Italian Foreign Exchange Student, a joy at the range

[troupe]

I would like to tell a little about a wonderful experience that I was requested for at the range the other day with one of my fellow officers. One of my past officers wanted to know if I would be willing to take a young lady from Italy to the range. He explained that she is staying with his family and she is a high school foreign exchange student from Italy.

I agreed without hesitation. It is always wonderful to get to help young folks into the shooting sports of any type, let alone help someone that has never fired any type of gun. Knowing that the young lady most likely did not have access to any type of firearms in her native country, I thought that it would be a nice experience.

I meet my past partner and the young lady at the range. We were introduced and I realized that she was very nervous. Just being around gun fire made her nervous. We talked at great length about shooting and what she may have known or did know. She explained to me exactly what I expected. She explained to me, that in her country that she was not allowed to own any type of guns or had never been around any form of shooting.

We continued talking and the more we talked , the more she was calming down. My goal was to let her get used to some of the sounds of the range with time on my side. I love to learn about other cultures and it was as much of a treat for me to learn about her experiences in her country. I wanted to give her time to get a little used to the sounds of gun fire. All she had ever known was how "BAD" guns are, and that in America, there are all types of shooting that created bad things. I confirmed with her multiple times if she actually wanted to learn some of the very basic safety issues and she said that she did, since she may never get the chance to do it again.

We covered all of the basic safety protocol and proceed very slowly. She got to handle a unloaded , old Ruger 22. We determined which eye was her dominate eye and slowly worked on. I continued to ask if she wanted to proceed further, and more and more, I could tell that she was getting more excited and really wanted to shoot the old Ruger. We worked on and I showed her what she would visually see and feel with her grip, sight alignment, recoil from the pistol. She was very excited and wanted to shoot.

I asked again, are you ready to shoot and she gave the biggest smile and said "I was born ready" with an Italian accent. I have to say that it was quite amusing to me to see this young lady go from jumping at the sound of gunfire to being ready to shoot. It was great. We had covered the loading process and the operation of the Ruger, so it was time to load one round of the 22 into the magazine of the old collectible. After the first shot fired she was hooked. As the day went on, she had advanced at a rate that only a eager person could. Before the day was over, she had advanced to weapons that she would not even be allowed to she, let alone shoot in her country. He favorite weapons were the AR's in 9mm and 223. The smile that she gave told it all. She experience something in that one range session, that she shall never forget.

I have to say that it was my honor to be requested by my fellow officer to assist in this for this young women. She had a ball, and in the short time, she became a very good shot. She was a natural. But the smile from her was worth it all and she realized that shooting was fun and not bad like she had heard. She left the range that day with an experience that she will never forget. I can still she her smile and hear her saying to me as she left the range, "grazie e arrivederci, Mr. Tom".

 

[Bill Score]

I would like to tell a little about a wonderful experience that I was requested for at the range the other day with one of my fellow officers. One of my past officers wanted to know if I would be willing to take a young lady from Italy to the range. He explained that she is staying with his family and she is a high school foreign exchange student from Italy.

I agreed without hesitation. It is always wonderful to get to help young folks into the shooting sports of any type, let alone help someone that has never fired any type of gun. Knowing that the young lady most likely did not have access to any type of firearms in her native country, I thought that it would be a nice experience.

I meet my past partner and the young lady at the range. We were introduced and I realized that she was very nervous. Just being around gun fire made her nervous. We talked at great length about shooting and what she may have known or did know. She explained to me exactly what I expected. She explained to me, that in her country that she was not allowed to own any type of guns or had never been around any form of shooting.

We continued talking and the more we talked , the more she was calming down. My goal was to let her get used to some of the sounds of the range with time on my side. I love to learn about other cultures and it was as much of a treat for me to learn about her experiences in her country. I wanted to give her time to get a little used to the sounds of gun fire. All she had ever known was how "BAD" guns are, and that in America, there are all types of shooting that created bad things. I confirmed with her multiple times if she actually wanted to learn some of the very basic safety issues and she said that she did, since she may never get the chance to do it again.

We covered all of the basic safety protocol and proceed very slowly. She got to handle a unloaded , old Ruger 22. We determined which eye was her dominate eye and slowly worked on. I continued to ask if she wanted to proceed further, and more and more, I could tell that she was getting more excited and really wanted to shoot the old Ruger. We worked on and I showed her what she would visually see and feel with her grip, sight alignment, recoil from the pistol. She was very excited and wanted to shoot.

I asked again, are you ready to shoot and she gave the biggest smile and said "I was born ready" with an Italian accent. I have to say that it was quite amusing to me to see this young lady go from jumping at the sound of gunfire to being ready to shoot. It was great. We had covered the loading process and the operation of the Ruger, so it was time to load one round of the 22 into the magazine of the old collectible. After the first shot fired she was hooked. As the day went on, she had advanced at a rate that only a eager person could. Before the day was over, she had advanced to weapons that she would not even be allowed to she, let alone shoot in her country. He favorite weapons were the AR's in 9mm and 223. The smile that she gave told it all. She experience something in that one range session, that she shall never forget.

