Taking a First Timer to The Range

[Wyandot Jim]

I posted this in a thread in the Political Section but thought some here might be interested.

A couple of years ago my Aussie Neighbor had a English friend and his teen son, that he met while working in Norway, visit him. Aussie wanted to know if I would take them to the range and allow them to shoot my stuff. Well Yea!! The friend had been in the British Army but son had never shot a hand gun. I think he had shot a rifle but no big bore.
But first they had to watch the movie Quigley Down Under and I didn't tell them why, which none of them had seen. They were quite surprised when I uncased my Quigley Sharps in 45-70 which all really enjoyed shooting. I also took my 1918 and 1943 Colt 1911s along with several 357 and 45 Colt Ruger 3 screws. After a few hours and 1000+ rounds of ammo that is around 600-800FPS non intimidating loads they got pretty good and totally enjoyed themselves. I also gave the Teen one of my very nice belt buckles that I had won at a SASS Match. The next day his Dad took him to the local Cowboy Belt Store to buy a new belt that fit the buckle.
He sent me a picture of him in his HS wearing the buckle along with a big smile.

 

[Ride1949]

Good on ya Jim. You just brightened their day and showed them guns are fun.

 

[blume357]

Number of years ago I was at a National chimney sweep convention and sitting in the bar with a friend who had invited some German Chimney Sweeps to come sit and drink with us..... some how they got to talking the talk about Americans and their guns... after a while I told them you just never know who might have a gun in this country. then I confessed that I was carrying a Sig... they then got excited. Ended up the friend an I took them out to a private range and they go too shoot machine guns... I filmed it but later was specifically requested not to post it on the internet because one of the Germans was running for some political office and him shooting guns could reflect bad on him.

 

[Dan in MI]

A few years back some Chinese engineers stayed 6 months at work. One day, not long before they left, I brought them to the house and let ogle and play with most of my collection. Then I grabbed a good assortment and took them to the range. They shot most everything and had grins like ten year olds. Later while eating dinner I asked if they had a good time. One them blurted out as loud as can be "THIS WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

The sad part, only a week before they left I found out one was really into archery (my first love) we could have shot all summer.

 

[contender]

Kudos to you Jim! An excellent way to prove to others that Americans with guns are not what much of the world perceives.
(And this goes to blume & Dan too!)

We too had an opportunity many years ago when a NC's John Edwards was running for President. A film crew (3 people,) from the Netherlands came to NC to film some stuff. They went to a Civil War re-enactors event, a Pentecostal Church, where a guy was turning 21 & getting his first handgun, and then us. My shooting club, a USPSA club was asked about being interviewed. ((Actually the NRA sent them to us because of how successful Miss Penny's Women On Target program was.)
They were invited to one of our monthly matches.
Two ladies, & a guy. The reporter, the lady producer, and the guy a cameraman.
We invited them to try shooting. The reporter was like a 12 year old schoolgirl. Giddy & excited. Bouncing up & down clapping her hands. That got a lot of the guy's attention.
Neither lady had ever fired anything. The guy a little exposure to rifles.
They interviewed Miss Penny at length, and a few of our shooters. In particular, a 12 year old girl who was shooting a 1911 .45.
We were later sent a copy of the actual broadcast of the show in the Netherlands. It was pretty good!
But,, they too made comments that they were surprised at how Americans were NOT what they had expected when it came to firearms. And they too had a great time shooting.
Being an ambassador to folks from other Countries is a good way to prove we are NOT what much of the world perceives us to be.

Jim, I'll bet that teen will treasure that buckle and will be the envy of his peers back home!

 

[Kevin]

This loosely relates to new shooters, but I spoke with an old friend who still lives in Chicago. Back when I lived there. I worked with this lady. She was very anti gun. I guess not "very" but just didn't want to have one in the house or have anything to do with guns. When I worked with her, I still talked about guns here and there, how they aren't evil, just the person holding them could be...etc. etc.

Well, the brother of her husband moved closer to downtown Chicago. Apparently where he is, he and his wife hear gunshots almost nightly. According to my friend the police don't really do much. (Although this statement approaches gossip at the point it reaches me.)

Now, my friend is wanting to get her husband a pistol for his upcoming birthday. They are older, she must be at least 65 or so, he is probably the same. So I suggested a Sig Sauer 9mm of some kind.

Even though they live out in the suburbs, she is just worried about the way Chicago is headed. Especially as "only" 13 or so people were shot on Halloween.

 

[g5m]

What a nice thread this is!