Sigh. This is NOT how I introduce someone to the joys of pistol shooting. First, we go over the four rules. Then they dry-fire a Ruger SP101, using proper grip and stance, working on trigger pull. Then it’s live-fire with a .22. Ruger Mark III, a semi-automatic pistol with minimal recoil and sonic signature. (A nine-millimeter Beretta 92 is a heavy gun but it’s got way too much kick for a newbie.) Load one round at a time. The target, a blank sheet of paper, is no more than six feet away. Off you go. Trigger discipline after each shot. Gun pointed downrange. And that’s just the technical stuff. If we’re talking about anti-gun de-programming . . .
It’s critical to put the entire experience into a pro-gun context. I do this by asking questions during the instruction.
“Does this gun make you feel like you want to knock off a liquor store?”
“If the gun’s pointed in a safe direction, could you shoot anyone by mistake?” (Bringing up “know your target and what’s behind it.”)
“Do you feel like you could be a responsible gun owner?”
“Do you think most people could be responsible gun owners?”
“If you had this gun in your hand, do you think a criminal would be more or less likely to attack you with a knife?”
“If you knew someone was going to try to stab you or rape you, would you prefer to be holding a gun or a telephone?”
It’s not that difficult. As I’ve pointed out in previous posts, shooting a gun for the first time puts people into a naturally receptive (i.e. hypnotic) state, where their subconscious is open to suggestion from the authority figure providing safety and security. The fact that BuzzFeed couldn’t make the sale on-the-spot says more about the trainer than the antis.
Oh and a shotgun for box-fresh newbies? Only if they ask nicely. And we do it outdoors.
[h/t SS]
man they need some practice…
Yes they do but most of them are just to brainwashed to ever get it. However, the one chick obviously thought it was cool. The rest of them will likely go back home and watch Rachel Maddow on MSNBC to cleanse their impure thoughts.
That last bit made my day.
I’m glad they had the range to themselves. I went home for a the MIL’s 80th birthday and a family friend from Texas was visiting. She was a liberal professor at a University. She couldn’t believe my wife liked to shoot guns. LOL…. I can’t believe my wfie shoots them better than I do.
While the method might have been expedited, they didn’t seem scared afterwards.
Teaching with a .22 is still better, but whatever. Also, good questions below the video. You shouldn’t get political about it until after shooting though.
Agreed. Keep it fun and empowering.
The new shooter will eventually ponder the topics in the questions above on their own. Encouraging someone to imagine an imenent violent attack is a pretty big buzzkill.
Very true. Politics are a no no.
While a lot of people have mentioned this being a poor, incomplete, or unsafe introduction, but come on, the video is obviously edited for public consumption. It’s not a livestream; who knows what sort of off-camera instruction they were given?
I’ve been there twice. Very Friendly staff. But the range looks a bit run down.
I’ve done something similar a few times. I like this opener:
“[especially if they seem nervous] You know guns can be dangerous, just like lots of things you encounter every day. You’ve used a hair drier safely, because you know not to get in the bath tub with it. You have navigated traffic safely, because you know not to step in front of a car or bus, and know how to look both ways before you cross the street. Same deal here. Stay calm, use your head, and follow these four simple rules at all times and you will be fine.”
Seems to work pretty well for an opener.
Now, as to leading them to question false beliefs while instructing them, that’s something I haven’t thought of. I tried to keep it completely about the task and experience. Next time I’m in this position, I’ll try to gently push them toward questioning some anti-gun assumptions. It’s not a bad idea at all.
1’st paragraph resonates with me. 2’nd paragraph is worth pondering. Questioning preconceptions is apt to be construed as politicking; being argumentative. I think I’d go kind of lite on the 4 rules. Explain that we teach the 4 rules thoroughly for a student who intends to learn marksmanship, etc. For this little demo, we are looking over your shoulder all the time so we are giving you just an abbreviated exposure to the 4 rules. Do the initial gun-handling with a blue-gun or better yet a Nerf-gun. That makes it very light-hearted. When you switch to the real gun you can ask: “Does that feel any different than the blue-gun / Nerf-gun?” I’d expect that most people will acknowledge that it feels only a little different. Without seeming to be argumentative you might start them on the path to thinking about real guns a little differently. After the first range-day you might ask them if they went to a range a second time if they thought they might feel a little less anxious than they were when they came today. I’d expect most people to admit that they would feel less anxious. Whether they come a 2’nd time or not, they would be apt have taken the second step toward imagining a normalized relationship toward guns.
