"Safety is Paramount at Pima Pistol Club!"
 
 

Range Safety Manual

 

The primary purpose of Pima Pistol Club Inc. is to provide a safe and fun place for members and the public to participate in recreational shooting activities. This manual documents the safety plan and administration procedures for the operation of the outdoor shooting facility known as Pima Pistol Club. All shooters and visitors who come to Pima Pistol Club (PPC) should familiarize themselves with the PPC rules and regulations. Shooters who are inexperienced should pay particular attention to the rules in section 1 called “Basic Gun Handling Safety Rules”.

 

1. Basic Gun Handling Safety Rules
 

There are numerous rules and regulations documented in this manual for the safe and orderly operation of the ranges at Pima Pistol Club. Violation of any of them will have consequences, some more serious than others. However, there are a few basic rules of paramount importance that every shooter should learn and practice with deliberation. Strict compliance with all of these few basic rules of safe gun handling will ensure that the most tragic consequence, that being a firearms related injury or death, cannot occur.
 
1.1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
1.2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
1.3. Always keep firearms unloaded until ready to fire.
1.4. Know what is beyond your target and ensure that bullets passing through the target strike only the backstop.
1.5. Always handle a firearm as if it is loaded. Follow the same precautions (rules 1 &2) that would prevent injury with a loaded firearm, even when you know a firearm is unloaded.
 

2. General Safety Rules
 
2.1. Know how your firearm works and how to safely operate it. Know how its design and operation affect how you
comply with all of the rules and regulations established by Pima Pistol Club.
2.2. All Firearms must be brought to the range unloaded. Loaded firearms are permitted only on the firing line, during
live fire periods.
2.3. Handguns are not to be handled for any reason in the parking lot or behind the firing line. They must remain in a
case or bag until arrival at the firing line.

2.4. Long guns may be carried to the firing line without use of a case or bag. Actions must be open and the muzzle

must remain pointed vertically up at all times.

2.5. Consumption of alcohol during or prior to the handling of firearms is strictly prohibited. Shooters who are

impaired by alcohol or drugs will not be permitted on the range.

2.6. Eye and ear protection is required for all persons. Eye protection must be used at all times, even when away from

the firing line.

2.7. Loaded firearms must always be under the direct control of the shooter. Loaded firearms must always be pointed

toward the target backstop.

2.8. Unloaded firearms must always be pointed (muzzle) toward the target backstop when located at the shooting

positions or vertically (muzzle up) when located anywhere other than at a shooting position.

2.9. All firearms must be unloaded and actions must be open during cease fire periods. Detachable magazines must

be removed from the firearm.

2.10. Cease fire periods are for target placement and maintenance or any time persons must go forward of the firing

line. Target placement, retrieval and down range maintenance may be performed only during a cease fire.

2.11. During cease fire periods, all persons must remain at least three (3) feet behind or three (3) feet in front of the

firing line. Handling of firearms for any reason is strictly prohibited during a cease fire.

2.12. Only target stands provided by or approved by PPC may be used. All targets must be placed on the stand so that bullets fired will impact the backstop. The target stand must be of a height that aligns the target(s) with the backstop whether the shooter is in a standing or seated position. Shots must not be fired over the top of the backstop, nor at the floor of the range as they may skip over the backstop. Approved stands will use wood for the part of the stand on which target backing material is attached. Targets shall be placed at a minimum distance forward of the firing line as follows:
2.12.1. 5 yards on ranges 1, 3 and 4 (pistol ranges)
2.12.2. 25 yards on range 2 (rifle range)
2.12.3. 200 yards on range 5A (200 yard rifle range)
2.13. Never shoot at rocks or other objects which may result in a ricochet.

2.14. Armor piercing and tracer ammunition is strictly prohibited on the PPC ranges.
 

3. Control of the Firing Line

 

Operation of the shooting ranges at Pima Pistol Club follows the private club model wherein participants on the firing line are responsible for conducting the minute by minute operation of the firing line and enforcing all safety rules. A range safety officer may not be present. Members, their guests and visitors are responsible for conducting themselves according to accepted safety practices and exhibiting good sportsmanship, citizenship and cooperation with fellow shooters.
 

3.1. These guidelines should be followed during normal periods and do not apply to an emergency situation. In an

emergency, anyone may and should call for a cease fire and all shooters must immediately obey a cease fire
command.

3.2. Normal cease fire periods shall be observed when the majority of the shooters at the range agree to one.

3.3. Any person or persons who wish to go forward of the firing line may request a cease fire from the other shooters

on the range.

