I have given myself over to learning gun safety and handling. Many, many years ago I was the organizer of a Boy Scout Safety Weekend, where we taught Life Guarding, First Aid/CPR, Wilderness First Aid, BLS and a gun safety course. I might be missing one or two of the offerings. Anyway, quite often I helped the NRA guys set up and if I wasn't teaching a class, I would go over and help them out since their classes were always packed. I was tasked with range safety usually overseeing and mentoring two shooters at a time. I'm not completely ignorant, but I'm not going to claim to be an expert either. I know I have a lot to learn and am now plotting how to attain the competence I will feel necessary to handle a pistol safely and proficiently. I do strongly believe in training, practice and training.
First, I'll be reading. I chose the 1911 A1 due to it's combat history. If the design was so poor, then why have more than a dozen companies choose to make a version of it? Yesterday, I shot a half dozen different pistols, mostly 9mm and .45 with one 38 special. I had looked at the Springfield Mil Spec earlier and was impressed with it's price and condition for a used weapon. I was even more impressed with how it fit in my hand and how it wasn't really all that heavy due to its balance. They allowed me to fire it, and my first shot was through the "X" at about 15 yds.
I have spent a good bit of time reading last night and this morning only to find that I probably picked one of the best examples of the 1911 A1 pistols out there. Kewl. I'll be leaving in a few minutes to take the concealed weapons class. I believe there will be some safety in the class, but I'm hoping this centers more on the laws about gun carry. That's what I'm most ignorant of. Terms like "open carry" and "concealed carry" seem deceptively easy to comprehend. I want to know the caveats. Not only for me, but for others who might be carrying around me.
Yes, I'll also be reaching out to my NRA buddies back in Orlando. A couple are trainers for the local PD and I want to take a few of their classes. No, I won't be joining the NRA as I find them to morally bankrupt in regards to promoting gun safety but not control. I also have reached out to a friend who's a gun smith in Orlando to teach me more about this pistol. Sure, I'll be spending hours at the gun range learning to shoot and some of that will be with a coach as well. If you're going to learn something: go all out.
