Took my friend shooting for first time.

[351 WINCHESTER]

I took my friend who is 52 for his first time shooting. I let him shoot his .38 and my glock 19. He did pretty well, but had a problem with the glock letting slide go easy into battery and it did not. I took the gun from him and showed him how to keep it in a safe direction and drop the magazine.

Today was all about safety and the basics. Then we moved to the rifle range with a dismal showing of my mini 14 ranch rifle. It was still jamming and not grouping well which is normal for the pencil barrels.

We both had a good time and he is more confident in his revolver. He is planning on getting a .40 glock. I showed him how to load a round or 2 in his revolver by touch in case he needs to reload in the dark w/o a speedloader. That is something that he will have to work on.

The main thing is that we had a safe day.

I will keep teaching him safety just like I taught most of the kids in the neighborhood years ago.

 

[1KPerDay]

Your mini jams? With factory mags?

Sounds like a good day. Nice job.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Yes it jams about every 15th round or so. It acts like it does not go completly into battery. When I pull the trigger it releases the sear, but the fp does not hit the primer at all. I sent the gun back to ruger decades ago for accuracy "issues". They fixed that, but ever since the gun had a tendency to jam or more correctly not go bang every time I pull the trigger. Factory mags, different ammo does not make any difference.
I'm open to sugguestions.

 

[tekarra]

Congrats on introducing an new person to shooting. We all need to do more of it.

 

[dubya450]

Its always nice to hear about getting a new person into the gun world. We need more responsible gun owners, the more the better. I've even gotten some friends and family who were scared and uneducated about firearms into shooting and realizing that guns aren't evil. It's amazing how many people in this country are terrified of guns or think that only bad guys use them just because they're unfamiliar with them. Props to you for educating a new shooter!

 

[whetrock]

Introducing non gun people to firearms and shooting is vital to helping promote our shooting and gun culture/heritage. I've felt that a lot of anti gun and people who have never shot don't really grasp the hobby aspect of shooting and are generally suprised as to how fun it is. All in all I'm glad that you took the time to take a new person shooting.

 

[CountryUgly]

Have you totally broke it down for a real good cleaning? Check the firing pin and spring if it's FTF's? Made sure there are no little pieces of metal where they shouldn't be? Feed ramp nice and smooth? AMMO? Beyond that you're probably gonna need a 'smith. Oh and good going adding a shooter to the ranks.

 

[gamestalker]

Back in the 1980's my Dad came to visit my Sister and I in the remote mountains where we live and shoot on our own land. Dad had never handled a firearm before, age 70 - ish at the time. He stepped outside to see what my Brother in law and I were shooting at, (clays) and wanted to shoot some clays with us. I was shocked to see he was breaking clays fairly consistenly right from the get go. He had so much fun he couldn't hardly put that 870 down. That was honestly the first time he and I had ever bonded and will be a cherished and lasting memory for me.

It's really great to hear of others introducing others to firearms for the first time.
GS

 

[Gtimothy]

Congrats on bringing another shooter into the fold by TEACHING and not doing what so many videos on youtube show... Handing a high recoil firearm to someone without experience or training for laughs. Anyway, I digress.

I noticed that you said it was his first time shooting but it was his .38. Did you help him with the purchase? I've had to do that a few times when friends would come to me for advice. I've found that people who are afraid of guns overcome it if you take the time to properly teach them how a gun works along with safe handling procedures. Most of the fear comes from just not knowing anything about them.