Gold & Silver Forum - Took a SoCal friend shooting for their first time this past weekend.

Karl is a friend of mine. I first met him after he moved into the area from southern California (Orange County). He's the national sales rep for a company that produces composting devices. Our relationship was business at first, but has moved into a friendship.

Last week he said to me, "You know Dave, in LA I never got the opportunity to learn to shoot. In fact, I've never fired a gun in my life. I probably should learn, don't you think?"

"Considering what's coming up in the near future, I would recommend it. Karl, would you like me to teach you to shoot?"

"That would be great. Yes please."

As a former hunter safety instructor here in NC back in the 1990s, I've had the opportunity to teach all ages of people firearm safety and marksmanship. I recently taught a class to my wife's homeschool co-op that included 6 and 7 year olds (who I started on the "single shot shotgun" aka bb gun). So I knew that Karl would be an easier student than I was used too.

Saturday afternoon we drove out into the county, set up a few targets, and gave him the standard safety briefing; muzzle downrange, safety on, and finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, etc. soforth and so-on.

I have some visual aids I made to display a proper sight picture with blade and peep sights, and showed him how to make a lollipop with the sight post and the target. Personally, I am a center mass shooter, but this seems to be the easiest way for people to learn.

I put him on the 10-22 first and let him shoot off 75 rounds or so from approx 25 yards in the different shooting positions. He did an excellent job and only shot one of my clothespins. Next I gave him a 15 rd magazine of M1 .30 carbine.

I'm going to interrupt here to say that the M1 Carbine is my absolute favorite rifle to shoot. My CMP Rack Grade is not especially accurate. It shoots high and right, but I just love the way it feels when you shoot it. And the mechanical ka-chunk of the short stroke gas piston is a lot of fun and gives the rifle a very distinct sound.

Next up was the .410 shotgun which I told him was the only shotgun measured in caliber rather than gauge. He asked why. I told him I had no idea why. (Anyone know why?)

Lastly I dropped a clip of .30-06 in the M1 Garand for him. "You mean to tell me that this is the same diameter round as the M1 Carbine?"

"Yep, just packs a bigger punch." After two rounds, he handed the battle-ax back to me and said, "Okay, I'm done with this." I told him to open his mouth while I squeezed off the remaining 6 rounds, so he could feel the concussion in his chest.

"Imagine hundreds of these sounding off on a battlefield in Europe or the Pacific." He agreed that it probably would be a dreadful experience.

By this time it was starting to get dark and we needed to pack up. "Dave, thanks for bringing me out here today. I've realized that guns are just another tool. I am more nervous about using my circular saw at home than I am shooting one of these rifles."

"Karl, you've just learned a valuable lesson. It's not the gun that is dangerous."

Chalk one up for the good guys!