Taking aim at target practice

Aubrey Whelan has an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about a local gub problem:

It's not unusual to hear gunshots on the tree-lined street in an otherwise tranquil neighborhood of southern Chester County near the Delaware border. Up and down South Fairville Road in Kennett Township, more than a few residents regularly practice target shooting in their backyards. At a large farm down the road, there's a couple who even fire off cannons on occasion. But some residents began hearing gunshots at night, and worried about stray bullets that could hit houses in the area, so Kennett Township supervisors are poised to vote on an ordinance this week that would restrict when and where residents can fire guns on their properties. The township has been discussing the issue since June, when concerned residents showed up at a Board of Supervisors meeting to complain about a neighbor who, they said, had been firing a gun on his property "at all hours of the day. I think it's important for people to use their property the way they want," said Lee Fulton, who has lived on South Fairville Road for fourteen years. "What I care about is safety." The police had been called several times, residents said. They termed the situation an accident waiting to happen, told the board potential home buyers would avoid Fairville because of the gunshots, and urged the supervisors to act quickly. The neighbor in question didn't respond to a request for comment. Initially, drafting an ordinance proved tricky. State law prohibits local governments from "regulating the lawful ownership, possession, transfer, or transportation" of firearms, ammunition, and ammunition components. But the supervisors later found several Pennsylvania municipalities have ordinances restricting gunfire on private property. State law also charges township supervisors with protecting the health and safety of residents. Looking at one such municipal law, Kennett Township officials said: "Well, it hasn't been struck down yet," Police Chief Albert McCarthy said. The proposed Kennett ordinance would prohibit residents from firing guns within 150 yards of an occupied residence and within a hundred yards of a property line. Gun owners must also make sure no shells or bullets cross a property line, and they can't fire at all without a backstop that falls within National Rifle Association guidelines. They also would be prohibited from shooting between sunset and 8 am. There is no public shooting range in the township, but there are several in the area, and target shooting on private property is common. "If you've got a couple acres of land and you're able to set up a range for yourself that is safe, I don't have a problem with it at all," said Teddy Moxon, a township resident and gun owner who said he supported the ordinance as long as it's not "discriminatory. The concept of firing a gun on your own property has never been against the law," he said. McCarthy said the ordinance wouldn't stop target practices entirely, but was designed to increase safety. Still, the township has only two police officers to enforce it. "The easiest thing is to call during active shooting. Then we can determine whether it's an active violation or not," he said. A vote on the ordinance is scheduled soon. Said Supervisor Scudder Stevens: "I'm looking forward to having it in place, and seeing how effective it turns out to be."

Rico says he can't imagine the shock and horror that, even on a five-acre property, would accompany him trying to fire a gub where he lives...