3.3.1. Requestors should be considerate of fellow shooters who may be in the middle of a string of shots.

3.3.2. Fellow shooters should be considerate of a requestors desire to attend to his/her targets in a timely manner.

3.4. When a cease fire period has been agreed to by all present, it shall begin and end with a verbal announcement

that has been acknowledged by everyone on the range.
3.4.1. The first of the following commands is recommended to announce the beginning of a cease fire. The second
command is an alternate command commonly used by some shooters. All persons should learn to recognize both
commands.
3.4.1.1. “Cease Fire! It is clear to go down range.”
3.4.1.2. “Range is Clear”
3.5. All firearms shall be unloaded prior to the beginning of a cease fire.
3.6. All persons shall remain at least three (3) feet from the shooting positions and all firearms during the cease fire.
3.7. Live fire will commence again only after everyone has returned to the firing line and everyone has agreed to
commence live fire.
3.7.1. The first of the following commands is recommended to announce the end of a cease fire. The second
command is an alternate command commonly used by some shooters. All persons should learn to recognize both
commands.
3.7.1.1. “Commence Live Fire”
3.7.1.2. “Range is Hot!”
3.8. Shooters may return to the shooting positions and handle firearms only after the end of the cease fire has been
announced.
 

4. Range Use Rules
 
4.1. The rules and regulations in this section may be modified by Pima Pistol Club in order to accommodate the
needs of a user group. Any variance to the rules granted by PPC must be documented in the user group agreement.
4.2. Range 1 (youth range) is a handgun range. Members engaged in traditional target practice with handguns should
preferably use range 1 if available. Rifles and shotguns are prohibited on range 1. Targets must be placed no closer
than 5 yards from the firing line.
4.3. Range 2 (100 yard rifle range) is for long range target practice. Targets must be placed at least twenty five (25)
yards from the firing line. Handguns may be used on range 2 provided the 25 yard target restriction is observed.
4.4. Steel targets are not permitted on PPC ranges. Other prohibited targets include trash, bottles, cans and any other
item not generally accepted as a standard target.
4.5. Range 3 (practical pistol range) is reserved for authorized matches, approved and scheduled training sessions,
full auto fire and for handgun practice.
4.5.1. Members engaged in traditional target practice (fixed shooting position) with handguns should preferably use
range 1 if available.
4.5.2. Range use preference is given to shooters firing fully automatic guns (machine guns) and practical shooting.
4.5.3. Non-members may use range 3 only when accompanied by a member also engaged in shooting on range 3.
4.6. Range 4 (practical pistol range) is reserved for authorized matches, approved and scheduled training sessions,
full auto fire and for practical handgun practice only.
4.6.1. Non-members may use range 4 only when accompanied by a member also engaged in practical shooting on
range 4.
4.7. Targets on ranges 3 and 4 must be placed no closer than 5 yards from the shooting position.
4.8. All full auto and shotgun shooting must be done on ranges 3 and 4.
4.9. Range 5 (200 yard range), located at the extreme south end of the property is a multiuse range for members and
authorized matches only. Range 5A is a 200 yard rifle range. Ranges 5B through 5E are practical pistol ranges built
into the side of range 5A. Access to range 5A is at the far southwest corner of the parking area.
4.10. The gate next to range 4 (practical pistol range) leading onto range 5 must remain locked at all times, unless any
of the ranges 5B through 5E are being used for an authorized match. Range 5A (200 yard range) is closed during
authorized matches.
4.11. Targets on range 5A must be placed no closer than 200 yards from the firing line. Due to the topography of the
range, targets placed closer than 200 yards from the firing line will cause bullet impact on the range floor.
4.12. Ranges 5B through 5E (built into the side of range 5A) are for authorized matches only. No other shooting
(including match practice sessions) is allowed on these ranges. Match practice should be conducted on ranges 3
and 4 (practical pistol ranges).
4.13. Range 5E is not to be used for regular authorized matches. It may be used for special events only with approval
of the PPC board of directors.
4.14. Destruction of PPC ranges and equipment is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, shooting target
stands. Any person observing a destructive act upon PPC property or the property surrounding the PPC range must
immediately report the transgression to the range manager or a member of the board of directors (if present).
4.15. Some target stands are provided by PPC. All PPC stands should be returned to the office. PPC may require
shooters to check out the metal stand from the range manager and leave a deposit. Stands which are returned with

 damage caused by bullet impact or vandalism will incur loss of the deposit.
 

