Let me tell you my stance on guns before you berate me for firing one. I do believe that handguns should be difficult to get and should not be purchased with the intention of self defense. In a civil society one should be able to live at peace without the need to use deadly force in order to defend themselves, their property, and/or family. I believe that hunting rifles and hunting in general is a necessary tradition that should not be hindered. Handguns on the other hand, well, you don’t hunt with a handgun. In my opinion, for the average citizen a handgun should only be used for sport shooting. Guns are dangerous. I believe it is necessary to have measures in place that prevent just any bum off the street from buying a handgun. So I don’t believe in the long-gun registry, however, I do believe in a handgun registry. I understand it’s a fine line but it is my line.
Having said that, I was given the opportunity to fire my first gun today and I took it. I fired two guns in fact, a Glock 21 45cal and a CZ Shadow 9mm. Hearing the thud in your chest as someone fires a 45cal you get an instant shot of adrenaline. It is a thrill. The 9mm is much easier to handle than the 45cal. We started with the 9mm and I think I shot pretty well. The recoil and sound from taking my first shot was a jolt to my system. After my first clip I got into the hang of it and started to relax. There really is a meditative-zen kind of place you need to reach in order to control your breathing, take aim, pull that trigger, then hit your target. When we moved on to the 45cal I immediately noticed the long trigger of the Glock, the muzzle flash, and the bigger recoil. I was fooled a couple of times by the long trigger – in anticipation of the recoil, I’d be pulling the trigger expecting a bang but would have to pull further to actually fire the gun. Like riding a motorcycle, there’s a friction zone that you need to get a feel for. Here’s a short clip of me firing a Glock 21 45cal: