I partook in a class about, well, shooting guns. It’d been in the back of my mind for quite some time now, and I’ve finally stopped putting it off. Saturday found me at 9:05 AM bundled up but ready to listen and take a lot of detailed notes. They’re a little dry, so they’re at the end.

My Thoughts

Well.

I feel a little better. Like the rest of the class I’ve improved, and the terror of handling a firearm is abating just a little– they’re becoming demystified, for lack of a better word. I definitely felt bad for some parts of the class: awkward, frustrated, and wanting to just get it over with. In the end, it was a very positive experience overall. The feeling of accomplishment supersedes just about everything else, and now I know what I need to work on (posture, not flinching, aiming with crosseyed-dominance, and just "let the gun do").

My moment of shame, though? When I locked the gun and made it unusable. I stood there feeling pretty awkward while everyone else got another round in. This did give me the opportunity to try another pistol for awhile. Variety, spice of life, and all that jazz hands.You bet I’ll be on a quest for an ambidextrous gun because as usual every fucking thing is made for right-handed people.

I have to be gentle with myself. Of course, I was bad at it. I haven’t shot a pistol in years! But that is what practice is for. And this is something that shouldn’t be rushed. Once again, I bring up the car metaphor: putting a loaded magazine into the gun felt very much like the first time I got behind the wheel of a vehicle. Fucking terrified. But now, years and years later, I’m getting into that little metal can of death every day going up to 80 miles per hour.

Someday, hitting the smaller steel target six times in a row will be just like driving down to my local comic book shop. I would have taken classes, took tests, and gained more experience.

Remember: Shoot like a slut, put your ass out.

My Notes

DISCLAIMER: This is only about working your way around a gun, not the legalities, advice, recommendations, and medical issues beyond these things are fucking serious, prepare accordingly.

The Four Rules

These "interlock." If one falls short, the other rules will compensate.

1. Assume every gun is loaded
2. Control the muzzle (“never point it at something you aren’t willing to destroy”)
3. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4. Be aware of your target and what is around and behind it

Loading

• insert loaded magazine (bullets point forward)
• mechanism
  • push down on slide top
  • pull back on slide/charging handle/bolt and release
• verify loaded chamber

Unloading

• remove magazine
• pull magazine fully to the rear (watch for ejected round)
• Engage slide/bolt lock
• Visually and/or physically verify empty chamber

Sight Alignment

"Equal Height, Equal Light"

• blurry rear, sharp front
• front sight is vertically centered between rear sights
• both sights are horizontally level
• focus on the front sight
• if your iron sights are misaligned, readjust your grip– they are aligned in your hands
• sharp front sharp front sharp front sharp front sharp front sharp front (we had to chant that)
• “Red Dot” with iron sights is also an option

Grip, Sights, Squeeze

This is your posture!

• SQUARE UP
• Dominant foot back, feet shoulder-width, grip ground with toes
• Dominant hand- high and tight
• Pin, Close, Lock the vise (your hands!)
• Finger crease to trigger edge
• Inhale, exhale and press straight back
• let the gun do
  • absorb force from the gun, keep it stable
  • it will go through its firing cycle, let it!

Malfunctions, Squib Loads

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction!

Click, but No Bang? Wait 5-10 seconds, first. Then you may Tap (tap the mag), Rack (pull and release your mechanism ie slide lock), and Bang. If the Bang sounds different, STOP and unload magazine. Bullet may be stuck.

Gun Jammed? Remove the magazine and Rack It until clear. Resume afterwards.

Absolutely Lock the Gun Up Somehow? Just give it to the instructor and think about what you did. You probably baby’d the thing, or missed a step somewhere.

If you’re having multiple malfunctions, STOP and troubleshoot further.

Misc Notes / Everything Else

• Other Gun Stuff
  • 9mm – most common
  • firearms are chambered for one type
  • do not mix calibers w/ guns
  • hollow points– loses energy, reduces risk of going through multiple things
• Ammo / Ammunition
  • firing pin hits the primer…
  • which is at the bottom of the case..
  • and the powder inside the case ignites…
  • propelling the bullet outward
• Lead
  • Wash hands after handling firearms
  • De-lead wipes
  • do NOT eat or drink until you’ve washed your hands
• External Threats vs. Internal Threats
  • guns – good at neutralizing external ones
  • internal ones – mental health
    • YOU are the best judge of your state
    • is your responsibility
    • “If you don’t feel in control, that is okay. But do something about it.”
    • remove access until you feel better
• Storage
  • BE RESPONSIBLE
  • use lockbox
• Medical Preparedness
  • take classes
    • Stop the Bleed
    • CPR
    • First Aid
    • EMT
    • First Responder
  • Trauma Kit – and know how to use it
  • keep it all organized– seconds count
  • bare minimum: tourniquet

Re: Self-Defense

• Distance is best
• Alternative methods
  • Pepper Spray
  • Taser (stun guns, not so much)
  • knives (also considered lethal force)
  • bright flashlight
  • cane-fu
  • improvision (YMMV)
• Nothing Beats…
  • situational awareness
  • just GTFO

The Gun

A firearm is a lethal force. Never take it lightly.

A gun is a last resort.

You are not a cop.

You don’t wanna be a cop.

It is your responsibility to be more ethical than a cop.