Afton considers limits on residents’ excessive gunfire

[xd ED]

Amid concerns over noise, Afton considers limits on residents’ excessive gunfire - TwinCities.com

Afton City Council Member Stan Ross was in his home office this past week taking part in the council meeting via Zoom when he had to take a break.

The sound of a nearby resident firing a gun was making it hard to hear.

“I heard ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!,’ and I’m thinking, ‘What on earth?’ It was well after dark. Who would be shooting at night?” he said. “I had to stop and call 911. It was crazy.”

...a bit of editorializing, and numerous factual contradictions in this piece.

[yukonjasper]

It was inevitable that the media would return to the Anti gun narrative as soon as the Covid hand wringing was quieting down. Commence the drum beat 'guns are bad, guns are bad.... '

[Rip Van Winkle]

I've mixed feelings about this. Afton isn't the rural area it use to be. In my mind 10 acres of land isn't enough area to regularly and safely discharge firearms.

ETA: Let me rephrase that. If you can't guarantee every bullet you shoot won't stray off your property, you shouldn't be shooting on it.

ETA2: Noise should also be a consideration for your neighbor's sake.

[yukonjasper]

Missing some information here to decide how outrageous the complaint is.

I agree, generally, your Right to shoot doesn't supercede your neighbors rights to safety and reasonable peace and quiet. Disappointing that there may be some Yahoo dumping mags in the dark. You hope they are set up to be safe and reasonable about the hour they choose to shoot.

[jdege]

I don't see that restrictions on outdoor target shooting after dark are unreasonable.

Still, my preferred solution would be to make suppressors cheap and easily available.

[yukonjasper]

Agreed. Then you wouldn't hear them at all.....mouse farts......I've seen the movies....

[Ghost]

It’s a tough one, I hate telling people what they can and cannot do on their property.

[Scratch]

As a guy with a private gun range on his property, I would hope that other people with personal ranges would not be shooting a lot after dark.
I can see the occasional occurrence where someone might want to see how much fireball comes out, but you have to realize that neighbors are going to get mad if you're doing mag dumps at 10pm.

I try to shoot only during weekdays between the hours of 9 to 5. Hopefully most people are at work. I'm just trying to be able to shoot here as long as possible

[yukonjasper]

Common courtesy should be the rule of the day.

[hammAR]

It's difficult to test out NVG without dark.............

[xd ED]

I've mixed feelings about this. Afton isn't the rural area it use to be. In my mind 10 acres of land isn't enough area to regularly and safely discharge firearms.

ETA: Let me rephrase that. If you can't guarantee every bullet you shoot won't stray off your property, you shouldn't be shooting on it.

ETA2: Noise should also be a consideration for your neighbor's sake.

While i don't disagree with you, the main, if not exclusive concern all voiced was the sound of gunfire.

At least one complaint of 'shooting at night' was made before the sunset.
Perhaps not population wise, but land use wise, I believe Afton is predominately woods and agriculture.

[Rip Van Winkle]

I've mixed feelings about this. Afton isn't the rural area it use to be. In my mind 10 acres of land isn't enough area to regularly and safely discharge firearms.

ETA: Let me rephrase that. If you can't guarantee every bullet you shoot won't stray off your property, you shouldn't be shooting on it.

ETA2: Noise should also be a consideration for your neighbor's sake.

While i don't disagree with you, the main, if not exclusive concern all voiced was the sound of gunfire.

At least one complaint of 'shooting at night' was made before the sunset.
Perhaps not population wise, but land use wise, I believe Afton is predominately woods and agriculture.

I've no doubt there are more than a few Karen's involved who call the sheriff or their city councilman whenever they hear the sound of gunfire.

I also have of no doubt there are a few yahoo's who have no consideration for their neighbor's safety or peace of mind.

[BigDog58]

My neighbors lose it when I clean my 50 BMG Rifle out on my front driveway. I have to do it outside, due to the fact I'm using aqueous ammonia 29% that has to be used outside, and with me staying upwind. I cannot do it on my back deck, because it's made of composites, and I don't want to stain, nor degrade it.

No one has said anything directly to me, but have talked to the one nextdoor that we interact with almost daily (Great Neighbor). It has had one positive effect, a couple of them have stopped by when I wasn't cleaning and inquiring as to the process of buying a handgun or a rifle. I've also volunteered to go with them, when they are ready to begin shopping, and to make sure they aren't given bad advice by an overzealous sales person. I've also offered to show them the correct way to handle a gun, cover all of the basic safety rules, show them how to load it, unload it, and even take them to my gun club to shoot it. I will also teach them how to properly clean and maintain their firearm.

I think the word is out in my part of Edina, I'm the gun guy, and I'm willing to help anyone that asks.

[Bearcatrp]

If this guy lives outside city limits, he has full rights to fire whenever he wants, provided the county doesn't have specific laws on this. Most city ordinances don't allow fire arm discharges in city limits. Courtesy goes alone way though. If night fire for thermal/NV, I would have alerted my neighbors.

[OldmanFCSA]

I have a neighbor that considers any rifle fire as to much. Then he got to evaluate the report my 50BMG target rifle makes. After much discussion, with sheriff deputies involved, I was instructed to continue my Second Amendment Rights while shooting any firearm I own. Not sure if that neighbor likes the existence of Tannerite, but I'm sure the feeling is mutual. (Waiting for Winter using a 20# propane tank with a truck flare.)