Sitting down with first time shooters

A friend of mine had been working up the nerve (and the nerve of his wife) to buy their first gun. I, of course, offered my services, and offered to introduce them to firearms, and most of what firearm ownership involves.

This weekend was set for an introduction to handguns, and a trip to the range.

I showed up with my XD-9 (the firearm I had planned on recommending to them), and my GP100. We were going to go over the function of both, but we didn't make it to the revolver.

I began by covering the four rules of firearm safety, and we discussed why they were what they were. They already had a good idea of the rules from previous times when we'd spoken about this, so we moved on to function.

I took to heart the input of my first students, and resolved to remove Springfield XD-9's totemic handgun status, by explaining exactly how it works, and reducing it to the collection of springs, hunk of polymer, and machined steel that made up this misleadingly simple machine.

We covered basic function, and then I field stripped it, and explained how everything worked. I identified all the important parts, and explained how they work, and what they do. They were very interested in how it worked, and weren't shy about asking questions. I explained and demonstrated the safety features, and why they were in place. They both were surprised that it was so simple, yet did so much.

I explained what it would be like to shoot it, and reassured them that the human body does not want to shoot. Your nervous system wants to react when there are small explosions nearby, and you have to get your body used to shooting before you can expect to be able to use a handgun in self-defense.

I had them practice using the controls to ensure they were able to operate them. This was important specifically because one of the new shooters had limited use in one hand. I showed them how to use the sights, and they dry-fired a few times.

Because they were planning on purchasing their first firearm for defense, I talked to them about the legalities of self-defense shootings, and what they should consider and say. (especially, "I though he was going to kill me. I feared for my life. I want to speak to my lawyer) We talked about why it is inadvisable to issue a non-urgent statement to the police. If the assailant escaped, it is important the police get a description as soon as possible, but any other statements can be issued through a lawyer. Unintentional self-incrimination is very dangerous.

All in all, I'd say it was a success. People fear what they don't understand, and by reducing a handgun to a simple collection of springs and metal, I took away the fear.

We had to cut it short because of other obligations, but keep mentioning that we need to complete our discussion.