Know Your Gun!

As I write this, I am prepared for a range session with a young man who wants some training with a handgun prior to attending my upcoming CHL class. His father, who has already taken the class is going with us, so this adds a little pressure to the young man’s ego I’m sure. The son is going to learn and even though he is an Air Force veteran, he realizes he has very little skill and experience with handguns beyond basic training some years ago. He is being smart.

In his approach to his licensing. His father and I have been to the range together on several occasions, and each time the father has brought every handgun he possesses. He has as yet to bring only the weapon (s) he carries concealed, and practice drawing from concealment. To help him in the most elementary way I usually get him to take his semi auto Ruger and “try this drill” at or toward the middle of the range session. It helps him and also helps me feel a little less guilty about the fact that I haven’t been as good an instructor as I could have. I didn’t instill in him the desire to either “practice smart or to know his weapon”.  O.K. I get that I can’t force someone to do something, but I do invite people to the range at every session and really, that’s as far as I need to go, but I really strive to be a very good Instructor and to always get better at it and it bugs me that I can’t get certain things across no matter how often I deliver the message. If you are magnificent and excellent in your practice sessions you will probably be mediocre in an actual fight, so think how good your chances will be if you never practice defensive drills with your carry weapon and you’re attacked.

 I will illustrate the “know your gun aspect” with a few examples:

1.  Most recently at my last recertification at DPS in Austin, a female instructor had no idea that the S&W 686, .357 magnum revolver she had to qualify with, would release the hammer to fall with a push of the hand. It has “push off” and I discussed this previously. She as an instructor is obligated to know her weapons before giving instruction.

2.  The above mentioned “father “, some time ago; handed me a .22 rifle and asked what was wrong with it? I asked for a screw driver and took the rifle and took the UPSIDE DOWN STOCK!  Off of it and replaced it in the proper position.

3.  At a recent range session, another friend/CHL student of mine, was proudly shooting his new Taurus .40 caliber pistol and asked me to fire it. I had recommended the purchase recently and he bought one. After I fired a couple of magazines through it I showed him the safety procedures which he said he knew but what he didn’t know and found out to his surprise was that unlike the very similar Beretta, his safety worked a third function which was to safely drop the hammer on a loaded chamber and that it could be carried cocked and locked in the first position (Berettas have a two position safety). He hadn’t read or didn’t understand the manual and the operation of this weapon.

I can illustrate more, such as semi autos malfunctioning because of “limp wristing “, or putting bullets in a magazine backwards, or thinking a gun is empty when you take the magazine out  and on and on and on.

“KNOW YOUR FIREARM”. If you are gonna own a gun you better know your gun before you get hurt, killed or get someone you love killed, and IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!!! If you’re not safe; no one around you is.

You don’t have to be a weapons expert folks but you have to be expert at how your weapon works because your life depends on it. Know how to disassemble and clean your gun. All firearms come with manuals and if you don’t have one, you can get one for free from all the major manufacturers for your particular firearm. Cleaning is essential to safe and proper function of all firearms. Know how to clean your semi auto magazines. 90% of all semi auto malfunctions are magazine related.

Just because we buy or own guns, doesn’t mean we know how they work or how to use them.

I have the first section of my State of Texas TCLEOSE Police Firearms Instructor certification coming up at the beginning of February so my practice sessions until then will be limited towards that end, but I invite all to meet me at…

Marksman Indoor Range

507 Nebraska Street
South Houston, TX 77587-3347
(713) 944-3520

Sunday Feb. 20, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. 

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I hope to see you there.           Your  Instructor……… Eddie