Well, I Did It (Part 1)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

My dad picked up at my place about 7am and as soon as I opened the door he propmptly excoriated me for wearing a dress. Ten minutes later we were off on the road. We went for breakfast and we talked about all kinds of stuff. I talked a lot about my conversations here in this forum and he was more than a little surprised. We met my BF and his dad at the range. His dad invited a co-worker who in turn brought his daughter. She's a long time shooter (something of a Palinista but whatever) and she was obviously there to keep it from being Sausage Fest 2010, although she and I didn't talk much.

The first thing that struck me was the sound. We weren't even in the range area proper when I couldn't help but notice the sound. I expected some thunderous roar but I was surprised it sounded more like loud popping. This may sound crazy but I think Hollywood exaggerates the sounds of gunfire.

I'm shocked!!!

Anyway we go inside and I'm thinking I'm in hell because this state is pretty conservative to begin with and I wish I had a few of you guys on my side with all these guns around but the BF keeps pecking me on the neck to keep me distracted. Then he sits me down and we go over the parts of his pistol. Trigger, trigger guard, front sight, back sight, slide catch, decocking lever, hammer. He made me recite the name of each part as he pointed to it because he says when he says to do something he doesn't want me waving the gun around looking for this part or that. Then he made me describe a proper sight picture and he made me start over again when I started to say, "make the front thingy..." He even handed it to me and right away asked for it back just to see how I handled it and passed it back and forth. Apparently I did OK. He was never an ass about any of this but he was very firm. In a way that was comforting because I felt secure he was doing everything to keep things safe.

I must also say I have the handsomest drill sergeant ever. He just oozes yummy. :P

We put on our plastic ear muffs and head out to the line. We rented 3 lanes. My dad and BF dad on 1, co-worker and his daughter on another and me and BF by ourselves. He shot first because I wanted to see someone else do it before it was my turn. Stupid phobias I know but whaddaya want?

The first gun he put into my hand was his mom's .22. For such skinny bullets the gun seemed kind of heavy. When it was my turn to shoot. I think I did pretty good at my stance because all he did was recite how I was already standing. He asked how my sight picture was and I said it looked pretty good so he sidled up behind me and put his arms around me to check. (SEK-ZEE!) He had me hold the damn thing for what seemed forever. I asked when could I shoot and he said as soon as I relaxed. I asked when would that be and he said when I was too tired from holding the damned thing.

So I relaxed and he said I could shoot when I was ready. So I pulled the trigger.

What a friggin' jip!

My roommate's cat farts harder than that thing shoots. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad he didn't start me on his dad's dinosaur hunting pistol but WTF?!?!?!

Anyway I fired the last 7 shots. Apparently I had breathing issues because my shots were going up and down on the paper. It struck me as curious that he could tell such a thing but he congratulated me on generally hitting what I aimed at (I did miss 1 completely though).

Next he allowed me to shoot his 9mm. I got off 2 clips in the time allotted. My breathing was better but now I was jerking the trigger because my shots were going left and right. Ugh! Too much to keep track of. Two sessions with 2 more magazines each and my groups became more roundish. Not exactly tight but Palin-wanna-be chick congratulated me. Whatever.

They never let me shoot the Desert Eagle but I did try a 357 and that really hurt my wrists. That was a scary gun but the Eagle was even worse. Coworker dad warned me, "it'll be like God is slamming doors". I was pretty much done myself but we stayed longer while others took their turns shooting. I did load some magazines and cylinders for practice and just to be a buddy. We then went back to BF's parent's place for grillin' and chillin'.

It was a nice time and I think I learned a lot but truth be told I don't think I'm a regular shooter. Still, I learned and it did wonders for the libido...both his and mine. Late last week I told my best buddy--AKA the gay boyfriend--what I was doing and he was very excited for me. He's pretty much a pacifist like me but he said he would learn with me. I told the BF and he said he'd happy to teach my other BF to shoot (one more soul over to the Dark Side for him), so the 3 of us will probably make a date of it soon.

