I figured this was as good a place as any to post this...
At the new range I belong to, one of the benefits is, for your birthday, you get a free rental of a Class 3, F/A weapon. Whatever they got, plus a few rounds of ammo to shoot up.
Well, I've only fired a few rounds of F/A in my life, from a HK MP-5, so I was sort of looking forward to this. Sort of a "bucket list" deal.
I selected some kind of M4...or something like it, an AR type carbine anyway, with a red dot sight. When I asked what brand it was they described it as a "Frankengun." OK. Good enough for me.
They fetched the rifle, gave me a quick course on "This does this and that does that" and three boxes of PMC ammo and explained to hold low at first because the muzzle would climb...OK. Got it.
Went into the range, set the target back to 75 feet (as far as it would go), loaded the magazine, and fired off one shot in semi...BAM! Louder than I expected, and more recoil. Not bad. Just more than I expected, but then I didn't know what to expect. I'd never fired anything like this before. A "push", not a "kick."
I fired off a few more shots in semi, ran the target back and checked and saw that I had at least hit the paper. You see, I make NO claim to being a rifleman. Except for squirrel hunting with a 22, I have almost NO experience with a rifle at all. And I was standing on my back legs. When I shoot a 22, I almost always find a tree trunk to use as a rest.
Ok..I'm hitting paper, about where I was aiming at least. Let's try this again.
Did I mention that this thing, whatever it was, had the absolute WORST trigger I have ever used on anything? It made my Hi-Point C-9, seem like a Colt Gold Cup in comparison. No idea if this is normal for this type gun or not, but I'll just have to work around it. Set the switch to "happy" and pulled until I thought my finger would break...Bruppppp...Three, maybe five rounds. Again...same thing. I can see the red dot come off target. Pull it back. Ok...I'm starting to get the feel. Finish off the magazine, reload and repeat. Again...By the time I've enmptied the third magazine, I'm starting to feel like the dot is staying where it's supposed to.
Well, that was fun. Not as fast as I expected. I was able to control three or four round bursts I think. I was sort of surprised how long it took me to empty a magazine to tell you the truth, but I was making a conscience effort to NOT "hose" the target. And I was holding on the lower part of the "pin."
I was able to hit the paper most of the time.
Not great shooting, but like I said, I don't shoot rifles often. I will say it was fun, but not something to make me want to run out and buy an AR. My wife is a member also, and her birthday is coming up. She said I can have her turn. I told her she might as well try it once.
At the new range I belong to, one of the benefits is, for your birthday, you get a free rental of a Class 3, F/A weapon. Whatever they got, plus a few rounds of ammo to shoot up.
Well, I've only fired a few rounds of F/A in my life, from a HK MP-5, so I was sort of looking forward to this. Sort of a "bucket list" deal.
I selected some kind of M4...or something like it, an AR type carbine anyway, with a red dot sight. When I asked what brand it was they described it as a "Frankengun." OK. Good enough for me.
They fetched the rifle, gave me a quick course on "This does this and that does that" and three boxes of PMC ammo and explained to hold low at first because the muzzle would climb...OK. Got it.
Went into the range, set the target back to 75 feet (as far as it would go), loaded the magazine, and fired off one shot in semi...BAM! Louder than I expected, and more recoil. Not bad. Just more than I expected, but then I didn't know what to expect. I'd never fired anything like this before. A "push", not a "kick."
I fired off a few more shots in semi, ran the target back and checked and saw that I had at least hit the paper. You see, I make NO claim to being a rifleman. Except for squirrel hunting with a 22, I have almost NO experience with a rifle at all. And I was standing on my back legs. When I shoot a 22, I almost always find a tree trunk to use as a rest.
Ok..I'm hitting paper, about where I was aiming at least. Let's try this again.
Did I mention that this thing, whatever it was, had the absolute WORST trigger I have ever used on anything? It made my Hi-Point C-9, seem like a Colt Gold Cup in comparison. No idea if this is normal for this type gun or not, but I'll just have to work around it. Set the switch to "happy" and pulled until I thought my finger would break...Bruppppp...Three, maybe five rounds. Again...same thing. I can see the red dot come off target. Pull it back. Ok...I'm starting to get the feel. Finish off the magazine, reload and repeat. Again...By the time I've enmptied the third magazine, I'm starting to feel like the dot is staying where it's supposed to.
Well, that was fun. Not as fast as I expected. I was able to control three or four round bursts I think. I was sort of surprised how long it took me to empty a magazine to tell you the truth, but I was making a conscience effort to NOT "hose" the target. And I was holding on the lower part of the "pin."
I was able to hit the paper most of the time.
Not great shooting, but like I said, I don't shoot rifles often. I will say it was fun, but not something to make me want to run out and buy an AR. My wife is a member also, and her birthday is coming up. She said I can have her turn. I told her she might as well try it once.