This past saturday I let a complete newb shoot a shotgun. But this guy is an athlete, iron man and marathons. He liked the shot gun. For most newbs it’s a judgement call on shotguns.
And he wasn’t anti gun. He’d just never had the chance to try.
A .410 is a good way to ease into shotgun, IMO.
It would have been! My first was a 12 gauge 870. If I’m going to take a new shooter to shoot a shotgun, it will be my 20 gauge A5.
My intro to shotguns was at age 10, it was a 20 gauge something or other, and my dad had the foresight to put brace his hand right behind my dominant shoulder. Something about an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object and I was in between. My shoulder was sore for a week.
Saw this posted elsewhere a couple days ago and cringed. I got the distinct impression that the object of this lesson was to keep these individuals anti-gun. Still… the RO did a reprehensible job of basic training. (unless the guy giving instructions wasn’t the RO… or even affiliated with the range)
some people completely forget all of your “basic training” the second they get on the range, and do things like swing a shotgun out at other stalls, just like the lady in this video did.
”Does this gun make you feel like you want to knock off a liquor store?”
Pretty sure the most common answer to that would be ”Huh?”
I wanted to knock over a liquor store yesterday, but my gun stopped me.
My G19 is like that too! Never wants me to have any fun. But I hear Berettas (esp stainless) are a lot more “willing”?
Yup! I was going to and my AR stopped me. It said I need to finish my degree, work hard, stay away from loose women and I’d never have to rob anything. It then helped me go over 401K plans.
Armed loose women are fine.
So I’ve heard…
My gun is always helpful. Then again, it’s a 1911…
One time, I was fishing, ran out of bait. The 1911 jumped out the holster, fired one shot and the 45 acp was so scary, the fish leaped into my boat and commenced to whackin ‘ themselves to death with an oar.
TBH sometimes the gradual introduction isn’t necessary. I was visiting my parents last month, and my 18 year old brother expressed a desire to go shoot some clays. My dad only owns a single gun, a 12 gauge Mossberg 500, and doesn’t shoot it more than once every couple years, but he knows how much I enjoy shooting and how much my brother has started to enjoy shooting, so he was game. Then, my 15 year old sister said she would like to come. It was her first time ever shooting a gun. I showed her a couple gun safety videos on Youtube, and we went over all the rules and clearing procedures in the kitchen with the no-trespassing greenbelt behind us. We all drove over to to range, paid our fee, and went to shooting. My sister is about 5’7″ and maybe 130, and the first shot did knock her back a bit. I had warned her this would happen and had instructed her well on a proper stance and holding the stock tight to the shoulder so it didn’t hurt her. She shot about 20 shells, probably got 7 hits, and then said she was done. Later that day, we’re over at a family friend’s house, and she relates the experience to everyone and said she had a great time.
TL;DR: A 12 gauge can introduce someone to shooting, as long as proper instruction is given and expectations are managed.
Yeah, growing up in a somewhat anti-gun family, the first time I shot a gun was with a friend and his dad when I was 14 or so. We started off with a 10/22 but the next step was a 12 gauge and it was great.
I don’t know how much was edited out but there was definitely a lot of wasted potential here. Every liberal I’ve taken to the range has either completely reversed their views on firearms or at least adopted a “perfectly safe in the right hands” perspective.
+1
And I don’t take new shooters to indoor ranges if I can help it. They’re hot, they stink, they’re loud, and the cadre tend to be less friendly.
I’m also going to +1 this.
+1 especially noise
handgun noise at indoor ranges still bothers me…
Biggest mistake I EVER made trying to help teach my wife how to shoot?
Goto an indoor range during the TX summer
+1
The people at my favored indoor range are fine… but it does get hotter than hades during the summer.
It’s a fairly new range; the air coming out is cleaner than the air going in, and it has a state of the art ventilation system. Save for the lack of A/C.
