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June 25, 2007
Stranger in a Strange Land, Part 1
Today was the first session of my pistol safety course. My plan is to blog about all three sessions. This is part one.
This evening, the instructor didn't let us touch any of the pistols, which probably saved me a lot of embarrassment.
I signed up for this course a month and a half ago, with no idea what it was about. All I knew was the title - "Pistol Safety Course." My background with firearms is minimal - we didn't hunt and lived under the protection of armed guards in military housing areas, so we had no reason to keep guns in the house. I've fired some weapons in high school and college, and with friends at quarries and in the woods, but despite those experiences, still know next to nothing about things that go bang.
If nothing else, I figured this course would help me learn something about pistols while giving me a greater comfort level with them. That comfort level was tested the minute I walked into the room. The instructor had laid 15 revolvers on the table and was in the process of unpacking an equal number of semi-automatics. It was like exposure therapy.
Thirty guns, right in front of me. And as he unpacked them, the instructor was...doing things with them. Clicking buttons, pulling back the top of the semi-autos, peering into unknown crevasses before setting them on the table. As he did so, a couple of the other people in the class were conducing a running commentary.
"Ooohh...look at that Ruger. Nice Glock...wow...is that a Sig Sauer?"
Meanwhile, my thoughts were more along the lines of: "Hm. Gun. And another gun. That's kind of like the one Jack Bauer carries. And hey...another gun." They all looked the same to me, and I felt myself beginning to hope I wouldn't have to touch one in the first class. My last experience with a pistol didn't go well.
When I signed up for the class, I asked to look at an Heckler and Koch .45 semi-automatic. As I was holding it, I thumbed the magazine release without having a hand below the pistol.
Thunk.
The store employee was nice, but clearly wanted me to hand the $900 firearm back to him before I did more damage.
Tomorrow, the instructor says we will spend some quality time holding the weapons. Today, though, was all lecture. We learned about the parts of a pistol (frame, barrel, action); the gun safety rules (always keep the gun pointed in a safe location, don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot, don't load a gun until you're ready to use it); and how to clean a gun (huh - semis are easier to clean than revolvers. Who knew?)
A single theme ran through the night - guns can be dangerous; treat them with respect. The course was taught by the NRA, but there was none of the pro-gun propaganda opponents of that organization would expect in such a course. We never heard the words "second amendment" or "gun rights." If anything, the instructor talked of the responsibilities of gun ownership, not of the rights. He talked of the importance of safety, of the foolishness of keeping loaded guns in the house and of how dangerous carelessness with a gun can be.
To be perfectly honest, in the past I'd always kind of thought of the NRA as a bunch of gun-happy yahoos who would advocate for ownership of bazookas if it furthered their political aims. Over time, I've rid myself of that stereotype and tonight finally put it to rest. If anything, the NRA are masters at self-policing.
I walked out of the first session tonight with a slightly increased comfort level around pistols. I may have no intention of purchasing one, but I can now safe, load or clean one without breaking into a cold sweat.
And for me, that's progress.
Posted by slublog at June 25, 2007 10:48 PM
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Comments
Awesome! Keep on it...
Posted by: downfleeced at June 26, 2007 09:03 AM
"Hm. Gun. And another gun. That's kind of like the one Jack Bauer carries. And hey...another gun."This reminds me of a Camp Fairhaven story. The guy who ran the shooting range was an ex-Army sergeant or something. He would ream out anyone who called a rifle a gun. What makes it memorable was the Christmas in July night, when the counselors made a 12 Days of Christmas, for him it was, "on the 5th day of Christmas, Bob said to me: 'It's ... not a gun.'" You had to be there, I guess.
Posted by: MainiacJoe at June 26, 2007 11:01 AM
When I was in ROTC in high school, I called an M-16 a gun.
I did a lot of push-ups with that M-16 across my hands for that.
Posted by: Slublog at June 26, 2007 11:16 AM
Never understood why the military doesn't like to say "gun". Even in the navy, they would get upset if we called it a gun, and most of the guys I knew in the navy didn't know which end the bullet came out of.
Posted by: Peter's Dad at June 26, 2007 12:49 PM
This is my rifle, this is my gun.
One is for shooting, the other for fun.
Posted by: Some Guy at June 26, 2007 02:12 PM
awesome!
Posted by: Dave in Texas at June 26, 2007 11:20 PM
I think revolvers are easier to clean, but hey...I'm probably doing it wrong.
Posted by: Pupster at June 29, 2007 02:38 PM
a gun is an artillery piece, hmg or other crew-served weapon. Rifle refers to an individuals weapon, which is charged with keeping him and his buddies alive.
sorry, i'll shut up now.
btw, slublog your photoshops are teh awesum
Posted by: nudge, nudge at April 15, 2009 01:41 AM