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Guns really do smoke when you fire them.<\/p>\n Guns really do smoke when you fire them.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d never given much thought to the origin of the word gunsmoke<\/em> till I saw the gray curl wafting from the barrel of a handgun I\u2019d just fired.<\/p>\n My eagerness to learn to shoot probably surprises some friends. I seem more inclined to toy with yoga poses and garden shears than bullets and gunpowder.<\/p>\n But I grew up around guns. My father hunted when I was young, although he quit when the scopes became so powerful that he felt the deer didn\u2019t have a sporting chance.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t drawn to shooting to protect myself or home; I have little doubt that I would be the cautionary tale of keeping a gun in the house. I would have it wrested away from me by an intruder or shoot myself in the foot while cleaning it.<\/p>\n I wanted to try the activity for the sport, for the precision required.<\/p>\n Former co-worker Glenn Sheller recently took me to his indoor shooting range in Lancaster for my first lesson.<\/p>\n Although I\u2019ve been around guns all my life \u2013 and even inherited one of my father\u2019s rifles, I\u2019d never fired one.<\/p>\n Glenn set me up with a Ruger .22 pistol, which was light enough for me to hold steady.<\/p>\n That crafted bit of black metal was intimidating, with so much power is packed into such a small device.<\/p>\n But I respected the gun the way I respect large bodies of water. Around water, you must always be aware that it can kill.<\/p>\n Same with guns.<\/p>\n Glenn showed me the basics: safety measures, proper grip, ideal stance.<\/p>\n And then I began shooting.<\/p>\n Using the .22, I hit the center of the target with a respectable number of shots from the Ruger over the next 90 minutes.<\/p>\n Glenn let me try a .22 Magnum revolver as well. It was heavier, with a trigger that required more force.<\/p>\n But with the revolver and later with a 9 mm, my aim was wilder, not nearly as accurate. I went back to the Ruger, with which I\u2019d grown relatively comfortable with in a short time.<\/p>\n Keeping all Glenn\u2019s guidance in mind as I shot was a bit of work. If I got my grip right, I let my stance slide. If I got my stance right, I anticipated the recoil. I tended to shoot always a bit to the left of where I aimed.<\/p>\n When we left, I could taste the sulfur of the gunsmoke at the back of my throat. Glenn was an excellent teacher, though, and I enjoyed my time at the shooting range.<\/p>\n Conclusion: I\u2019ll do this again.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guns really do smoke when you fire them. I\u2019d never given much thought to the origin of the word gunsmoke till I saw the gray curl wafting from the barrel of a handgun I\u2019d just fired. My eagerness to learn to shoot probably surprises some friends. I seem more inclined to toy with yoga poses … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/cindyfiles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/IMG_4447-300x225.jpg\")
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