Introducing People to the World of Guns

[Ovidio]

Great afternoon!
Today, we had a group of 8 people who came to our range to make a shooting experience.
We gave them an hour of safety and general behaviour rules training, then showed short guns (explaing them), a PCC and, last (since our range is limited to 25 meters) some long guns, just to see and touch them.
A pal of mine brought his Garand and an AK47. I brought a No.1 Enfield, a K98 and a Mosin M44. Three guns that, in their various versions, marked the 20th century.
And dummy rounds.
There were three teenagers who were flabbergasted by my old gats. They play videogames and know them pretty well in theory, and loved to see and touch them.
Then, we went to the shooting lines and let them try a .22 pistol, a Walther P99, a CZ Shadow 2, a Colt Python, a Beretta CX4 and a Benelli M3 shotgun.
I was working thePython line, and had the wise idea of loading just one round for a girl. She was a bit scared and didn’t hold the gun tight (as it showed after the first shot), and almost got hit by the barrel. That is one of the things I’m mostly scared of: the revolver turning around and the index finger getting the second round off…
Danger eliminated. The girl fired a second shot then quit, and went on with other gats. Was good with the Benelli!
We also had a mom with a son with a not too bad form of autism. He loves history, behaves pretty normal, although he is clearly not very “expansive”. He is very scared of loud noise, as his mom said, but wanted to try shoot.
He was initially horrendously scared by the .357. So loud… But then, talking to him quietly, bringing him to the .22 line, then the 9mm and finally even to the Benelli shotgun, he did all and did well enough.
His mom was moved to tears, and me, old frigging fart, had to struggle to keep my composure.
That’s what we are! We are people who can help others by making them face their scares, their limits, their handicaps. And understand the world of guns.
I offered that guy to come to the range when I’m RO and shoot with me my Enfield trainer, which he loves a lot.
I hope he’ll come…

[USGI]

A very touching story - Thanks for telling us about it. - Bob