This is something from buzzfeed so it is also entirely possible that the whole thing is just one massive put on.
Seems like a 20% conversion rate. That is still damn good. If we could convert 20% of the total anti gun population in the US we would be unstoppable.
^^^^This. At least one in the video looks like she had a change of heart. And i don’t think I would be stretching it too far to say at least one other in the video as well, but wasn’t willing to openly admit it.
People tend to struggle with groupthink. Young liberals are especially guilty. “I’m not supposed to like this or I won’t be accepted by my tribe. I like my friends more than I liked my experience with guns so therefore I choose to still hate guns.” Liberals aren’t the only ones guilty of it, but they are in my peer group.
Wow, I’ve never actually heard someone admit they feel disgusted at what they did after leaving a shooting range. Liberals are a special kind of retard, aren’t they?
A few of them were quite melodramatic.
Well, to be fair, LA is a “special” place for “special” people.
Mexicans…?
Vegans.
I walk out of places feeling that all the time…
To be fair I’ve walked out of allot of bars and house parties saying that to myself, and it certainly never stopped me from drinking. They just need the right instructor, and the right gun.
Mr. Farago laid out a fantastic way to introduce new shooters!!!
Start with very basic explanation of firearm parts (trigger, hammer, barrel, muzzle), firearm operation, and the two most important safety rules when training newbies: keep muzzle pointed down range and keep finger OFF trigger until the firearm is pointed at the target!
Then move on to dry fire practice while emphasizing muzzle control and trigger finger discipline.
Then live fire with .22 L.R. only loading one bullet at a time.
Then move up to a .38 Special or 9mm only loading one bullet at a time.
Then have the newbie shoot a long gun with minimal recoil. The ideal long gun would be a 20 gauge shotgun with light target/skeet loads.
Oh, and perhaps the most important detail as Mr. Farago stated: have them shoot at a plain 8.5 inch x 11 inch piece of paper that is only 6 feet away. Do NOT use a human silhouette target! Do NOT place the target 20 feet away!
In summary do what Mr. Farago said.
And thank you Robert for the recap … I am planning to take a newbie shooting for the first time on Labor Day weekend. You brought up a couple points that I had not considered.
That nailed it! By using a heavier caliber like a 9MM, or 40 S&W, you are going to scare the newbies, especially at an indoor range.
Take them out in the woods somewhere, and set up some tin cans or filled water bottles (plastic). If they see something jump up in the air after being hit, that will get them excited.
Start them out with a 22 revolver if possible. (less likely to accidentally pop of another round after the first one)
Or, as said, an auto loader with only one round at a time, for a short while.
Stay away from the 12 ga. for a while, start with a 410, or 20.
Complete agreement on the reactive targets. Punching paper is fine, later, but first time out you want a target that lets the shooter know they hit it. Looking at a piece of paper to try to determine where that last shot hit isn’t nearly as much fun as exploding milk jugs or clanging steel. Instant feedback is the best way to get that wide grin that says “I’m gonna need to do that again a whole bunch more times.”
My first experience was pretty much what he laid out. Except we used a Ruger Mark III, S&W .22LR revolver, AR platform in .22LR, and the AK platform in 7.62. Afterwards I was like, that was it? What’s the big deal? We did use human silhouettes though. But the range I went to routinely does CCW qualifications, so that’s probably what they had on hand.
You’re forgetting the best newbie gun out there: a .22 rifle. Easy to aim. Near zero felt recoil. And much harder to turn around with than a handgun.
“And much harder to turn around with than a handgun.”
That is an excellent point. I don’t believe the indoor gun range near me allows long guns … but they might allow .22 L.R. long guns since the bullet mass/velocity/energy is less than higher-end handgun calibers.
Obviously, if you are at an outdoor range and can use a long gun in .22 L.R. that is the way to go … assuming that you can actually find .22 L.R. ammunition.
Honestly I’m kind of in the same boat here. Maybe it’s me liking long guns more, but starting out on a small-caliber long gun makes sense to me. Maybe it’s because that’s how I got started in Boy Scouts years ago.
Controllable, comfortable, and safe. It’s easier to be aware of muzzle discipline with a noob and a rifle.
