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| Father and Son |
I was recently approached by a family friend for some advice on purchasing a new handgun. Of course, being a "gun guy" I was glad to help with any questions they may have had, if nothing else, it would give me a
chance to show off. Digging a little deeper into what their concerns
were (budget, size, pistol vs revolver, etc) I found out they were
actually looking for two guns. One for him and one for his wife.
"Awesome," I thought, double the fun! However, I also uncovered the fact
that neither one of them had touched a gun in 20
+ years nor had much experience with them. Well this would be interesting...
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| My Nephew shooting a 22LR and my Dad spotting him |
Instead of just talking the guy's ear off on all the things that are debated on Internet forums like: polymer vs alloy, striker vs hammer, 9 vs 40 vs 45; I decided the best course of action would be to invite them to join me for a range day, so I could better explain the nuances of each type of handgun and really get a feel for what their wants/needs are. We setup a date about a week later, I brought all the hardware, all they had to do was bring themselves. The firearms I brought with me were as follows:
Beretta 92A1 - DA/SA trigger, metal frame, full size, 9mm
S&W M&P9C - Striker fired, polymer frame, compact, 9mm
Taurus 85 Ultralite - Double Action revolver, 38 special
Taurus TCP - DAO, polymer framed, sub-compact, .380acp
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| Father in Law shooting German Luger |
As you can see, My goal was to have wide assortment of sizes, action types, and weights for the "newbies" to try." It was my job to educate them on proper grip, stance, sight alignment, and safe operation of each firearm. We fired about 100 rds between all the guns and it flawlessly, except one incident when one of the "newbies" shot the cable that the targets ride on and the whole thing fell down. But it was humorous, the range officer didn't seem too concerned, and we all had a good laugh. I know I had a great time, and I think they did as well. More importantly, I think I provided some valuable information and helped ease some anxiety around handling and operating the handguns.
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Friend spotting for his Girlfriend shooting a Mosin Nagant
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What's the point of this long winded story you may ask? Maybe you are a gun enthusiast... take it upon yourself to teach and educate others about guns and the culture that surrounds them. I'm not saying approach strangers on street and preach the word of John Browning, but help educate your own family and friends. Guns have gotten a bad reputation in the media as of lately, mostly due to a lack of knowledge or irrational fear of them. If we each taught someone else about firearms, the safe handling and practice of using them, maybe some of this "guns are evil" hype would disappear. On the other side of the coin, if you are reading this and you know very little or nothing about guns, or you are of the mindset guns are bad, but have never even put your hands on one; it is your job to seek out someone who can teach you. Ask a family member, friend, neighbor or anyone you feel comfortable to ask, I can almost 100% guarantee they would be glad to help you. We encourage you to inquire, we don't bite.
Personally, I love it when someone asks me for help on firearms. Whether it gun choice, ammo selection, gear, whatever. It allows my to help disperse any myths or presumptions someone may have, and provide them with real knowledge they can use. I love taking new people to the range. It's exciting for the newbie when they can start pulling in the those groups; and its exciting to us who help teach it because we see the excitement and improvement. Overall, as a gun guy, I love to see new people get into shooting. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures while at the range. However, I have taught helped several others (with the help of friends) educate otherss on firearms. All the pictures you see in this post are "first-timers" being helped by family and friends.
So whether you are a card carrying member of the NRA, or someone who's never thought twice about a gun, its your duty to help educate yourself or others on firearms. If you have any questions, please comment below, and I will be more than happy to answer them.
