My Target

***I am not fussy!!!!****
****2nd UPDATE Detailing weapons, etc. Scroll to bottom***
***UPDATE - My Marine commented and I pulled them up and posted them at the bottom*****
Ok, turns out I was completely wrong about shooting a pistol. I am not bad. I was positive I would be atrocious.

I will let My Marine come out here and give you the details about that part.

Yesterday, I got up at 6 AM!!! Just to be on time for My Marine. Do I get credit for this? Noooooo. I still didn't leave as early as I wanted to. You see, I had to borrow my sister Jen's car. But there is a light on the horizon. My great friend Mike has scored a used car for me. It's the upper end of my budget, but I'm happy...and grateful.

So I make it up to the far reaches of New England....I thought I was going to need a passport if I had to go much further.....but I made it. And there is.....My Marine.

First was lunch at Molly's Restaurant. We enjoyed sandwiches and coloring on the butcher paper covering our table. We discussed Russian spies and wounded Marines and fabulous Bosun's Mates. Then we were off to the range.

Yeah, I know. I tell you that I am not interested. I tell you that the profile pic is a fluke. But seriously....it's just that people who are in my circle like it and I am just tagging along. Plus I had to prove a point. My Marine was adamant that if only someone taught me to shoot and I hit something....I would fall in love with it.

At the Milblogger's Shoot-Out I shot 3 different weapons. Each time, a man would stand behind me, put his arms around me, hold my hands, holding the gun. I would close my eyes and scrunch my face...bang. Well, that's all wrong, doncha know. My Marine would *instruct* me. He has taught so many people, he knows he can make this work.

It's not often I actually do anything for anyone else....but what can I say? He's just so damn cute! So I said "Ok".

So I get in his truck and we are off....further into the woods. The roads grew more narrow and sidewalks disappeared. There was actually a father and son walking down the middle of the road with fishing poles a la "The Andy Griffith Show". Then we turned off the paved road and drove some more. Then we can to a big, forbidding gate with signs cautioning us that it was private property and it was monitored by CCTV. He got out to unlock the gate - "Hey, if I hear Dueling Banjos, I am outta here!" I called, but he just laughed.

Once we drove through and the gate was locked behind us, the truck climbed a path meant for mountain goats. Then we pull up to the pistol range. There should be more pictures, but please file complaints with My Marine who brought a camera...and didn't use it.

There were several weapons demonstrated and you will be happy to know that I was well educated on them. Their purpose, their ammo, pros and cons. I know how to stand and grip and where my thumbs go.

After we had our fun and he was dropping me off at Jen's car....there was a problem, but that will have to be another post.
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Comments from My Marine
Actually, your Marine left his camera sitting on his desk. Ah well.

You omitted a couple of very important points:

1. You were pretty good at it, despite your assurances to the contrary. You weren't afraid of the weapons, even the .45 and the M-14, and had a very steady and solid trigger pull.

2. You listened, which I knew took all the self-discipline you had, as you usually have a problem with authority (except yours).

3. You really enjoyed it. About magazine number two from the .45, when you put two consecutive in the ten-ring, you looked over your sights and decided you wanted to do well. And you were hooked.

4. You would never admit you enjoyed it as you didn't wanna give me the satisfaction. But I could reads it like a book.

5. If MA was not such a commie gun-hating state who thinks the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply to their citizens, there would be ranges a hell of a lot closer to you that we could go to, and you WOULD, because you enjoyed shooting.

6. You and SWMBO are now members of the elite sorority of Chicks Who Shot At Stuff. Congratulations.

Oh, and of the car portion of the story, be sure to let your dear readers know that my 1964 LeSabre will start as long as you have the damned key.

More info - My Marine's remarks are in red/mine are in blue

Let's run down the weapons which our Maggie got a chance to handle and fire on Tuesday, shall we?

I started her off with a S&W .22 revolver that is precisely the size and weight of the Model 10 (.38+P) which was the quintessential cop sidearm for decades. She did fine, learned the stance and the grip with a low-recoil, manageable piece.

We next transitioned to a Ruger New Vaquero in .357 mag, firing .38+P wadcutters. Again, a bit more but very manageable recoil. (Even .357 mag out of that gun is very manageable, but I am low at the moment.)

She really hit her stride with the M1911s, one a 3.5" carry piece and the other a standard 5" weapon. Maggie was not afraid of either pistol, managed recoil, and "squoze" the trigger like a pro. It was here that she had her "I LIKE this!" epiphany. (*Note -this is My Marine's interpretation. I never said those words)

After a couple of boxes of .45 ACP were send down range, it was over to the rifles. There she fam-fired the venerable M-1 carbine (with paratrooper stock, a la Don Malarkey) and sent three magazines out of the M-1A (civ M-14 equivalent). After nailing the target downrange a bunch of times, like Tin Cup, we ended on a good shot.

So it was back to her sister's car. And more adventure.