Accurate, new shooters don’t get discouraged because they are hitting the target with some regularity. Get the basics down and either go up in power on the long guns or transition over to pistols.
I also like reactive targets. If we’re out in the woods, I hate to say it but ice blocks are lot of fun for me and for noobs alike. With low-energy calibers they can take a few hits. With .223 and up, they explode nicely.
My experience has been that starting with the. 22 works well. Being outdoors with a reactive target, like a can, a spinner, or clay pigeons, makes it much more entertaining.
This was a very short video and I’m sure quite a bit was left on the cutting room floor, but there must not have been any instances of any newbie dropping, throwing or refusing to touch a firearm or those would have been in the final product. Liberal anti-gun newbies trying 9mm and 12ga on a first outing could have gone MUCH worse.
I got a kick out of the one girl who seemed to be channeling Woody Allen when she said that she needed a nap after the first shot.
Just a gut feeling, but I think at least two of the girls will be back again.
I’ve heard that there was a male in the group, but I’m not convinced of that.
“I’ve heard that there was a male in the group, but I’m not convinced of that.”
Mike! you made me laugh out loud! Thanks, I needed that today!
He’s there. He’s merely a successful graduate of the progressive school system that has boys arrested for writing fictional stories of shooting dinosaurs.
9mm Beretta is too much for a newbie? Yhgtbsm.
I was just thinking how in the Army, people don’t go from .22 to M-16 or from .22 to M9 Beretta. lol
People joining the Army don’t have mild coronaries over being near firearms as these, and your typical, liberals will. Those that do usually dodge the draft when it comes up.
The Army isn’t trying to coach people over their instinctive fear/flight response. These people’s brains react to firearms with absolute, animal, terror. Hence the baby steps.
You would be surprised.
Even in the infantry there were guys who had never been exposed to firearms and shook the first the few times they shot…
And then soft skill MOS’s are a whole ‘nother story.
Sad to hear. But I guess they either have to get over it, or just walk off base sometime during their deployment. People training on a base don’t have a choice as to how they’re weened off their hoplophobia. If you’re trying to convert the unwilling it needs to be gentle process.
Just the tip, as they say.
I’ve seen this issue, primarily with girly-girls shooting for the first time. They can’t handle even the moderate recoil and weight of a Glock 17.
My wife is as girly as they come, but she did just fine with my 9mm in her first shooting experience. Of course, she had watched me fire it, and I had told her to expect the (relatively minor) recoil. Different people react differently. She had never shot, but she wasn’t actually afraid of the pistol, either.
had a very similiar experience but the fear of the pistol manifested itself once it was in palm and she was trying to line the sights up, ended up turning into a WICKED flinch for a long time.
I think they didn’t use a rifle with a detachable magazine because then they would have to explain the whole bullet button thing.
The brunette at least admitted to feeling conflicted. She seemed to have the intellect for it; a mind more open than the others. As she was shooting, she may have been pondering how useful the hardware would be in the face of various threats she often worries about. There’s hope for that one. Plus, she was the least annoying.
Plus, she was the least annoying.
High praise indeed.
Baby steps…
Also the cutest, bonus points for cute!
If instead they had shot a small 22 pistol with an evil silencer, I guarantee you a 100% conversion rate.
Honestly everybody new* I take shooting starts off on the 9mm CZ-75 with Subsonic ammunition. It is far easier to correct their stance and elaborate on why a gun is held the way it is held when they can actually feel what the recoil wants to do on their body, and they are far more confident when they begin to master and understand the concept of recoil management.
I don’t know why, but taking a technical approach with people and explaining the firearm as if it was a tool to be mastered, not a gun to be shot, it seems to really grab their attention and keep them hooked, especially when they reach a milestone or come across a concept that they never heard of / considered before.
I also noticed that folks who are new to guns that go shooting with me prefer my compact CZ 75 in 9 mm to my G19. Size-wise they’re about the same, but the CZ has a more comfy grip and is a bit heavier and that helps with recoil, which means a lot to a new shooter. I also tend to stay away from giving them a 12 ga, unless they ask for it. And then I make sure they understand that they should expect some serious recoil, and maybe even a bruise, because it WILL kick. I didn’t see that explanation in this video. Yeah, that whole lesson could have been done much better.
