Rie Learns About Guns

This past weekend, I learned how to shoot a gun. I shot four, actually. I shot a .22 caliber rifle, a .22 caliber handgun, and two 9mm handguns; one full size, and one compact.

Matt offered to take me to the shooting range about a year ago. I had never shot a gun before, and I know next to nothing about them, apart from anything he has taught me. We finally got around to it three days, and I’m glad we did. I had a great time, an even better time than I thought I would. I met him at his place at about 10:30 in the morning, drove to his parents’ house to grab the guns, ate a quick lunch at Subway, and finally headed to the shooting range in Mansfield, GA. We started to worry about inclement weather when it started showering, but it passed quickly and we were able to spend a good amount of time at the range. There were very few people at the range that day, and we ended up getting the short-range area all to ourselves.

We started off with the .22s. They were easy and fun to shoot. They didn’t have much recoil, and I was fairly accurate with them. I managed to hit the center of the target with the handgun on one of my first few magazines. The gun was nice and tiny, and rifle was sleek but heavy. I couldn’t shoot it standing up because its weight, and because it was a left-handed rifle (Matt’s left-handed), so I had to use my right hand to shoot and my left to support the weight, and it was impossible for me to let go with my left hand to load another bullet into the chamber. So, Matt set me up on the stool and used a bag to support the front end of the gun.

I think I managed to hit some area of my target 60% of the time, which, according to Matt, is mildly impressive. He said most people don’t hit the paper at all their first time. I don’t know if he was merely flattering me or not, but I am proud that I hit the target several times. It made me feel more confident about my severely lacking hand-eye coordination skills. At least, I think they’re severely lacking. ...Maybe they’re not?

After working with the .22 rifle and handgun for a bit, Matt brought out the 9mm gun he wanted to practice his grip on. He fired a few rounds, and offered it to me. My first shot scared the hell out of me. The recoil was much more intense than what I had been expecting, and the casing hit my head. For a second I thought the gun had hit me because of the recoil, but no, it was the casing that had propelled itself towards my forehead.

It took me a few moments to recover from the 9mm’s recoil, and I shook a lot (not alot) and almost cried. Matt said crying was a normal reaction for people who just shot their first 9mm. I decided to act tough and held back my tears and just shook a lot. Then I shot the gun two more times and shook a lot more and held back more tears. Then I asked him about the gun he carries on his person, which was a compact 9mm caliber handgun that was hanging out in his car.

I have no idea why, but I shot that one three times, and shook a lot more and held back even more tears. Its recoil was different from the other 9mm; the only fitting word I can think of is “bouncier.” So, the first one’s recoil was only extremely jarring, and the second was extremely jarring and bouncier. I didn’t like shooting the 9mm guns. They bit back. I decided to go back to the rifle. The rifle was nice, and its spent casing never hurled itself at my head. Clearly, .22 caliber guns and I are on much friendlier terms.

I’m going to point out that I evidently hit the target at least three times with 9mm bullets. Matt might have hit it by accident, but he had his own target next to mine and has much better aim, even when he decides to show off by shooting one handed, so I think it’s safe to take credit for the three 9mm bullet holes on my target. Again, I am proud of myself for having some semblance of hand-eye coordination, especially with guns that had such violent recoils.

I worked with the rifle some more, and the heat grew even more unbearable, so we packed and cleaned up and headed home.

All in all, I had a really good time, and I have demanded that Matt take me with him the next time he goes to the range. I want to see if I can desensitize myself from the recoil of a 9mm gun, and shoot more accurately in general. I liked learning something new, especially something I never thought I would learn.