German journalist learning to shoot

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friedemannkarig

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Hi all,

For German weekly magazine „Stern“ („Star“, 600.000 print copies weekly, 60 million monthly users online) I am working on a story about guns.

I never fired a gun in my life. Now I want to learn how to do it, understand the fascination, get the idea. Hands on.

I will be in the US from the 15th of January on (Los Angeles and Las Vegas). I would really like to meet a gun enthusiast, preferably near Las Vegas, who can take me shooting, safely, of course. The bigger, the better. And who maybe is happy to discuss gun laws, politics etc.
I´ll bring a photographer for strong visual material as well.

Any help from your side is highly appreciated. I am looking forward to getting in touch.

Best regards,
Friedemann Karig
[email protected]
 
Good luck. You've come to the right forum. Las Vegas and Nevada in general is also one of the better places to get acquainted with shooting sports and recreational shooting in the US. Shooters and hunters are very friendly people as a community and I'm sure you'll be able to find volunteers to teach you the basics of firearm safety, principles of shooting and what everything from lowly "plinking" (which is pretty much how all professional exhibition shooters have honed their skills) to a variety of sanctioned disciplines are all about.

Please be sure to post a follow-up once you know when your article is going to be published, I for one will definitely pick up a copy of Stern when it is.
 
I have a brother in Dolan Springs AZ about an hours drive south of Vegas. I have e-mailed him and asked him whether he has any interest in being involved in your quest.

South of I-40 and probably about a three hour drive from Vegas is www.gunsite.com in Paulmer (?) AZ
 
Gruess Dich, Herr Friedmann!

You've come to the right place. I'm too far away to take you shooting, but hopefully someone around here will help you out. I've taken several German exchange students shooting and two things always happened: (1) they were shocked at the number of guns I own (and I don't own that many, by American standards); and (2) they had a great time.
 
Just curios about how your article will be slanted. If it’s perceived you’re looking to show that Americans are crazed gun nuts, I doubt you’ll receive very much assistance.

If you are seriously looking to experience the freedom we have here regarding possession of firearms, and the enjoyment of target shooting or hunting, then lots of help will probably be available.

Please be upfront about which direction you’re headed.
 
Please be advised that the US has some legal loopholes for foreign visitors and firearms. Traveling with an without a visa has an impact on this.

There is a recent article in the Legal section of this forum on this very topic.

The issue may not be of great import in some situations, but might affect whether a person can rent firearms in some situations.

The US is often portrayed as a place with little or no firearms legislation, but we have, in fact, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20,000 laws on the books about firearms.
 
Grusst Gott freidemannkarig: By now (after the 'independent thinking' you have done), are you beginning to notice some obvious contrasts, between the reality of legal gun ownership in the US, and the strange impressions created by most of our 'MSM/mainstream media?

A large fraction of the people in the US, and I suspect a very large Majority of people in Europe (except die Schweiz, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Slovenia, Est., Fin.) will never even Realize how their views of legal gun ownership have been grossly distorted. The mass media know how to use such deception, and exclude so much of the truth about reality.

Here is just one element: the MSM here often use the expression "Gun Violence", um alles "in einen Topf zu werfen" s.z.s, und zusammenmischen. But not in the way you would easily assume. Why is that?

The 'MSM' only very seldom distinguish (unterscheiden) between:
1) the many hundreds of situations in the US (every year), when law-abiding citizens simply Display a gun (allow a threatening person to See It), or must Use it, which has prevented robbery, rape, child kidnappings, severe beatings or murder.....

2) ...and the random shootings done by isolated psychos, or gang members in bad areas of our cities.

And such misleading, deceptive reporting is only One of the factors which tries to distort (mis-shape) our understanding of "das Grosse Bild", what we in the US/Canada (or the UK) call the "Big Picture".
 
Last edited:
I have written to National Public Radio (NPR) several times to invite a reporter or producer to come out to Oregon for a week to learn to shoot a variety of guns and calibers and talk about RKBA issues. Nothing but crickets...

