So my buddy and I spend two wonderful days sitting the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever had the displeasure to place my rear.... they having been metal folding chairs might have somthing to do with that. So my friend and I decide to take our Hunters Safety class here in Colorado Springs so that we might obtain a neat little orange card that says the gov't thinks we are cable of hunting... fhew glad to know they care. But I figure for $10 it aint such a bad deal...
Our lead instructor, a rather pleasant and funny gentleman, looks as though he were about two chili- cheese dogs away from dropping like a cape buffalo hit with a 4 bore. But a funny man non the less, had a stroy for everything. Our other instructor was well a curmudgeon to say the least. Now haveing taught in a setting like this before I can understand not wanting to speand your Friday night with a bunch of people who want to get your ok to go shoot Bambi's dad... I mean come one there is ripple to be drunk and relatives to piss off. He was our weapons expert. Oh by the by, did I mention that my partner is a compition shooter... 3 gun, .22's... all sorts of things. I on the other hand have just been shooting for the last 20 odd years. So our weapons "expert" gets up there and begins to go over SAFETY in great detail. Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded, keep your bugger hook off the bang switch until ready to fire... standard stuff and no doubt very good information for those whom have not been around that many firearms.
He goes into his disertation on the many different kinds of actions, hoists up a rather old looking bolt gun and sweeps the crowd. Both buddy and I duck. Now all weapons have be cleared and have been shown clear to the class, but I still have issues with sweeping a firearms across the class. Now I know what you are saying, that I am a safety officer and it is my job to ensure safey... I agree I dropped the ball. But I am not nor have I ever claimed to be an expert at anything other than being a pain in the butt... so this continues through the bolts, levers, semi- autos, pistols of all kinds, right up to the shotguns. We come the the shoties, my favorite, and he produces this fine looking Somethingarather 5000 with an adjustable choke on the end. One of the young boys in the class, bless his heart, ask if it is a silencer... to which our expert replies and I quote "NO silencers are illegal and we do not talk about illegal things in this class and besides that they don't". Um. My partner is biting through his tongue at this point. And yes again we should have said something. Dropped the ball again. But what kinds of things are being taught in these classes by the instructors? That just because they are ignorant of something then it is therefore bad and illegal?
Folks we are paying for these classes and for the DOW for that matter; though I am not sure how much tax money in CO goes to them. We as the gun culture, the holders of knowledge and truth need to watch for these thypes of things and help educate the general public as well as our gov't. I learned a few good things over the weekend, how to field dress and skin a deer, and that the corrections of erros begins with me. It is my duty to make sure that I as a gun owner do not say or do anything to endanger my rights and to help others understand theirs and the law. Oh and now I can go get that carry permit I need.
Our lead instructor, a rather pleasant and funny gentleman, looks as though he were about two chili- cheese dogs away from dropping like a cape buffalo hit with a 4 bore. But a funny man non the less, had a stroy for everything. Our other instructor was well a curmudgeon to say the least. Now haveing taught in a setting like this before I can understand not wanting to speand your Friday night with a bunch of people who want to get your ok to go shoot Bambi's dad... I mean come one there is ripple to be drunk and relatives to piss off. He was our weapons expert. Oh by the by, did I mention that my partner is a compition shooter... 3 gun, .22's... all sorts of things. I on the other hand have just been shooting for the last 20 odd years. So our weapons "expert" gets up there and begins to go over SAFETY in great detail. Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded, keep your bugger hook off the bang switch until ready to fire... standard stuff and no doubt very good information for those whom have not been around that many firearms.
He goes into his disertation on the many different kinds of actions, hoists up a rather old looking bolt gun and sweeps the crowd. Both buddy and I duck. Now all weapons have be cleared and have been shown clear to the class, but I still have issues with sweeping a firearms across the class. Now I know what you are saying, that I am a safety officer and it is my job to ensure safey... I agree I dropped the ball. But I am not nor have I ever claimed to be an expert at anything other than being a pain in the butt... so this continues through the bolts, levers, semi- autos, pistols of all kinds, right up to the shotguns. We come the the shoties, my favorite, and he produces this fine looking Somethingarather 5000 with an adjustable choke on the end. One of the young boys in the class, bless his heart, ask if it is a silencer... to which our expert replies and I quote "NO silencers are illegal and we do not talk about illegal things in this class and besides that they don't". Um. My partner is biting through his tongue at this point. And yes again we should have said something. Dropped the ball again. But what kinds of things are being taught in these classes by the instructors? That just because they are ignorant of something then it is therefore bad and illegal?
Folks we are paying for these classes and for the DOW for that matter; though I am not sure how much tax money in CO goes to them. We as the gun culture, the holders of knowledge and truth need to watch for these thypes of things and help educate the general public as well as our gov't. I learned a few good things over the weekend, how to field dress and skin a deer, and that the corrections of erros begins with me. It is my duty to make sure that I as a gun owner do not say or do anything to endanger my rights and to help others understand theirs and the law. Oh and now I can go get that carry permit I need.
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