Firing Range

My target at 30 feet!

Mike and I went to the Surplus City firing range this morning. We're still in the market for a gun for him, but I have a Browning .380 that fits my hand very well. He rented a Springfield Arms .40 caliber to try out before we make a big purchase, and boy am I glad he did! I've been harping for weeks on how much I loved and wanted a palm safety, but once I fired the rented gun versus my current gun, I realized how comfortable my gun is, though smaller.

It's been a while since I've shot anything, and I have never in my life fired a gun indoors. I was suprised at how loud and traumatic it was! Mike fired off a few rounds with both the 380 and the .40. When it was my turn, I almost chickened out; I had to get Mike to fire off a few more rounds before I got up enough courage. After firing off both clips, I was reloading the .40, and my shoulder blade accidentally bumped the "I-need-help" button. Paul came in all concerned, and I had no idea why until Mike figured it out.

The palm safety and double-action trigger on the Springfield were just too much movement for me. It felt like I was firing off a jack-in-the-box with too many moving parts. The kick wasn't that much different, but I also wonder if there's a difference in the gun's composition: the .380 is all metal and wood, while the .40 was polymer. I did like that the .40 didn't have a hammer to mess with, but after cleaning the .380 this afternoon and working with it more, I'm becoming more and more comfortable with it.

We're looking forward to getting our Wildlife Management Area permits at the Turcotte Education and Shooting Facility for more practice.