Club Steel Targets Removed

Club Steel Targets Removed until Further Notice

Safety concerns and equipment abuse at cause

Mill Creek Rifle Club's board of directors made the reluctant decision at its most recent meeting to remove the steel targets formerly available on the 15-Yard Pistol Range.  The board members cited several reasons that forced the decision.

"We understand club steel is popular. The board had taken up the question of how to ensure the club-provided targets could be maintained for safe use several times in the past," says President Michael Borkon. "Unfortunately, we had finally arrived at the point where no action was no longer a viable option." The board cited these reasons for its unanimous decision to pull the targets until further notice:

• Continuing use of unapproved, unsafe firearms. Despite numerous signs cautioning members it is unsafe to themselves and spectators, as well as damaging to the targets, to use long-barrelled firearms, their use remained too common. Users not honoring the rule against using rifles--some firing at as close as 10 feet or less--presented an unacceptable ricochet and spatter risk.
• Continuing inability to maintain a safe firing line and line procedure. Several members have been disciplined by the board in the past year for handling--and even firing--firearms while others were downrange of an established firing line. Despite repeated warnings and communication to observe all safety rules, this inability or unwillingness to maintain safe range protocol was considered too risky to continue.
• Continuing misuse of the equipment. Maintenance Director Eric Sigg reports several instances since the targets were installed in late 2023 of someone altering the targets to defeat their design. More than once, for example, someone taped down the swinging pendulums to prevent them from rotating as designed. This caused the gong to no longer appropriately absorb the kinetic energy of the shots and led to cracking along the weak point at the neck of the target. Each instance cost the club more than $75 to replace the damaged component.

"As most of us have learned since we were in kindergarten," observes Safety Director Marco Tapia, "unfortunately, it usually takes only a handful of bad actors to spoil the fun for everybody else."

The board has removed the targets indefinately and will reconsider their reinstallation pending discussion and consideration of how to better ensure their safe use. If you have input, please email the president, safety director, or maintenance director at the emails available at this link.