Range Day WIN!

Today was two classes, BP2 and DPS1. This mornings class made my month. There was one older couple that came out that had fallen for one of the great blunders. The most famouns being, "Never get involved in a land war in Asia." Bot only slightly less well know is this, "Never take the gun store guys advise as the final word when buying a gun."

Problem is the wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis and has a distinct lack of strength in her fingers and hands. So, what did the gun store guy suggest they get her? A lightweight alloy snub nosed revolver with a 12 pound double action trigger pull! It didn't help that in prior training a year or so ago, the instructor took a semi-auto away from her and loaded it then handed it back and said here shoot his now. Her husband had been sold a Glock 19 and she was unable to work the slide on it. She was convinced she could not operate any semi auto. So, I took her aside and we went to shoot some steel on the small range with a 5" XD 9mm. After explaining slide mass and spring length and spring rate and how the larger gun was easier to operate all the way around and easier to shoot and working with her to develop a technique to actually work the slide, she was off shooting the XD. After a single mag, she was basically shooting the bolt holding the center of the steel plate and she was making shots in the time allowed for 3 yard shots on the Texas CHL test on the center of the steel plate at 12 yards! Even better was when she stopped, she was more than able to not just operate the slide to load the gun, she was able to lock the slide open. What made my day/week/month was when she locked the slide back and looked at me and said, "I feel so empowered!" That is why I teach right there. She had been told and taught that she couldn't properly operate a semi auto and she believed it. After class, she was more than able to hold her own with a semi auto and on her way to actually enjoying shooting a pistol. That just makes it all worth while despite the heat and tiringly long day.

UPDATE TO ADD: I forgot I had posted similar rant to this LONG ago.

UPDATED UPDATE: Welcome to readers of The Worlds Most Dangerous Librarian, Says Uncle and Snarky Bytes.

Please check back and read the FOLLOWUP POST that is coming shortly.

And now Michael Bane wades into the discussion.