The BF wanted to borrow a bow from one of his buddies but that didn't pan out. I still want to bow shoot.

Sorry to be so long-winded. Part 2 will be in the Lounge when I get it written. I'll post that link here when I can.

[dionysus]

1. neat.

[Deep13]

2. .357 hurts my wrists too.

Thanks for the story.

[SteveM]

52. May need some better grips, like Hogue to absorb the kick. nt

[Deep13]

54. It's a SW L-frame, 4" with factory Hogue rubber grips.

The problem on the SW is that the backstrap is open. I tried it with Pachmayer grips, but then it is too far of a reach to the trigger. I can manage .357 with the factory grips. I just would not want to go through a whole box of 50 without a break. My vintage M.27 N-frame is a little better, of course, since it weighs as much as a Ford Crown Victoria.

[SteveM]

63. Yeah, my Ruger has an exposed backstrap, but it still helped. nt

[X_Digger]

3. Glad you had a good time! n/t

[Deep13]

4. FYI, I recommended this, but it is still at zero. nt

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. I appreciate that but I also understand something should NEVER be allowed to...

...see the light of day.

A young woman confidently learning to handle a firearm--even if she never becomes a frothing gun nut--is simply a heresy that cannot be broached.

Thanks though.

:fistbump:

[Statistical]

10. "A young woman confidently learning to handle a firearm"

Sadly most people would take that as sarcasm but many would deny you your rights .... for your own good of course.

If anything women need firearms more than men. Ability to defend oneself with firearms is directly related to skill. In a physical confrontation skill can only take you so far. A 240lb thug with high muscle density simply has a natural advantage that can only be partially overcome with skill.

[ManiacJoe]

5. Congrats on the trip!

Some folks continue with the sport, some do not. Either way, now that you have tried it, you can make an informed decision on whether shooting is something you want to continue with or not.

And, yes, Hollywood exaggerates just about everything gun related.

[Statistical]

11. "And, yes, Hollywood exaggerates just about everything gun related"

Especially how easy it is to shoot. You know single hand jumping, rolling, dodging and "good guys" fires single shot and knocks pistol out of badguys hand.

The first time my wife fired her reaction was "man this is hard".

[sharp_stick]

7. With the larger guns

I found putting more muscle pressure down on the hand holding the grip helps, sorry it's easier to show than describe, it really helps the kickback and keeps the wrist from hurting.

I haven't used handguns in years but even a Desert Eagle can be fired without too much trouble if you get the proper grip on it without being too tense. I taught my girlfriend back in the day to shoot one and she did fine once she learned to relax. Believe me you get really tired(relaxed)fast holding a Desert Eagle.

I was much more of a long gun distance and skeet shooter than handguns but I always enjoyed firing off the big ones. Doing the Dirty Harry quotes with a .44 and the like.

on edit: My usual pack of typos.

[benEzra]

9. Awesome! Your reaction to the .22 was similar to my wife's, the first time she shot one...

namely, "WTF? Is that it?"

Depending on the length and weight of the .357 you are shooting, those can be a handful even for experienced shooters (shorter and lighter = more recoil, due to the law of conservation of momentum). Plus a short-barreled .357 is one of the loudest of all firearms.

Kudos!

[Statistical]

8. Congrats. Always fun the first time er wait IT IS ALWAYS FUN!

:hi:

The .22 is a "jip" but it is cheap to shoot so you can shoot it lots plus it lets you focus on control.

As far as your BF knowing your "issue" when missing that is classic military marksmanship:
* shots up + down = breathing control (if you look careful at the target and breath heavily and slowly) you will notice the point of aim rises & falls).

* shots side to side = trigger control, not relaxed, or anticipating the recoil

* shots all over the place with no rhyme or reasons = sight picture (looking down barrel differently each time) or just FUBAR.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. Yep. He was a soldier

He tried to get me to relax. Like I said he made me stand there holding the gun until I was too tired to do anything but relax.

