Tuesday night I crossed off one of the items on my bucket list.
I shot a gun. And I liked it. :)
The Farmington Area Moms Club (FAMC) that I'm a part of organized a Moms Night Out recently at the Firing Line Gun Range in Westland. When I saw the e-mail about the get together, I jumped at the chance to go, since shooting a firearm is something I've always wanted to try.
The Firing Line hosts Ladies Night maybe once a month, just for women, taught by female instructors. And I gotta say, that aspect was pretty cool. It was a very full house the night we went, 28 women were there (only five of us from the FAMC), and two awesome instructors, Robin and Diane, plus two additional female staff members providing assistance on the range.
We arrived at 6:30 p.m. and sat through a safety/instruction lesson for about an hour and 15 minutes where we learned all about the gun, terminology for its pieces (the part that holds the amunition is called a magazine, not a "clip"), determining our dominant eye, how to load the magazine and a round in the chamber, and more. They did talk a bit about an upcoming CPL (concealed pistol license) class they were hosting, and why we might consider about obtaining a CPL. It was both fascinating and informative. I was interested in obtaining some limited novice experience handling a gun safely, and becoming somewhat familiar with the basics of firing a gun.
The cost was $14, which included instruction, range time and free gun rental. And then you have to purchase ammunition. I opted to purchase 9mm bullets. A box of 50 cost $15. I shot several guns: Smith & Wesson M&P (standard size) as well as their compact version, a Springfield XD, a Glock 17 and a smaller gun using 22 caliber bullets. My favorite was the Smith and Wesson M&P because it just felt "right" and had a nice responsive trigger.
It was LOUD. Even with the ear muffs it was loud. It was also warm in the range after awhile, and even a little smoky. The instructors encouraged us to cover up our arms/chest if possible because the shell casings would be hot flying around the range, so I wrapped my cardigan around to cover up my chest, and I'm glad I did because those shells were indeed whizzing all around. What a rush the whole experience was! I loved it.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this. For anyone who's ever had an interest in this, I would highly recommend the Firing Line. And for women especially, the Ladies Night option was great.
