America’s Love Affairs

For the vast majority of Americans, shooting and gun ownership is a hobby like football or stamp collecting. Europeans might say that you can’t kill or injure anyone with stamps, but then it’s the American heritage to own and carry firearms. Son-in-law Scott supports responsible gun use and suggested we all went to the firing range to see for ourselves how enjoyable shooting real guns can be. We take him up on the offer. At the range, there is a wide variety of weapons for hire, or purchase, as well as ammunition.

Safety rules are paramount, and here are Claire and Jane are all ready to go with the necessary ear defenders and waiting for shooting instruction.

Jane is firing at the target of a male head and shoulders outline. The targets can be made more distant or closer on a pulley.

Notice that the villain is neutralised by dead-eye Jane’s accurate volleys.

We’re mostly using .22 guns. This is the smallest diameter ammunition, so the gun doesn’t jerk much when fired. This is more accurate for beginners and occasional users. I was persuaded to fire a .45 revolver, much favoured by the gunslingers of the Wild West. A .45 slug has great stopping power but also a violent kick when fired. In untrained hands (i.e. mine) I would consider a .45 pistol as much a danger to the user as to the target. 

In fact, a tiny piece of blowback caught me in the eye so I was seeing double for a while: I had become yet another American firearm statistic….

However, we all agreed that the shooting range was great fun, having set aside for the moment the complex arguments of the Great Firearms Debate.

In parallel with gun culture, America’s other romance is with the motor car. Scott is well represented here with a big pickup truck, a sports car and a mini. Also- and this is the unusual one- a Polaris Slingshot. It looks like a batmobile. Here’s a photo of Scott arriving at Colonial Beach.

The Stars and Stripes flag is a Scott’s embellishment and flaps about as you drive. Driver and passenger wear crash hats. It’s a hairy ride, as I can testify to, but a more sedate run around the block was offered to Jane from Scott & Claire’s house. Jane’s being strapped in: it’s now too late to change your mind!

But all’s well. Jane is smiling and raising celebratory arms. She has survived.