Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
I met a young lady at the range the other day and introduced her to shooting while her family stood around developing a bad case of flinch. This young lady was around 7 or 8 and was bored stiff while mom and dad? were shooting mom's back up piece, as mom is a guard at Three Mile Island TMI and a AR. There were Mom and SO, 2 boys 16 and 12 and this little cutie who was stick thin and about 8 years old. I had only my travel bag with my 35-1 22lr J frame 6" barrel and my 3" S&W 13. They were shooting their AR at 25 yds and the Glock 26 at 7 to 10 yds. All of them but the younger boy had a bad case of flinch and this little cutie was just standing around saying "Mom I'm bored†So I pulled out my 35 and loaded up with a pocket full of 22lr and hung some targets during a lull and started shooting with an eye out for Cutie-pie, who was just wandering around looking hopeless. During lulls and target time I was scrounging 38 spec brass and little Cutie-pie started to help. I got all sorts of junk but that went into the trash as I left, but Cutie-pie helped me clean up a portion of the range. So being the old Curmudgeon that I am I says, "would you like to shoot too,†The biggest grin came over little Cutie-pie's face and she wispered "sure". So I asked mom if I could take her and Cutie-pie down range and shoot my little 22, so Down range we go and I showed CP how the gun worked and had her dry fire it a few times, showed her how to hold it and the with the 4 laws firmly in her mind I loaded up one round and helped her hold it and I cocked it for her and she touched it off and got a 8 on the big shoot and see they were using. I helped her thru about 3 more cylinders full and bro 12y.o. Wanted to shoot so I helped him out and he shot a few cylinders full. But little Cutie-pie had the most fun. Mom says why are they having fun with that little itty-bitty thing, so I loaded the 35 up and gave her a shot at it also. She yells back to her SO, Joe Macho, We HAVE to get one of these. I later took out my 13 to get some trigger time on it and the 16 y.o. Comes over and watches, so I ask, "Have you ever shot a 357???" No but I would like to. So down range we go and I load him up after a little dry fire and trigger practice. He got to keep the case from his first and hopefully not last 357 rounds.
All total about a box of 22s and 6 357 and their range day was much more full than shooting an AR at 25 yds and a Glock 26 at 7, The 12 y.o. shot moms 26 and it just about jumped out of his hand. I popped in a few 38's and he shot my 13 and said that was more fun that mom's glock....
I left happy cause I had fun with Cutie-pie and sad cause they will probably never get the guns they should have for the little ones.
All total about a box of 22s and 6 357 and their range day was much more full than shooting an AR at 25 yds and a Glock 26 at 7, The 12 y.o. shot moms 26 and it just about jumped out of his hand. I popped in a few 38's and he shot my 13 and said that was more fun that mom's glock....
I left happy cause I had fun with Cutie-pie and sad cause they will probably never get the guns they should have for the little ones.
