Intense Night....

Last night was the first class of 5 so I will have a good knowledge of guns... how they function, how to be safe handling them and how to properly shoot them and hit what I am aiming at!  This series of classes is being presented by NRA instructors at the West Caln Sportsman's Club.

I left a little after 6PM and put the address into my GPS.  I had estimated at least a good 20 minute drive using the route in the packet from the club.  My GPS took me a different way and I was there in 12 minutes.  To say I was early was an understatement.  I sat in my car for a few minutes and the entire time the only people entering the building were men with shaved heads.  Frightening.

I entered the building at 6:30 PM and  was directed to take any seat.  Over the next 10 minutes, the tables filled up with the other 15 students.  I was relieved to see that about 50% of the class was women.  Most of them had their own guns.  There were only three of us who did not already have a weapon.  We were given the use of a gun from the club.  I am starting with a .22 caliber revolver but I think after the next class where we will be shooting 50 rounds, I may move up to a .357 caliber but shoot .38 caliber ammunition.  Time will tell.

The class went until a little past 10:00 PM.  It was intense.  The main emphasis is safety, safety, safety.  They are also debunking myths about what happens in the real handling of guns versus what we are 'learning' on TV.  We have a handbook that must be read by next class and there will be an evaluation and test on that material.  In two weeks, we will be getting another handbook and there will be an evaluation and test on that too.

But I am sure that by the time we are finished, there will be 16 people who will have a healthy, new respect for our weapons.  We will know how to field strip, clean and assemble our weapon, load the weapon in the dark and fire at an intruder without a second thought as to whether the gun is ready to fire, because we will know by the feel that it is ready.  We will know the proper weapon that we should own for what we are planning to use the gun for and be ready to be a responsible gun owner for that weapon.

It was an intense time and I am looking forward to the next 4 classes.

My weapon for the first night of class.