Seriously, though - this was a big decision for me, and I take the responsibility of owning one of these things quite seriously.

An explanation of how I got to this point is in this three-part series - Stranger in a Strange Land. At present the weapon is basically a funny-looking club, since I haven't actually got any bullets for it. I successfully took the thing apart this evening to check its cleanliness and only pinched myself once.

I visited the gun show today and was reminded once again how much I enjoy target shooting. It appeals to my sense of guy-ness, and also to my preference for hobbies that don't involve being in a team. When target shooting, the only person to beat is myself. It clears the head. So when I saw this little guy for sale at a very good price, I figured the time had come.

And yes, both the trigger and the case are locked - with separate locks. Safety-conscious doesn't really describe me - a better word would be completely paranoid.