Joe gave me a "gun basics" class at a local shooting range/gun store for Christmas. He was smart enough to schedule it for me, because let's be honest here, if he'd left it up to me, I'd probably forget about it until next Christmas.
I don't know why, but I was surprised at how heavy the guns were. We learned about revolvers and semi-automatics. I guess the way actors just wave their guns around on tv and in movies made me think the guns would be lighter.
I was also surprised at how loud they are! We shot the revolvers first and I honestly thought I was going to cry and go running to my car after the first shot. I didn't. We shot the semi-automatics next, and I definitely preferred that one. It was still loud and scary, don't get me wrong. Maybe I'd gotten a little bit used to the noise by then, I don't know.
I'm certainly not going to go out and get a gun to keep in my nightstand any time soon, but I'm sure I'll go back soon to practice some more.
Here's my target from today. We were about 12 yards away.
1 comments:
You know, since we were raised in such an anti-gun culture I never thought that I'd feel so comfortable with them. My first day of firearms in the Academy the instructor asked for a show of hands of who was scared of a gun. I obviously didn't raise my hand but I remember thinking, "I'm scared shitless of them". Now, of course, I am a firearms instructor. Miracles do happen. So I have two responses to this:
First, I think that I feel comforted that you are learning how to use a gun. Despite the knee jerk reaction by the politicos, guns are not going anywhere. The bad guys are going to continue to have them and the good guys are going to continue to need them. My hope, as a brother, is that you will never need one but the fact that you will know how to use one if necessary is extremely comforting. Make sure to practice some weapon retention if you ever decide to carry one with your person because every encounter you will have at that point will be an armed one.
The second is that chasing bad guys and taking them down at gun point is every bit as cool as you've seen on TV. When you are in the moment and the adrenaline is kicking in high gear you feel every but as badass as you think you would. However, it's after the adrenaline dies down that gets scary...the realization that you're human and one wrong move at a critical moment could make your spouse a widow and your children...well, you get the picture. We win those moments somewhere in the 99.999th percentile because we are trained to win them and the bad guys just aren't. However, you don't always win them in the dreams that wake you up in a pool of sweat...in the noticeable twitch that you develop...in the sharp tone you didn't mean to take with your kids who weren't really misbehaving all that much.
The fact is those circumstances exist with or without guns. Even in those crazy dreams I've lost more fistfights than gunfights but the guns...the guns are always a factor...in everything we do. Taking 7 lbs of slack out of an 8 lb trigger means only 1 lb until your life and so many people's lives are unalterably changed and that stays with you forever.
OK, I guess I rambled somewhere past 2 thoughts but you guys being safe is important to me and I wanted to try and give you some insight into how it really all works. Please thank Joe for me for teaching you an important skill but remember, self defense, with or without a gun, is a diminishing skill. Practice, practice, practice, then practice some more...
With love,
Your Brother, Barney Fife :o)
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