Hi all, I just wanted to share my experience with my first gun buy in my life and how the SR40c has preformed for me so far from a complete newbies perspective.
The first thing I did when I got it home was clean it thoroughly and apply oil thanks to some really good Youtube tutorials. My challenge was learning how to load the clip. Its funny looking back now, but I could not load them being new mags by hand. After some clunking around with the auto loader and finally figured out how to get the snap caps in. Once I got a feel for the basic functioning of the pistol it was time to go to the range.
This was actually an intimidating experience. I had zero firearms time under my belt and as I approached the counter I noticed a few grizzled looking fellows talking to the range employee who they where apparently friends with. "Hope they don't ask me any firearms questions." I thought as I approached, not wanting to make a complete fool of myself with my lack of knowledge. I decided not to bring up that it was my first trip in, wanting to blend in and just get to my lane to start learning.
Well I'm sure they picked me out from a mile away, right away as being new because after signing off on the range rules he called another employee to take me to my lane and gave me instruction on how to function the range controls, lights downrange ect. Might have been my fumbeling with my ear protection at the counter that gave me away. I have the fold up over the ear type, and being new they where hard to get down into place.
I bought 4 targets at the counter. 3 of the 25 yard bullseye type, and one silhouette. Welp time to see what this baby can do. I unlocked my pistol from the case hung my target and sent it to the first red line on the floor. I won't lie, it may not be macho of me but at this point i was scared to death of the pistol. Was it going to fly out of my hand? Was I going to hit the guys target 2 lanes down? I had no idea. Just then, someone to my left opened fire and i flinched from the sound of the shot just as I was about to pull the trigger. I reset to the low ready pointing downrange and by the 3rd or 4th shot next to me I was no longer flinching from the noise. It didn't take long to ignore it but I did need a moment.
I'm not sure of the range of the first red line, but it was very close, 5 yards? I raised my sights put my finger on the trigger and fired. Wow! I hit it that was my first shock, the second was it was dead center. My first mag was the 15 rounder. Here is the target I used. I pulled it back and was smiling from ear to ear.
After the second clip I'd say my fear of the gun, was gone and my confidence was way up. It worked, it wasn't going to fly out of my hand, and I can at least, put the bullets about where I'm intending without anything wild happening. Still had a bit of a flinch and I noticed I was even taking my eye off the target anticipating the recoil before I even pulled the trigger.
The second target I moved out to the third red line I'd guess near 20-25 yards. I was still on the target but my shots where all over it, high, low, left, right, you name it. "Okay no shocker there" I thought. I'm not good at long range shooting yet and didn't expect to be. At this point I ditched the effort to hit targets that far out.
My last target I used the silhouette. I moved it out between the third and second red line on the floor. Alot closer then the previous. This is the one I think I was most proud of. By this time I'm actually looking forward to getting the mags loaded and firing the gun, I'm having fun now and the shots from other lanes are not bugging me at all. I put a few mags into this target and pull it back. This gun is amazing, even with my very poor skill I was able to get all but 2 rounds on target. I even tried some head shots for fun. This is that target.
Alright! I thought to myself lets do another! then I looked down at my bench to find only empty ammo boxes. How did 150 rounds of ammo vanish so quickly? It seemed like so much lugging it to the range.
Overall I really love this pistol. I had no failures whatsoever, it preformed well and beyond my expectations. In the hands of someone who knows how to maximize its potential I can only imagine what may be possible accuracy wise. After I stored my pistol, cleaned up my lane and swept my brass I folded my targets and walked back out to the counter. The range officer asked how it was. I told him great and proudly presented a few of my targets. He kinda smirked and said nice shooting. I know it was probably on the bad side but it was nice of him to humor me.
I can't wait to go back and fire it again. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to pass along that I really enjoy shooting this pistol.
The first thing I did when I got it home was clean it thoroughly and apply oil thanks to some really good Youtube tutorials. My challenge was learning how to load the clip. Its funny looking back now, but I could not load them being new mags by hand. After some clunking around with the auto loader and finally figured out how to get the snap caps in. Once I got a feel for the basic functioning of the pistol it was time to go to the range.
This was actually an intimidating experience. I had zero firearms time under my belt and as I approached the counter I noticed a few grizzled looking fellows talking to the range employee who they where apparently friends with. "Hope they don't ask me any firearms questions." I thought as I approached, not wanting to make a complete fool of myself with my lack of knowledge. I decided not to bring up that it was my first trip in, wanting to blend in and just get to my lane to start learning.
Well I'm sure they picked me out from a mile away, right away as being new because after signing off on the range rules he called another employee to take me to my lane and gave me instruction on how to function the range controls, lights downrange ect. Might have been my fumbeling with my ear protection at the counter that gave me away. I have the fold up over the ear type, and being new they where hard to get down into place.
I bought 4 targets at the counter. 3 of the 25 yard bullseye type, and one silhouette. Welp time to see what this baby can do. I unlocked my pistol from the case hung my target and sent it to the first red line on the floor. I won't lie, it may not be macho of me but at this point i was scared to death of the pistol. Was it going to fly out of my hand? Was I going to hit the guys target 2 lanes down? I had no idea. Just then, someone to my left opened fire and i flinched from the sound of the shot just as I was about to pull the trigger. I reset to the low ready pointing downrange and by the 3rd or 4th shot next to me I was no longer flinching from the noise. It didn't take long to ignore it but I did need a moment.
I'm not sure of the range of the first red line, but it was very close, 5 yards? I raised my sights put my finger on the trigger and fired. Wow! I hit it that was my first shock, the second was it was dead center. My first mag was the 15 rounder. Here is the target I used. I pulled it back and was smiling from ear to ear.
After the second clip I'd say my fear of the gun, was gone and my confidence was way up. It worked, it wasn't going to fly out of my hand, and I can at least, put the bullets about where I'm intending without anything wild happening. Still had a bit of a flinch and I noticed I was even taking my eye off the target anticipating the recoil before I even pulled the trigger.
The second target I moved out to the third red line I'd guess near 20-25 yards. I was still on the target but my shots where all over it, high, low, left, right, you name it. "Okay no shocker there" I thought. I'm not good at long range shooting yet and didn't expect to be. At this point I ditched the effort to hit targets that far out.
My last target I used the silhouette. I moved it out between the third and second red line on the floor. Alot closer then the previous. This is the one I think I was most proud of. By this time I'm actually looking forward to getting the mags loaded and firing the gun, I'm having fun now and the shots from other lanes are not bugging me at all. I put a few mags into this target and pull it back. This gun is amazing, even with my very poor skill I was able to get all but 2 rounds on target. I even tried some head shots for fun. This is that target.
Alright! I thought to myself lets do another! then I looked down at my bench to find only empty ammo boxes. How did 150 rounds of ammo vanish so quickly? It seemed like so much lugging it to the range.
Overall I really love this pistol. I had no failures whatsoever, it preformed well and beyond my expectations. In the hands of someone who knows how to maximize its potential I can only imagine what may be possible accuracy wise. After I stored my pistol, cleaned up my lane and swept my brass I folded my targets and walked back out to the counter. The range officer asked how it was. I told him great and proudly presented a few of my targets. He kinda smirked and said nice shooting. I know it was probably on the bad side but it was nice of him to humor me.
I can't wait to go back and fire it again. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to pass along that I really enjoy shooting this pistol.