Mr. Farago is spot on in his assessment of the training and the choice of weapons.
The most disturbing element of the video is the lack of maturity in the five subjects. I don’t just mean ignorance or excitement, which are forgivable. I mean that they think and act like adolescents, and they seem well beyond that age. It frightens me that people like this vote. A fundamental right is not “an antiquated…’thing’.”
Leftists are always in a perpetual mental state of adolescence. That’s just how the Gimme-Dat party wants them….dependent on the government teat.
Did anyone else duck and try to grab the shotty from the brunette, when she swung around?
Yes… along with a WTF…
Not really, have had guns pointed at me before. As long as they keep the finger off the trigger and/or they aren’t doing it on purpose you should be okay.
Though it would be a good excuse to hug her 😉
+1 on the hug! From her, that would make me forgive nearly anything.
Thank god it was an 870 and not an 1100
Yep…DUCKED! LOL
On the black chic, what has thing on top of head? Was there a secret recording device hidden in there, maybe an atomic bomb, or maybe she’s “packing” and just wants a free shoot?
The most interesting part of this video for me was hearing about the sense of shame that a couple of the people had over enjoying shooting the guns. It is like someone discovering responsible drinking after growing up in a teetotalling household. Suddenly an activity that was previously presented as unacceptable in any setting is appealing and exciting. The woman were confronted with the mental disconnect that a good and moral person can actually shoot a gun and enjoy it. They probably had the thought (either consciously or unconsciously), “I thought I was a good person, so am I really a bad person for enjoying this?” The easiest course of action is to reject the activity and shove this new self-awareness into the background, instead of considering the possibility that the activity itself is not evil, as originally assumed. I think this is where the role of the gun-rights advocate becomes to help the other person process the feelings of shame and reassess their old assumptions.
These people are not “retards” for feeling disgusted. It is important to understand that they are a product of their environment, just like anyone else. It takes a long stream of positive messages to counteract a lifetime of negative ones.
Great post. It’s really heart warming to see someone shoot a gun for the first time and actually enjoy the experience.
I think this is absolutely correct.
Spot on. These people didn’t arrive at an anti-gun position through careful study of the issue. They’ve been programmed by the media, their peers, and the liberal establishment. Undoing years of bullshit being stuffed into their heads is probably going to take more than one somewhat half-assed trip to a gun range (although the little brunette, Allison, seems to be about 90% there at the end of the video).
These people are not “retards” for feeling disgusted.
“Retard” = retarded: defined as delayed or held back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment, which aptly describes the state of their mental and moral maturity – the very thing you elaborated on quite eloquently. (I agree, though: in the pejorative use in terms of intelligence, “retard” does not apply. But I find that to be true universally.)
Moral maturity is retarded if one believes that the basic, fundamental, human right of self-defense is an antiquated…thing. Mental maturity is retarded if one believes that much stricter gun control would reduce gun crime. There are other examples in the video.
A shotgun? Jeez Louise. Last time I introduced a few kids, young adults, and a middle-aged woman to shooting, I used 4 different weapons. A Ruger Mark II Target, a 10/22, a Glock 19, and an AR-15. None are hard to shoot, and after warning them of the increased kick they would experience with the last two, they all felt it was less than expected, and actually pleasant to shoot.
Cognizance of the rules, familiarity with the weapon, and what to expect when it fires are big factors. When I introduced my wife to the AR, the noise and media hype had her scared to death of it. After reassuring her that she could handle it (she has shot a 12 gauge slug gun before), she too was pleasantly surprised and now loves my AR.
Introducing new persons to shooting should not be a hazing experience.
I had a comment about all the people asking for gun articles but I forgot it somewhere between the story and here…
Well at least they had fun, usually when I take newbies out to the range with me(I seldom do) we go over the rules and weapon handling at home first so they dont get bored as hell at the range. I’d have busted out the pistols, ARs and the 20ga(cuz its FUN!). Then shoot what ever else they want to shoot.
that was pretty bad
Here’s a regimen that has worked really well for me in the past taking non gunners to the range for the first time.
