Neighbors of existing gun ranges and hunting preserves would have no legal recourse against the sound of gunfire under a bill making its way through the state House.
House Bill 2034, co-sponsored by Rep. Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, would give civil and criminal immunity to owners and users of gun ranges and hunting preserves.
The proposed law says gun users would be immune from prosecution or lawsuit for the "consequence of noise or sound emission resulting from the normal use of any such hunting preserve."
The legislation aims to beef up the rights of people who want to practice shooting rifles and pistols at licensed gun ranges. It comes as areas surrounding those rural establishments become more developed with new neighbors, Schoeller said.
"They'd like to see a little bit of protection," he said.
The House's Conservation and Natural Resources passed the bill Thursday. Rep. Dennis Wood, R-Kimberling City, sits on that committee and said he supports giving gun ranges protection from criminal and civil complaints.
"They were there first," Wood said of gun ranges and hunting preserves, which are scattered throughout southwest Missouri. "We're trying to protect the ability of people to sight in guns in a safe place."
To Tom Masteller, former owner of the Marshfield Rifle Range, the legislation is just the type of legal protection he says he needed nine years ago when his former neighbors were suing to get the range shut down.
"I believe there should be more legislation," he said. Current laws mostly regulate that firearm ranges sit at least 1,000 yards from nearby homes.
According to the lawsuit, Robert Hamilton and Gail J. Barnekow sued Masteller in December 1999 claiming the firearm range caused "loud and disturbing noises" and presented a "danger to people driving along adjacent roadways." It also said the range was dangerous for Hamilton and Barnekow going in and out of their home on Rifle Range Road, four miles north of Marshfield in Webster County.
After nearly seven years of legal wrangling, Hamilton and Barnekow dropped their case in April 2006 just before it was set to go to trial. Hamilton declined to comment for this story.
To help Masteller's cause, a group of local gun rights supporters and members of the Osage Orange Sharp Shooters and Midwest Friends of Gun Owners of America raised money to pay off his $10,000 legal bills.
In turn, Masteller turned over the gun range to the supporters, who started the Marshfield Shooting Club.
The proposed law also would extend immunity to owners of Missouri's hunting preserves.
Bill Cork, owner of Running Spring Farm Hunting and Inn in Everton, said the very fact lawmakers feel compelled to legislate protections is "ridiculous."
"You want noise pollution? Go to (the corner of) Kearney and Kansas," Cork said, noting how loud idling diesel trucks can be in the city of Springfield.
Cork said the legislation will help deter "anti-hunting organizations" from getting county boards to pass ordinances regulating gun sound emissions.
Cork's preserve is located 27 miles northwest of Springfield and is only sanctioned to let hunters shoot quail, pheasant and chucker six months a year.
Another hunting preserve owner says her neighbors have never complained about the sound of shotguns being fired at scattering game birds.
"Down here, people kind of enjoy it and they say, 'Well somebody's bird hunting,'" said Carol Snyder, co-owner of Quad-E Wildlife Ranch, in Preston, 60 miles north of Springfield.
Rep. Wood said the Missouri Department of Conservation is not opposed to the legislation.
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