As a Boy Scout in Regina back in the 80s, we went several times to the RCMP range and were shown what’s what by their instructors. So, yes.
Thinking back on it, that’s very strange.
What country?
Another farm boy so have experience with fairly standard rifles and shot guns.
Also did cadets at boarding school so there was range practice periodically.
Never had any claim as a marksman or even a good shot
Only fired a handgun once in a introduction at the university pistol club.
What did I think?
Well I aimed, pulled the trigger and there was a hole in outer of the target.
Underwhelmed.
I don’t know about the terminology, but I shot smallish guns and rifles as a child (in cadets at school and while holidaying on relatives’ properties). I actually scored reasonably well on the rifle range.
My sentiments exactly.
Another Canadian checking in.
I applied for and received a restricted weapons permit for a .45 cal black powder handgun.
I bought it in kit form and have yet to finish it. It’s only been about 20 years. :rolleyes:
Fired lots of them.
Of course, being in the Canadian Armed Forces, it was part of the job.
I have never even touched a handgun, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in real life other than a LEO’s sidearm.
Australian. Yes I’ve fired many handguns. We had lots of farming relatives, one even the commodore of the local gun club.
Do you have a restricted weapon license and still shoot 'em?
Yes, many times, on a range, using handguns from .22 to .45 calibre. Also, rifles and shotguns.
Australia.
Nope. I’ve never even really seen one - just in policeperson’s holsters. However, I am interested in learning to shoot (you never know when the zombie apocalypse is going to be on).
I’m a Canadian, and a few years ago fired a handgun for the first time thanks to a few Calgary-based dopers, who invited myself and my roommate to join them at a local firing range. I was not required to get a license, but did take a brief safety course on site at the range. I fired a .22 and a 9mm.
I’ve shot at that same range and it was tons of fun. I was shooting a .44 Magnum and I remember being shocked by the devastating power unleashed by that pistol. It had far more power than one might guess. Man, if you ever got hit by that thing you would not be getting up. My hand hurt for two days after firing 50 rounds.
I remember the guide standing right behind me for the duration of my session. He was explaining the procedure to me: “When you pick up the gun, you hold it like this, not like this.” “When all the shots have been fired, you place the gun down like this. At no time do you turn with the gun. It stays in this box and pointing in this direction.” And so on. As he gave me the run down he was paying close attention to whether I was taking it all in, reading my body language, etc. It was pretty interesting.
I also have a friend who’s father is a master gunsmith and is a bit of a wingnut/survivalist/screw-the-gov’t type. His basement workshop is loaded with guns in various states of assembly and he has many custom-made pistols that are massively powerful. He lives in the country and we used to go there and shoot those monsters from time to time.
:dubious:
The first time I fired a .44Mag I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Having watched the Dirty Harry movies (“this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?”) and Taxi Driver (“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talking… you talking to me?”, “Have you ever seen what a .44 Magnum will do to a…”) I was pretty apprehensive about the recoil, but it was meh. The gun had a full lug 6" barrel and a good grip, though. The 2" .357 snub was a bit worse, but still managable.