Fall Back Position - Gun Instructor

In the same vein of "Preparedness" and "Fun", I participated in a "Fun After Work Activity" with Dr Desert Flower's laboratory yesterday at Shooter's World in west central Phoenix.  1/2 a dozen of her lab co-workers came to shoot hand guns at the range. Some of the participants had never shot a gun before in their life.  It was Dr Desert Flower's second time shooting.  Glock 9mm, 40 cal, and Sig 9mms were fired, and various mugger and zombie targets were sighted. 

I found that I really enjoyed instructing new shooters about weapon safety, and basic operations.  The transformation I witnessed first hand, of seeing a person go from being FRIGHTENED of a fire arm (loaded, or unloaded), to being able to load and fire the weapon, to being able to show other newbies how to handle the weapon, provided me with tremendous satisfaction.  One of DDF's coworkers was so frightened of the Glock initially, that she treated it like a scorpion at first, afraid it would sting her.  This was very similar to DDF's first time at the range, and I as able to show her how the gun functioned, how to load it, how to unload it, how to verify that it was loaded or if it was unloaded, how the semi-auto reloading mechanism worked, how to use the sights, etc.  After discharging a clip of rounds into a zombie target, the newbie's tension and fear began to dissolve as a healthy respect for the weapon and its capabilities was formed.  DDF was even able to provide a degree of instruction to others, with her own familiarization.

The satisfaction I got from seeing this progress, was immeasurable.  This is true or both the immediate effect - decrease of fear & increase of respect at the range - as well as the lasting effects of understanding the weapon's capabilities, and reduction of stress that such an understanding and respect carries.  During the last business trip I took before showing DDF how to use the weapon, she expressed a great deal of concern about her personal safety here in our neighborhood as Maricopa County and Phoenix City police helicopters circled over the sub division late at night looking for suspects and miscreants.  After I showed her how to use the weapon at the range, her fear abated and stress level decreased.  I watched a similar progression with her newbie co-workers yesterday as they became more familiar with each firearm.  Someday when I retire in my 70s or 80s, I may take up being a shooting range instructor.

On a side note, the rented Sig Sauer 9mm was an amazing quality firearm.  Smooth magazine loading, very smooth trigger action, minimal recoil, excellent accuracy.  Very impressive.  Like butter.  It made my Glock 9mm feel very "clunky" and coarse.  Of course the Swiss Sig costs twice as much as a Glock.  Both are fine firearms, but the Sig made a great first impression.