5. Practical Shooting Rules
 

Practical shooting includes elements that do not easily conform to the traditional operation methods and safety rules well established for ranges with fixed shooting positions at the rear of the range. In practical shooting, it is customary for the shooting position to be virtually anywhere on the range. Shooting while on the move is also common in many courses of fire. In order for such an activity to be commensurate with accepted concepts of safe gun handling a special and more restrictive set of rules must be followed.
 
5.1. The rules in this section supercede and replace any rules in this manual that are contradictory when practical
shooting is taking place on the PPC ranges.
5.2. All rules in this manual not contradicted in this section shall remain in effect.
5.3. A range officer shall be designated by the activity organizer or the person(s) present to control each course of
fire during the shooting activity.
5.4. Only a person or persons under the direct control of a range officer may have a loaded firearm.
5.5. Only a person or persons under the direct control of a range officer may handle a firearm.
5.6. The firearm(s) of all activity participants and bystanders shall remain unloaded until a participant is directed by a
range officer to load.
5.7. Participants and bystanders who are not engaged in the course of fire and under the direct control of the range
officer shall not handle firearms for any reason anywhere on the shooting range during the group activity.
Special safety areas (marked with signs) adjacent to each range are provided for handling unloaded firearms.
Permitted actions in the safety area are as follows:
5.7.1. Practice the draw
5.7.2. Dry firing
5.7.3. Function test a firearm (unloaded)
5.7.4. Repair a firearm
5.7.5. Demonstrate the functioning of a firearm. Absolutely no handling of ammo allowed at safety areas
 

6. Enforcement of rules and regulations
 
6.1. All persons shall abide by the rules and regulations established by Pima Pistol Club. Any person who is unwilling
or unable to comply with all Pima Pistol Club rules and regulations may be expelled from the range.
6.2. All commands and instructions from the designated range manager, on-duty safety officer (if present) or club
officer shall be obeyed immediately (including an expulsion order).
6.3. All persons shall immediately obey a cease fire command given by anyone on the range.
6.4. All persons are responsible for listening respectfully to any concern a fellow shooter or Pima Pistol Club
representative has regarding their actions on the range.
6.5. Any person observing an unsafe act involving a firearm shall discuss the incident with the offender immediately
in a respectful manor. If the offender is cooperative during the discussion and is willing to correct his/her mistake, no
further action is required unless the unsafe behavior is repeated.
6.5.1. If direct intervention by the observing person does not resolve the unsafe condition, the incident shall
immediately be reported to the range manager, safety officer (if present) or a director (if present).
6.5.2. Any unsafe act observed by or brought to the attention of the range manager, safety officer or a director of the
club shall be documented in an incident report.
6.5.3. Any persistent attitude other than respectful cooperation on the part of the offender shall constitute grounds
for immediate expulsion from the range for the remainder of the day.
6.5.4. Persistent or repeated violation of the PPC rules and regulations by any individual or user group shall
constitute grounds for revocation of range privileges or membership.
6.6. Any discharge of a firearm that results in a bullet being fired over a protective berm shall constitute grounds for
immediate suspension of shooting privileges for the remainder of the day.
6.7. Any discharge of a firearm that results in a bullet impacting the ground behind an imaginary line that is parallel to
and 3 feet downrange from the firing line shall constitute grounds for immediate suspension of shooting privileges
for the remainder of the day.
6.8. Any person observing a destructive act (whether or not it involves a firearm) shall immediately report the incident
to the range manager, safety officer (if present) or a director (if present).
6.9. The PPC board may consider any reported incident as grounds for revocation of range privileges or membership
for any duration, solely at its discretion, depending on the severity of the infraction.
6.10. The board of directors may restore the privileges or membership of a shooter who has been expelled, provided
full disclosure of the incident is made at the time of application for restoration of privileges or membership and
provided the shooter agrees to abide by all rules and regulations and demonstrates a cooperative attitude.
6.11. Commands or instructions given by the designated range manager, a designated safety officer or a PPC officer
may be appealed by filing an appeal form with the board of directors. The appeal will be considered by the board of
directors within one month. An appeal does not void or postpone the application of any of the rules and regulations
in this document.
 

