Academy Outdoors, Guns and Grandson

[Prof Young]

Travels took me to Academy Outdoors in Huntsville Alabama today. Some seriously good prices on guns. Plain Jane Sig p238 for $519. Really.

Had 10 year old grandson in tow. He was reluctant to hang around in the gun section. Brought that reluctance up in conversation later. It became clear he thought you could buy fully automatic weapons from a place like AO. So it was a good teaching moment. Difference between full auto and semi auto, a gun is just a tool, the gun counter is not some kind of evil place etc. He shoots nerf guns and we'd just spent 20 minutes or so blasting dinosaurs with machine guns in a booth type video game so those examples helped him understand things. I suspect he will not be one that I ever get to teach to shoot or hunt. His dad has gone shooting with me but only once and mom is clearly the instiller of a fear of guns. I got plenty of other grandkids so . . . He is one smart little guy so who knows.

Life is good.
Prof Young

 

[sgms]

I've been in that boat but with nieces and nephews, their mom had them so scared of guns they didn't want to go into parts of grandpas or my house because they were afraid of being killed by the guns. But between grandpa and uncle me talking to them and dealing with the issues mom spewed forth at them I am pleased to say that now adult all but 2 of them own and use gun for recreation now. Of the 2, one lives and works over seas and can't have one the other owns guns and is an artillery a captain in the US Marine Corps. The smart ones can be taught they just need somebody to explain away the non-rational fears they get from (in these cases) mom.

 

[In The Ten Ring]

Keep up the good fight and in time, you may have more impact than you can foresee.

My best friend is married to a serious anti gunner which is sad because he was so into the shooting match I took him to, his first gun was a used (but clearly not fired) Rock River Arms National Match AR 15. Heavy barrel and lead-weighted stock. She made him sell that.

I didn't think I'd ever get to take his daughter shooting but out-of-the-blue, they let me! She did so well they framed her first target. I plan to take her shooting more but they live 250 miles away and my mother has been very ill here of late.

So keep up the good fight. It might pay off in the end.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

You never know which seeds you plant will grow; but the ones you tend to often do better! Good job!

 

[berettaprofessor]

If you ever get to a Cabelas; at least the one in KC has/had a kind of laser shooting range when my son was young. Could take him there for some fun shoots in a fairly harmless environment.