Safety Briefing: Because we are going to the range I teach the simplified one (really two) rule to rule them all… muzzle control and trigger control, gun gets pointed downrange at all times and finger stays off the trigger at all times unless a round is actually being touched off, but I put extra emphasis on the gun pointed in a safe direction at all times since again, I’m taking them to a range. They have to learn all 4 rules if they come hunting with me. I dont typically invite them until I have seen how they handle/ act around guns first.
Equipment briefing: Regardless of what we will be shooting, we all sit down in the kitchen before heading out and go over manual of arms, what to do if you pull the trigger and no bang, what to do when you want to stop shooting, etc. With no ammo in the same room, I have everyone who is shooting demonstrate they know how to change a magazine charge the weapon, select the safety on or off, relaes the bolt either by racking the charging handle/ silde/ etc. or manipulating the bolt release. I then make them load snapcaps into the magazine followed by real bullets to get over any “what if I drop one and it goes off?” fears.
The shooting: If the range allows carbines on their shorter courses I take them to shoot the AR. I stress short course because lets face it, shooting isn’t fun if you cant hit the target. Also you cannot beat an AR as far as shooting fullsize firearms goes (yes I left out 22’s A because I dont own one, B because renting one and range ammo is expensive. A 223 AR has almost no felt recoil, manageable muzzle blast with proper hearing pro, compact, and not too heavy. To cut down on blast I replace the compensator with a flash hider or just bare muzzle with a thread protector. I prefer to take them to an outdoor range if the option exists, but if not I try to convince them to wear plugs inside the muffs. I have found that the sound is at least 75% of what terrifies new shooters, especially people with the guns are scary and dangerous mantra.
This has worked for me with cousins, the wife, friends etc. Most people I have taken shooting have either bought their own guns and are now avid shooters/hunters, or at least have requested going again.
The key is not being over bearing or a jerk. Let them come to you with questions/concerns/ etc. Especially with anti’s you to be understanding of the fact that they may be scared of guns, and showing them an environment where guns aren’t scary and then let them make up their own mind. Dont be a dick, dont give them something they cant handle too soon, and don’t treat them like they are strange for not liking guns or for not immediately understanding why you love them so much. They will come back if you teach them properly, I have yet to have someone not want to go shooting again following these rules.
I learned to love shooting in spite of being plopped down behind a featherweight 270Win at the ripe old age of 9 years old and being told not to be a sissy by my alcoholic uncle. Thanks to that shoulder traumatizing experience I also spent the next 3 hunting seasons being afraid to shoot a deer so much so that I almost gave it up altogether.
Copied and saved, this is very useful.
“The fact that BuzzFeed couldn’t make the sale on-the-spot says more about the trainer than the antis.”
BuzzFeed wasn’t really wanting to make the sale, they weren’t trying to change their minds. It was more along the lines of “Lets have people who are afraid of guns shoot them. It will be funny, LOL.”
That little brunette seems like she is on the path to becoming a gun lover though.
RF had a couple keeper questions in that list.
To drive the point home….I’m always tempted when teaching newbies after we have progressed up through an AR .223 to end the lesson with the “weapon of choice from our VP Biden who says AR15’s are too hard to shoot ” and then …. chamber up a 3″ magnum 00buck in a pump. However, my better angels prevail, and I usually end with a few field loads and low recoil buck. But I do have some magnums in the range bag side pocket just in case somebody wants to be a douchebag during the free lesson.
My extra rules
5) Hold the gun with authority….it ain’t gonna break
6) Don’t reach for a dropped gun (although that’s probably a tough instinct to snuff…I lie to them and say the gun is cheap so let it drop…after we’re done I let them know)
I don’t understand the trainer using multiple rounds in the mag unless single-shot was left on cutting room floor.
I give them 1 round in the magazine and make them insert it into the gun and rack the slide/charging handle. After their first shot I offer advice for grip/stance/etc. and they get another round. After that if they look comfortable/dont drop the gun, they get two in the mag to see if they can keep their grip for a follow up shot, and more critique. Then if they are still under control I give them free reign to load as many as they want and only step in again if I see a safety concern.
