Wednesday, November 06, 2013

You Know What Else You Can See From Outer Space?

     On the ISS, they don't need optics to see the sound of rears being covered at Guns & Ammo, where Dick "maybe a little more regulation?" Metcalfe has -- ahem -- moved on from the editorship and is presumably pursuing his inner Zumbo. (Some excepts from the original editorial, here.)

     Y'know, every time I go to the range, I see people who ought to shoot better -- and would, if they'd slow down and take some advice from the range officers.  In the event of emergency, I'm not sure how they'd do, though around 98 percent of them know to keep their fool finger off the go-bang hook until they're ready to make that happen.  99 percent of them know to keep the firearm pointed down range and the other one percent just got yelled at and know it now.  It'd be pretty kewl if I could wave a magic wand -- or a magic law -- and make them learn better, safer gun-handling and acquire good aim.

     But it doesn't work that way.  You can stick 'em in a class, and many will glumly tough it out; you can herd them out onto the firing line at the range and drill them sufficiently to drill a large target at Tueller-drill distances -- that day.  But you can't make 'em drill enough to inculcate habitual safe, accurate behavior; they'll either seek out more instruction and strive to practice good habits, or they won't.  They're free citizens and the safety record of shooting ranges in this country speaks to an adequate level of training -- but no more than that.  That's as good as it's going to get.

     Dick Metcalfe indulged in a little wishful thinking.  It backfired.  Badly.  "Be certain of your target and what's behind it," it says right here -- and he wasn't. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not unlike that gun blogger who it turned out wasn't...
And lost most of his readership!

Learn from whence your bread is buttered, Bubba!

gfa

Keads said...

That was quick and telling.

Ken O said...

Is it blood dancing if we revel in his unemployment?

Anonymous said...

I quit watching G&A TV when Mr. Metcalfe, a noted expert in his own mind, kept pointing pistols at his own hand and putting his finger on the trigger.

Yes Dick, I know you would have told me they were unloaded. Doesn't matter because it just shows your not the expert you think your are.

How the piece ever got published is beyond me.

Gerry

Chris said...

Would the Progressives support 16 hours of training/instruction prior to voting? Or would that be racist?