Our new next door neighbor asked if I would teach them to use a handgun. Last week we sat down in the house so I could show them how to safely handle the M&P Compact 9MM, LCP & a Model 60. Today we’re going to shoot all three so they’ll have an idea what they want to purchase for home protection & EDC (they plan to buy one for the house and another to conceal). The husband is retired military but hasn’t handled a gun for 10 yrs. and the wife has never shot a gun. It should be an interesting afternoon.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Good for you. Years ago I took a fellow on the county commissioners out to my club to shoot bowling pins and he had a ball. He took one of the pins home for a trophy.

We're on hiatus from doing that kind of firearms introduction until the ammo drought eases.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

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Slava Ukraini!

Good on ya! We need as many people on our side as we can get.

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No baby we aint

Being a good neighbor is great. Be safe also and don't forget the front sight.

Got back a few minutes ago and both people shot very well. She seems to be the decision maker and is leaning toward the M&P Compact for home protection and the LCP for EDC. Tomorrow’s lesson will be about cleaning & maintenance staged in my garage.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Ya dun gud! Nothing better than taking a new shooter to the range and them asking, "When are we going to go again?"

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

Thanks, both are anxious to go again and the wife wants to learn all she can. She’s a naturally good marksman.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I did the same for a family nearby awhile back -very rewarding for me and enjoyable for them. Kudos to you, Old cop!

Regards,
Andy

Just make sure they buy a weapon with some weigh for mild recoil and a caliber small enough that they like shooting it !!

That way they will use and shoot it !!

Went to the range w/the couple again today to shoot their new Gen 5 Glock 19. Once we got past loading rounds into the mag backwards things went smoothly. Both people shot pretty well on a Q Target @ five yards and we’re planning to go again in two weeks. Afterward we sat in my garage so they could learn how to field strip & clean/maintain their new gun. I’m having a good time doing this.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Great job Sir! Keep up the good work.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Two new shooters on our side that’s awesome.

I took a buddy shooting before he purchased a s&w 500. He never shot before. He wasn’t fond of the recoil on the 44 mag.

Our first trip both people shot my old style Model 60 w/standard pressure & +P but neither one seemed bothered by the recoil.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

The four of us went to the range again today and shot their generation five G19 (I really like that gun). They’re coming along nicely, gaining self confidence but still a bit awkward with loading, unloading & field stripping for cleaning. When we got back to my garage I assigned “homework” for our next outing in two weeks. He has a box of snap caps so I had them load a couple of mags w/a few and go through some load and unload drills. I suggested they practice, absent any live ammo in the room, several times until we go again. I hope to build safe gun handling confidence.

She still has a pronounced flinch, causing her to shoot a few inches low at five yards. Any suggestions to help her overcome this problem would be appreciated.

As an aside she asked if I had my LCP b/c she wanted to shoot it again. Seemed to absorb the recoil w/o much of a problem.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

You should probably practice this with an experienced shooter before you try it with her.

Make sure she knows exactly what you're going to do before you do it, and do it several times with an empty firearm. Have her assume her proper grip, stance, sight alignment and sight picture, with her trigger finger outside the trigger guard and positioned straight along the frame/slide. If she's right handed, stand to the left of her. Place your right hand on her back, and use your left index finger to depress the trigger. Encourage her to maintain her four fundamentals throughout. If she flinches before the trigger is fully depressed, stop, talk about it, and start over. She'll try to lean back or relax her grip as you depress the trigger. Your hand on her back, and your verbal instructions will stop this. Do this several times, then let her go on her own. Most important part is making sure you keep your hand out of the way of the slide coming back, which you might do if she starts leaning or pulling back as the trigger is depressed . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Good for you, old cop. I have taught many young folks in my time. Mostly I started them with my S&W 22. Myself I use a newer Model 638 now.

I prefer to start newbies w/my Model 63 .22 but they wanted to jump right in w/their 9MM. Turns out they were right. Hubby is retired Air Force but hasn’t shot in about 10 years.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Ha.

This is how I started this new shooter.
I took her and my daughter on a beautiful day and shot for about three hours.

And she is a Brit, no less.
Never held a gun in her life much less shoot one.

Her remark after we were finished was, "I can't wait to call me mum and tell her I shot the 'Dirty Harry Gun'."
Yes, the last gun I had them shoot was the S&W .44 Magnum. They loved it.
Of course by then they were both 'seasoned' shooters. Ha.

enjoy,
bdGreen

Dry firing worked really well with my daughter that developed a flinch.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Old cop.................you get the Gold Star for the day, way to go!

Thanks, I’m having a good time.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

We got together w/them this evening and I assigned more “homework”, dry fire, shooting from the reset.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)