Butts
Veteran Member
I'm really suprised a lot of people have never fired a "proper" gun - perhaps it's a generational thing !!
It very much is. Post-WW2 there were a lot more guns floating around and national service still existed, so people who grew up in the 50's and 60's were much more likely to be exposed to firearms. Even into the '70s and 80s the Cold War armed forces were much larger and the army/air force cadets were very active.I'm really suprised a lot of people have never fired a "proper" gun - perhaps it's a generational thing !!
Meant to add, it's also a geographical thing - people in more rural areas are much more likely to have guns in their lives.It very much is.I'm really suprised a lot of people have never fired a "proper" gun - perhaps it's a generational thing !!
Target shooting was done in the prone position. What you fired sounds like a .303 Lee Enfield, you had to hold it really tight to your shoulder or it could give you quite a thump.I've held and fired a rifle once on a school trip to Strensall Barracks many years ago. All I can recall is that we had to lie down in order to fire, it was some sort of indoor range with a target that seemed miles away. I've no idea what type of firearm it was, but I do know it was bloody heavy and had one hell of a kick! I also believe I missed.
Now, there's your problem. Right there!Plus I was already trying to balance girlfriends...
Now, there's your problem. Right there!
Target shooting was done in the prone position. What you fired sounds like a .303 Lee Enfield, you had to hold it really tight to your shoulder or it could give you quite a thump.
The Air Cadets were a fantastic organisation (well at least 40 years ago !!!)
As previously mentioned shooting .22 and .303 ....plus
Gliding .... at Old Sarum in my case
Air Experience Flying in a Chipmunk at Hamble - often with WWII veteran on the joystick - "I have control sir" - anyone remember that.
Helicopter Flight in a Wessex
Also Annual Camps in the UK and abroad ....Germany and Malta in my case.
You could actually get your "wings" for a Glider or Aircraft with scholarships available.
For a lot of miscreants first exposure to illegal smoking and drinking.....
Wonder what the ATC is like today ?
This!
I was also an air cadet and had the same shooting experiences. Boring as hell, I couldn’t hit a barn door either.
The experience did teach me about how dangerous rifles are. Once you’ve fired one, you understand how they can put a hole right through someone.
One on the left, one on the right,,,, oh, happy days. Never happened to me, of course. Married far too young!Plus I was already trying to balance girlfriends .
I'm really suprised a lot of people have never fired a "proper" gun - perhaps it's a generational thing !!
If you look at the full text of the Second Amendment:Nowhere else in the world pretends that ownership of firearms is fundamental to the wellbeing of the citizenship, because nowhere else in the world is so dumb.
Which makes it clear (to me at least) that it is 'a well regulated militia' which is the necessary thing, not unlimited ownership of firearms.A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Why? Surely, the only people to have fired guns would be Farmers, Army Personnel, a tiny minority of Police Officers and the worst of criminals. I overheard a conversation with a Police "special" today saying that British Police hardly ever even carry Tasers - far too much paperwork involved.
Surely, the only people to have fired guns would be Farmers, Army Personnel, a tiny minority of Police Officers and the worst of criminals. I overheard a conversation with a Police "special" today saying that British Police hardly ever even carry Tasers
There should be an amendment to the Second Amendment: the phrase 'the right to bear arms' replaced by 'the right to bare arms', It'd solve the problems at a stroke of the pen. How can a supposedly sophisticated nation cleeve to such outmoded concepts? It's caveman stuff dressed up in bombastic legalese. Nowhere else in the world pretends that ownership of firearms is fundamental to the wellbeing of the citizenship, because nowhere else in the world is so dumb.
On the substance of the question, I only got to handling a firearm in the army cadet corps at school and, though I was pleased to be classed as a marksman, it never made me want to continue with it. I do remember my father, who'd been a tank commander in WW2 and continued in the Territorial Army afterwards, going to Bisley to compete in some firing there, so I suppose he must have been good at it, but I know he became very anti-war in later life.
I spent a day in the butts at the old Rainham ranges spotting for a competition once. I am not sure if they would still allow youngsters of 15 to 17 to do that. Raising a wooden pointer to mark the fall of each shot with strict instructions to keep your head below the parapet. The butts themselves consisted of a curved metal cover rather like a giant bus shelter covered with earth. Somebody fired low and skimmed the parapet, the whole thing rang like a bell.The most sobering experience I had was in the 'butts' on an outdoor range at Strensall. For those that don't know, this is at the target end of the range. You sit behind an earth/concrete wall and raise up a big paper target on a pully system for someone to shoot at. You then take shelter and watch their bullets hit an angled sand/concrete bank opposite where you're sat, along with associated ping-ing sound affects. Very eerie hearing bullets pinging all around you and seeing the sand being kicked up in the air, I remember it made me a bit uneasy at the time, hopefully the closest I'll ever come to being shot at. Wouldn't want to do that for a living.
I was in both the CCF and the ATC, CCF was definitely better. Got to go to some great bases, St. Mawgan, Marham, Halton, Valley, Cottesmore but the best was a two week trip to a small army base in Canada where we learnt to ski- it's an amazing country and I'd love to go back. Obviously loved the flying too at Church Fenton, Linton-on-Ouse and Benson amongst other places.
As a probationer PC, on three occasions I (with others) was sent to firearms incidents to "contain the situation".Beyond BB guns, old muskets displayed in museums/pubs and the SMGs carried by armed police/soldiers, I have happily never seen a gun in real life. I hope that continues. Quite frankly I'd really rather the police not be armed either No, I'm not saying that there shouldn't be police with guns, just that they should not be on standard patrol - anywhere. The sight of a gun, even carried by a law enforcement official, does not embue me with a sense of safety, quite the opposite in fact. I do not want to live in a society where law enforcement ever day carry around things which have no purpose other than to kill other humans.
OK. Replace "Army" with Military. FWIW (which is very little) No, I haven't heard of Rock Apes and if I did, I would probably assume it was those acquisitive monkeys in Gibraltar. Bootnecks, neither (Bootleggers, yes).It may come as a shock to you but the RAF, Marines and Navy have firearms as well as the Army. Never heard of "Rock Apes" or "Bootnecks"
Also Army Cadets, Sea Cadets and Air Cadets
Wrong on both counts.
OK. Replace "Army" with Military. FWIW (which is very little) No, I haven't heard of Rock Apes and if I did, I would probably assume it was those acquisitive monkeys in Gibraltar. Bootnecks, neither (Bootleggers, yes).
You can tell him what you like. But to answer your first point, what about those who have fired a gun somewhere on holiday, over here as hobby, a hunter or anyone who is old enough to own a gun before all the major restrictions came in?
To answer your point about tasers, you do not need to be a firearms officer to be issued a taser and the issue rate increases each year. The City of London Police issued nearly 2000 more tasers to their officers last year alone and there are talks to issue the majority of front line police with them. To say they don't carry them because of paper work is wrong.
Don't go to Brazil then. The Policia Militar live up to expectations - keep in mind that (certainly in Rio) they provide the majority of policing services.Scariest was seeing police outside banks in Bolivia with what looked like Schmeissers.