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2004-01-18 - 11:30 p.m.
I shot my first serious handguns today. It's a lot different than reading about doing it.
I was going by my buddy's house to watch the game, and I figured I stop by the range where I've been planning to learn to shoot with my other friend. I thought I'd check out prices on used guns, and take a look at the place.
It seemed kinda seedy, set back pretty far from the road in a industrial area full of rusting cars and loads of buses. There's a huge commercial garage there that does work on trucks and buses, and the like. The place was a lot smaller than I expected, but I knew I was in the right place because I could hear the muffled reports of guns being fired.
Inside it was the cheerful disarray of many manly businesses, hardware stores, fishing stores, dive shops, and such. Dusty decaying taxidermied hunting trophy heads adorned the walls, along with ammunition promotional posters, warnings about gun safety, and those silly cartoons you see in such places.
There was a gaggle of guys standing in front of the cases shooting the breeze and examining various firearms. I walked around, peering into the cases, noting the prices, and trying to find specimens of the few handguns I'm considering buying (Oh, I can't keep a handgun in Wilmette, but they can't stop me from owning one. A long as I don't bring it into the town.)
Finally I got the attention of one of the sales guys and asked him a few questions. I asked if I could get a tour of the range. He pointed to a closed-ciruit TV and told me that that was it. Hmmm. Not too helpful.
I looked over the rental guns and saw an odd notice. In order to rent a handgun to shoot on their range, you must be accompanied by a "buddy". A friend or family member. I asked the sales guy to explain the policy. He said that it was to prevent suicides. Apparently people have rented guns at shooting ranges, gone out to the range and shot themselves. There's always one bad apple that has to ruin it for the rest of us!
This guy standing next to me says if I could be his buddy, he'd rent a gun and we could go out to the range and I could see the range and watch him shoot. The sales guys lights up at this, "Yeah, you could help each other out." They both ask me if I want to shoot too. I demure claiming unfamiliarity and trepidation. But I agree it would be okay to go see the range.
My "buddy" is just learning too, and is considering what kind and caliber of gun he might like to buy, and wants to try out several differnt types. The sales guys says they have a three-fer deal on ammo and says to try three different calibers and guns.
We take a Sig(-Sauer?) .40, our safety glasses and hearing protection, and go out (actually in, to another room) to the range. The first thing I notice as we get into the range rooms is how damn loud the guns are, even with hearing protection. I watch over Bob's shoulder as he loads the magazine and then step back as he begins to fire.
Bob seems rather tentative, but proceeds. I learn later why he seems tentative. You may not be aware of this, but semi-auto handguns spit spent shells with vigor. Brass shell casings are flying aroung the room like mad, from Bob's gun, and from the two other guys in the room. Every time I move to a place where I think I'm less likely to get hit by flying brass, I get hit in a new place. Some are just annoying, others downright hurt. Did I mention how loud it is? Of course your ears are okay, but you can feel it in your diaphragm. Like standing in front of the PA at a rock concert. Except, since you have hearing protection, it's a lot less painful.
Finally after watching Bob fire a couple of magazines worth, I say that it seems pretty straightforward, and would it be okay if I fired a round? Bob says, "Oh, absolutely!", and sets the gun down.
I pick the gun up, it's already cocked and ready to fire, it being auto and all. I nestle it into my hand, trying to get comfortable. I never am quite able to find a comfortable grip. But I point it downrange, sight on the target and try to squeeze the trigger carefully. This gun is not having it and I have to squeeze harder than I imagined, and when the gun does fire, I'm startled by it (not visibly so, I hope). The recoil is a lot less than I expect in terms of force, but the barrel jumps up. I feel like the gun's going to jump out of my hands. Not from the force, but just because my grip was so uncomfortable, the grip riding high in my fist.
I place the gun down, shaken, and Bob finishes off the magazine and reloads the magazine. He pulls back the slide to cock the gun and it jams. He fiddles with it a bit, and I start looking for a safe place to stand, though he dutifully keeps the gun pointed downrange. Finally, he tells me he thinks he should go get the sales guy.
The sales guy comes in and fiddles with the gun for a while. He's having no luck either. Finally he partially disassembles it and carries it away. Bob follows him out.
Bob comes back with a Glock and loads and fires it a bit and offers it to me. Same story, can't really get a good comfortable grip, but I persevere. I fire four rounds with a similar experience. I'm wondering if I really want to take up shooting at this point.
We run out of .40 and go out to get another gun. Bob wants to try something smaller, but not a 9mm. The sales guy says that the only thing in between is a .38, and they only have .38 revolvers. Bob figures what the heck and we take a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver.
The revolver seems less complicated, and after we both fire it a bit we're both surprised at hwo comfortable it is to fire. I only fire it single-action, but Bob tries both single & double-action. He fires the rest of the ammo single-action saying he prefers the shorter trigger pull. I'm thinking revolvers are nicer than I thought.
Next Bob figures he'll try a 9mm. He's fired one before, but isn't interested in firing .22s. It's a Beretta 92FS, the gun I'm interested in getting for myself.
The Beretta seems more... elegant, in terms of design. I still don't like the grips on it, this one has non-standard grips, but they're the best of the semi-autos so far.
The 92 fires double-action on the first shot after pulling the slide, and single-action for the remainder of the magazine. The double-action is smooth, and Bob tells me to fire more since I'm considering buying one of these. We both come away liking it the best of the four guns.
All in all it was an interesting experience. I might really like shooting as a sport. The people in the shop were very friendly, helpful, and generous, happy to pull a gun out of the case and let you handle it, and suggesting other models that you might like. Other guys in the shop chiming in from the sidelines with comments and suggestions.
My friend I was going to visit had mentioned the night before how he was going to download the form to get his firearms owners ID card that night! because he'd meant to do it for quite a while. I called him and told him the shop does FOID processing right there, and that he oughta come over and get his card. He did. Well, it's not "While U Wait" really, it still takes a month while they look you up to see if you're a criminal or terrorist, but at least he got the ball rolling. In a month, he'll have his card.
I came away feeling that masculine comradery that I always feel in such places. Something that's a bit alien to me, having grown up with a single-working-mom, and a gay father.
I didn't have the hunting, fishing, and camping trips, the little-league games, and the Sunday football games on the TV that a lot of American men experienced growing up. And growing up in Chicago didn't lend itself much to that either. The closest I got to that stuff was Boy Scouts. Which I loved briefly, before high school, drugs, and girls put that stuff out of my mind.
I'm still looking for my inner-man, which is, I guess why these kinds of things appeal to me.
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So, how do you like them apples?