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I am in France.
I had the chance to learn shooting and to learn the due respect to firearms with my Dad when I was a child, almost 50 years ago. At that time, many people -adults, so called reference for me - were already explaining me that firearm is BAD.
At the age of 16 I was a licensed shooter and Dad owned for me 2 Win 94. And the 9422 weared (and is still wearing) a Williams FoolProof aperture sight.
Later on, I (had the chance to) enter a 1.5 year mandatory military period and was teached again about shooting, carrying and so on, while many guys belonging to my class of age did whatever was possible to avoid that military time, from making a baby to simulated psycho issues. I chosed a way guiding me to aspirant-officer position, artillery, recon/topography, managing 12 to 20 guys. Back to the civilian world, it took me YEARS as an engineer and manager to achieve the same level of responsability and people management. I DO certainly not regret that period of my life, even if some potential employers told me it was a pure loss of time. Dude, that was certainly not, and so they remained "potential".
Later on, I had the chance to be allowed to enter some LEOs firearm training cessions and LEOs "situation" matches. A very few days per year, I can carry and shoot "police stages" reproducing a real situation with a scenario, hostile and non hostile targets, doors, windows, corridors, vehicles, simulating a shop, a house, limited time. Half the situations are shot by two-person team. Shooting is 2/3 of the scoring, analysis/behaviour 1/3 and shooting a non hostile is a scoring catastrophe, but still easier than a 15 year period for homicide.That was created in Europe by the Liège Police School in Belgium, to place LEOs in "realistic life" shooting situation and to highly enforce on the situation analysis prior making the decision to shoot (or not) . Believe me, taking a good shot, even if in a dark room holding both handgun and light is the easy part of it.
Later on, I entered the IPSC-R, shooting an AK platform.
To make that long story short, let's say I was open minded and lucky enough to receive some firearm education all along my life. I self-assess I am quite a calm and safe guy to meet on a shooting range.
I am living in a country where firearm possession is totally prohibited since 1995. As a legal exception, registred sport shooters, hunters, may be authorized to own firearms, ammos and use them in registred shooting clubs and at hunting.
There is a class for the people willing to become hunters, then an examination, this topped by a State license allowing the recipient to hunt if he succeeded in the exam.
The sport shooter also runs some basic training at the shooting range, and the range president shall assess the shooter to be ok with basic firearms handling and safety rules prior the guy could get licensed as a sport shooter.
Then there is a 6 month period during witch that newly licensed shooter should practice under the eye of range officers before he could purchase a handgun or a high cap semi-auto carbine.
Despite all that constrain in the process, as mentioned in a post here above, I have been leaving the range several time to get away from hazardous handling or shooting.
My main concern is that when you, fellow experienced shooter and competitor, go to these morrons and gently explain how their handling is dangerous for the others, and try to teach them, they just react badly in a "I do what I want to do, I do not care of any rules" way. Not to say about the KILLING "That gun is unloaded".
My latest shooting club has a video system permanently recording on all the ranges, with several cameras at the shooting places and some cameras looking down range to see where people are shooting and to see what people are shooting at (yep, that asshole shooting cans on the ground with 100% bullets ricochetting outside the range). The system is 100% legal, declared at the State.
Nevertheless, we had enough safety concerns last year with people acting badly to invest and switch to high definition video system allowing for a face recognition and car plate reading at some longer distance.
And approx 10 members out of a 650 pool are "fired" every year for safety issues with firearms or bad behaviouring on the range.
All this to enhance on the fact that, IMHO, the lack of some kind of normal respect due to a "dangerous machine" and due to other citizens around you is the main issue.
Same goes on the road with drivers behaviouring.
Elementary courtesy seems to barely exist anymore. Even worse, acting "badass" tends to become a must. (Yep, I am a wolf among the sheeps !!! I am MAN !!)
At the shooting range, the one who does not know, but cares about, can very easily ask, been teached, learn "how to"s, pays attention to what the other are doing.
But unfortunately, for many, acting badass is their way of life.
Whatever civilian or State type of enforcement, that will not solve that issue. Enforcement in France is high on drivers and extreme on LEGAL gun owners. No success.
It's not about enforcement, it's educational, it's about living in a Society / Community with showing normal respect to others around you. And when you have a loaded firearm in you hands or on your hip, you have to show even more respect to both people and the gun.
With regards to firemarms, successive French Gov'ts all made the choice to reduce legal firearm possession. That brought them leftist/ecolo votes, but solved, as we all know, an ABSOLUTE NOTHING regarding public safety and terro/criminal use of firearms.