7. Administrative Rules
 
7.1. A range manager designated by PPC must be present before shooting may commence on any range. The normal
hours of operation are from 7:30 AM until 5:00 PM daily.
7.2. The range may be closed for holidays, special events, maintenance or due to the unavailability of a designated
range manager. If no range manager is present, the range will be considered closed, regardless of the hour.
7.3. All persons, members and non-members alike, must register at the office before proceeding to the shooting
ranges. Visitors and observers must also register, even it they will not be participating in shooting activities.
7.4. All members must present their membership identification badge to the range manager for verification of
membership.
7.5. All persons must complete an application prior to their first use of the range. The application includes release of
liability and hold harmless agreements. The application must be completed for minors by a parent or guardian. Even
non-shooters must complete the liability and hold harmless agreement forms.
7.6. The spouse and minor children (under 21) of members may use the range under the membership.
7.7. All persons under the age of 21 must be directly supervised by an adult parent or guardian at all times.
7.8. Non-members must pay the daily use fee in order to use the range. Membership dues and daily use fees are
established by the Board of Directors.
7.9. Match fees for affiliated user groups include the full daily use fee. Participants in these matches may use the
range after the conclusion of the match, subject to all other PPC rules and regulations.
 

8. Facility Description
 

Pima Pistol Club operates an outdoor shooting range in the Canada Del Oro wash south east of Catalina Arizona. Rifle and handgun ranges are available. The available ranges are listed in Table 1.
 
 

The direction of fire allowed on each range is designated with the large numbered arrows. The numbers correspond to the designations used in Table 1 and throughout this document whenever specific range use rules are discussed.
 
Figure 1 - Pima Pistol Club Facility Layout
 
 

PPC does not have a conventional shotgun facility and for the most part cannot accommodate shotgun shooting by the public. Shotguns are used during certain authorized matches that feature defensive uses of the shotgun.
 

9. Terminology
 

The following terms are used in the rules and regulations. Definitions are provided to clarify the interpretation of the rules and regulations.
 
9.1. Range: A term used to describe an area designated for shooting firearms.
9.2. Berm: An earthen mound that provides both a visual and physical protective barrier between a range and the
surrounding area.
9.3. Shooting Position: A bench, table or designated location from which all shots shall be fired.
9.4. Firing Line: A row of several shooting positions arranged in a line.
9.5. Backstop: A berm that is parallel to the firing line and designated as the one into which all shots should be fired.
9.6. Firing Direction Designated direction in which all shots are to be fired, generally along a line perpendicular to the
firing line towards the backstop.
9.7. Down Range In the direction of the backstop from the firing line.
9.8. Cease Fire: A period of time during which it is safe for people to go forward of the firing line for the placement,
maintenance or retrieval of targets. The phrase “Cease Fire” is also a command used to initiate a cease fire period.
9.9. Hot Range: Firing and gun handling are permitted on a “hot” range.
9.10. Cold Range: Firing and gun handling are prohibited on a cold range.
9.11. Action: A generic term for the components of a firearm that load, position for firing or fire a bullet from a firearm.
examples: the bolt of a rifle, cylinder of a revolver, slide of an auto loading pistol.
9.12. Muzzle: The end of a barrel from which a fired bullet exits a firearm.
9.13. Chamber: That portion of the barrel or action of a firearm that holds a cartridge or propellant ready to fire.
9.14. Loaded Firearm: Any firearm that has a cartridge or propellant in the firing chamber or in a magazine that is
inserted into the firearm.
9.15. Practical shooting: A type of shooting, derived from defensive or combat uses of firearms that requires special
safety rules and procedures. It is incompatible with traditional firing ranges where many people can shoot all at once
during a live fire period. Elements of practical shooting that help distinguish it from traditional target shooting are
rapid firing, multiple targets, drawing. from a holster, movement during shooting and negotiating obstacles while
shooting.
9.16. Director: An elected position established by the By-Laws of the club that has broad responsibility for oversight
of club operations and financial management.
9.17. Officer: A member of the board of directors with a specific and narrow list of required duties. (president, vice
president, secretary & treasurer).
 

10. User Groups
 

A user group is any group who uses the PPC facility for organized shooting activities including matches, training, education and qualification. User groups will ensure that accepted safety practices and all PPC rules and regulations are followed except as may be specified on the user group agreement. Two categories of user groups are recognized by Pima Pistol Club. The two categories are affiliated and unaffiliated groups.
 
