As well all know, the past month has seen a dramatic increase in gun sales throughout the U.S. While some of this record-setting buying spree has been fueled by existing gun owners, quite a few new shooters are joining the mad rush to stock up now before any new anti-gun legislation can be passed.
Sadly, many of these same first-time gun owners don’t have a clue about what they’re doing. They walk into a gun shop or, even worse, a gun show and walk out with a pistol, some ammo, and holster … with no idea how to use any of it.
A couple weeks ago, there was a well-meaning guy at my local range who had literally stopped there on his way home from the gun show. He’s never owned a gun. He’s never had any training whatsoever. He walked in carrying a cocked-and-locked 1911 in a shoulder holster.
He didn’t know how to load the gun.
The holster was not adjusted to fit him properly. If he’d been wearing it under something, it would have been obvious. But instead, he was wearing it openly.
Best of all, the guy at the gun show had sold him Officer-length magazines to put in his full size 1911 … the mags wouldn’t lock in the gun and obviously could not feed a round into the chamber. Nonetheless, the erstwhile hero of our story spent 10 minutes on the range, by himself, trying to figure out how to make the gun go bang.
We’ve said it before but it bears reminding: If you do not have any professional training in the proper safe effective use of a handgun, stop what you are doing and get training immediately. It doesn’t matter how many episodes of T.J. Hooker you watched growing up, you do not know how to shoot.
The best place to start is usually your local gun shop. Often, they’ll have flyers and advertisements for instructors in the area suited for basic beginner familiarization training. Another great resource is the NRA Trainer Locator. It can help you find someone in your state teaching the exact class you want.
It’s not enough to become a new gun owner. You need to become a new safe and competent gun owner. Don’t let ego get you hurt. Take a class. For all our sake.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
I live in Connecticut, and the process to get a Carry Permit is fairly lengthy and includes a classroom/range training class. Your story is the unfortunate other side of that coin. At least on the line at the range, I can have the reasonable expectation that those around me have had some safety training, even though some of them show little evidence that they paid much attention in class. Some middle ground is needed, unfortunately knee-jerk reactions on both sides just make getting to a reasonable common ground impossible. Bad times a comin’.
i’m no expert but i play one on the internet so i’ll spew forth my virtual wisdom… there is a false sense of “as long as i have one” security which could end up being more dangerous in the long run for some people. if you don’t know how to use it or aren’t sure you even would use it then you’d be far safer not carrying it. especially if you’re planning on being mugged since you’d only be arming the bad guy at that point.
Nice piece Todd
On one of the internet forums I enjoy, a fellow has this as his signature block:
“We have enough gun owners, we need more shooters”
No doubt about it.
Several years ago there was an armed bank robbery in town: One of our esteemed state legislators was all over the news proclaiming to the effect “If only I’d been there! I’ve got my Concealed Carry Permit, ya’ know!”
Funny, I’ve never seen any legislator at the range I frequent. I hope the guy in Todd’s story figures things out before he hurts himself or a loved one.
Happy Holidays Pistol-Training.com!
Todd,
Did you educate the lost one? Obviously, this could be interpreted as pulling the guy’s mancard as few guys are into unsolicited advice when it comes to driving, women, guns, etc. Just curious. Personally, I would have been tempted to help him out.
I think some of the new gun owners watch too much tv and try to mimic what they see. I’ve seen things at the range that made me laugh and then run.
my opinion is that the government should focus on more training programs, instead of forcing reactionary gun control laws on us. Much of the challenges we face with guns is the lack of training and emphasis on safety.
We had a gun stolen last night from a residence. Had it for 15 years, .44 Magnum, never fired a shot. KNEW he could get to it and use it effectively to defend his “castle” despite all evidence to the contrary. Now I have worry about facing a cylinder full of .44 Mag softpoints until we find the gun. Thanks, Mr. Uneducated Gun Owner Man!
I have to add my two cents. Last week I was at a gun show in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis. There were a lot of local folks who stood out from the usual gun show types – they had expensive coats and haircuts, and no baseball caps or flannel shirts. I was fondling a S&W model 27, and gave the dealer an offer. His immediate reply was “You got a permit?” (In Minnesota, we need either a carry permit or ‘permit to purchase’ to buy handguns or rifles with deadly bayonet lugs.) With all of the newbies around, the dealers were getting tired of dead end dealing and conducting ‘GunEd 101’ glasses. When I left with my new 27, a guy, who I noticed was hovering over the transaction, told me that I just beat him to it. He looked at it earlier, and was going to get it because ‘it felt like a club’. I told him that the Model 27 was the biggest .357 S&W made, and he said “Geez, I figured it was a 45”. Gun Show Sucker. When the suckers start to sell off their scrap iron in a couple of year, maybe we’ll get some good deals.
Having been the Rangemaster at a public range in Phoenix, and working as an instructor and assistant instructor at both open range and classes, this is to true. We see it every Sunday, the gunshow purchases gravitate to the range the next day. Usually without holster, sometimes with the wrong ammo, etc. Coach Pat used to tell people who needed his help “I don’t allow anyone to shoot that badly on my range!” And than procede to “edicate” ’em!
When I see this type of person, I always ask “Would you like some help?” or if it’s a guy “teaching” his girlfriend/wife, “May I show you a different way of doing that?” I’ve gotten very little negatives, and usually managed to help the newby’s, which makes for a safer range enviroment for all of us. And tends to increase that pool of “shooters”!
Basic, safe gunhandling skills are something we should “teach” to all around us. Makes the sport more enjoyable for all. MTC, YMMV
Blasternaz
Wish I had gotten good training back when I started shooting. Would have saved me a lot of ammo money and time doing the trial and error thing.
Alas! I fear you are preaching to the choir.