Gunshots rang out from several .22-caliber pistols during the Ohio State Pistol Club’s weekly meeting at the firing range in Converse Hall Thursday evening.

The group exists to promote fundamentals of firearms safety, maintenance and marksmanship and to spread awareness about the importance of responsible gun use, said Evan Peck, president of the organization.

“Really, our mission statement is familiarization and safe handling of firearms of all forms,” he said. “I firmly believe that the most dangerous person is someone that picks up a gun and has no idea what to do with it or what it’s used for. Or even worse, they don’t know how it works. That’s how people get hurt.”

Before anyone is allowed on the range they must undergo training to ensure proper pistol handling. Mark Noble, the club’s vice president, said a very broad outline of safety expectations can be summed up with three simple rules: always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot and always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. These guidelines hang on walls inside the facility.

“If you follow these rules you can’t hurt anyone,” said Noble, a senior in electrical and computer engineering and certified National Rifle Association instructor.

Training focuses on education, safety and proper breathing techniques, as well as stances and marksmanship, Peck said. Every student, faculty and staff member who wishes to participate must receive mandatory instruction. Once they pass this initial training portion, Noble, adviser John Wynne and others monitor shooters for safety and offer advice to improve shooting skills.

Ashley Amato said she has learned a lot in her two years as a member of OSU Pistol Club. The junior in computer information systems said the organization has helped her identify with family members in the military and law enforcement.

“I think it is important, even for the general person, to know about firearms and how they work,” she said. “I think you gain a lot of knowledge from it. I gained a lot of friends and a lot more perspectives.”

The group uses two models of .22-caliber firearms: the Smith & Wesson Model 41 and the Ruger Mark II, which is used by OSU’s varsity pistol team and in Olympic competition.

Noble said participation in the club is rising and encouraged anyone interested in joining or observing, to drop by.

“It’s a friendly environment,” he said. “It’s a lot of OSU students from different departments. We get a lot of students who have never shot a gun before – students from all around the world – and often their first reaction is, ‘Oh, that’s really cool.'”

Pistol Club shares the range with University Police and the OSU Reserve Officers Training Corps. The group meets on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. during each full week of class.

For more information visit pistol.org.ohio-state.edu.

Travis Minnear can be reached at [email protected].