Breathing, trigger, sight picture and all the little details of all those things. It just seemed like a lot to keep track of all at once. I can definitely see why people who must handle guns for a living train so much: who has time to think of all that stuff when you need it most? I guess it's best to have some sort of reflex reaction built up.

I was getting better though.

Does that mean I want to go back and shoot some more to get better? I dunno. If we do take "my other BF" I defenitely go and I know we'll have a blast but I don't see me going just for me or even to keep the BF company.

It's just not my thing and I'm cool with that and I know the BF is cool with that. So what else is there.

Thanks, though, everyone for the advice and support.

[Statistical]

15. "I can definitely see why people who must handle guns for a living train so much:"

It just seemed like a lot to keep track of all at once. I can definitely see why people who must handle guns for a living train so much: who has time to think of all that stuff when you need it most? I guess it's best to have some sort of reflex reaction built up.

Yup the ultimate goal is muscle memory; where you get to the point where it is natural action like walking. A baby has trouble walking, has to concentrate, and isn't very accurate but eventually the body develops the muscle memory that one can walk without "thinking about it". For very short distance shooting (self defense) people even train to "reflexive fire" in which one draws and fires with minimal (or no) use of the sights.

Even if you never go back you can say you gave it an "honest try". Most people never do, they simply allow preconceptions to define the issue. So congrats on that.

[mvccd1000]

12. Cool story. Glad you both enjoyed yourselves. nt

[spin]

14. Glad to see that you tried shooting ...

It looks like your BF is a good instructor.

One piece of advise on bow shooting for women ... be careful of your breast when releasing the arrow. My ex-wife and I used to do some archery and she was better than I was until she suffered a painful string slap when she released the arrow.

There is protective equipment.

Advantages of Wearing An Archery Chest Protector

An archery chest protector is worn by an archer in his rib cage area over the chest to protect himself in various ways. Among the benefits of wearing an archery chest protector are the following:

Archery chest protectors protect your rib cage area from possible injuries whenever your chest expands as you draw air in preparation to releasing the arrow. As such, the chest area is protected especially in instances when you need to draw the arrow much to ensure that power is provided in launching the arrow.

It prevents any loose garment from touching either the arrow or the string, therefore making sure that the release of the strings and the arrow's flight are unhampered.

For females, an archery chest protector is a must so as to prevent any interference on the process by any part of the female's anatomy. Hence, it allows a female archer to shoot arrows free from any impediments. emphasis added

An archery chest protector prevents injury to the rib cage area especially when a heavy bow is used such as longbow. Here, the protector works as a sort of support for the rib area.

It also provides stability of aiming as it prevents the hand from being shaky when acquiring the target.
http://www.archerybowsforsale.com/archery-chest-protector.html

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. Would it help if I said:

I have the breasts of a 10 year old Asian boy?

:P

:cry:

[spin]

17. My ex was small chested also ...

which was probably why she didn't bother to wear a protector. After the string slap she held the bow string several inches from her body, which ruined her shooting.

[bvar22]

18. Congrats!

Sounds like you had an excellent instructor.

My wife and I are a Far Left as you can get.
We are also well armed.
We are lucky enough to live in The Woods, and can shoot in our yard anytime we feel like it.
We also practice with a bow, and I'm pretty good with a Wrist Rocket Slingshot.

I had to dispatch a rabid skunk INSIDE our small chicken coop this Spring.
I wasn't going to take ANY chances with this animal, so I used the 12 ga.
THAT was "LOUD".

No eggs for a week.

[rusty_rebar]

19. I think that is awesome.

Thank you for posting how it went, I was thinking about that over the weekend.

I am glad your BF was not a jerk and did not stick you behind a cannon for your first time, I have seen all too many youtube videos inexperienced shooters getting hit in the face with a Desert Eagle because they were not ready to shoot one. That kind of thing will turn you off to shooting pretty quick.

