Is this a great country or what?

[DaStray]

A couple of years ago my brother who was then living in the UK (England), came back home for a visit and brought some friends with him who`d never been to the US. There were 4 of them and they`d never been exposed to firearms so had never done any shooting except for one who`d had a BB gun when he was young.

Being a member of a very nice range, I thought it would be a memorable experience for them to get some range time while here. So I went and bought some packs of the foam hearing protectors and a couple of the safety glasses that weren`t very stylish but would provide eye protection.

Once here and rested from the flight and such, I spoke with my brother about it and he thought it was a great idea. A couple of days later and they all came here to the house and we all sat on the deck and I started bringing out the guns. You should`ve seen their expressions. Looked like kids at Xmas or something!

I gave them the standard safety drill and repeatedly pushed the point about the Golden Rules of Gun Safety and was very pleased that they paid attention when I allowed them to handle the guns and I saw no fingers on triggers or sweeping us with muzzles..etc. Went over all the points of the various guns like loading and changing mags, how to sight them, put them on safe...etc. Then we went to the range.

I`d brought an AK, Marlin Model 1894c, Ruger 10/22, S&W 686, Charter Arms Bulldog and a Ruger Mk. II as I`d wanted them to get a good range of operating systems and types. They fired every one of them and literally had a blast (pun intended).

Keep in mind that they`d been hearing for all their lives about the shootings here in the US and had never seen the "other side" of the equation and thus had not a clue what an experience it is or that people that own firearms aren`t trigger happy idiots who`re just waiting to shoot someone or other such liberal crap.

These guys loved every minute we were at the range! Every one of them told me they never thought that it would be so much fun and really wished that the gun laws weren`t so strict so they could have a couple for themselves. Their whole perception of the US and us shooters completely changed , which I was glad to hear.

Not surprisingly, the AK was their favorite to shoot, probably from seeing various movies and such. The Marlin 1894c and 686 were also hot favorites too. I`d thought about bringing a Rem. 870 but decided against it due to the recoil and them probably not being ready for it. Wanted a pleasant experience only.

They probably went through $150 worth of ammo but to me it was worth it. I didn`t hardly get a chance to shoot as I was loading mags and watching them to make sure they were being safe and I think I enjoyed it almost as much as they did.

One even told me when we got ready to leave that I was lucky to live here where I could actually buy guns and fire them whenever I wanted!

Is this a great country or what?

 

[Demi-human]

Yes it is! Good on you! A great ambassador you are.

 

[bersaguy]

That is one of my greatest joys, bringing new shooters out of their first shooting experience. Good job

 

[lionking]

Absolutely U.S.A is a great country, I try to be humble though about it when discussing various issues because different people do have different ideas what makes a country great.

I read so much "stuff" anti gun people post on another discussion forum and you could make 1000 threads trying to tell them the truth but they won't listen. I really wish the would go to a range before regurgitating the nonsense they hear from the media and anti gun biased sources at least that way if they still had a view they could say they handled a gun before demonizing it..

 

[22250Rem]

My paternal grand parents were both from Scotland and I still have relatives there. One of my cousins from there really likes guns but has only had limited experience with them because that sort of thing is so tightly restricted over there. You should have seen him the first time we stepped into a well stocked LGS. What was even better was the first time I took him to the range. That has become a regular thing and every time he visits we always make at least one trip to the range. Sometimes we take too much for granted in this country. My grandfather cherished liberty and freedom and I can only think he would be rolling in his grave if he could see some of the forces today who would have it otherwise. Decades ago I also knew Germans who had fled Germany in the latter 1930's; Hungarians who had fled Hungary in 1956 while the Russian tanks were rolling in; and Cubans who were able to get out of there before Castro made it darn near impossible.... These people had a deep and true appreciation of some of our freedoms and were very patriotic because they've seen the alternative first hand.

 

[Legionnaire]

Well done! I'm sure you gave them a memorable experience.

 

[labnoti]

They don't have to be from a land far, far away to have a similar experience. Most people in the US could just as easily have the same experience those british fellows had.

 

[ontarget]

Very true. Imagine the minds and hearts we could change if we all made it a point to introduce someone to our beloved shooting sports. I don't believe most anti gun people are really ANTI but rather are just ho-hum about it because of ignorance on the subject. I could care less about rocket science because I know nothing about it. I could care less if rocket science gets banned...... Get what I'm saying?

To the OP, great job opening a few more eyeballs to the joys of shooting.

Maybe you could set your new friends up on THR where they could get in touch with some of our members from across the pond for advice on navigating UK gun laws.

 

[cheygriz]

Y'all done gud, Bubba!

