In Ontario Canada, you could obtain a license to carry a pistol, for protection against Wild Animals, (Not sure now?) most specifically Bears.
There were a very small amount of Instructors who had that permission, granted by the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police). I was one of those, from 1981 till 2004. My students were mostly Security Officers and Armoured Car attendants.
And in the USA, Police Officers. As a member of the board of IALEFI. For 20 years.
One of these gentlemen who carried a 6" barreled S&W 44 Mag. A rock Hound went to another Instructor for a while, then came to me.
The shoot portion he had used, was with a .38 Special revolver owned by that instructor? Not permitted to fire a 44 Mag in the range used? Not sure of the story. Anyway, my range was a wartime concrete bunker, you could shoot any small arms there.
He had never fired his 44 Mag. Period. The rear sight was screwed fully down. He saw that it was loose, so he tightened it down! I adjusted it about halfway out (on the advice of a friend who owned that model of a pistol) Taking two factory rounds from the 50 round box presented, both of us double plugged, I
fired both rounds, single action, aimed at the circle of an IPSC target at the full 20 yds. They struck the circle somewhere.
Had my Student aim my minus cylinder or crane equipt revolver at my eye!
He was looking over the sights by 2 inches! Not through them. Corrected that.
Had him shoot two rounds of single-action, then 2 double action. He did OK.
My advice to him, talk to at least a couple of wildlife guides reference advice on hunting Grizzlys/Brown bears, he would not be doing any hunting, but he might fall afoul of one of them. I felt I had earned my $125.00 fee. Canadian.
As always, I can not go without some humour. My third job, on moving to Canada from Australia. Was as a Purchasing Agent. My second in command went by the name of Fred. During our lunch breaks and stuff, it came out that he was a sports pistol shooter, and belonged to a pistol club, an indoor one.
"Don't worry about the equipment, I have all of that, he said" So the next Wednesday night, off we went.
I did not speak on my knowledge, one way or the other.
The range was in the loft of an industrial building, 20 yds, deep, and good air conditioning. He gave me ears, and eyes in the club room, which I donned.
After sending a bullseye target downrange, he loaded 5 rounds of his reloads, and double actioned all 5 rounds in a hurry!
"That would keep their heads down!" He said, when the targets were returned, he had two hits.
New target up, sent down. "Fred, do you mind if I dry fire a few times?"
Suspicious look? "No, he said." This is a one-hand hold bull's eye club.
This 44 mag had a beautiful single action. Most of the rounds were touching, level with the bull, 4" to the left of it. He gave me a very old fashioned look, placed my target in his bag, saved his empties, packed up, and left.
He made no comment, till we were sitting in a Tim Hortons Coffee shop!!
"Why did you not tell me you were Olympic material!" "You never gave me a chance!" I said.
My guns were still in a locked case in the downtown Post Office. You needed all kinds of permits, belong to a gun club, etc! To get them out. On a visit to look at my guns, under supervision, I heard an accent, just like mine, somewhere behind the front counter.
"Hey Scouse, come out to the front counter" Around came a broken nosed individual. ( I might have given it to him in my Bouncing years)
We had a chat, I showed him my receipt. He came back with a Post Office bag.
Put it on the counter "Say newt, tarawell La" I left.
I did not say we, the Family and I were staying with my first cousin Benny.
A metro Police Sgt. Toronto Police! He just about had a heart attack. When with no permission to have, my 3 pistols were in his house.
It was all sorted out in a couple of months. And 50 year later, here I am, in Orlando.
A Yank. Both my wife and I of 28 years.
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