Easter Egg Hunt

With the kids getting a little older, we decided to take the tradition of an Easter egg "hunt" a little more literally.

Raw eggs make a lovely mess

But plastic eggs filled with flour make an even more satisfying "poof" sound and visual effect

Cleanup isn't as bad as you'd think; a .22 round leaves just a small hole

Getting Out the Big Guns

The kids have been shooting bb guns and .22 rifles for a few years.  After a very long gun safety lecture/reminder and lots of instruction, they got to try out some of our 'big' guns this weekend.

R shot a single 9mm round through my husband's CZ 75 and was satisfied enough not to ask to fire another.  I believe it was the equivalent of letting a kid have a sip of beer so they realize they're not missing out on anything they would like just yet.

For W, we put a 410 insert into the 12 gauge.

New Holster

Much sleeker; i could almost concealed carry with this baby.

That Gun is Too Big for You

I was driving through the country the other day, over the MO/AR state line, and came across a big, bright, shiny shooting range. I have no immediate need to visit a range, having a big back yard and no neighbors close enough to bother, but i thought what the heck, i could go in and see what they had to offer.

The guy behind the counter seemed nice: an older guy, Vietnam vet, and he did obviously know his stuff. I asked about his CCW, tactical, and self defense classes. We engaged in some friendly conversation, he asked what i did for a living (i'm a housewife) and what i was interested in firearms-wise.

However, a few things he said were a bit...well, contradictory. But not blatantly so. Example: I live just over the state line, and i mentioned that i had tried to buy a handgun in his state before, but was surprised to learn that it wasn't legal for a non-resident (shipping it to another dealer in my state was not offered as an option, so i didn't know that's how it's generally done). He said, "That's not true at all! You can absolutely buy a firearm in this state if you're a resident somewhere else. I ship all over the country!" But he didn't specify that he couldn't sell me anything but a hunting rifle and hand it to me over the counter that very day.  And he didn't specify that he wouldn't be mailing it to another dealer.  I think he should have mentioned that specifically, because let's be honest: not everyone knows how it works.

He's running a business and he's also a dealer. I totally get that. He has classes and merchandise to sell, and that's really tough in rural America. But the whole thing kind of reeked of salesman-ness and that made me a little uncomfortable.

Then he asked what i shoot at home (i obviously wasn't carrying), and i told him i have a Sig Sauer SP 2022. He actually winced and said that was way too big for me. I was shocked, because i have absolutely no trouble at all (open) carrying, chambering, shooting, or cleaning the thing. And i'm only vaguely interested in concealed carrying (i asked about the classes mostly to gauge his rates). Also, i'm not exactly a small lady at 5'6" and about 150 lbs.

Having never prepared a retort for such a statement (because no one that knows me has ever even joked that my gun was too big), I told him, "Well it seems to shoot just fine," but he proceeded to bring out several .380s for me to look at. I did politely look them over and handle them, and ask a few questions because i was trying to figure out why i "needed" one of these tiny things (which do not fit comfortably in my big-for-a-chick hands, btw), and the best i can figure is that he is one of those guys that really pushes concealed carry (which i
admittedly couldn't do with my SP 2022), and/or wanted to sell me something.

So what do you think? Honest guy making an honest living? Should i be offended? Was he right?

Kids Shooting

Meet Samantha

This is Samantha, my Sig Sauer SP 2022. 

It takes a 15 round (9mm) magazine. The mechanisms are very simple: pop in the mag, chamber a round, start shooting. There's no manual safety. The first trigger-pull is double action, so just a little harder than the next 14 (unless you cock manually--which sounds dirtier than it is), but not much (unlike my husband's Ruger P95).

I haven't used a whole lot of pistols, so take my opinions with a grain of salt, but this is both the lightest stock and the least recoil i've experienced so far. Granted, the only other things i've shot more than once are the Ruger P95 and a Czech 1911-style pistol (can't for the life of me think of the model number).  The Ruger P95 is so clunky it won't fit in a normal holster, so this feels sleek in comparison.

Doesn't shoot too bad either; this is the result of my first mag (with very little previous experience with any pistol):

11/15 rounds made it on the paper; i'll be honest, my arm was tired for the last four, if that tells you how inexperienced i really am.

Welcome to The Gun Show

I went to my first gun show today--what an experience! 

First of all, this is clearly the only event hosted on the fairgrounds during which there is no line to the ladies' room.  None!  This is spectacular in itself.  I wondered if there was a line for the mens' room, but no one would tell me.  No one.

I wish i had photos to share, but cameras were prohibited.  Suffice it to say that there were far more guns than i could have looked at and fondled over the course of the afternoon, and more ammo than i could have shot in a month.  Ok, maybe several weeks, and that's counting all the once-used brass.

We did come home with our prize though: a Ruger P95 to replace the Sig Sauer SP 2022 that i "took" from my husband.  We also found a nylon holster to temporarily hold the cumbersome beast of a pistol.