When I was a kid, I was brought up to "treat every gun as if its loaded" but to never have a loaded gun until just about to shoot. For kids I wholeheartedly agree with this.

I attended a practical shooting course where the rule was every gun in a holster was to be loaded. Even at lunch, all weapons (in proper holsters) were kept loaded. The reasoning behind this is, if the gun is always loaded you will treat it as always loaded.

As an adult it took me a day or two to appreciate the distinction. I have been to quite a few ranges in different states and the issue of 'loaded or unloaded' holstered guns seems to be about 40/60 (loaded/unloaded).

The only place any firearm is unloaded or loaded is IN the bay with the weapon pointed down range. And, of course, you always treat the gun as loaded no matter where it is. Finally, firearms are stored and transported unloaded.

The question is while AT the range, but not necessarily shooting.

What does AWF think, when at a gun range, but NOT actively in the lane shooting, what is the status of your firearm?

A) Firearm stays in the bay, unloaded.
B) Firearm stays in the bay, ready to fire.
C) Firearm stays on your person, unloaded.
D) Firearm stays on your person, ready to fire.

...as if it's loaded. As for a private or Gen Pop range letting people carry holstered, "hot" weapons, well that's just stupid. They're just begging for a personal injury suit.

I treat every gun as it is loaded, but as far as being at the range, always cocked, locked and ready doc..

I'm not sure what you are really asking though

I store guns in holsters. (especially military pistols) so always loaded in holsters doesn't work for me.

I always check a gun to be empty and then I always store them empty with Ammo in a very distant location. Typically another room.

Where I shoot, we walk to the line with the gun up or downrange and then load at the line.

The gun is holstered unloaded, you step into the bay you are shooting, and are told to make ready.

(load gun and holster)
do your shooting
then when you are finished, eject mag, rack slide.
then you are given the command hammer down and holster, where you pull the trigger on an empty gun in a safe direction(down range) and prove the gun is in fact empty then holster.


I have been to different training classes, and most have run a hot range, where guns were loaded and holstered, though out the day. As long as everyone follows the rules it doesnt really matter to me, and you just accept it.

i'm either walking over to the rifle range or packing up to go home. In that case, the pistols are unloaded and place it thier lock boxes. One of the main ranges that I use is across state line so all pistols are transported in their own lock box.

If I do step out of the lane I noramally leave gun pointed down range with mag ejected. My range is never really that busy and I'm normally the only one in the indoor pistol range.

I can say the majority of the time any firearm is unloaded. To keep it short I'll leave it at that. :-)

unless it is in my hands or on my person

I've been at an outdoor range where it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that I'd need to return fire....

open on revolvers/rifles/shotguns.

I work with several ex-military and we generally operate under the assumption a gun will go off at any time if its being handled. For example if someone goes downrange, nobody even touches a gun for any reason. You can load magazines but do not touch the gun.

I never load a gun until I'm completely ready to fire. A coworker of mine was at the range one day with the state police when they had range day and one of them shot themselves in the foot. If you don't have any bullets in the gun, it won't fire. If you don't touch the gun, (as long as it's not seriously defective I guess), it will not fire. There's just no compromise.

usually that means unloaded as well