I am glad you came away from it with a new respect for the skills it takes to shoot, and these guys are right, it is nothing like Hollywood.

Did you know that in a typical police gunfight takes place at a mere 7 yards, and the miss percentage is in the 50% range? It is not as easy as it looks.

If you enjoyed it, that is great, and sounds like a fun thing you can do with your BF (the gay one or the real one).

If you find you do not enjoy it, that is fine too, but at least then you will have a reason for not liking it, and no one can fault you for that.

[virginia mountainman]

20. Nuclear Unicorn, your posts are so refreshing!!

I am glad to hear you had a good time!

[Recursion]

21. Hollywood and gun noise

This may sound crazy but I think Hollywood exaggerates the sounds of gunfire.

Interesting bit of trivia: most handguns fire at about 155-160 dB. Movie theaters usually set up their sound system so that the loudest part of a movie is about 90 dB, meaning a real gun shot is about ten million times louder than a gun shot in a movie (and, yes, literally 10 million, since decibels are a logarithmic scale). A lot of people say the same thing you do, though, that gunshots in movies "feel" louder than real ones. This seems to be because when movies' sound tracks are mastered they spend an awful lot of effort taking out ambient noise, and 90 dB "stands out" from, say, 35 dB a lot more than 160 dB stands out from an ambient 70 dB or so. Though also studios make their gunshots "richer" than real gunshots, adding some effects and lowering the pitch so that they sound more "bad" or whatever.

[Statistical]

23. Yeah Hollywood has invented a "Hollywood gun sound" that bears little resemblence to reality.

That is why American's which have never been around a real gun to expect a gun to sound like. I have noticed often M16 and M4 in Hollywood sound like a heavy machinegun. Likely because in reality the M4 has a very "weak" sound. Loud but thin. Some director probably decided the real M4 doesn't sound like a "man's gun". :)

The Hollywood sound has more bass, and it longer in duration. More like a loud BLAM BLAM. In reality gunshots are very high transient sounds. A sharp snap that is very short especially rifles and smaller handguns. The hand cannons .357, .44Mag, come the close to the "hollywood sound".

The wonderful thing about that sharp transient is electronic hearing protection can cut it out easily while still allowing you to carry out a conversation.

Oh and don't get me started on those WHIFF WHIFF sounds that Hollywood makes people think a sound suppressed handgun sounds like. Si quiet it wouldn't wake a sleeping maybe. First time I demonstrated a real sound suppressor to a friend he asked if it was broken because it was so "loud". I said you don't have any hearing protection in and your ears aren't ringing? It isn't broken.

[GreenStormCloud]

30. Not only gun noises, but Hollywood screws up anything gun related.

Full auto weapons never run out of ammo, never need to be reloaded. Semi-auto handguns are the same, never needing reloading.

Guns don't recoil.

Bullet impacts throw people around.

A shot in the shoulder is minor and the character is back in action in a couple of days.

The latest Hollywood garbage is to have the character shooting two handguns, rapid fire, at the same time while charging the target.

In a Hollywood gun fight one person pops up, shoots at nothing, then ducks down. Now the other side pops up, shoots at nothing, then ducks down. They continue this, althernately popping up and ducking, until the script calls for someone to get hit.

Then there is the classic, "He fired six shots, he is empty." and the cop run out to capture the out-of-ammo bad guy. Reality, different models of guns hold different amounts of shots, also the crook may have a back-up gun, also many guns can be reloaded in only a couple of seconds. (faster if you practice).

[Recursion]

33. My favorite...

Bullet impacts throw people around.

Yeah, of all things that one makes my eyes roll the most. I mean, a lot of what you mentioned takes some experience with firearms to know. But this is basic Newton's-Second-Law-of-Motion stuff: if the round has enough force to throw someone through a window, it would have to recoil enough to throw the shooter through a window, too.

