

And how do they monitor/control people carrying concealed?
Did they frisk everyone to catch concealed pistols? Run them through a metal detector?
Or are those not a problem? :mad:
 
bigl0af

bigl0af

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
49
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
To make things worse, one guy I went out there with was from out of state and I had told him how I'd never had any issues OC. Never in a million years would I have thought I would've had an issue at the shooting range!

Additionally, if they are all anti gun, fine. They just need to put those signs on the front door, not on a plywood billboard out in the woods you don't see until you've already started shooting!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
bigl0af

bigl0af

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
49
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
" David, I understand your postion, However, you must understand my postion on this issue. I posted the NO HANDGUN signs 4 to be extact on my sporting clays course about a year and half ago. Do to problems I was having with people carring and shooting pistols and rifles on the sporting clays course, and possible endangering others. I do apprectiate your business as I appreciate every customer that comes here to experience my operation. But while you are here your safety is my main concern!!!! I have range safey officers to enforce the rules. They are doing there job and I commend them for that. I hope my range guy was polite, honest, and answered any questions you had. That is what I have him here for and truely hope you had a SAFE and happy experience. If you would like to discuss further please come by the office or call me. Thank you and Safe shooting, W. Dan Andrews Drake Landing LLC. 919-552-9455 office"

Response...

" The guy was polite. However an unsecure firearm bouncing around in a cart is not safe. Securely in my holster it is safe.

My big thing is first, the signs should be on the front door of the office where I could have seen it, not out in the middle of the woods where you won't see it until you start shooting. Second, the language needs to be more clear. I look for signs like those you have in the woods and it still didn't strike me to disarm because, frankly, the notion that a gun range would prohibit certain guns is silly, leaving me saying to myself "to be sure that means no shooting pistols on the shotgun range, but possession is allowed." Add language like "possession of pistols on shotgun course prohibited, including concealed and open carry" because I was dumbfounded when I saw the current signage.

I don't understand where you're coming from and I don't have to - it's your property and I either respect your wishes or don't go. That being said, I don't frequent places where I can't make myself safe, and I report those places to the 2A community's "friend or foe" list on opencarry.org. If open carry is allowed, "friend", if not, "foe".

Perhaps you could be persuaded to allow possession of securely holstered pistols (concealed or open) while shooting clays?"

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
papa bear

papa bear

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
2,222
Location
mayberry, nc
here is the letter i have sent them


Dear Mr. Andrews
I was going to be in your area within a couple of weeks. I do enjoy going to local gun ranges to shoot. Fortununely, I am also on OPENCARRY.ORG, and I saw where you are anti-defense.
As a gun advocate, and a firearms carrier, i will never go to a place that is anti freedom and anti self protection. I do post on several sites and I am very involved with pro gun groups. I will suggest that your range to be avoided until you change your policies.
Also i would like for you to post on your web page that you are Anti freedom. that would end a lot of confusion for others whom would like to avoid you

don't know if it will do any good. but at least they will know
 
N

nobama

New member
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
756
Location
, ,
bigl0af said:
" David, I understand your postion, However, you must understand my postion on this issue. I posted the NO HANDGUN signs 4 to be extact on my sporting clays course about a year and half ago. Do to problems I was having with people carring and shooting pistols and rifles on the sporting clays course, and possible endangering others. I do apprectiate your business as I appreciate every customer that comes here to experience my operation. But while you are here your safety is my main concern!!!! I have range safey officers to enforce the rules. They are doing there job and I commend them for that. I hope my range guy was polite, honest, and answered any questions you had. That is what I have him here for and truely hope you had a SAFE and happy experience. If you would like to discuss further please come by the office or call me. Thank you and Safe shooting, W. Dan Andrews Drake Landing LLC. 919-552-9455 office"

Response...

" The guy was polite. However an unsecure firearm bouncing around in a cart is not safe. Securely in my holster it is safe.

My big thing is first, the signs should be on the front door of the office where I could have seen it, not out in the middle of the woods where you won't see it until you start shooting. Second, the language needs to be more clear. I look for signs like those you have in the woods and it still didn't strike me to disarm because, frankly, the notion that a gun range would prohibit certain guns is silly, leaving me saying to myself "to be sure that means no shooting pistols on the shotgun range, but possession is allowed." Add language like "possession of pistols on shotgun course prohibited, including concealed and open carry" because I was dumbfounded when I saw the current signage.

I don't understand where you're coming from and I don't have to - it's your property and I either respect your wishes or don't go. That being said, I don't frequent places where I can't make myself safe, and I report those places to the 2A community's "friend or foe" list on opencarry.org. If open carry is allowed, "friend", if not, "foe".

Perhaps you could be persuaded to allow possession of securely holstered pistols (concealed or open) while shooting clays?"

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

I can understand why they dont allow handguns or rifles.If it was ok then I can tell you some knucklehead cc or Oc would be out there,nobody around and say, well nobody here,lets pop off some rounds. Yea it would happen,maybe not us but some jack hole would do it.
 
C

Carry24/7

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
184
Location
Belmont, NC
Not saying I am on either side on this issue because I understand both sides but couldn't you defend yourself with the shotgun you are shooting if need be? Not sure where or how the range is set up but I understand not wanting some dumb@$$ shooting handguns or rifles at flying targets. I also don't like leaving my gun in my car.
 
C

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
bigl0af said:
Went out to Drake Landing today to shoot clays. Walked into the office open carrying, no problem. Started shooting, and on about hole 9 the guy on the four wheeler came up to me after watching my buddies and myself shoot a while. He asked if I saw the sign saying only shotguns allowed. I said I did but took that to mean only shooting of shotguns allowed, not that open carry was prohibited. He said I was to put the gun in the cart until I was off the course.

Sort of silly if you ask me that a shooting range would prohibit open carry, and as such I won't be returning as a customer!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Well, at least he didn't insult you by asking if you were law enfarcement.
 
N

NC-Heel

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
326
Location
Charlotte, NC
People are negligent. I totally see the owners side. The course is set up and safely designed for shotguns to shoot clays. Now you take someone who watched Top Shot and saw them shooting clays with a 1911 and next thing you know you have Billy Bad Azz trying it. That .45ACP will carry farther than birdshot. Most people wont think about that. Everyone complaining about not wanting to be able to defend themselves, you have a 12 gauge in your hands. Don't want a handgun bouncing around in a golf cart? Mine would still be in the holster when I placed it in the golf cart making it as secure as if it was on my hip. Still worried, how long does it take you to clear the chamber on your weapon? Guess none of you go to gun shows do you? Ever wonder why loaded firearms are not allowed? People are negligent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top