Shooting Range. Been there, done that.
Yes. For the first time in my life today, I held a hard metal killing machine and shot not one, not two, but about ten bullets. I was terrified. I almost fainted (no joke). But I was fascinated.
This has been something that I've wanted to do for awhile. Not just because Logan on Veronica Mars did it. Maybe it's the whole ex-boyfriend's dad was a cop thing or maybe it's the new boyfriend shoots cans in his backyard thing. Maybe it's not even a trying to impress my boyfriend thing. Maybe it's because I am a weakling and I need to see if I could protect myself. Maybe it's a remnant from the good ol' suicidal days of past. Maybe I did it for the story. Maybe I did it because I'm all anti-violence, anti-gun but maybe the rush, the power is where it's at (you can't knock it until you try it, right?).
Nope, the truth is I'm a bargain hunter (pun intended). Tonight, like all Tuesday nights, was Ladies' Night and I got to shoot for free.
Anyway, Anthony Arms (as it was called) was out in the middle of nowhere (by my standards at least) by this outdoor mall thing and the county airport (where, by the way, Alcoa has its own hanger). You walk in and see animals who have seen the taxidermist, guns, camoflage vests and signs not to bring a loaded gun inside. Whoooohoooo. Talk about walking outside of your comfort zone.
The shooting range was downstairs. There, me and kirk and joe and margo got a quick lesson on how to shoot. We picked our guns, waived all of the shooting range's liability in case we shot our finger or another guest, signed our initials to affirm we weren't drunk or high, and got earmuffs and eye protection.
We walked to lanes two and three and posted our target (unfortunately just a large sheet of paper with five bullseye-type figures...there were "armed robber" targets but we would've had to splurge $2 for them...Kirk said in his hometown the shooting range has Hillary Clinton targets...luckily Pittsburgh is a democratic hick's paradise).
OMG the shots were loud! I was so scared, so nervous i would fuck up. so nervous I would come back without a finger (damn all those warnings about "the kick" and how the back of the gun (the slide??) would shoot out at my finger so I had to keep my hands low...). But I did fine (I took it slow and mostly stood around and watch everyone else shoot...). I shot three times with a .22 caliber. The first time I had them only load one bullet. The second time Joe made me do two ("I wouldn't get the feeling until I shot repeatedly...). The third time I finished 'em off (again, pun intended)...but there were only seven left. (Margo was trigger happy, it was so cute!). I wouldn't shoot the 9 mm. The bullet cases (right word?) were flying everywhere and it seemed hard to handle (too much kick). (I love all this new gun terminology).
The best part was looking at all of the other shooters. You know, the people who brought their own guns. Or the grandfather teaching his daughter how to shoot a 45 with one hand, then following her bullets with binoculars (wtf?!?!?!?!). (He also had stickers to cover up the bullet holes so he could re-use a target and he was marking the target with a red marker...i'm not sure why). There was also an older couple - I guess shooting is a cute date thing - and a dad with his two high-school/college-aged sons.
Also, I decided my favorite gun. Or, at least, my favorite genre. I *love* the "lady" guns. For example. How cute.
Watch out world.
This has been something that I've wanted to do for awhile. Not just because Logan on Veronica Mars did it. Maybe it's the whole ex-boyfriend's dad was a cop thing or maybe it's the new boyfriend shoots cans in his backyard thing. Maybe it's not even a trying to impress my boyfriend thing. Maybe it's because I am a weakling and I need to see if I could protect myself. Maybe it's a remnant from the good ol' suicidal days of past. Maybe I did it for the story. Maybe I did it because I'm all anti-violence, anti-gun but maybe the rush, the power is where it's at (you can't knock it until you try it, right?).
Nope, the truth is I'm a bargain hunter (pun intended). Tonight, like all Tuesday nights, was Ladies' Night and I got to shoot for free.
Anyway, Anthony Arms (as it was called) was out in the middle of nowhere (by my standards at least) by this outdoor mall thing and the county airport (where, by the way, Alcoa has its own hanger). You walk in and see animals who have seen the taxidermist, guns, camoflage vests and signs not to bring a loaded gun inside. Whoooohoooo. Talk about walking outside of your comfort zone.
The shooting range was downstairs. There, me and kirk and joe and margo got a quick lesson on how to shoot. We picked our guns, waived all of the shooting range's liability in case we shot our finger or another guest, signed our initials to affirm we weren't drunk or high, and got earmuffs and eye protection.
We walked to lanes two and three and posted our target (unfortunately just a large sheet of paper with five bullseye-type figures...there were "armed robber" targets but we would've had to splurge $2 for them...Kirk said in his hometown the shooting range has Hillary Clinton targets...luckily Pittsburgh is a democratic hick's paradise).
OMG the shots were loud! I was so scared, so nervous i would fuck up. so nervous I would come back without a finger (damn all those warnings about "the kick" and how the back of the gun (the slide??) would shoot out at my finger so I had to keep my hands low...). But I did fine (I took it slow and mostly stood around and watch everyone else shoot...). I shot three times with a .22 caliber. The first time I had them only load one bullet. The second time Joe made me do two ("I wouldn't get the feeling until I shot repeatedly...). The third time I finished 'em off (again, pun intended)...but there were only seven left. (Margo was trigger happy, it was so cute!). I wouldn't shoot the 9 mm. The bullet cases (right word?) were flying everywhere and it seemed hard to handle (too much kick). (I love all this new gun terminology).
The best part was looking at all of the other shooters. You know, the people who brought their own guns. Or the grandfather teaching his daughter how to shoot a 45 with one hand, then following her bullets with binoculars (wtf?!?!?!?!). (He also had stickers to cover up the bullet holes so he could re-use a target and he was marking the target with a red marker...i'm not sure why). There was also an older couple - I guess shooting is a cute date thing - and a dad with his two high-school/college-aged sons.
Also, I decided my favorite gun. Or, at least, my favorite genre. I *love* the "lady" guns. For example. How cute.
Watch out world.
posted by mjs at
11:05 PM
2 Comments:
Awww, now you are a true American. Time to hang up that NLG membership and send yr cash to the NRA. Remember the wise words of Chairman Mao: "True power comes from the barrel of a gun."
By
Anonymous, at 11:57 PM
thankfully, i meant his backyard in upstate new york, not pittsburgh. i guess he has lots and lots of land (enough land that his European parents feel comfortable going skinny dipping and his neighbors aren't offended). although, he also has horses. i'm not a rocket scientist but guns + horses = probably not a good idea.
By
mjs, at 9:52 PM
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