chet wisner
Plinker
... this is the predicament.
See, I've never owned. For 50 years, I have never seen a need to have a gun. I've never had a "dislike" for guns, it's just that I wasn't brought up around them, and so the necessity never seemed critical.
Until just recently (well, last month) I never even fired a gun of any type, other than a BB or Pellet Gun, and I want to tell you about the experience I had when I did fire my first handgun, a .38 S&W.
I went to one of my local stores, well... Strictly Shooting, was the store. As far as I know, they're the only ones with an indoor firing range. I had been there before, simply browsing. But one day, I just took a notion that I wanted to shoot a gun, and I knew that I could probably do so there.
So, after looking around awhile, and explaining my situation to the clerk, about how I was a new shooter and all, he suggested that I rent one of his guns, and take it to the range. So, I picked the .38, and he got me all loaded up, took me to the range, and ... left me there!
Now there I was, alone, with an extremely deadly weapon in my hand that I had never held before, and didn't even know how to unload after firing 5 shots, which I think took me 15 minutes, because after that first shot, the decibels it produced was panic inducing. I know it took me a couple minutes BEFORE the first shot to convince myself that I had the gun pointed in the correct (safe - away-from-myself, and toward the large paper target) direction.
Plus the fact that it occurred to me only AFTER the first couple shots, that I could actually load 5 rounds at once, and fire them without having to reload one at a time. Which I did, as fast as I could, so I could get the hell out of there without killing myself.
Well, I don't know how many rounds I had; I suppose he sold me a full box (what 30 or so in a box - I don't know). Anyway, I didn't use them all. My azz was out that door as fast as it could get after having fired about 15 (the rest of them are locked up tighter than Dick's hatband in a filing cabinet down in my basement). My nerves were wrecked, and I simply couldn't go through anymore.
Driving home, with the remainder of the live rounds I had, was unnerving as well. I just knew one of the damn things were gonna take on a demonic personality, and fire itself into my head.
Oh, what a day!
I don't know know what it was that got me so panic-stricken. Maybe it was the loudness of the shot. I had the head gear and all, but it was still so damn loud. I've never been consciously aware of any gun phobias I might have had in the past, so I'm just kinda WTH??
Anyone have similar fears, phobias their first time?
PS) any thoughts about the salesman having left me there alone, considering I was a noob? He didn't even walk me through any basics.
See, I've never owned. For 50 years, I have never seen a need to have a gun. I've never had a "dislike" for guns, it's just that I wasn't brought up around them, and so the necessity never seemed critical.
Until just recently (well, last month) I never even fired a gun of any type, other than a BB or Pellet Gun, and I want to tell you about the experience I had when I did fire my first handgun, a .38 S&W.
I went to one of my local stores, well... Strictly Shooting, was the store. As far as I know, they're the only ones with an indoor firing range. I had been there before, simply browsing. But one day, I just took a notion that I wanted to shoot a gun, and I knew that I could probably do so there.
So, after looking around awhile, and explaining my situation to the clerk, about how I was a new shooter and all, he suggested that I rent one of his guns, and take it to the range. So, I picked the .38, and he got me all loaded up, took me to the range, and ... left me there!
Now there I was, alone, with an extremely deadly weapon in my hand that I had never held before, and didn't even know how to unload after firing 5 shots, which I think took me 15 minutes, because after that first shot, the decibels it produced was panic inducing. I know it took me a couple minutes BEFORE the first shot to convince myself that I had the gun pointed in the correct (safe - away-from-myself, and toward the large paper target) direction.
Plus the fact that it occurred to me only AFTER the first couple shots, that I could actually load 5 rounds at once, and fire them without having to reload one at a time. Which I did, as fast as I could, so I could get the hell out of there without killing myself.
Well, I don't know how many rounds I had; I suppose he sold me a full box (what 30 or so in a box - I don't know). Anyway, I didn't use them all. My azz was out that door as fast as it could get after having fired about 15 (the rest of them are locked up tighter than Dick's hatband in a filing cabinet down in my basement). My nerves were wrecked, and I simply couldn't go through anymore.
Driving home, with the remainder of the live rounds I had, was unnerving as well. I just knew one of the damn things were gonna take on a demonic personality, and fire itself into my head.
Oh, what a day!
I don't know know what it was that got me so panic-stricken. Maybe it was the loudness of the shot. I had the head gear and all, but it was still so damn loud. I've never been consciously aware of any gun phobias I might have had in the past, so I'm just kinda WTH??
Anyone have similar fears, phobias their first time?
PS) any thoughts about the salesman having left me there alone, considering I was a noob? He didn't even walk me through any basics.