10.1. An affiliated user group is a group that regularly uses the PPC range facility and has been officially affiliated with
PPC by a vote of the board of directors of PPC.
10.1.1. An affiliated user group shall be administered by a PPC elected official who will serve on the board of directors
of PPC as established in the By Laws.
10.1.2. An affiliated user group is not required to have a separate insurance policy from Pima Pistol Club’s policy.
10.1.3. An affiliated user group shall complete a user group agreement form. The form must be signed by an officer or
board member of PPC and kept on file by PPC. The user group agreement shall list all variances to the rules and
regulations granted by PPC for the user group activity.
10.1.4. An affiliated user group shall be eligible for PPC funds to buy equipment, props and supplies as directed by the
board of directors.
10.1.5. An affiliated user group shall pay a range use fee for each participant as established by the board of directors
for all affiliated user groups.
10.1.6. An affiliated user group must maintain an average ratio of 1/3 member participants to non-member participants
to remain affiliated.
10.1.7. Match fees for affiliated user groups include the full daily use fee. Participants in these matches may use the
range after the conclusion of the match, subject to all other PPC rules and regulations.
10.2. An unaffiliated user group is any group that has not been officially recognized as affiliated with Pima Pistol Club.
Official affiliation can only be attained by a vote of the Pima Pistol Club Board of Directors.
10.2.1. An unaffiliated user group is required to have a separate insurance policy that names Pima Pistol Club, Inc. as
an insured party. The insurance policy shall be purchased at the expense of the user group.
10.2.2. An unaffiliated user group shall complete a user group agreement form. The form must be signed by an officer 
or board member of PPC and kept on file by PPC. The user group agreement shall list all variances to the rules and
regulations granted by PPC for the user group activity.
10.2.3. An unaffiliated user group is not eligible for PPC funds to buy equipment, props and supplies.
10.2.4. An unaffiliated user group shall pay a range use fee for each participant as established by the board of
directors and designated on the user group agreement.
10.2.5. If the range use fee designated in the user group agreement is not greater than or equal to the non-club
member daily use fee, a member of the user group shall not be entitled to use the range before or after the user group

activity.
 

11. Range Reservations
 
11.1. PPC may close all ranges for special events. Notice will be provided to the membership by all reasonable means,
including range postings, email messages, and the PPC web site. At least one weeks notice will be provided.
11.2. Ranges may be reserved by a user group provided an approved user group agreement is on file with PPC.
11.3. Ranges 3, 4 and 5B through 5D may be reserved by user groups for authorized matches. These ranges will be 
closed for shooting to all non match participants during reserved periods.
These ranges are regularly reserved as follows:
11.3.1. IPSC matches on the first and third Sundays of every month.
11.3.2. All Steel match on the second Sunday of every month.
11.3.3. IDPA match on the fourth Sunday of every month.
11.3.4. 3-Gun match on the fifth Sunday of the month as applicable.
11.3.5. Cowboy Action match on the second Saturday of every month.
11.4. Official military and law enforcement agencies may reserve ranges 3 and 4 with 24 hours advance notice for 
group training or qualification activities provided they do not conflict with existing reservations or regularly scheduled
matches.
11.4.1. A user group agreement for an unaffiliated user group must be completed prior to requesting the reservation.
11.4.2. A proof of insurance certificate naming Pima Pistol Club, Inc. as an insured party must be provided.
11.4.3. Range use fees will be waived by Pima Pistol Club for group training and qualification activities (practice by 
individual military and law enforcement members is not included in this fee waiver –see official fee schedule for
reduced rate).
11.4.4. All range rules and regulations are applicable for these events unless a specific variance is granted on the user
group agreement form.
11.5. Shooting organizations may reserve ranges 3, 4 and 5 with one week advanced notice provided they do not
conflict with existing reservations or regularly scheduled matches.
11.5.1. A user group agreement for an unaffiliated user group must be completed prior to requesting the reservation.
11.5.2. Applicable fees established by the board of directors in the user group agreement must be paid before the
ranges can be used.
11.5.3. A proof of insurance certificate naming Pima Pistol Club, Inc. as an insured party must be provided.
11.5.4. All range rules and regulations are applicable for these events unless a specific variance is granted on the user
group agreement form.
11.6. Commercial firearms trainers may reserve ranges 3 or 4 with one week advanced notice provided they do not
conflict with existing reservations or regularly scheduled matches.
11.6.1. A user group agreement for an unaffiliated user group must be completed prior to requesting the reservation.
11.6.2. The daily use fee established by the board of directors for non-club members in the official fee schedule must
be paid for each participant and instructor before the ranges can be used.
11.6.3. A proof of insurance certificate naming Pima Pistol Club, Inc. as an insured party must be provided.
11.6.4. All range rules and regulations are applicable for these events unless a specific variance is granted on the user group agreement form.
 

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