AAFTA Safety Rules

Reprinted from the 2009A AAFTA Clubs and Shooters Handbook

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These Safety Rules will be strictly enforced. Anyone abusing these rules may be expelled from the shooting range and match participation.

1.     All Airguns shall be kept unloaded and, if possible, with an Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) until on the firing line, with the muzzle pointed downrange, and ready to fire. An ECI may be as simple as a length of weed-whacker line inserted into the breech.

2.     Airgun muzzles will be pointed away from all persons when possible.

3.     When on the firing line, safe airgun procedures will be observed including:

1. No Airgun will be cocked or loaded until a shot is ready to be fired downrange.
2. When an Airgun is cocked or loaded on the firing line, the SAFETY will not be released until the muzzle is pointed at the target and the shooter is ready to FIRE.
3. When cocking piston airguns, the Shooter must hold the cocking lever or barrel while inserting a pellet to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun and prevent injury to one’s self or other shooters.
4. Safe spacing of shooters on the firing line is both judicious and courteous.
5. Each shooter is responsible for his or her direction of fire, and safety toward other shooters.
6. When the Range Safety Officer or Marshal declares the line "COLD", all Shooters will unload (firing pellets into the ground is an acceptable method as long as care is taken to make sure that the direction and surface of impact are safe), break the breech, open the loading port or bolt, or unlatch the cocking lever, and insert the ECI to signify a safe "COLD" line.
7. The Range Safety Officer should be notified when a shooter wishes to go downrange for any reason. The Range Safety Officer will, at his discretion, call for a "COLD" line. At that time, range maintenance may be performed. On the field target course, the appointed Marshals will act as deputies of the Range Safety Officer (Chief Marshal).
8. The Range Safety Officer or Marshal will have the final decision on matters of "Safety on the Range".

4.     Safety must be encouraged and enforced. Therefore, it is important that all shooters strive to practice safe airgun handling. It is also important, that shooters remind anyone of unsafe airgun handling and, if necessary, report unsafe practices to the Range Safety Officer or Marshal.

5.     NO children shall be allowed on the firing line. Junior Shooters MUST be cleared by the Range Safety Officer by being instructed on RANGE SAFETY.

No alcohol will be allowed on the sight-in range or field target course.