Not being gentle with the gun is a good point. Women especially (that I have worked with) are really dainty with my guns like they are going to break something.
In addition I have had to start giving warnings about flying brass hitting them or going down the back of their shirts. The former can be scary if it’s never happened before, the latter may burn you a bit. Neither is a reason to start jumping and spinning around like a ballerina with a gun in your hand. Put the gun down, and then sort yourself out.
Mark my words, Allison is going to be a gun owner within a year. I could see the lights come on in her eyes.
I think I saw that guys testicles hanging from the rear view mirror of a car stopped next to me at a light.
I’ve been asked several times to take new shooters to the range. I start with my Ruger 22, then shoot a 9mm, then a 1911. If things are going well, I’ll let them shoot my AR, and then my 12 gauge. We can go through all of these in an hour or so. I still remember the grin on the woman I took to the range when I let her shoot my Remington 870. She was having a blast!
I think they enjoyed it — did you see the expressions on their faces? (OK, not the blonde girl as much as the others.) Also, in the interviews, every single one of them had that annoying raspy way of speaking that young urban trendoids use (kind of a low, raspy drawing-out of the last syllable — Google “vocal fry” for examples). On the range they lost that, maybe because they were just being themselves instead of trying to be like their peer group.
Kudos especially to the brunette, a young woman who clearly is capable of independent thought.
I also noticed — or perhaps I was imagining — a slight air of superiority among some of them. They all had it to some extent in the “before” interviews. In the “afters,” only the blonde really retained it. But the bigger point, and the one I was most dismayed by, was that they were willing to look down their noses at something they admitted knowing absolutely nothing about.
I’d say 4 out of the 5 changed their views to some degree. Again, pay attention to their facial expressions (before, during and after), not just the things they say.
Also think about the context and the presenter, as well. Buzzfeed is far from neutral on most issues. They lean liberal, and aren’t really a serious bastion of journalism. They’ve had numerous contributors and employees quit or get fired when their content pissed off an advertiser, even if the content itself was serious journalism. Since BF’s ownership is most likely anti-2A, of course they are going to lean that way with the piece. If the girls and the guy came out (like 99 percent of the first-timers I’ve taken to the range) cheering and smiling, the piece would have lost it’s purpose.
I’d challenge Buzzfeed to pick 5 real randoms (not preselected stooges) and do it all over again, and perhaps pick another locale to do it, even. The end result most likely will be a combination of thrill, excitement, and respect with regards to the handling of guns.
Ive used a p38 to convert a few liberals, that and an m1 carbine win them over quickly, I think the historical aspect helps
This is how I do it;
#1 safety briefing
#2 ruger 77/22
#3 old colt woodsman
#4 m1 carbine (used to kill nazi’s)
#5 Walther p38 (its a war trophy, got it from my grandfather)
#6 ar 15
If they want to keep shooting, they can shoot whatever they want
It’s Buzzfeed, what do you guys expect? It’s a liberal-oriented content aggregator/advertorial engine based out of New York City. Then, they take their candidates to a gun range in Los Angeles.
Of course it was going to be an anti-gun piece. They stacked the deck as it were. They gave their subjects powerful (to them) weapons for their first shoot, and took them to the dingiest range they could find. Now, there’s nothing wrong with dingy ranges as long as the ventilation is working and they are safe, but for people who haven’t shot before, I try to avoid them.
There’s a lot of “Gun 2.0” ranges popping up around the country, and if you are introducing someone to the shooting world, it’s best to take them to one of those, if possible. There’s two near me, Nexus and Lock & Load. Both are super-clean and look like car dealerships and have impeccable customer service. It’s a “no-nonsense but nice” feeling when you walk in. No OFWGs yelling or grumbling about politics behind the counter, and there’s comfortable lounges for observing and waiting.
And yes, start them off small. I took my S/O to the range for the first time a few months ago. My initial step was to just shoot my firearms myself and let her observe how it is done (while teaching) but the R/O kind of egged her on, “You’re not gonna let him have all the fun, are you? Come on, it’s your turn!” So, with the R/O and my help, she shot her first gun, my Px4 subcompact 9mm, which is a very forgiving piece. Big honking external safety, etc…but it still goes “bang” when you want it to. She fired once, and then proceeded to empty a magazine into the paper, hitting it each time from 7 yards. Not bad for the first time out.
