The Pin and Plate Shoots are scheduled events held on the Washtenaw Sportsman's Club East Pistol Range (Pistol Range 1) under the direction of a Range Officer.  These shoots are open to the public. Shooters have 7 shots to knock down 6, 8-inch metal plates on a plate rack at a distance of 50 feet, or 5 bowling pins on a stand at a distance of 25 feet.  Time and pins or plates knocked down are recorded  for the shooter's information; the event is just for fun and practice.  The cost is $5 per match slip, cash only.  Each slip is good for 5 trips to the shooting station.  Participants are expected to help with setup (starting about 15 minutes before the scheduled start time) and takedown.  See the Events Calendar for dates and times; the range is covered and shoots will be held rain, snow or shine.

Permitted Firearms

Safe handguns including semi-automatics, double-action and single-action revolvers.  Other or unusual designs may require approval by the Range Officer.  Optical and electronic sights are permitted.  Empty Chamber Indicators (ECIs) are required.  The slide (if any) must be capable of being locked back.

Permitted Ammunition

Any safe ammunition.  No tracer, armor piercing, incendiary or explosive projectiles.  To prevent damage to the plates or other damage, ammunition must be BELOW the power level of standard .44 Remington Magnum rounds.  No ammunition beyond traditional handgun velocities.  To prevent bounce back from the pins, extreme low velocity ammunition is not allowed.

Safety

All range rules and commands of the Range Officer must be obeyed.  Eye and ear protection is required for everyone whenever the range is active or “hot”.  No other shooting activity is allowed on the range while the Pin and Plate Shoot is being held (including ½ hour before scheduled start for setup and take down time afterwards).   All guns used in the event must be kept out on the bench, unloaded, with slide locked back and magazine out or cylinder or loading gate open.  The ECI must be inserted.  Alternatively the shooter may carry his unloaded gun (magazine out) in a safe holster.  Whenever the Cease Fire Alarm Sytem (with flashing red light) is activated participants should step back from guns and no handling, cleaning or any other manipulation of any uncased gun is allowed.  Also anyone may call Cease Fire! if they observe an unsafe condition.  Handwashing after shooting is recommended.

Procedure

Shooters will be called to the shooting station (either for plates or for pins) one at a time, in turn, by the Range Officer.  Magazines and speed loaders may be preloaded to a maximum of 7 rounds.  The shooter will remove the ECI, load and prepare his aim only after being given the command to Load and Make Ready!  From loading until being declared safe the shooter will keep his gun's muzzle pointed downrange, below the top of the berm and within the side berms.  When the shooter is ready he will start with his gun at Low Ready position, with the muzzle clearing the shooting bench and below the plates or pins so he can bring the gun up to the target, not down on the target.  The next command is Standby! followed by the beep of the timer at which time the shooter will fire at will.  When finished the shooter will drop the magazine and lock back the slide or open the cylinder, eject any unfired rounds or spent cases, and show the chamber clear to the Range Officer, who will declare the gun Safe!  Then the ECI is reinserted (or the gun reholstered under the direction of the Range Officer).

If his gun jams or otherwise malfunctions, the shooter will still take care to always  keep the muzzle pointed downrange.  All shots must be aimed; no shooting from the hip.  There are dangers inherent to shooting; participants, including spectators, attend at their own risk.

Please See our Events Calendar for dates and times.

Any questions or comments may be directed to Paul Nagel at 734-485-8861 or Joseph Helfand at 734-528-1311or by email at pistol@wsclub.org