Cock the hammer, it's time for action!

"Movin' em back, click-click goes the gun.  Make 'em run boy, make 'em run boy, make 'em run..."

-Lil' Putos - Cypress Hill

This past Sunday rocked, yo.  I first stopped at Ventura to check out the Channel Islands Visitor Center.  The weather was pretty crappy, so there wasn't much of a view, but I did see taxidermied island foxes like my wildlife biologist friend was working with this summer on the Islands.  There also was an elephant seal replica, and mammoth bones.  Oh yeah, you heard me, there were pygmy mammoths on the Channel Islands back in the days of yore and yesteryear.  Who knew? 

I didn't dawdle because I had to drive to Oxnard for the Main Event.

OK, I know I might lose you here, but I must confess, shooting guns makes me deliriously happy.  

Yes, I know, it's serious business to shoot a gun.  Before you scold me, I promise I won't throw my set in the air, and wave it around like I just don't care.

Think I'll load a clip, let's see if you can deal with it

My friend gave me a lengthy demonstration on gun and safety basics first, such as how to make a gun safe, and simple mechanical information that was all new to me.  I asked a thousand stupid questions,  "So, how long will it take for me to be able to somersault and shoot at a moving target?" or "How do I hold the flashlight, cell phone, and gun at the same time as I'm chasing supernatural evildoers?" 

My friend proceeded to tell me that the way guns are portrayed in the movies and television isn't very accurate.  What?

"Even very experienced shooters don't jump in slow motion and shoot their weapon sideways.  The sights are at the top of the gun, not the side."  

Grab my gat, and load up the steel

After my safety briefing, we went to the Shooters Paradise of Oxnard, and judging from the name, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone with my pleasure of guns.

I shot a .22 Ruger Mark II, Beretta 92FS 9mm, and a Ruger .44 Magnum Super Blackhawk.  The latter is my fav because it produced smoke and fire, and I got a couple bulls-eyes with that action.  It also has the best name.  In fact, I'm a little surprised that the Hill never worked it into some lyrics,  "You better run boy, better, run,  I've got a Super Blackhawk as my gun!"  Maybe they prefer weapons with one syllable?

"This is a Russian Roulette gun!" I said excitedly, spinning the barrel of the Super Blackhawk.  The good thing about a gun range is that it's loud enough to drown out comments like that one.

H to the motherf***in K homeboy, H to the motherf***in K

When we were finished, I went out to the store area to check out some guns, because now of course, I really want to buy one.  As I hummed Cypress Hill, I asked the gentleman sporting tats and a holstered HK (because you need to pack heat at a shooting range surrounded by guns) if I could look at the Glock I was eyeing.  When I held its hard plastic handle, it felt so right.  I remarked, "It's so light and fits my tiny, girl hand perfectly.  It feels like a toy."  Yikes - it feels like a toy.  Glocks don't have external safeties either, because it "adds to the simplicity of use", which makes sense for law enforcement weapons, like the one the DEA agent was packing on YouTube, (as long as you don't walk around with a loaded gun and your finger on the trigger).

The Sales Guy showed me a couple other guns that I wasn't going to buy, and he talked to me like I understood all the complicated lingo he was throwing my way.  Thanks to Sarah Palin?  You betcha!  

As my friend and Packin' Heat Sales Guy chatted about the nuances of gun ownership and California Law, I started to see gray and was ready to end this excellent adventure. 

We ain't goin' out like that

Target practice is a fun sport.  You don't get scrapes down your arm like you do with archery, and it's not boring like darts.  Yes it's true, there is no cardiovascular benefit, but it's a healthy way to seek stress reduction.  The folks at the LAX Firing Range compare the sport to yoga, because you can "enjoy euphoric rushes of energy combined with inner peacefulness".   

If you're interested in trying out target shooting for yourself, go online and check out your state's Department of Fish and Game and enroll in a Hunter Safety Class.  I'm going to take the 10 hour course offered at the Redondo Rod and Gun Club for $20.  They cover basic firearm safety, State and Federal laws, personal liability, wildlife management, survival and more.  The instructor said it's a lot of info to pack into 10 hours.  

If there is a gun range near you, check and see what Pistol Safety and Shooting classes they offer.  The LAX Firing Range has a beginner firearms training course available by appointment only, and they offer more in-depth tactical classes as well.  I'm looking forward to the Night Fighting class taught by Special Ops and Law Enforcement Instructors which will most likely help me live out my X-Files fantasies.

______________________________________________

To learn more about firearms, download this informative study booklet for the California Safety Certificate.  It is a CA requirement to pass the test in order to purchase a handgun, but the guy at the LAX shooting range told me that "anyone with a pulse can pass it".