Learn From Their Mistakes

Twenty years ago at Gilbert Small Arms Range in Northern Virginia now Sharp Shooters,a guy,I swear it's the truth,looking like he just got off the Miami Vice set,comes on the range with his brand new Uzi submachine gun in the case and a stunningly blank minded woman and proceeds to cooly shoot the ceiling and the target wire off the lane he's shooting in.

I left.
 
(Another kind of idiot...)

I was at a cookout with some loose acquaintances, and behind the house, there were some people doing some target shooting with rifles and shotguns. I ate my chicken and corn and decided to see what was going on back there. When I got to the other side, there were three "gentlemen" around a young lady, trying to get her to shoot their shotgun. She was apprehensive to say the least, but she had the weapon in her hands and was listening to them tell her how to cock and fire it, with the majority of her instruction being "Just pull the trigger." They had specifically said that it was loaded with very "mild bird-shot" just to help her get the first couple shots off and get used to the gun.

Well she cocked the weapon and fired "under-shouldered" with the shotgun between hip and rib level.

Even I was convinced that these guys were sincere about helping her "Just get over firing the first couple shots" as it seemed she was apprehensive to begin with. Instead, this poor young lady pulled the trigger with no recoil support, a completely shaky stance, and an improper-dangerous grip on what she expected to be an extremely light round. Instead she got the recoil from a 3 inch magnum slug; which sent all three guys into a laughing frenzy. It also sent the front of the trigger guard back over her finger and cut the bottom side of it pretty cleanly while instantly bruising her knuckle. She started crying and jogging inside while the guys were still finishing up laughing about it.

I told them in not so many words exactly how stupid and irresponsible they were before going to check on this poor lady and leaving; never to return.

This poor girl will probably never want to lay another hand on a weapon in her life. She'll probably have a fear of guns forever because of it. And not only that, but she'll tell that story to her friends/colleagues/children and influence them to never come near a firearm again. All for what? Because three idiots wanted to laugh at the misery of one surprised and injured girl?

Once again: The Golden Rule of Gun Safety applies. Don't be an idiot.

PLEASE
~LT
 
I don't have any funny stories but I'm still amazed at the number of times experienced shooters or hunters swing the gun muzzle past me and then innocently respond to the look on my face: "Don't worry, it's not loaded".

and then they look surprised when I angrily respond: "I don't care. Don't do that again."

:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
One of the only times I've ever tried shooting clay pigeons was with an older friend of mine. We were using an old Stoeger pump 12 gauge and I was thoroughly embarrassing myself for at least 20 rounds (Think I only got 5-6 IIRC), where my friend wasn't letting a single one hit the ground in one piece.

His nephew (about 20) who had been watching us for a bit, and giving me guff about my pitiful showing, suddenly stood up and said, "Lemmee give it a shot." He took the shotgun and hefted it at a downward angle toward his 10 o'clock while he waited for us to get a clay in the slinger. We suddenly heard the shot ring out and turned to see grass flying and his nephew ghost white after planting one in the ground about 18 inches from his shoe.

His uncle grabbed the shotgun and sent him inside.

Pearls-o-wisdom:
1. When you hand off a gun, always engage the safety if it has one.

2. When you receive a weapon, always check the load status.

3. Don't rest your finger on the trigger like 90% of the untrained "shooters" out there. It is my biggest pet peeve.

4. Don't hunt groundhogs you can't see.

~LT
 
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