 

[bannockburn]

bersaguy

That is one of my greatest joys, bringing new shooters out of their first shooting experience. Good job

Mine as well! Over the years I have taken a number of family members and friends shooting for the first time and it's always been a very memorable experience for them and for me!

 

[Spats McGee]

Well done!

In the past, I've taken a few Germans (whose gun laws are also very strict by American standards) shooting, and their reactions have been similar. Frankly, the Germans I took were astounded by our right to own personal firearms (not to mention by the number that we owned).

 

[carsten1911]

Kudos, DaStray!!

Being one of those denied the right to own guns they way they ought to be owned, not as a grace but as a basic individual right, I really appreciate your investment in opening eyes, hearts and minds to a central topic of the word "freedom".

You did the gun owning community an excellent service!

Carsten

 

[Zaydok Allen]

It is a great country and that's a great story. You did good work there.

I love the U.K. but the gun laws there keep me from considering a move. Feel bad for them.

 

[hso]

Well done on your part.

 

[boom boom]

A while ago, I got to visit the UK and went to Cardiff Castle which has a small military museum within the curtain walls staffed by some British Army soldiers (Territorials I believe). I admired their firearms and talked with the two troops manning the little museum. They knew all about the Enfields, Bren guns, etc. but unfortunately had never had the opportunity to fire them or moreover own them. The deac's (think I got it right) were all that these troops could handle outside of official military duties (one had been in Afghanistan or Iraq, if I recall correctly).

I found it somewhat sad that these brave men could not easily own and shoot something that I have quite a few of (Enfields and P14's--no Bren guns). Told them if they ever made the U.S. and my hometown, I would let them fire whatever they wanted on a range day.

Appreciate our 2A freedom as it is precious compared with most parts of the world. Most of the world treats firearms as a privilege to be dribbled out to whoever is connected, wealthy, or simply has the time and expense to go through all of the government hoops. A privilege under law is always able to be changed via ordinary law or even denied altogether by the sovereign (whether people, kings, or tyrants).

By defining the 2A as an individual right, we make the default condition of allowing ownership and use as protected from government unless we do something to disqualify ourselves--e.g. commit a felony. Rights are technically beyond the ordinary law and thus ordinary legislation cannot abolish a right as it exists in nature even before society (it may regulate one though).

Unfortunately, in the less free states, we see Americans forgetting the roots of the 2A and wanting to go to the world model which is privilege. Even more unfortunately, some Americans are treating the rest of the Bill of Rights the same. The other day had a congress critter expressing how he would love to regulate speech despite the First Amendment which goes against the express oath that this critter swore to for his office. The guy only expressed regret that current courts would not let him get away with it.

 

[entropy]

A member of our club brought a gentleman from the UK shooting when my son and I were there, the member had brought a Rem. R15 and an under folder AK. My son brought his (now mine) DPMS Sportical, and I brought my AMD-65. He had a blast, and I got a great shot of him shooting my AMD-65:


Here he is shooting my son's AR:

Jolly good bit of fun. We had as much fun watching him shoot, as he did shooting.

 

[GEM]

The other day had a congress critter expressing how he would love to regulate speech despite the First Amendment which goes against the express oath that this critter swore to for his office. The guy only expressed regret that current courts would not let him get away with it.

Just for information, controlling free speech has a history as long as the BOR. Politicians and demagogues of all political and religious persuasions have tried or even passed laws that banned or tried to ban specific topics or publications. Before the Civil War, some Southern States passed very strict controls of antislavery press pieces or publications, for example.

We are lucky today that the Courts have evolved to a place where they seemingly understand free speech. Given the right demagogue, that can all go away in some moral panic.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

A few years ago, Odd Job posted that he was going to be in my area (from the UK) for a while, and wondered if anyone would take him shooting. I checked his profile and decided it was worth taking a chance, so I invited him. Turned out he is a great guy, and we had a ball at the range with my Garand and 1911s. My M1 Carbine had been sitting for a while, and it decided to turn into a repeater on that day. Odd Job does own guns, but nothing semi-auto and centerfire. He loved the *ping* and I believe he still has an empty M1 clip on his desk. Today, Odd Job and I are as close of friends as two people from different continents can be.

 

[boom boom]

A few years ago, Odd Job posted that he was going to be in my area (from the UK) for a while, and wondered if anyone would take him shooting. I checked his profile and decided it was worth taking a chance, so I invited him. Turned out he is a great guy, and we had a ball at the range with my Garand and 1911s. My M1 Carbine had been sitting for a while, and it decided to turn into a repeater on that day. Odd Job does own guns, but nothing semi-auto and centerfire. He loved the *ping* and I believe he still has an empty M1 clip on his desk. Today, Odd Job and I are as close of friends as two people from different continents can be.