I have to say that it was my honor to be requested by my fellow officer to assist in this for this young women. She had a ball, and in the short time, she became a very good shot. She was a natural. But the smile from her was worth it all and she realized that shooting was fun and not bad like she had heard. She left the range that day with an experience that she will never forget. I can still she her smile and hear her saying to me as she left the range, "grazie e arrivederci, Mr. Tom".

Good job man.

 

[Brians356]

Great story, thanks!

Over the years I've taken visiting business associates from Europe out shooting in the desert - rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Their gratitude was touching, and it was obviously an experience they would never forget. Just the offroad trek out into the vast "sagebrush ocean", miles from any domicile, seeing coyotes, jackrabbits, and antelope was a lifetime experience for them.
-

 

[BlueWater]

Some years ago, I did much the same thing with a colleague of mine from Mexico who'd only fired a gun a couple of times. But then, he was a guy, trained as an engineer, and he'd been dreaming of an opportunity to get hands-on at a range with every gun imaginable.

Invited him to go through each gun I had brought along, doing a simple field strip and then shooting each one. He got into the mechanical and design aspects, of course, being an engineer type. And he took to the safe-handling procedures and shooting techniques like a duck to water.

He, too, was "born ready" for this sort of thing. As with the lady you introduced, this guy's smile was all the reward I needed.

 

[troupe]

Thanks for the support and replies of the same experiences. It is rewarding, knowing that they may never get to do it again, but they did experience here in the good ole USA !!!

 

[Chuckhunter]

Thank you, Mr. Tom for removing the stigma of the big bad firearm and teaching her that gun safety is paramount. A job very well done!

 

[Forum Boss]

Some years ago, at SHOT Show at the Pardini/Bleiker booth, I talked to a young Italian lady who had competed in the Olympics in Air Rifle Competition. She explained that once she started shooting competitively and training, many OTHER things in her life improved -- her academic grades, her relationship with her siblings, her prospects for University. She told me that the focus required for shooting actually provided a sense of calm that carried over into her daily life. And the organized discipline of training carried over into the classroom and in executing her homework better.

 

[choprzrul]

Well done sir. Very well done....

 

[PatMiles]

My hat is off to you sir!
Given that the young lady is an exchange student you might offer to let her shoot a few more times while she is here in the good ole USA.

 

[jonbearman]

People from other coutries are willing to try but a lot of todays kids are scared it might kick,LOL You did the person solid if you ask me proving shooting is a ton of fun.

 

[troupe]

I will be in a NRA class in Jan. for becoming a NRA Pistol Instructor. Thought the credentials could not hurt and I enjoy showing the young folks. Had a 11 year old young fellow 3 weeks ago that never shot a pistol in his young life. He will be a shooter because he had a ball and was able to hit his targets when he left the range. The smiles tell it all. His mother was from New York and had the thoughts of how bad guns were, she also was reformed and now is in the process of purchasing her first pistol now that she is a resident of a gun friendly state.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

One of my missions life is helping young people get interested
and into shooting.

Not only was this enjoyable but maybe the real reward will come
when they become voters and can support 2A issues.

i recently took a German couple for some shooting. As has been
mentioned, these people have had zero exposure to guns and shooting.

After a quick introduction to safety matters, they shot paint balls at 50 yds
with an old but good 22 target rifle----off a rest.

This was easy for them so we set up some some pennys and dimes to give
them something to take back to Germany to show.

Getting to shoot and be around shooters seemed to be a big deal for them.

The next trip was to the trap range where they were introduced to "track the
bird and break it"------"see bird, kill bird". They were a bit ragged but quickly
learned the drill. They got lucky when a guy showed up with a very expensive
Kreighoff trap gun and insisted they shoot a few with it.

This didn't produce any new voters but we all enjoyed it and they will go back
to Germany with a new outlook on evil guns.

I would like to encourage all shooters to help young shooters get started.

A. Weldy

 

[troupe]

Could not agree more Sir. I have survived 27 years in Law Enforcement, now it is time to give back to my passion by helping others too understand that our world is safely a fun and enjoyable hobby. I have always said, and I don't know if there are quotes out there someplace to reference this, but I have always said "bullets have no eyes, and when they leave the barrel, you can't tell them to come back" and "Guns don't see race, color, or religion, unfortunately it is people that do". Just my simple way of thinking with my little sayings.

 

[JimPag]

I would like to tell a little about a wonderful experience that I was requested for at the range the other day with one of my fellow officers. One of my past officers wanted to know if I would be willing to take a young lady from Italy to the range. He explained that she is staying with his family and she is a high school foreign exchange student from Italy.