TVTropes.org has probably the best collection of these:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GunsDoNotWorkThatWay

(Warning... that site will take away your productivity for several days...)

[skippy911sc]

22. I think it is great

to try new things. I enjoy shooting and hunting myself and learned in a similar fashion as you. Now I hunt deer with a handgun in 460 s&w. A small hand cannon that sometimes still takes my breath away. Keep on learning and enjoy every minute.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

24. Part 2 (the best part)

Part 2, subtitled, "The taming of the unicorn" is posted here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9431250

[hack89]

26. Congratulations !! nt

[Recursion]

27. Yay!

I won't post spoilers here, but everybody should read this and be happy.

[Statistical]

28. Congrats.

[GreenStormCloud]

25. Outstanding!

You learned about shooting instead of relying on TV, movies, and such. Even if you decide that shooting isn't for you, the knowledge gained was worth it.

If you decide that you want to get good at shooting, you can save a LOT of money by having a laser sight put on the pistol. Cheap ones cost about $80. The advantage is that you can practice with an unloaded pistol at home. At home, point the laser at a target and practice squeezing the trigger until the gun doesn't bobble when you squeeze it. You get immediate reinforcement when you do it right, and there is no ammo cost. In a few days practice sessions at home you will be holding the gun steady. There will always be a small amount of wiggle as nobody is perfectly steady, but your groups will tighten up considerably.

Once you have an excellent handle on the basics, you can use a better laser to learn to point-shoot.

I used a laser sight to help my wife learn to shoot. I really helped her.

[rrneck]

29. Cool.

Goodonya for overcoming your concerns and trying something new. Comfort zones can become prisons pretty quickly.

In gun circles, a gun is referred to as "just a tool". And it is. But it seems to me our feelings about any object inform what we expect from it. Changing your feelings helps to develop and understand your expectations. When your expectations align with what actually happens, well, some call that reality.

Thanks for having an open mind and sharing your experience. You're a positive influence on DU. We could use more like you around here.

[MisterBill45]

31. Glad you enjoyed the shooting

Your BF did exactly right starting you on the .22. I'm a huge fan of a good .22 myself as it's accurate and will teach you the fundamentals far better than a larger bore gun. The things you mentioned like trigger control and breath are used regardless of the gun, but that flinch you talked about is definitely caliber/recoil/noise related.

Next time out, try to get someone to let you use a revolver. Have someone put only 3-4 rounds in it and then shoot. You'll see a lot of that flinch go away because you stop expecting a bang. I also recommend new shooters sit when shooting and using a bench for support. At first it's far more important to learn proper sight alignment, trigger control and breath control than it is stance. Besides, it's awfully nice to see someone's face light up when they put in a nice, tight group for the first time.

[proteus_lives]

32. Not as scary as you thought it would be, huh?

Good for you!

:thumbsup:

[dmallind]

34. See what you really need is a good light SD weapon to practice with

S&W makes a very light .357 snub nose Airlite that would be ideal....;) Hey if .22s are heavy and weak this will solve both problems.




BTW I am indeed joking. Physics applies to guns too and the more energy coming out of a lighter gun means more motion passed back to your body.

I actually fired the Airlite .357 once. Once being the operative. I weigh 280, have been shooting for years and have arms like tree trunks. It doesn't help much believe me. A nice solid 9mm is all you could ever want in 99.9% of situations. I personally prefer the recoil characteristics of .45ACP which is heavier and usually slower, but I think I'm in the minority. Going anything past 9mm with nice +P rounds is just torture for the sake of it for most shooters, as you gain blessed little real world utility and get much more in recoil than you need. Stick to what's comfortable and you'll do better,

Well done BTW and good report.

[X_Digger]

47. 45acp for the win

(With the hopes of NOT starting another religious war over the best caliber..)

