Ex-MA Hole
Member
Before I start, let me say that I was wrong. VERY wrong. Feel free to flame away. I deserve it.
I was taking a newbie to the range. I've been shooting for 20+ years. He shot a BB gun when he was 10. That's it. I'm feeling good, but preoccupied (should not have gone, but friend drove 2 hours to go, so you know how it is). On the way to the range, I teach the 4 rules, which I have ALWAYS followed. He had them memorized by the time we were there.
Then the SHTF:
Mistake #1: Brought PPK/S that was giving me trouble to play a bit to see if I can figure out what is wrong. Forgot the ammo for it. No big deal. It gets better.
Mistake #2: Show my friend how to load the P22. I give specific instructions "If you have a question, with the gun down aimed range, put the safety on and put it on the table" I proceed to show him exactly how to do it, but I had already had the safety on, so now I put it off. The Newbie corrected me! (Rightly so)
To this point I had not shot, as I figured that I was not in the game. Here's the Whopper-
Mistake #3 (Bad one): My friend is asking about the PPK, I show him how the clip goes in. Let me first state that a. I cleared the gun when I put it in my range bag, so I knew it was empty. B: I cleared the gun when I took it out of the bag at the range, so I knew it was empty. C: Upon showing him how the clip fits in, I had cleared the gun FOR THE THIRD TIME.
I had no ammo for the gun. It was empty. However, when showing him the side view of the gun, I panned it RIGHT PAST HIS HEAD. It was innocent enough. I was holding it in my right hand, he was in front of me and wanted a side view, so I swung it around so he could see the gun without my hand in the way. ***? What was I thinking? I wasn't. I apologized to my friend. He told me that he did not see the big deal. He assumed that I knew what I was doing. I told him that this was not the point. He didn't care at all. He said that he saw me check the gun all 3 times, and didn't see why I was so upset. This brings me to:
Mistake #4: I OBVIOUSLY didn't make the 4 rules clear enough.
After about 15 minutes, I shot a few rounds, as he was getting nervous. I could not hit the broad side of the barn. I was SO pissed at myself.
We then went to the rifle range where there were a few Newbies there that kept getting jams, and then panning the crowd with the gun on the way to the bench. At one point, one of the guys had a loaded and cocked rifle under each arm pit and was walking around! Made us both nervous, so we left.
He understood that what they did was TOTALLY wrong. They were an accident waiting to happen. I however, was beaten off of my high horse (by myself), as I did not behave much better.
All night I tossed and turned, have REALLY bad dreams. Wow.
Flame away.
I was taking a newbie to the range. I've been shooting for 20+ years. He shot a BB gun when he was 10. That's it. I'm feeling good, but preoccupied (should not have gone, but friend drove 2 hours to go, so you know how it is). On the way to the range, I teach the 4 rules, which I have ALWAYS followed. He had them memorized by the time we were there.
Then the SHTF:
Mistake #1: Brought PPK/S that was giving me trouble to play a bit to see if I can figure out what is wrong. Forgot the ammo for it. No big deal. It gets better.
Mistake #2: Show my friend how to load the P22. I give specific instructions "If you have a question, with the gun down aimed range, put the safety on and put it on the table" I proceed to show him exactly how to do it, but I had already had the safety on, so now I put it off. The Newbie corrected me! (Rightly so)
To this point I had not shot, as I figured that I was not in the game. Here's the Whopper-
Mistake #3 (Bad one): My friend is asking about the PPK, I show him how the clip goes in. Let me first state that a. I cleared the gun when I put it in my range bag, so I knew it was empty. B: I cleared the gun when I took it out of the bag at the range, so I knew it was empty. C: Upon showing him how the clip fits in, I had cleared the gun FOR THE THIRD TIME.
I had no ammo for the gun. It was empty. However, when showing him the side view of the gun, I panned it RIGHT PAST HIS HEAD. It was innocent enough. I was holding it in my right hand, he was in front of me and wanted a side view, so I swung it around so he could see the gun without my hand in the way. ***? What was I thinking? I wasn't. I apologized to my friend. He told me that he did not see the big deal. He assumed that I knew what I was doing. I told him that this was not the point. He didn't care at all. He said that he saw me check the gun all 3 times, and didn't see why I was so upset. This brings me to:
Mistake #4: I OBVIOUSLY didn't make the 4 rules clear enough.
After about 15 minutes, I shot a few rounds, as he was getting nervous. I could not hit the broad side of the barn. I was SO pissed at myself.
We then went to the rifle range where there were a few Newbies there that kept getting jams, and then panning the crowd with the gun on the way to the bench. At one point, one of the guys had a loaded and cocked rifle under each arm pit and was walking around! Made us both nervous, so we left.
He understood that what they did was TOTALLY wrong. They were an accident waiting to happen. I however, was beaten off of my high horse (by myself), as I did not behave much better.
All night I tossed and turned, have REALLY bad dreams. Wow.
Flame away.
