Within earshot of our home here in Florida is the manufacturing facility, and test range, of the Knights Armament Company. They are manufacturers of many of the weapons used by American military special operators. It’s an American owned business, that employs a couple of hundred Americans, manufacturing American-made products for the American military.
I said “within earshot” because we (and the other folks in our neighborhood) can hear the sound of firearms being tested at the Knight’s facility — including on full-auto function.
A sound I’m not unfamiliar with, from a previous life experience.
Our Archuleta County acreage is in Aspen Springs ( the southwest quadrant of the hilltop terminal cul-de-sac of Buttercup Drive). So I read with interest the November 20 Daily Post Opinon article about the proposed gun range to the west of Aspen Springs.
From what I’ve been able to gather from the op-ed, and additional geographic information from the Daily Post editor, the proposed range is within two miles of our Aspen Springs property, and the down-range will be in my direction. That being the case, I suppose I’m qualified to contribute my comments on the subject of the proposed range, and of the comments that appeared in the Daily Post.
Though there is no structure on my hilltop, I have spent brief episodes living up there in a tent while clearing away underbrush. Since the longest continuous time staying up there was a just a week, I won’t pretend that my “residency” (for lack of a better term) in Aspen Springs even remotely compares with that of the author of the op-ed.
But during even my brief residency tenures on my hilltop I’ve encountered, on two separate occasions, “incoming fire” from my closest neighbors (at the time) — once from the north and once from the south.
They weren’t shooting at me, they ceased fire when I made my presence known, and claimed (which I believe) not to have known I was up on the hill at the time they were shooting.
They were accustomed to using the lower sides of my unoccupied hill as backstops for their targets. Each agreed not to do so if I was up there, and the one to the south agree to move his targets further down the hillside from my property line.
So it’s my experience that unregulated random gunfire in the direction of neighboring property is apparently not all that uncommon in Aspen Springs? Therefore, having a structured, supervised gun range close enough for Aspen Springs residents to conveniently use sounds to me like a community improvement.
But … as I said … I don’t live there… like the op-ed author, so I’m not dismissing her sentiments on the matter. For someone not familiar, nor comfortable, with firearms, the situation would be disquieting.
Wait … what … Gary? Why do you assume the author is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with firearms? Well … because of the following statements, by the author, that appeared in the Opinion.
“Even your most avid gun fanatic goes home to their quiet haven when they’re done at the shooting range.”
To those of us who believe in our Second Amendment rights, the phrase “gun fanatic” is all too familiar dog-whistle language regularly used by those who would take away our right if they could. It suggests that our interest in firearms, and the right to use them, is a fringe mental disorder.
Then there is this reflection of complete ignorance of what actually occurs at gun ranges,
“…the barrage of gun battles being waged all day, every day”.
Being not unfamiliar with the concept of a ‘gun battle’, I’m at a loss to understand how the Opinion author can make such a statement. Other than utter unfamiliarity of the reality of a true ‘gun battle’ (firefight).
A “gun battle” is the very last thing you’ll experience at a supervised gun range. If you are at such a range, and even inadvertently waive an empty firearm in any general direction other than downrange, the range master will crawl up your ass… and you may get banned from the range.
Here is a video from the HBO series ‘The Pacific’ that depicts what happens if you are careless at a supervised range – military or civilian:
That’s not Hollywood drama… it’s a portrayal of an actual event from one of the true-life books the series is based on, and accurately reflects what will really happens at any responsible civilian range.
“…nonstop gunfire, a hectic gun battle in a war being waged…”
“Nonstop gunfire” isn’t what goes on a ranges.
The photo which accompanied the Daily Post op-ed shows what is going on the majority of the time at a range. Firearms laid out – with people either looking at, maintaining, or talking about firearms (and other topics) – rather than firing.
As for a “negative effects … on their emotional, mental and physical health from being exposed to war being waged”…? Gun ranges do not resemble “war” by any stretch of the imagination. Even suggesting so reflects naivete’ about both war and gun ranges.
Again, I’m not dismissing the author’s feeling about the proximity of the range to her domicile. But to engage in such hyperbole without even the slightest acknowledgment of value of the range in maintaining firearms proficiency by law enforcement?
Could the range be located elsewhere on the Kayah Grande property? For all I know there may not be anywhere else on the property suitable for a range that meets the requirements necessary for law enforcement proficiency certification.
The op-ed certainly doesn’t suggest so — or even seem to consider that fact. It’s only theme is to move it somewhere else — and the logistics, or practicality, of doing so are not considered. The “the remote slopes of Devil Mountain”, which the author suggests are inappropriate by virtue of being “slopes” for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is not wanting the initial trajectory of the rounds being elevated or depressed (for safety reasons, among others).
Since the author’s primary concern seems to be with the noise…
“The amount of noise generated by a facility of this kind is like that of a military firing range…”
No. I’ve spent many hours on both military, and civilian, firing ranges and they are not alike at all.
“Imagine yourself sitting outside on your deck on some fabulous Pagosa sunny day enjoying your favorite beverage and snack. It’s glorious.”
I suggest the author imagine that for some, a sunny day shooting targets at a gun range is equally glorious.