My Foray into the World of Firearms

My only experience with firearms prior to this weekend occurred when I was twelve or thirteen years old. I remember my dad taking me to a firing range and shooting a .22 handgun, a .22 rifle, and a 9mm handgun. (I remember the 9mm being so heavy that I couldn't even hold it up!)

Neither my dad nor myself shoot regularly, or for that matter own any firearms (he rented at the firing range) and I haven't shot a single round in the past fourteen years. I assume we visited the range those few times when I was younger only because it was something he wanted me to try, and for that I'm grateful. The experience most likely helped with my respect and total comfort with being around guns, despite having no real knowledge or experience with them.

Growing up vegetarian, hunting was not exactly a family tradition and, at least I suspect, my mom hated (and still hates) guns enough to have never allowed one around the house anyway. The most we were allowed to have (much to the disapproval of my mom) were tiny hand pump powered BB guns -- so harmless that my younger brother was able to shoot me in the butt and thigh with nothing more than an angered response from his victim.

A few hundred years ago, nearly every person living in the United States was expected to know how to use and operate a firearm. I'm someone who believes that possessing a vast array of skills and experience helps us grow as individuals, and I decided that experience with firearms was one of those must-have skills. A gun is a tool, nothing more. It can be used as a weapon, yes, just like your kitchen knife or screwdriver can be used as a weapon, but guns don't kill people. People kill people.

I spent most of this weekend taking a National Rifle Association (NRA) course on basic handgun usage and safety, taught by Thomas Brown at the Manchester Firing Line range. The course was split into two days, the first of which was eight hours of classroom time where we watched a few videos and got comfortable dry-firing a mix of various handguns, including revolvers and semi-automatics. The second day (that was today) consisted of four hours of range time, where we fired 200-300 rounds from a variety of different handguns. We also got to shoot a 9mm rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun (that's got quite a recoil!).

Everyone had a primary weapon that they used for shooting during most of the range time. I chose a handgun used by those in the military and many U.S. government agencies, the SIG Sauer P229, a .40 caliber semi-automatic (its got a lot more kick than a 9mm):

Towards the end of the class, the instructor and his assistant set up a fun competition: a timed drill. One at a time, a student would approach the bay and stand in front of his chosen handgun with the magazine loaded, but separated from the gun. The instructor would tap on the shoulder of the student to indicate the start of the timer and, as fast as possible, the student loads, racks, and decocks the gun. He then fires at two targets, steps around a corner (maintaining proper gun safety) and then tries to hit a third target with a single shot.

The first two targets were rigged so you had to shoot at a specific (hidden) area in the center to pop a balloon hidden behind the target which was holding up a piece of cardboard. When you hit the center of the target the balloon pops and the piece of cardboard being held up by the balloon drops to display a red X. You can then move to the second target. After the second target has been hit in the same manner as the first, you need to step around a corner and shoot a third plain target with a single shot.

The winner of this timed competition (the lowest time) won a free t-shirt. Most of the eighteen students completed the run in 25+ seconds. The second and third fastest times were 12 and 18 seconds. I completed my run in 9.25 seconds and won the t-shirt. (After this, several people came up and asked me if I was in the military. If I was in the military, why would I be in an introductory firearms class?)

New Hampshire is one of the few states in the United States where no license is needed to legally purchase and transport a handgun (however, a CCW license is needed to carry concealed, which, inside a vehicle means anywhere within reach). In Massachusetts, to purchase, posses, or transport a handgun or ammunition you must have a proper LTC license and, unlike most of the other states, it does not recognize any out-of-state firearm licenses. The firearm laws in Massachusetts are very strict, compared to neighboring New Hampshire (or Vermont, which has virtually no gun laws!).

I had lots of fun learning and firing various firearms. I plan to attend more advanced classes at MFL in the coming months and to practice somewhat regularly at the firing range. If you're in the area, I highly recommend you give it a shot (pun intended). And if you're curious but hesitant and uncomfortable, I'd be happy to show you around the range where we can fire a few rounds (you don't need to be an NH resident, and no permit/license is necessary to shoot on the range).