Beginners Corner
Why I Recently Became A Gun Owner Monday, 02 November 2009 17:20 |   
This letter has been posted with the permission of GST member Julie Farris Scott. We'd like to thank Julie for her support of the 2nd Amendment and our site. It's truly an inspirational story. "Most of my adult life I never wanted anything to do with guns. I’ve never been against an individual’s choice to have them for hunting or self protection but for me personally, they were something I was somewhat afraid of and could never see myself owning one. I live in what has been a pretty safe neighborhood but in the last year I’ve heard gunshots nearby, and more than once. That got me thinking about what I would do if someone broke into my house….how would I defend myself. In my head I ran through the scenario of what I might do and where I would hide while calling the police. I had to question how long it would take the police to get there and realized in most situations, if an armed intruder has already broken in, even if the police are right down the street, they could not physically get there before the intruder used his gun on me. That is when I decided I need to consider arming myself. Having never touched a gun in my life I did not want to just go out and buy one. I wanted to know everything about them….how they work, how to operate them safely, and I wanted to be confident that I could use one. I asked the one person I knew was proficient and knowledgeable enough to teach me. I thought I would have a few lessons….enough to feel comfortable with a gun in the house and that would be that. It became so much more. My instructor taught me everything…. the mechanics, safety, aim, and one of the most important lessons, the mentality of using deadly force if necessary. How anyone who owns a gun needs to be confident that, if put in a situation where they have to defend themselves, they are mentally capable of using deadly force. The mental aspect isn’t something I had thought of but as I became more confident, I realized if it came down to my life & safety, or the life & safety of my loved ones, yes, I could use deadly force to defend myself. It is something I hope I never, ever have to do but if I didn’t feel like I could I would never have begun this journey. Now to the fun part. I never realized how much I would enjoy target practice. From the first day on the range I realized I’ve developed a passion for it. Honing this skill and becoming better and better at it has become something I know I will enjoy the rest of my life. Even though I have always believed in the 2nd Amendment it has never meant as much to me, personally, as it does now. Six weeks ago I went to the probate court and filled out my request for a conceal carry permit. As I left I became emotional, knowing I had just exercised my 2nd Amendment rights and felt like, next to voting, it was the most patriotic thing I have ever done. Yesterday, when I received my permit in the mail, the emotion came flooding back, as I felt the pride in exercising my rights and how glad I am to live in a country where we have the right to protect ourselves." |
How do I get started? Thursday, 29 October 2009 14:54 |
If you've found this site, you're obviously looking at going shooting. Now you may be asking yourself, where do I begin? No problem! Here is some useful information to help new shooters get started. Educate Yourself! Do you know what the basic firearm safety rules are....well here they are! 1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. 2. Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction. Do not point a firearm at anything you do not wish to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off of the trigger until you are ready to shoot. 4. Be certain of your target and what is beyond it. These are just the fundamental rules of firearms safety. Here are a few others to learn and abide by. 1. Never pass a firearm to another person, or accept a firearm from another person, until the cylinder or action is open and you've personally checked that the weapon is completely unloaded. 2. Before handling any firearm, understand its operation. 3. Never rely on any mechanical device for safety. 4. Think before shooting: once you pull the trigger you can't take back the shot you've just fired. 5. Never joke around or engage in horseplay while handling or using firearms. 6. Be alert at all times; never shoot if you're tired, cold or impaired in any way. Don't mix alcohol or drugs with shooting. 7. Safeguard your sight, hearing and health. Always wear eye and ear protection. 8. If you see unsafe behavior any time when firearms are being handled or used, speak up and take action to correct the unsafe behavior at once. Remember that safety begins with you! You also want to familiarize yourself with your local laws pertaining to firearms use and ownership. State websites often have sections devoted entirely to firearms, so check them out. Go out and shoot! After educating yourself, get out there and shoot. The best way to do this is by finding a local shooting range and renting a firearm to try. You can use the GoShootingToday.com Range Search to find a shooting range in your area. Once you get there, familiarize yourself with the range rules and ask any questions you may have. The staff is always there to help. Most ranges require a group of two people to rent a firearm; this is the perfect opportunity to bring a friend. Training, training, training! Becoming a proficient, safe shooter requires practice. So get out and shoot as often as you can. We also recommend that everyone take a Basic Shooting Course to familiarize yourself with proper grip, stance, sight alignment, and other skills to be as accurate as possible. After you've, mastered the basics you can tackle more advanced shooting and gun handling techniques. Use our Range Search to find a facility offering advanced training. Become an active member of the shooting community! Share your love of shooting with friends, family and people around you. Our sport survives because we pass it along to others. Every shooter should take on the responsibility of introducing the sport to non-shooters. Also, help to protect our rights by joining the National Rifle Association (www.nra.org) and your local gun enthusiasts groups and clubs. We hope you've found this information helpful and hope you get out there and go shooting soon.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 October 2009 15:48 ) |