I'm liberal on many social issues, but became interested in shooting 10 years ago and would like to try to convey the enthusiasm, power, patriotism, and responsibility that normal people can discover and deepen with a mentored and responsible introduction into firearm use. When I first starting shooting, all I wanted was a revolver in .38 special to learn how to defend my family in a natural disaster scenario. The interest has broadened to cowboy guns, ARs, long distance rifle, semi auto pistol, small bore (.22) 3-position target shooting, and even target and 3-D archery.

I have a buddy in eastern Oregon with a ranch where he has built pistol and 1000 yard rifle ranges. The process of learning slowly, in-depth, and responsibly about firearms, proper shooting technique, and safe firearms handling was a big part of turning this liberal into a gunny.
 
I'm afraid I'm far removed from CA and NV, so I'm unable to make the offer myself. Come to the Atlanta area, and I'll be happy to set you up!

However, if you're serious about presenting a more complete picture of American "gun culture," you'll need to spend some time exploring the many different facets of it. Just going to the range and getting to blast away (after learning the relatively straightforward rules of gun safety) would be a good introduction to casual shooting, but it wouldn't show you much in the way of why people who are most interested in guns stay interested. For that, you'd need to go see some sort of competitive shooting; and/or talk with someone who is a collector of firearms (not just an accumulator - someone who has picked one or more focus areas, including stuff that is no longer made or readily available); and/or talk with someone who is into the hobby of reloading (manufacturing their own ammunition); etc.

Lots of stories show up in the press that are "news reporter who grew up without guns goes to range, has good time, but remains scared of their power." Maybe such a story would be novel in the German press. Maybe that's all that your publisher or editor is looking for. But it is ground that has been covered MANY times.
 
I tried this with a Polish exchange student. Worst experience I've ever had introducing a newbie to firearms. I let him hold a 10/22 While I was explaining simple instructions such as saftey button, pointing muzzle in a safe direction.....
At some point it became too much and he spun two 360s making full auto sound effects pointing the rifle at us all at least twice. He never did get to fire a gun that day.

So when dealing with someone that only knows firearms through movies be hyper vigilant and ready for the unexpected.
 
In the Vegas area, there is an excellent outdoor shooting facility, as well as a range where guns ranging from small handguns to full-auto machineguns can be rented
 
There are thousands of hunters in Germany, shooting clubs too. Then Switzerland is just down the road, and one of the national pastimes there is friendly shooting competitions with military rifles and pistols (almost every village has its 300m shooting range). Why come all the way to the US?

But yes, one good thing you can get out of this would be to realize that most gun enthusiasts are not the semi-demented looneys depicted by the liberal press, but on the contrary very responsible people who take things seriously. And who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy the experience and get to want more!
 
Friedemann,
If you can't find an individual in the area I'd recommend contacting a private gun club. I belong to one in the Chicago area and if you were here, would find our members welcoming and helpful. Please feel free to post any questions you have on this forum, if that would help you.
Tom
 
Use to take foreign exchange students from Great Britain and Ireland shooting at the local range. All of them were well behaved and took what they were doing very seriously. Surprisingly enough for their first time out most of them were pretty decent shooters. And even though they all came from countries which have draconian measures in place against gun ownership none of them ever expressed any anti-gun sentiments. They were truly amazed that an average citizen could own as many guns as they wanted, for whatever reason, and could keep them at home, without any government interference or restrictions.
 
Hey all,
Wow, I am overwhelmed by your helpful and friendly (and sometimes amusing) replys.
So I will answer the posts with offers one by one, but thanky generally to all of you. No trace of any hostile or aggressive tone. I do appreciate that a lot, since in other forums...
All the best,
Friedemann
 
TomJ said:
Friedemann,
If you can't find an individual in the area I'd recommend contacting a private gun club. I belong to one in the Chicago area and if you were here, would find our members welcoming and helpful. Please feel free to post any questions you have on this forum, if that would help you.
Tom
Click to expand...

