THE ULTIMATE RANGE FIRST AID KIT

Are you totally prepared for the shooting range? You have your gun, your safety glasses, hearing protection, targets, stapler and extra staples, and ammunition. But are you a conscientious enough shooter to prepare for an injury at the range?

You can get a basic first aid kit from the pharmacy that will be helpful if you get a splinter, skin your knuckles or even if you accidentally cut your finger. But the truth is that the average first aid kit is not worth much in the event that someone receives a gunshot wound at the range.

A gunshot wound is essentially a puncture wound. Your primary focus in dealing with a gunshot wound is to stop the bleeding.

If you are very lucky, the gunshot wound will just be soft tissue damage and will not involve any major organs. In the event of a chest wound, you also have the possibility of the wound “sucking” air into the chest cavity and collapsing the lung. In the event of a chest wound, you need to control the bleeding, and also seal the puncture.

There are some companies that sell “Gunshot Wound Kits”. Some are better than others, and the price can vary significantly.

PRE-MADE KITS
There are several good kits available that address the specific needs of gunshot wounds.

Practical Trauma makes several very good kits. The “Gunshot” and “Tactical Gunshot” kits are identical, except for the case. The “Combat Gunshot” kit has larger “quickclot” pads, and a tourniquet, and is about $100.00 more.. One thing lacking in these kits are chest seals, so if you buy one plan on picking up at least one or two chest seals to add to it. Standard & Tactical come in at $79.95, and the Combat will run you about $189.00.

Z-Medica also has a kit, the “Belt Trauma Kit”. Z-Medica is the company that makes the quickclot pads, but for some reason they only include one pad in this kit. They give you the option of a quickclot pad, or quickclot gauze. Like the kits mentioned above, these kits lack a chest seal, so, again, it is something you’d have to add. This kit runs at $79.99, on average, for a smaller kit than offered by Practical Trauma.

Galls Inc. offers several kits under the DynaMed brand name. These kits range from $99.00 to $109.00. They include QuickClot gauze, a chest seal, and pads, but do not include a tourniquet.

Rescue Essentials has several kits available, ranging from several hundred dollars to the minimalistic Patrol Officer’s Pocket Trauma Kit at only $15.85. The Advanced Patrol Officers Kit has quick clot gauze and an Israeli bandage, but no tourniquet and no chest seal. The Pocket kit has a tourniquet and Z-Pak bandage, but no quick clot and no chest seal.

All of these kits are ok but they don’t have everything that you should have in a gunshot wound kit.

BUILDING YOUR OWN KIT
Considering the cost of buying a kit that you still need to add things to in order for it to be complete, maybe building from scratch is a better idea.
QuickClot Pads: You should have at least 2. Make them the 4×4 (100gr) pads.
QuickClot Gauze: One package.
Tourniquet: Get a good one that you can apply and operate with one hand.
Chest Seal: A must in your kit. Prevents a chest wound from sucking in air (in other words, sealing the chest).
Israeli Bandage: The Israeli Bandage is an old standard among survivalists, and very well suited to attending to gunshot wounds.
Miscellaneous: You should also have some standard items, like medical tape, and rubber gloves. Remember, these items do not replace your standard first aid kit, they are meant to supplement it, so most other things you may need, you should already have.

Most medical supplies have an expiration date. Keep your equipment up to date, and then you don’t have to worry about whether it will work when you need it.

Once you get supplies together, you really should get some training in gunshot first aid. Several groups offer courses. If you can’t find a local course, you might consider contacting your local ambulance company or fire department. Speak with an EMT that might be able to provide some basic guidance on how to respond to a gunshot wound.

Having a properly stocked gun range first aid kit and being trained to use it ensures that you are ready for any emergency at the range.