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Starting Off With a Bang

On New Year's day, my (female) work friend & I went to go visit another (male) mutual friend of ours. The tentative plan involved the three of us going to the shooting range, but we figured we'd at least grab something to eat. I've never fired a gun before in my life, so this plan both worried & excited me. Heck, I don't even really like first-person shooter games, so I'm only vaguely aware of things like weapon calibers. Still, I was game.

The friend we were visiting had done his homework by the time we got there, so he had found a shooting range that was open. The tentative plan was going to happen. So, he & his buddy started assembling the guns they wanted to bring to the range. The first thing I noticed was that they were all universally black, with no silver or wood color anywhere. That surprised me a bit, but I suppose that's the difference between real life and video games.

Anyhow, they let me handle one of the guns before we left the house, and gave me a very basic tutorial on how to handle it. In my ignorance, I was very uncertain of myself holding the weapon, and it showed. In fact, he would later remark that I "looked a little nervous" for a while. And frankly, I'm okay with that. I'd rather be the nervous kid with 10 fingers & 10 toes than the moron who makes an unintended trip to the emergency room (though the gun didn't have any ammo in it at the time).

We had to pick up eye & ear protection before heading out to the range, so we made a quick stop. We were just going to shoot, not win any fashion contests, so I picked up the cheapest glasses I could find (they didn't look bad). Funnily enough, the cashier recognized the fourth friend, who happened to be a cop. Let's just say the cashier was very, very respectful, and he even reminded him that he was entitled to a discount.

A chuckle and a short ride later, we were at the range. They have all sorts of rules, including that you need explicit permission to pull out any weapons from your vehicle. Until you've talked to the person in charge & signed in, your guns stay in your car. They also have cease-fire periods & a yellow line behind which everyone stands during said cease-fire. Also, if you've never heard a gunshot up close, those bad boys can be loud. The need for ear protection became very apparent very quickly. At first, the whole thing is very intimidating.

Eventually, we got all set up. The guy & his buddy gave me another quick tutorial about how to use the sights, how to aim properly, and how to fire the weapon without hurting yourself. Soon after, it was time for me to step up to the plate. I started off with a .22 handgun, which was a good idea in hindsight. It didn't have too much of a kick when it fired, and most of it made intuitive sense. I wasn't winning any marksmanship awards, but I'd safely gotten through a clip without making a jerk of myself.

Eventually, I'd also end up firing a .22 rifle and a .40 handgun. Everyone was patient with my initial ineptitude, and it was a good time for all. My female friend even showed off how good a shot she was. I'd heard that she was handy with a weapon, but seeing it in person was kind of cool. I did, however, remark that I suddenly had a reason be nicer to her (side note: she also said that she "expect[ed] to see some blogging about this," so this is my attempt to mollify her).

Eventually we wrapped up, and headed to grab a bite to eat. It was a good hearty meal, and seemed like a fitting end to a good day. I was congratulated for exercising my second amendment rights, and we called it a day. So, the morals of today's post: 1. firing guns can be fun, but never lose a healthy respect for the weapon in your hands, and 2. if you get on my bad side, I'm sending my sniper friend after you.

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