I agreed without hesitation. It is always wonderful to get to help young folks into the shooting sports of any type, let alone help someone that has never fired any type of gun. Knowing that the young lady most likely did not have access to any type of firearms in her native country, I thought that it would be a nice experience.

I meet my past partner and the young lady at the range. We were introduced and I realized that she was very nervous. Just being around gun fire made her nervous. We talked at great length about shooting and what she may have known or did know. She explained to me exactly what I expected. She explained to me, that in her country that she was not allowed to own any type of guns or had never been around any form of shooting.

We continued talking and the more we talked , the more she was calming down. My goal was to let her get used to some of the sounds of the range with time on my side. I love to learn about other cultures and it was as much of a treat for me to learn about her experiences in her country. I wanted to give her time to get a little used to the sounds of gun fire. All she had ever known was how "BAD" guns are, and that in America, there are all types of shooting that created bad things. I confirmed with her multiple times if she actually wanted to learn some of the very basic safety issues and she said that she did, since she may never get the chance to do it again.

We covered all of the basic safety protocol and proceed very slowly. She got to handle a unloaded , old Ruger 22. We determined which eye was her dominate eye and slowly worked on. I continued to ask if she wanted to proceed further, and more and more, I could tell that she was getting more excited and really wanted to shoot the old Ruger. We worked on and I showed her what she would visually see and feel with her grip, sight alignment, recoil from the pistol. She was very excited and wanted to shoot.

I asked again, are you ready to shoot and she gave the biggest smile and said "I was born ready" with an Italian accent. I have to say that it was quite amusing to me to see this young lady go from jumping at the sound of gunfire to being ready to shoot. It was great. We had covered the loading process and the operation of the Ruger, so it was time to load one round of the 22 into the magazine of the old collectible. After the first shot fired she was hooked. As the day went on, she had advanced at a rate that only a eager person could. Before the day was over, she had advanced to weapons that she would not even be allowed to she, let alone shoot in her country. He favorite weapons were the AR's in 9mm and 223. The smile that she gave told it all. She experience something in that one range session, that she shall never forget.

I have to say that it was my honor to be requested by my fellow officer to assist in this for this young women. She had a ball, and in the short time, she became a very good shot. She was a natural. But the smile from her was worth it all and she realized that shooting was fun and not bad like she had heard. She left the range that day with an experience that she will never forget. I can still she her smile and hear her saying to me as she left the range, "grazie e arrivederci, Mr. Tom".

Hell If she came from Sicily it would of been a different story that She didn't know anything about weapons. Them girls in Sicily cut their teeth on 22 revolvers with silencers.

 

[ronsatspokane]

So her and your perceptions of guns in Italy are way off the mark. The Italians make some of the finest firearms in the world and they are accessible to Italians. Great Pistols (think Pardini), great rifles (think Beretta and Benelli), shotguns (many many brands with costs north of 200,000 USD). The issue is the same across the EU and similar to many of the Commonwealth Countries, a permit to own them is necessary. That may cause many citizens to roll over and not bother but those countries also produce some of the finest Olympians and other competitors across many disciplines of pistol, rifle and shotgun sports. There are also a lot of very experienced hunters in those countries though in some countries like Germany, membership in a hunting organization is required. I have seen Italians out hunting feral hogs with double rifles that I as an American could not afford.

So when you hear this stuff about how no one else in the world has the freedom to own firearms, be aware, it is not true. It is ignorance on the part of both the citizen of that country who doesn't know any better and on our part for not knowing any better. Not that there are not countries who do no allow firearm ownership you understand. They are usually dictatorships. And not that ownership requirements along with firearm type restrictions are not over the top in some countries as they are even in Canada. They are but let's not bs ourselves, they are becoming so here and we have a large population that would like to see us disarmed when not even the EU or Commonwealth countries are.

Just a little reference point for people to consider and I have taught immigrants from countries to shoot where it was impossible in their home country to do so. One of them is a pretty damn good shot and kicks my ass day in and day out at F Class.

 

[Sandstorm]

My cousin came from Switzerland to visit me and the first words out of her mouth were can we
go shoot...( Not hello havent seen you in forever ..No )
Lets go to the gun range.....and she out shot me by the end of the day....lol
Go figure.

 

[epc308]

I ran the muzzleloader section of a YHEC event at our club for the 8 years we held it. Many of the kids had never shot one before, had only heard they were dirty and inaccurate. It was always fun to see them realize that regardless of what they had heard, yes, they were dirty, but better yet, they were, in fact, accurate.

 

[dave@aDave]

It has been my experience that the ladies (all ages) are better students at learning about firearms than the menfolk.
Possibly due to no preconceived ideas about being a sniper after watching a Rambo movie or a cowboy endlessly "throwing" bullets out of the end of his revolver while on a galloping horse.