Introductory Note from JWR: The following was posted at the Mike’s Madhouse forum, one of the Baen’s Bar Forums. (This is the forum moderated by SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large, Michael Z. Williamson.) It illustrates how incredibly naive some newbie gun owners can be. It also underscores a couple of my oft-repeated mantras: Survival is not about gadgets. It is about skills. And, tools without training are almost useless. Owning a gun doesn’t make someone a “shooter” any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer. Reading this letter made me laugh hysterically, but it also made me sad to think that for each “rescued’ newbie that is successfully mentored by a skilled shooter, there are probably one or two others that remain blissfully ignorant. Even worse, some of these latter-day gun owners might think that merely buying several thousand dollars worth of guns and paraphernalia has somehow made them “prepared.” Here is the post:
“This last week I had a conversation with a associate at work. First let me tell you about him, he’s a little liberal and by that I am saying someone who is left of Obama. He starts up the conversation with “you know about guns right, could you teach me how to shoot my guns,” at this point I am speechless, I mean this person is about the most liberal person I know. First I have to pick up my jaw and my hamster fell out of his wheel is laying on its back doing the kick’en chicken. Flabbergasted that I am I ask what type he owns and he tells me that they are “those M16 machine guns and a 45 cal automatic.”
Having known him for about six years and he is a friend (we agreed to not talk about politics and religion years ago) I asked, “What does your wife think about the guns?” He answered: “Oh she knows we bought two of each” (Jaw on floor, Hamster now in critical condition), you have to know his wife more to the left than him, and the last time she visited [my home] I had to swear that all the guns were locked up so the children were safe.
The first thing I ask, do you have a gun safe, answer: “No and don’t worry we haven’t bought bullets yet.” I tell him sure, I will walk through weapon safety and will teach him to shoot. By the way where did you buy the weapons? His answer: The local local “sporting warehouse” . I told him to bring the weapons Friday and I will go over range and weapon safety, and we’ll go to the range on Saturday (today).
On Friday afternoon he brings the weapons and accessories over. Now I won’t say the salesman saw them coming but, he sold him: two Pelican rifle cases with locks,two Blackhawk drag bags, two Pelican pistol cases. The “M16 machine guns” turned out to be a pair of S&W M&P PSX [semi-auto only M4 clone rifles] each with a Trijicon ACOG and with a green laser and forward pistol grip with flashlight and with bipod and only one magazine [for each emphasis Mike’s] about the only missing accessory is the latté maker (a whole ‘nother story)
Now I have seen decked out M4s before but this was ridiculous. With all [items] mounted weight about 15 lbs unloaded. The .45 turned out to be a Kimber SIS with 2 magazines and a shoulder holster and a belt holster with a gun belt, magazine holder. Now he isn’t hurting for money but this is taking him to the cleaners. So first thing I start taking off cr*p, laser goes, pistol grip with flashlight goes, I start to take off the Trijicon but did you know that the M&P does not come with iron sights?
I had to ask [facetiously] why they didn’t get a laser for the Kimber. His answer “It’s on order.”
Next, I put all the excess stuff in the handy Pelican box and walk through weapon safety. If you notice there were no eye or ear protection, cleaning kits [included] with all this gear [that he was sold].
First thing, I show them how to disassemble and clean the M4 and Kimber. I decided that we would start with the pistol and that I would bring a 22 for them to start with. The range went well we started with the targets at 5m then to 7m, 10m and so forth.it went flawlessly. No great groups but at least they were hitting the targets. We shot about 500 rounds of . 22 and ended with 200 rounds of .45.
They had fun and [I helped to create] another [enthusiastic] gun owner. I got them to start using a my favorite gun shop for their future purchases. (She liked my SIG P226 and wants one now).
We stopped at the warehouse [store] and returned some of the excess equipment, about $1,500 worth. I told them to practice the basics, and then if they wanted to they could get other accessories. I will be taking them to a different range tomorrow for the M4. Wish me luck. Now, if I could only revive my hamster!”