Tokarev discrimination?

[angebar]

Prior to my buying my TT33 I had a chat with the management of the shooting range in Bradenton. I was told that I could not use 7.62x25 ammo which had a steel core. They went to lengths explaining how they would check it and give it a "magnet test". And if it failed, I couldn't use it. Ok, fair enough...
So, I did a lot of research and found a couple of brands (FNM and S&B) that had no steel core and were non-corrosive. I bought a whack of it to have on hand.
Today was the Big Day...my first chance to shoot the TT33! However, when I arrived there I was told I wouldn't be allowed to use ANY 7.62x25 ammo regardless of type!!! No damn "magnet test", no exceptions. The rules had obviously changed.
Anyway, fortunately I had purchased a 9mm barrel for the TT33. So I just exchanged barrels and shot 9mm. The TT33 was GREAT!!! Tight groupings, smooth action, just pure pleasure!
Now I feel I want to change ranges so I will be seeking out other places in the Bradenton/Sarasota area which will welcome my business. Needless to say, I am not very interested in giving those folks any more of my cash.
Barry

[ruskiegunlover]

have had bad experiences like that before.....My brother in law, who is 30 years old, has gone to a range with hollow point wolf in 7.62 39 and shot his ak there.....They had no problem.
I on the other hand, being 20, tried the same thing with my sks, and they said no. They tried to get me to buy 40 round boxes of Cheeta ammo at 14 dollers a pop.....I said to hell with that.

As long as I can go to the grandparents house for free, these ranges can shove it. I plan on taking a pistol training coarse when I turn 21, but other then that, I do not plan on going to that range again.

[angebar]

...and the directions to Grandma and Grandpa's house are...? :rolleyes:

[ruskiegunlover]

I have two sets, both of which own massive plots of land around Burlington/Fredonia kansas. Burlington has a damn nice creek, heavily wooded, and a ton of forrested areas. Fredonia has a cabin, a creek, and some wooded areas. I am lucky......I have always prefered HIKING and shooting, as upposed to just going to a range......

[Buster Charlie]

Do these places allow .357 or .44 mag? If so its kinda hyporitical.

[angebar]

Yep they do! I just found another range in Bradenton which will let me shoot the 7.62x25 so I'll be saying sayonara to them!

[Bret]

angebar, you did the right thing by taking you business somewhere else. There was a local range here in Atlanta that I would shoot at all the time. I especially liked it because it has a rifle range. I shot many of my rifles and pistols there over the course of several years. Well, one day I went in to shoot my AR-15. I was told that I could not fire it with a magazine in because semiauto rifles were no longer allowed. I would have to load ammo in one round at a time. When I asked why I was told that some people had been firing too fast, so they had to stop allowing them. I told them that they should have just taken care of the problem by not allowing those people to shoot anymore. I also told them that if I couldn't shoot my rifles like normal, then there was no point in coming back. I have not been back since.

[angebar]

Thanks for your support Brett!
Another aspect of this bothers me as well...it stems from my ignorance of the construction of shooting ranges. They told me "it will chew up our range". Does this mean that there is a safety factor involved? I would assume (and hope!) that shooting ranges must have standards to which they must adhere. If this is true, wouldn't such standards be set up to exceed the necessary ability to contain fire from all common weapons, using ammunition that is deemed "legal" in the U.S.?
As I stated it may be my ignorance showing since I don't know the acceptable standards (if there are any). I would appreciate it if someone can enlighten me about this.
Thanks again,
Barry

[FalconUruguay]

What They Mean Is That Some Ammo(Steel Core) Does Alot Of Damage To The Backstops.These Are Usually A Heavy Steel Plate That Takes thousands Of Rounds A Year And Are Expensive To Replace,Not Only that,But there Is A Possibility Of A Steel Core Slug Bouncing back Towards The Shooters...A Legal Nightmare for these Guys!

It's Not A Matter Of Standards Or Local/State requirements (Except For The Cleanup Of The Bullet Traps,Which Have To Be Done By Accredited Haz-Mat Cleanup Crews...Lead Being the Biggest Risk),But A Monetary risk For Them To Allow The Use Of Steel Core Ammo...Lawsuits Are Not Cheap, And Insurance Gets Hard To Get If There Are Incidents Where People Are getting Hurt Or Killed!

I Have The Same Problem At My Local Range,When I Go To Shoot My Enfield...I Have About A 100 Rounds That I Can't Shoot,Because It Has A Steel Core.And Since The rifle Range Is Only About 70 Yards...It Would Cut Clean Thru the Steel Backstops Or Bounce Back And Hit Me!!!

[angebar]

Hi falconuruguay,
Yep I knew about the steel-cored ammo so I went to lengths just to buy ammo without any steel content (which they had previously used as the reason I couldn't shoot there). When I came back to them with the "correct" ammo theyu changed the story saying "no 7.62x25 allowed regardless of the ammo".

[angebar]

Just to clarify...I am welcome to use my other guns there...a .380 or my 9mm. And I did talk to them prior to my buying the TT33, that's when they advised me about the steel-cored ammo.
So there is no hidden agenda or on-going feud. Our relationship was quite cordial until they changed their story.
Barry

[FalconUruguay]

That's Ignorance And Lasiness On their part...They Assume That By Banning All Of the 7.62X25 Ammo,That they Won't Have To bother Checking Every time Someone Want's To Shoot If It's Steel Core Or Not,And It Will remove The Problems Completly.

You're Better Off Going To The Other Range, And Now You Know Those guys Are Idiots...

[angebar]

falconuruguay,
I think you nailed it right on the head! They're too lazy to check.
It's interesting because I took a CCW course there which to me was pretty short (less than 1 hour including range time).
Anyway I did find another range and will take my business there instead.
Thanks for your input, you made me think!
Barry

[guncats]

7.62x25 has pretty high penetration, even with lead core rounds. Most of them are not steel core, but most I have tried have copper coated Iron jacket so they will stick to the magnet anyway.

I think it penetrates level-II vest ( or level-IIA, can't remember), with just lead-core ammo. That is probably why police in far-east either wear no vest or wear a really thick vest -- they need the extra thickness.

[angebar]

I did dom a magnet test on the FNM ammo I used yesterday and the ammo passed.
I understand that, with the steel-core ammo, light armor can be penetrated but that's the extent of my knowledge.
I had my first opportunity to shoot with the 7.62 barrel! It was very smooth and accurate with 2" groups at 10 yards shooting freehand. People were watching via closed-circuit and were amazed at the flame that came out!
I absolutely love this Tokarev TT33!!!!
Barry