New Shooter Alert

Hope Kim's been saving, cause this ones gonna cost him a WHOLE LOTTA AMMO . . . .

Ended up taking two guys from work out to the NRA Range tonight. Lets call them M&M.

M1, who is mid 30s, grew up in Michigan and just doesn't think about guns much. Not for or against, they just aren't his thing. In fact, the only time he picked a gun up ever was to shoot a round of trap with some relatives when he was about 15 years old. Politically, he is pretty much middle of the road.

M2 is in his early 20s. He is a staff assistant in my office, just out of the University of California system. He grew up in San Francisco (well, in Marin County). He was shocked to find out I had guns when he first met me, and just didn't understand why people needed them. His moms a doctor in San Francisco and to say he was a pinko would be an understatement.

After working on M1 for the last 3 years (and it really was more of a schedule coordination thing) and M2 for the last 6 month (every day he gets a lecture, to the point of me being abusive to him), I finally got them both out to the NRA Range . . . . . and they loved it.

Started off with the Ruger Mk II in .22lr. Each shot a magazine and were able to keep the groupings fairly tight - about a 3 inch group - in the center of the target from 7 yards. No problems at all.

Blew through another magazine each, just to work on form, etc. and then its on to the revolver, the S&W Model 66. Two cylinders each with .38 Spl, first to work on form and to show them the operational difference between single action and double action. They liked that but were eager to move up to something even more powerful. Fine.

Out came a box of .357 Magnum. Then another.

The anal retentive asshole in the lane next to us wasn't happy about the muzzle blast and pounding reports, but these two newbies were like kids at the toy store with smiles from ear to ear.

Of course, after a 100 rounds, they were ready to move on and had their eyes on the "Magnum PI" gun, my Colt 1991A1. No problem. I ripped open a pack of Winchester White Box 100 and loaded up the mags. We ended up going through that box too with out me getting a chance to touch anything off. But thats ok, cause I had two new shooters in my midst.

I had also taken along my K31, cause the 7.5 Swiss ammo for it finally arrived, and testing it out is all i really wanted to do. M&M of course, were fascinated by it and shocked at the size of the round. Frankly, I was too. Its pretty darn impressive. They then looked around the range and noticed a guy with an AR-15 and asked how much more powerful that was. I decided to give them a little ballistics lesson and walked on over to the young man who was only too happy to help educate some newbies. Showed them a .223 Rem round, next to a 7.62x39 round, next to a .30-06 round and then the 7.5 Swiss. While doing so, I also managed to snag a 9mm round and showed how much smaller that was than the .45 ACP they shot.

To say M&M are cured of the idea that the DC Beltway Snipers used a high power firearm is an understatement which was only driven home further after they had a chance to touch off a few rounds on the K31.

Wow, what a smooth rifle. Had at least half a dozen people come up to check it out including the range officer who was fascinated with the action and asked for a 7.5 Swiss round to add to his collection. No problem.

So far so good, right? Right. But it gets better.

As we are washing up, they ask when we can do this again. And, when can we shoot skeet. And, where can they go to get guns of their own. So, I proceed to take them to the "For Sale" bulletin board. Don't know about M1, but M2 was ready to buy a Springfield 1911 right then and there, but for one problem. He lives in DC.

This injustice, of course, was driven home even further when I noticed M2 had taken a variety of cartridges with him - for momentos, he said. I of course had no problem, but did feel obligated to tell him ammo - even empty cases - were banned in DC and each cartridge was a separate 5 year sentence.

He asked, How Can They Ban Ammo? What About The Second Amendment?




No more to say. I believe I have done all I can be expected to do. And I am very proud of the result.