[Statistical]

49. My only problem with .45ACP is cost.

So I toss out "9mm for the win". Go with high quality name brand "slow & heavy" round and you are fine. I like HST 147gr 9mm. Sometimes tough to find because they are manufactured only for LEO (however there are no law restricting civilian use of "LEO use" ammo).

That being said caliber is far less important than shot placement and follow up time. 3 shots center mass in rapid succession has far greater chance of halting a violent attack than a hand cannon that hits nothing but air. Shoot what you are comfortable with, and your wallet allows lots of practice with.

In order of reducing chance of being a victim I would put:
1) lifestyle choices
2) situational awareness
3) reaction time
4) willpower conviction to present weapon quickly and firmly
5) shot placement
6) follow time
....
98) luck
99) caliber

:)

[X_Digger]

50. I'm the most accurate with my Taurus 1911, but..

it's for playing at the range most of the time.

My EDC is an XD sub in 40S&W because of the size. I also do federal HST, 180gr or DT Gold Dot, 155gr.

[Callisto32]

35. You have learned an important lesson.

Hollywood knows NOTHING about guns.

They "exaggerate" the sound, but have no real concept of just how loud they are.

Other problems run amok as well.

All "doing fun stuff together" does wonders for the libido. :D

[Glassunion]

36. Sniff.... Memories with my wife... Sniff... Must be something in my eye. So much dust here.

Anyway, way to go! I'm glad you had a good time.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

37. Go read Part 2 of this missive

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9431250

[GreenStormCloud]

55. Congratulations. He is a lucky man. N/T

[Pavulon]

38. Glad to hear it, quality safe shooting is a skill

it is a life long learning process. We all start somewhere. A few notes:

Most (everyone I have ever used) 357 revolvers can fire a 38 special round. This produces MUCH less recoil and is cheaper to practice with. Full house .357 mag produces excess recoil and pressure. Pressure is no fun in closed spaces. The 357 revolver is a superb self defense (or all around) gun and is appreciated by many because it is simple.

There are lots of 9mm's out there. Depending on the brand (platform) of pistol and its comfort this is the most appropriate firearm to master for most people.

I will assume it is a glock 17/19 because that is a common model. There are many things you can do to this pistol to make it much easier to group shots with. 9mm is used in competition (i use it) and can be found loaded to produce very little recoil. If you shoot 9mm you buy from a major manufacturer Remington UMC produces the LEAST recoil where White Box and some others like RWS produce the MOST you will commonly find. Buy UMC if you can to shoot at targets.

There is no application for a desert eagle, pistols that produce excessive recoil are counterproductive to new shooters.

Lastly, stand with your nose over toes and concentrate on the front sight and you are well on your way.

[Glassunion]

39. No application for the desert eagle!?

How about fun?! Just the simple enjoyment of shooting a Howitzer?

If you like roller coasters, you will enjoy that firearm.

It has no practical application, unless you want to make a room full of people deaf, and change the air pressure by about 1000 millibars.

[Pavulon]

40. They are cool, and i did stop short of advising she tell him to sell it

and put the cash towards her wilson combat supergrade..

[FunkyLeprechaun]

41. I did it too

Fired a shotgun at a clay pigeon range... oh my god it felt really good to have a go at the clays even though I have serious questions about guns. And I embarrassed the men who invited me to shoot at the range because I was a better marksman than them. I suppose it's in the hand-eye coordination due to my deafness. The british blokes wouldn't speak to me for days and have refused to ask me back for fear of embarrassment!

BTW I was allowed to fire only one of the bloke's wife's shotgun and he loaded it for me. I didn't wear earplugs (I already have a perforated eardrum anyway) doing it. We were interested in getting a single shotgun for clay shoots but not too sure about it (children being the main thing).

[Nuclear Unicorn]

42. heh

Boys can be such...boys.

[Pavulon]

43. Clays are great sport. In the US many upscale clubs

will secure weapons for you onsite. You can buy a nice shotgun and leave it there. EJ Churchill and Purdey make works of art.

