More memories....

[Bob Wright]

Many years ago the Shelby County government maintained a public shooting range, a 100 yard rifle and pistol range, with a trap range nearby. The powers that be closed it down some time back.

This range allowed about fifteen minutes of firing, then was cleared for shooters to check or change their targets. Those whose targets were at the 100 yard line naturally took longer to get downrange and back. Those of us who either did not go downrange, or went and got back more quickly had time to visit with other shooters, and I developed some very good friends in those days, friendships that long outlasted that range.

Recently I came across a piece of paper in my letter box, from a small yellow legal tablet. On it were some fourteen names of my friends. Of those, twelve of those names are of men now gone on in death, one I'm not sure about as I lost contact with him, and mine.

Kind of sobering, the loss of friends over the years. And, in the vein of "Life goes on," I have met a new friend at the grocery store, a man some 92 years of age, alone with no family nearby. Maybe he and I can get together for coffee.

Bob Wright

 

[cwo4uscgret]

Bob - I got out of the Navy in the summer of 1974. Bored with Ohio, within a month I was back in San Francisco hanging out with friends at a neighborhood bar. We played softball together, shot darts in the SF City League (first season ended up 2nd best team in the city!), drinking (of course) and one day we went to the Coyote Point Gun Range, ran by the San Mateo (CA) Sheriff's Department. Their range was next to the public range. We must have had 4-5 different handguns between us and bought ammo and targets from the range. I suspect that of the 8-9 regulars that hung out together at the bar maybe 2-3 are probably still with us (I'll be 70 next month and I was the youngster in the crowd!) Several drug overdoses, more deaths from alcoholism. Not blowing my horn; I was lucky; I've been sober for 30+ years.

It was a memorable day at the range; capped by the arrival of 5 employees of a Security Guard Company, coming to shoot the big cannon one of them had, in addition to some .357 Magnums. Think Dirty Harry; and out of the gym bag came a 8-1/8" Nickel Plated S&W Model 29 - .44 Magnum. As the gun was being loaded one of the Range Safety Officers was putting on his hearing protection and walking toward their shooting station. Before he could stop the shooter there was a loud Boom, Boom as he fired two full house .44 Magnum Loads! The RSO tapped the shooter on the shoulder;, showing proper gun discipline, the shooter kept his gun pointed down range, and turned his head. The RSO merely shook his head back and forth and the said "No magnums on the weekends!" The Model 29 was put away. No arguments, no complaints. My how different things were 48 years ago!