And my S/O is a liberal-leaning girl, albeit from a conservative family with gun ownership. Actually, she wouldn’t have been out of place in that video.
She was on the fence, but now she gets it. Real life got in the way for a bit, but now that things are kind of settling down, she wants to go back to the range, and take a CWFL course. She’s comfy with a 9mm so it’s a good starting point.
Oh, and FYI, here’s the source article if anyone wants to go over to Buzzfeed and fight the good fight.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/henrygoldman/liberals-try-shooting-guns-for-the-first-time
If they are pro gun, but they’ve never shot before, I bring out the hi cap tactical looking stuff with low recoil. 9mms and .223.
If they are anti gun I break out the wood and steel revolvers and lever guns. Its hard to hold the preconceived biases of mass shootings etc when you are holding “john Wayne’s rifle.”
I also always start off with a .22. I have only had one non convert who thought my heavy .22 revolver kicked too much and was too loud after one shot….. I didn’t have a response for that….
@Evan in Dallas—
I have only had one non convert who thought my heavy .22 revolver kicked too much and was too loud after one shot….
I think I may have married her.
Meh, I take the AR, I don’t have a ton of variety in my collection (yet) and you just cant beat it for fun or easy to shoot factor other than a pump or semi auto 22 rifle (again dont have one of those yet, and ammo nonavailability/range ammo prices for renting one precludes me from using one anytime soon). The AR has almost 0 felt recoil and I just make sure they have good hearing pro and remember to take one of the ones with a flash hider or bare muzzle instead of one with a comp/brake on it.
The most effective way to convert someone is to acknowledge their fear of guns and attempt to not preach to them or talk down to them. Instead focus on teaching them about guns in a safe and controlled environment and let them make their own decisions and overcome their fear on their own. The only way to teach a kid that a dog isn’t going to bite him is not to make fun of him for an irrational fear of dogs, but rather, let him pet one and see for himself.
The key more than anything is never give too much too soon, let them have enough fun that they ask you to take them again as opposed to going full bore (pun intended) and freak them out or get them in over their head.
Heavily emphasize safety, the fact that a gun is a tool, dangerous only when misused, and then teach them how to safely use it. If they hate it still after that, there’s nothing else you can do.
I t hought the 12guage was overkill. No problem having them shoot the handgun. When I was a kid I shot my dads 22 revolver. his single shot 22 and a 20guage shotgun. No problem for a 12 year old or a gal. I did find the video to be pretty funny.
At the 1:14 mark:
“Just firing once took a lot out of me. I fired once and wanted to take a nap”
I don’t know how to respond to that comment.
I guess you just hope they don’t have the energy to vote.
Liberal Melodramatics….
While we didn’t see everything that went on prior to their range experience (or lack thereof), it didn’t appear that there was any off-the-range hands-on experience for these youngsters. At the end of the video, you see the “instructor” showing them how to cycle the shotgun, but it does not appear that he let them handle it and practice prior to getting on the range. You need to get to the grey matter between their ears before they load it with live ammunition. And the 4 rules should have been hammered home prior to even picking up the firearm.
And not sure that a 12 gauge was appropriate for new folks who are inclined to fear firearms in the first place. a .410 would have worked out much better. It almost reminds me of the youtube videos where the dude takes his girlfriend out to the woods to shoot and she ends up bouncing the firearm off her forehead because he handed her a .44. Laughs all around. But I’d bet she’ll never go shooting with the dude again. Definitely not the way to introduce someone to firearms.
I guess it’s easy for us to armchair quarterback the entire experience because what we saw was just a snapshot of what they did/didn’t do. But based on what was presented in the video, my overall impression was that this was a weak exercise in trying to convince someone that firearms are not scary. It could have been done much better.
Five rules, not four. Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.
The “male” gun control advocate looks a lot like pajama boy (google him), the guy from the Christmastime obamacare ad that conservatives ridiculed for looking like a sissy. I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy. He works for OFA.
“This isn’t nearly as fun as trying to steal other people’s Constitutional and natural rights.”
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