Beretta and perazzi make very nice shotguns as well.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

44. wow

Is that hand crafted? If so, I'm impressed. I'm not a gun enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination but I know art when I see it.

[Pavulon]

45. Yes. They range from 8 to 200,000 US

You can find purdy guns in the mid 40's. However there are some very nice italian makers that offer great engraving for far less.

[Hoopla Phil]

46. K and R

[AtheistCrusader]

48. Lol 'dinosaur hunting pistol'

Sounds like you had a good time. Awesome.

[gravity556]

51. Cool!

And congratulations!

[SteveM]

53. What's wrong with a dress?...

I was out hunting dove on a management area in Texas, and a lady came forth in a full summer dress, down to the ankles (covered by high boots). The whole dress was camo, and she swashed through briars and sticky bushes with no problem. Seen 'em on ranges, too, though not camo.

Glad you had fun. My .357 Ruger revolver is a reall hammer on the hands, but a set of Hogue grips (rubber-type material) really improved matters. The .38 spls were made even milder; not too much more than a .22!

[guardian]

56. Great feedback, range report.

Hi. Just curious. Have you lost your fear of guns? Does it still feel like "death" to you? You'd mentioned this in the original post.

[gravity556]

57. If you go again,

I'd suggest a regular T-shirt rather than something with an open neck. And a ball cap. Why? Well, the ball cap is to stop ejected (read that as "searing hot") brass from finding a place to rest on your safety glasses. And the t-shirt? I have seen the traditional dance of "Holy SHIT! Brass in my bra! Brass IN MY BRA!" performed by several women. And while it is guaranteed to amuse spectators, my wife informed me (after slapping me out of my hysterical laughter) that it is rather painful.

[GreenStormCloud]

59. The very first time my wife shot a pistol, that happened to her.

It took hundred of rounds of .22 to cure her the case of flinch that she got after that.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

62. I guess you could say:

I don't see them as "death" any more but they do strike me as a thing of tremendous responsibility.

I'm enough of a coward to never want to have to hold a gun outside a shooting range (except for cleaning, obviously) but if I ever do, I have such a sense of responsibility that I want to be able to do everything as safely and calmly and rationally as I possibly can.

Earlier this week as we were talking about it I told my fiance that now I have actually shot I understand the best way for me to be safe is to know what I'm doing and not be half-assed about it. I must have said something right because he just smiled a big ol' smile. He likes to say, "Fear is natural but panic never helps."

I forgot to write he also made me practice dropping magazines and reloading so I didn't have to wave the gun around trying to remember how to do it.

He didn't make me clean the guns though. He said that was just something he preferred to do. Sort of a quiet time for him where we just chatted about little stuff. GUn oil has a very strange smell, almost sweet. It was weird watching him take the guns apart. He didn't look at what he was doing. It was like, one second he picked it up off the table and the next second he was laying out all these different pieces. I swear I didn't even see his fingers move.

[Euromutt]

58. May I say I really enjoy your style of writing, especially the humor

I mean, in your narrative, I appreciate how you've shown an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out. I can tell from your description that your boyfriend is a very good instructor (I consider myself more than decent, but I can tell he's better than I am), and the "naming of the parts" thing is something I totally need to adopt myself.

But what I really, really love about your story is the irreverent humor you insert into it. Okay, so I'm 12, emotionally, but the "Sausage Fest" and "cat fart" bits made me snigger out loud. It also indicates good attitude on your part: you're not freaked out (or insofar as you might be, you're doing a good job of conquering your fear), but you're willing to point out chickenshit when you see it. If you don't post on Jezebel.com, you should.

[DissedByBush]

60. You'll do better next time, just relax

Shooting is a great exercise in self control.

It's sort of a zen/yoga kind of thing when you've learned to be perfectly calm while something explodes in your hand.

[krispos42]

61. Sounds like you had a really good instructor

Excellent work on everybody's part.