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- Apr 4, 2006
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I will be married to my wife for 45 years next week and I have asked her to go to the Range with me umpteen times over our marriage - she never seemed interested & never went. Yesterday, she expressed an interest in going with us this morning and I was shocked (but happy about it) to say the least.
I never met her Dad as he passed away a decade before I even met my wife. He was a WWll Paratrooper who served in the 82nd Airborne and was part of the D-Day Invasion. I do sort of know something about him through the hundreds of WWll photo's, family photo's, stories from my wife, etc. I regret never meeting him because we would have gotten along very well! Anyway, in 1964 he purchased a brand new 3", square butt, bull barrel, blued 38 spl. Chief's Special. The local gun store that he frequented held the gun for many many years until I came along and became its new owner. After his death, my MIL asked the gun store to hold it as she did not hold a NYC pistol permit.
Before we went to the Range this morning I gave my wife safety instruction, operating instructions and the Range rules. Before letting her shoot the Chief's Special, I let her put 50 rounds of 22LR through my M41 just so she got the feel of firing a real gun. She did OK, not a natural Marksman, but she started feeling more comfortable after 30 or 40 rounds and started improving. After we shot 100 rounds of 22, I took her Dad's gun out, showed her how that operates, etc. and let her shoot 30 rounds through that. She shot the Chief's Spl better than the M41 which was very surprising to say the least, especially with its short fixed rear sight. She seemed to have a great time shooting, had a nostalgic connection with her Dad and enjoyed the whole experience. I was happy to see the 158 grain 38 special recoil did not seem to phase her.
Anyway, I will see if today's journey was a one shot deal or if she is interested in getting into the hobby. She said to me on the way back, "well now that I went to the Range with you, will you join me at Bingo night?" I just gave her the look!
I never met her Dad as he passed away a decade before I even met my wife. He was a WWll Paratrooper who served in the 82nd Airborne and was part of the D-Day Invasion. I do sort of know something about him through the hundreds of WWll photo's, family photo's, stories from my wife, etc. I regret never meeting him because we would have gotten along very well! Anyway, in 1964 he purchased a brand new 3", square butt, bull barrel, blued 38 spl. Chief's Special. The local gun store that he frequented held the gun for many many years until I came along and became its new owner. After his death, my MIL asked the gun store to hold it as she did not hold a NYC pistol permit.
Before we went to the Range this morning I gave my wife safety instruction, operating instructions and the Range rules. Before letting her shoot the Chief's Special, I let her put 50 rounds of 22LR through my M41 just so she got the feel of firing a real gun. She did OK, not a natural Marksman, but she started feeling more comfortable after 30 or 40 rounds and started improving. After we shot 100 rounds of 22, I took her Dad's gun out, showed her how that operates, etc. and let her shoot 30 rounds through that. She shot the Chief's Spl better than the M41 which was very surprising to say the least, especially with its short fixed rear sight. She seemed to have a great time shooting, had a nostalgic connection with her Dad and enjoyed the whole experience. I was happy to see the 158 grain 38 special recoil did not seem to phase her.
Anyway, I will see if today's journey was a one shot deal or if she is interested in getting into the hobby. She said to me on the way back, "well now that I went to the Range with you, will you join me at Bingo night?" I just gave her the look!
