Are Gun Ranges Safe?
People sometimes ask us how safe we think gun ranges are, so we did some thinking about it.
In our anecdotal experience - what we’ve been told and experienced over the years personally - ranges are pretty safe. We’re aware of only a few incidents of serious injury because they’re cautionary tales that float around (namely, keep your finger off the trigger, folks!).
Ranges are controlled environments where, if running properly, there is a Range Officer supervising safety and correcting any unsafe behaviour. Most injuries we hear about are self-inflicted from minor malfunctions, which are mostly mitigated by using the right ammunition and proper maintenance. Follow safe practices yourself and you are greatly minimizing your risk of injury at a range.
We looked for more formal research and couldn’t find much specifically addressing injuries or deaths on Canadian ranges. We did find one interesting study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which reviewed all 6483 firearm-related injuries and deaths in Ontario between 2002 and 2016. The study doesn't directly address if injuries and deaths take place literally at range locations, but our interpretation is that the vast majority of injuries and deaths are crime and self-harm. It seems to us those causes are unlikely to be located at designated gun ranges.
All in all, it probably depends how you look at it and what your personal risk tolerance is. There’s probably “safer” things to do. But are you considering the chance of concussion when you think about soccer? Or chance of being eaten by something bigger than you when you scuba dive? Or chance of being hit by a bus when you jaywalk? These are imponderables to a certain extent - we do what we do usually without considering all the details!
Anyway, we think you can feel quite safe at ranges. We take our families and friends shooting. We wouldn’t if we didn’t think ranges were generally safe places. But join a range where you're comfortable and confident, and be a proactive part of keeping it safe.
