M19 Range Trip - Turned on Unknown Family to S&W

[bmhiii]

Went to the range today to shoot my new-to-me M19, 4 inch. Never fired a K frame before so didn't know what to expect.

Was shooting .38 when I noticed a family come in. I'll call then Mom, Dad (early 30's?), Daughter (12?), and Grandma (65-70?). I'm not good w/ ages, I'm 53, Mom and Dad definitely younger and Grandma was definitely older. Daughter didn't seem to be a teenager yet.

I saw Daughter holding her ear muffs close (it was loud in there) and asked Mom if she wanted some plugs for her daughter to double up on ear protection. She said yes and I gave her a pair of the foam things.

I shot more .38 and then switched to .357 mag. After one cylinder of .357, Dad comes over and inquired as to what I was shooting and I replied .38 Special then .357 magnum. I asked if he wanted to give it a go. He said sure. Did a quick training on revolver SA and DA shooting (he was shooting some .40 semi-auto). He started w/ a cylinder of .38. OK, do you want to try the .357? Unsure, but he decided yes. He was impressed.

He went back to his family, I went back to shooting .357. Pretty soon, Grandma came over and asked what I was shooting. I explained, showing her an unfired .38 Special and .357 mag. Described as bang and big bang.

I took a break and watched family for a few minutes. They also had some SA .22 they were exercising, including Grandma and Daughter.

Talked w/ Dad and Mom and asked Mom if she wanted to try the M19 in .38. She replied in the affirmative. Gave her an intro course like I gave Dad. She did real well at 7 yards grouping low and right (trigger jerk). I then asked her if she wanted to try the .357 mag. She was reluctant then replied she'd try one. I loaded up 3 for her, knowing one is not enough. Again she did well and was impressed with the M19 and .357.

I then went and talked w/ Grandma. I offered her a go at the M19 and to my surprise she said yes. She did well but stuck to DA cause she had trouble cocking the trigger. She declined on the .357 mag.

I didn't offer up for Daughter to give it a go, I felt it might scare her away from shooting and didn't want to do that.

Mom and Dad wanted to buy me a box of ammo and, of course, I said no way. They insisted and I replied that I would not have offered if I didn't want to, just wanted to give them a chance to experience something different.

Dad offered up his .40 to me and I declined because I just had no interest.

Lessons learned:
- Wear double ear protection at this range. (Louder than others I have visited) (
- M19 is a great revolver. Mine is better then I am.
- .357 magnum in K frame is fun, but I will stick w/ my N frames for volume .357 shooting.
- Sharing with a family was fun!
- Wouldn't even think of .357 in a J frame. OK, I'd try it once....

Range fee: $9
Ammo: $100?
M19: $$$
Turning on Mom, Dad, and Grandma to S&W (and giving Daughter ear plugs): Priceless

It was a grand day...

 

[deralte]

Barry, I would like to know you or have you as a neighbor. You sound like one fine individual - or course thats what we have a lot of around here Good on you.

 

[Jack Flash]

That was nice of you. Gave all of them a chance to see that revolvers can be very useful and that gun people are pretty much ordinary people.

"- Wear double ear protection at this range. (Louder than others I have visited)"

I always do that. My hearing is about the only sense I have that hasn't badly degraded over the years. Even at outside ranges, it always seems like I get the booth next to a guy who wants to shoot max-loaded magnums out of a 3" barrel.

 

[bmhiii]

deralte - I am a stand up guy who values his character. That's the way I was raised by my parents. Stop by my campfire anytime, you're welcome until you prove otherwise. Of course I should mention that I have a weird sense of humor that I can't exercise on this forum.

Jack Flash - I learn quickly. I will always be sporting double ear protection at ranges from now on.

To all - I'm relatively new to this forum, but not new to life. I've made mistakes in life but try and correct them immediately. This is a great place and seems to have lots of outstanding individuals. Campfire invitation above is open to all. I'll bring ammo...

For the younger crowd - That's how I roll... (This is a little of the afore mentioned sense of humor )

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I haver been wearing double hearing protection for years, I wear hearing protection when I use power tools, lately I even wear it when I operate a a vacuum cleaner.
Time spent introducing total strangers to the shooting sports, teaching them the basics, letting them fire your firearms, etc. is well spent. It might cost you a few $$ of range time, ammunition, etc., the return on such an investment is beyond calculation.

 

[bmhiii]

I operate a a vacuum cleaner....

...the return on such an investment is beyond calculation.

Uh, what's a vacuum cleaner? Maybe it's that thing in my closet that doesn't come out often enough... (I'm single...)

I have already experienced ROI by having a warm feeling inside....

 

[Iggy]

Nice job, I'd buy you a cup of coffee if I had the opportunity.

 

[bmhiii]

Additions to original post:

- My first time at this range. When I was signing the required form, I heard bang-bang-bang-bang in a fast manner. I told the RO that I guess you allow rapid fire here. He replied as long as I don't shoot his ceiling. I said that if I hit his ceiling, I will remove myself from his range.

- When talking with the afore mentioned family, Daughter wanted to show me her targets. "I scored 738 points" she proudly exclaimed. (The silhouette targets sold at the range had some sort of scoring cirlces on them). I said "Great shooting". She had a big smile on her face....

Iggy, next time I'm out your way, the joe is on you, thanks.

 

[29aholic]

A warm fuzzy feeling is the best reward

Barry,

I had a similar thing happen a while back while shooting on of my 44's. A couple were at the range shooting a Glock 9mm they had rented. Guy came over to see what I was shooting, and I let him shoot it (my loads arent hot by mag standards). Wife came over and she shot it as well, although she gave it up after 2 hubby finished the cylinder for her. She did take a shine to my K22 though and was smiling when she left...so was he.

Folks...all the literature and all the forums in the world would do little to perpetuate that which we love without people like Barry and the rest of you who are ambassadors of the sport.

Keep up the good work.

Barry my campfire is open as well.

 

[ACP230]

In the last few years I've had several guys at the range tell me>
"I've never shot a revolver."
They couldn't make that claim after the next few minutes had passed.

Quite often the guns I had along were my 2.5 inch M19 and M66.

The other day the one I was shooting when I heard the magic words was a stainless Charter Arms Pathfinder three-inch. Not a Smith but a nice and accurate gun.
First timers tend to shoot high with it for some reason, other than that it's a good gun for someone to try first.

 

[ACP230]

In the last few years I've had several guys at the range tell me>
"I've never shot a revolver."
They couldn't make that claim after the next few minutes had passed.

Quite often the guns I had along were my 2.5 inch M19 and M66.

The other day the one I was shooting when I heard the magic words was a stainless Charter Arms Pathfinder three-inch. Not a Smith but a nice and accurate gun.
First timers tend to shoot high with it for some reason, other than that it's a good gun for someone to try first.

 

[foolproofoak]

i've only been into shooting for about a year now, and have not had the privilege to introduce any strangers to the sport. However, there has been no greater joy than introducing my wife, dad, and brother-in-law into the world of shooting. If it had not been for a friend of mine taking me along i would have never known the joys. The only downside to introducing family instead of strangers is that they have all adopted the guns of mine that are "theirs". My wife even put pink grips on one of my Model 36's (the ultimiate in emasculation).

Anyways, thanks to all of you who have shared with others.