Thanks! Would you just google "private gun club nevada"? (Sorry, might be a stupid question, but you´re the expert)
 
ATLDave said:
I'm afraid I'm far removed from CA and NV, so I'm unable to make the offer myself. Come to the Atlanta area, and I'll be happy to set you up!

However, if you're serious about presenting a more complete picture of American "gun culture," you'll need to spend some time exploring the many different facets of it. Just going to the range and getting to blast away (after learning the relatively straightforward rules of gun safety) would be a good introduction to casual shooting, but it wouldn't show you much in the way of why people who are most interested in guns stay interested. For that, you'd need to go see some sort of competitive shooting; and/or talk with someone who is a collector of firearms (not just an accumulator - someone who has picked one or more focus areas, including stuff that is no longer made or readily available); and/or talk with someone who is into the hobby of reloading (manufacturing their own ammunition); etc.

Lots of stories show up in the press that are "news reporter who grew up without guns goes to range, has good time, but remains scared of their power." Maybe such a story would be novel in the German press. Maybe that's all that your publisher or editor is looking for. But it is ground that has been covered MANY times.
Click to expand...

I definetely hope to meet people who have a deeper interest/connection. This is where the story gets worth the travel, I guess. Atlanta... might be too far, but right now everything that pushes the story forward is possible, I guess. What were you thinking of?
 
Ignition Override said:
Grusst Gott freidemannkarig: By now (after the 'independent thinking' you have done), are you beginning to notice some obvious contrasts, between the reality of legal gun ownership in the US, and the strange impressions created by most of our 'MSM/mainstream media?

A large fraction of the people in the US, and I suspect a very large Majority of people in Europe (except die Schweiz, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Slovenia, Est., Fin.) will never even Realize how their views of legal gun ownership have been grossly distorted. The mass media know how to use such deception, and exclude so much of the truth about reality.

Here is just one element: the MSM here often use the expression "Gun Violence", um alles "in einen Topf zu werfen" s.z.s, und zussamenmischen. But not in the way you would easily assume. Why is that?

The 'MSM' only very seldom distinguish (unterscheiden) between:
1) the many hundreds of situations in the US (every year), when law-abiding citizens simply Display a gun (allow a threatening person to See It), or must Use it, which has prevented robbery, rape, child kidnappings, severe beatings or murder.....

2) ...and the random shootings done by isolated psychos, or gang members in bad areas of our cities.

And such misleading, deceptive reporting is only One of the factors which tries to distort (mis-shape) our understanding of "das Grosse Bild", what we in the US/Canada (or the UK) call the "Big Picture".
Click to expand...


Thanks for that perspective and the helpful translations ;-)

And yes, that contrast it what drives me here.
 
Speedo66 said:
Just curios about how your article will be slanted. If it’s perceived you’re looking to show that Americans are crazed gun nuts, I doubt you’ll receive very much assistance.

If you are seriously looking to experience the freedom we have here regarding possession of firearms, and the enjoyment of target shooting or hunting, then lots of help will probably be available.

Please be upfront about which direction you’re headed.
Click to expand...

For the "crazed gun nuts" clichee thing I wouldn´t travel thousands of miles, I guess. ;-)
 
Well, if you were coming to Atlanta, I'd invite you to come watch a USPSA match where you could see a group of people (probably more diverse than you or your readers expect) get together to play a sport/game involving guns. Of course, that same game exists in many European countries, but it would expose you to the kinds of shooters who are serious about their shooting, have invested time and money, etc.

There are USPSA clubs and matches in CA and NV, of course. It would be easier if you could get hooked up with someone locally who is involved in that to act as your guide during the match.
 
"Thanks a lot? Any reply? "

Yes I did get a reply. Where he lives the shooting range is an informal area of BLM land . Unfortunately it requires some high clearance vehicle to gain access to, and his is presently out of commission. Sorry
 
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