i’m a responsible firearm owner

note – this is sort of a continuation of a facebook discussion that was had on my page.

colt .45 single action army, aka "the peacemaker"

colt .45 single action army, aka “the peacemaker”

i own a selection of firearms. i have a considerable amount of training in the use, care and respect of/for them AS SHOULD ANYONE THAT OWNS OR HAS ACCESS TO WEAPONS. you’ll never see a photo of me “playing” with guns. you’ll never see my finger on the trigger unless i plan on pressing it. the only time i would ever, EVER aim a firearm at another human being is if i felt that my life or the life of another was in danger, and if i ever feel like i need to aim a firearm at another human, i’m prepared to fire it, and if i have to fire it, i’m going to empty it… and i WILL reload. that’s the way i was taught and that’s the way i believe… and that’s just the way it is.

here are some photos that i’ve taken over the years. some of the firearms are mine, some are my dad’s, some are other people’s that they’ve let me use or even just look at (like the colt .45, above. it’s not mine, i just got to touch it for a while). after the photos, i’ll tell you a story about a time when i believe that my personal sidearm saved my life, or at the very least kept me out of harm’s way

let me know if you have any questions. the comment section is open.

firing the s&w 10mm

my dad firing his smith & wesson 10mm at the range. i snapped this at just the right time, as you can see the casing being ejected and the smoke from the muzzle blast. notice the sound suppressors. you can’t tell from this photo, but he’s also wearing eye protection. that’s just how we roll.

at the range

that’s my bersa .380 model 85 with the walnut grips. this was taken at the range

 

gun show haul

This is part of our gun show haul from back in 2010

 

gun show haul

This is the other part of our 2010 gun show haul (it was a considerable haul)

 

bersa .380 thunder with a drum magazine

 

silhouette target

my first three intentionally placed rounds one day at the range… “two in the chest, one in the head. we’d like ’em alive but we’ll take ’em dead.”

 

shell casings

empty shell casings on the ground at the range. tsk. you should always pick up after yourselves, people.

 

shotgun bruise

my shoulder bruise from shooting clays with the 12 gauge riot shotgun, 2 3/4″ shells. it wasn’t that i was shouldering it wrong, i just bruise easily.

 

pistol

my bersa .380 model 85 (center), dad’s smith & wesson 10mm (upper left), and a handful of .38’s we took to the range for testing purposes.

 

silhouette target

the target next to the sign is staged because i thought it was funny. this is my target – the head and neck shots were with the smith & wesson 10mm, the chest shots were with the  bersa .380, all at 21 feet. i’m an excellent shot (even if i do say so myself, which i do!)

 

so, that’s it for now on my photos – here’s the story i promised you.

one night when i was in my mid-20’s, i was the designated driver for a group of friends that wanted to go out and party. after i got everyone home around 2am, i still had another 25 miles to drive but i was hungry. i stopped at a local all-night restaurant and got some food and hit the road. i decided that i didn’t want to wait until i got home to eat because my food would be cold plus, as i said, i was hungry, so i pulled over into the middle of an empty shopping center parking lot/car park right next to the main road, under a streetlight, and started eating.

at one point i looked up and saw three people walking from around the corner of one of the shops approximately 100 yards from my car. i ate another couple of bites and looked back up and they were AT MY CAR. they walked up to the driver’s side door and said, “what are you doing?” they weren’t leaning down looking in the window, which was rolled down maybe 4 inches, they were standing right up against my car so all i could see from my point of view were their t-shirts. i replied, “i’m eating my breakfast. move along.” and one of them said, “i’ve got something you can eat”, and at the same time i heard the passenger door handle being lifted and my adrenaline kicked in.

fortunately my doors were both locked, as usual, but with the driver’s side window rolled down those few inches, it would have been very easy to smash it in. my first instinct was to flee so i threw my food into the passenger seat. the keys were in the ignition so i didn’t have to fumble for them, and i started the car. a split second later, i remembered that my pistol was in the glove compartment so i opened the compartment door, grabbed my holstered pistol and the three boys ran for their lives.

from the time that the passenger door handle was lifted to the time i opened the glove compartment and got the pistol out was about 4 seconds. that’s all it took to convince them to leave, was seeing that i had a pistol. i didn’t even unholster it. now, i don’t know what they were up to, but the fact that two of them distracted me while the third tried to gain entry to my vehicle with me in it, at 2am, was enough evidence for me to know that whatever it was, it wasn’t in my best interest. it think that it is quite possible that, if i didn’t have my pistol with me and accessible, and if i hadn’t been able to think so quickly, i might never have been seen alive again after that night.

my bersa .380 model 85 with a 13+1 double stack magazine

my bersa .380 model 85 with a 13+1 double stack magazine

 

so yeah, i own firearms. i know how to use them. i’m not scared to use them, and i’ll make no apologies.

…and my fingernails are fantastic.

16 thoughts on “i’m a responsible firearm owner

  1. I’m all for letting people own guns, but I wish something could be done about the dumbasses who aren’t as responsible as others. Far too many stories in the news these days about kids who have accidentally shot someone because the gun was easily accessible, loaded, and easy to shoot (no safety on the gun).

  2. i absolutely agree with you Xinh. i would not be opposed to having to pass a gun safety course prior to being able to legally obtain a firearm. i had to pass one (i officially took the hunter education course) in order to get my concealed carry license but i don’t think it’s a bad idea in general… and extra precautions should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be taken where there are children around.

    i grew up with a healthy respect for them. one of my first memories is shooting tin cans off the fence with the .22 rifle. we took the rifle apart and cleaned it and put it back together and not even once was i inclined to get the rifle out of the closet on my own. i think it was because there was absolutely no mystery about it – all of my questions were always answered. then when i got older, my dad (USMC) taught me some of the finer points that he had learned from his dad and later, from the Marine Corps.

    everyone should have such a good teacher.
    (thanks, dad!)

  3. Hadn’t been glossed over in USA. We paint ourselves ‘warts and all’. Every country has done regrettable things. Our unique Constitution and common law heritage from England are the best we can do in an imperfect world. The English speaking peoples of the world invented the freedoms others dare not dream of, or would like to regulate back into serfdom. Just Sayin’.

  4. The English invaded 90% of the world and probably are winning the global body count. The US altho unique, wasn’t the birth of democracy or freedom, you have to go back quite a chunk for that.

  5. Perhaps you should review my last statement. Or. read “Inventing Freedom: How the English Speaking Peoples Created the Modern World” and “The New Road to Serfdom” by Brit MP Daniel Hannon. People who hate Liberty perpetuate tripe and claim it is truth.

  6. Glad you had your weapon and wits about you and that your still among us. Thanks to your father for giving you the skill and experience to exercise your God given natural right to bear arms.

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