Did he bring his assault hat from Goldfinger? Just kidding.

 

[cheygriz]

Just for information, controlling free speech has a history as long as the BOR. Politicians and demagogues of all political and religious persuasions have tried or even passed laws that banned or tried to ban specific topics or publications. Before the Civil War, some Southern States passed very strict controls of antislavery press pieces or publications, for example.

We are lucky today that the Courts have evolved to a place where they seemingly understand free speech. Given the right demagogue, that can all go away in some moral panic.

AMEN.

Some folks don't realize that if you can punish political speech, even so-called "hate speech," you can punish all speech.

 

[Rembrandt]

Several years ago had a number of clients in from Argentina and Brazil, took them to a Cabela's and they just about flipped at what we had access to. Two of the guys had previous military experience, so I took them to a local gun dealer who is also a class III collector. He started bringing out the rare items most never see, those guys were so excited to see what 2nd Amendment freedoms we enjoy. Enjoyed getting their pictures taken with a water cooled Browning, BAR, and other exotics. Planned to show their friends what a great trip they had in America. Every night here, they wanted to go shooting after supper. Shot trap, skeet, and every thing you could imagine.

While on a project in Puerto Rico, I was staying at a hotel in Ponce and heard lots of rapid pistol fire. Went to check it out and discovered some off duty police practicing nearby for an IPSC match. At their gun range hung a large "NRA Club" metal sign. Guess Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, so it makes sense the NRA has a presence in that country.

At a convention in Orlando, a bunch of us went to an indoor gun range to rent & shoot some full auto. To our surprise the place was nearly full of Asian tourists eager to blaze away with American weaponry. The big draw was to rent a Desert Eagle and get photographed by all their friends while blazing down range.

 

[DaStray]

As a follow up to the earlier story, after the Brits left here they went on to Vegas while my brother stayed here and visited other family and friends. They (Brits) then flew back to the UK and upon my brothers return back home to the UK he got together with them and they told him that they enjoyed the range trip as much as their trip to Vegas! Imagine that, a bunch of 30yo or so single guys from another country go to Vegas and equate the Vegas trip to a 3 hour trip to the range! Man, we got it good I tell ya!

What brought this recollection back to me was that I`d gone to a gun show this past weekend and picked up a PC 9 carbine and as I was browsing all the tables, I thought about those Brits and how they`d have reacted to actually being able to walk into such a place, pay for what you want and go home. It seems that some firearms are legal in the UK but very highly restricted, very expensive and very hard to get. I also believe that you can`t take them home with you and they have to be left at the "shooting club". I picked that much up from them but they weren`t sure of any specifics because of all the hassles associated with firearms in the UK. I haven`t researched the laws in the UK as they pertain to firearms so I`m no authority on the subject.

If there`s any takeaway from this story it`s that I thank God that I`m a US citizen and that we do have the right to keep and bear arms. I may have taken this for granted when I was younger, or figured that this right would always be there for us but these guys made me realize that these freedoms can be taken from us if we aren`t vigilant enough. So let`s stay vigilant and enjoy what we have.

 

[SSN Vet]

I had a similar experience with a friend who imigrated from Northern Ireland ages ago and was now a banker in my town. When his nephew was visiting from England, he asked if I would mind taking them to the range and it was a very positive experience.

Sadly, a couple years later, this guy disowned me when I challenged some of his pro-Bernie Sander's posts on Face Book. I guess he couldn't take participation in a two sided argument.

You can take the boy out of the socialist country, but I guess taking the socialist out of the boy is a bit more difficult.... I hope he hasn't choked on the Kool-Aide yet.

 

[TheSquire]

Maybe you could set your new friends up on THR where they could get in touch with some of our members from across the pond for advice on navigating UK gun laws.

I’m no lawyer but happy to help if I can! UK gun laws are designed to be restrictive but we can have fun with some great guns! Lots of odd stuff we can have, more that we can’t but we get by!

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I have hosted people from England, Canada, and Germany at the range. All of them stayed much longer than I expected and could not quit talking about their experiences after we left. I had a couple of riding buddies from Ontario who were involved in the Canadian legal system, one as a Judge and one as an officer of the court who insisted that I write on every paper target they shot at the distance, weapon used and the date. I was later sent a picture of one of the targets with a bulls eye with a .357 mag from a Marlin 1894C framed behind the Judges desk in his office. I often wondered what impact that might have had upon the lawyers and others who may have visited........