Taking a beginner to the range......

**thundrr1** · May 5th, 2014, 12:12 PM

Stolen from somewhere,,,,, I forget where. I thought it's a good thing to remind people of some basics....

Taking a Beginner to the Range
Beginner Handout

Safety Rules:
These rules are the most important things to keep in your mind at all times. When you handle firearms regularly, these become natural, but they are not always natural for a first-time shooter. Before you even touch a gun learn, understand, memorize and practice these rules.
• Rule One: All guns are always loaded. Even if you are certain a gun is unloaded, treat it as if it is ready to fire.
• Rule Two: Do not point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. Always be aware of the direction the muzzle is pointed.
• Rule Three: Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target. Guns don't "go off" by themselves.
• Rule Four: Be sure of your target and what's beyond your target. Remember that a bullet can travel for miles.
• Rule Five: The "Beginner Rule". When you are holding a firearm, and I say "stop", or tap you on the shoulder, you should freeze. Do NOT turn around. Make sure your finger is not on the trigger and the gun is pointed in a safer direction. I will offer further instructions.

Safety Gear:
At the shooting range, you must have your safety glasses and hearing protection on at ALL TIMES. It is also a good idea to make sure you are wearing appropriate cloths (no tank-tops or v-neck shirts), because semi-automatic firearms expel hot brass shells when you fire. A baseball cap or something similar is also a good idea.

Firearm Condition (for DA/SA pistol):
I will teach you how the firearm you will be shooting functions, how to load it, and how to fire it.
When you are holding a firearm, you need to be aware of its current condition.
For the semi-automatic pistol we are using, here are the basic conditions:
4) Unloaded. The magazine has been removed, and the slide is held open so that the firearm may be visually inspected by anyone. The safety must be engaged. You must still follow rules 1-3. This is the condition the firearm should be in when you are not actively preparing to fire it.
3) Loaded Magazine, no round in the chamber. When a firearm is in this condition, you must rack the slide in order to chamber a round. Before you insert a magazine, verify that the safety is engaged.
2) Loaded Magazine, round in the chamber, Safety engaged. When the firearm is in this condition all that is required to fire it is to disengage the safety and pull the trigger.
1) Loaded Magazine, Safety disengaged, Hammer de-cocked. With this particular firearm, when the hammer is not cocked, the trigger pull will be heavy (This is known as "double action".) This is the state of the firearm when you take your first shot.
0) Loaded Magazine, Safety disengaged, Hammer cocked. When the hammer is cocked, the trigger pull will be light (This is known as "single action".) You can manually cock the hammer, but it will automatically be cocked after you take your first shot. Activating the safety when the firearm is in this condition will safely de-cock the hammer, and return the firearm to condition 2.
If the gun ever malfunctions (fails to fire, or jams up), keep the gun pointed downrange and ask for my assistance. I will either instruct you on how to remedy the problem, or I will carefully take the firearm from you.

Grip and Stance:
For your first time shooting, your grip is not particularly important, except that there are certain safety issues to be aware of. First, once you understand how the firearm functions, you will realize that the slide on the pistol slams backwards with each shot. With that in mind, you need to be sure that how you grip the firearm will not allow the sliding action to catch your hand in any way. I will demonstrate the proper way to hold a pistol so this will not happen, but you must be aware of your grip before you put your finger on the trigger. You also need to make sure you always have a firm grip on the pistol. There are numerous "correct" stances, but you don't need to concern yourself with them. Generally, as a new shooter, you should try to keep your arms semi-stiff, but not completely locked, with your elbows pointing down. You should also lean towards the target slightly.

Now relax and have fun!

**theunrulychef** · May 5th, 2014, 12:34 PM

Good info. I recently took out a couple of new shooters - one at a time so I could focus soley on them. After they had some time handling the firearm unloaded & with an empty magazine, I only loaded 1 into the magazine at a time for the first few shots until they were used to it. This helped keep everyone safe after the initial excitement of "I just shot a gun!" that people have.

**kobsw** · May 5th, 2014, 01:17 PM

This... You never know what their reaction will be so 1 rounds is a great rule.

Best,

kobsw

**Sparks** · May 5th, 2014, 02:29 PM

Too much for a beginner. I understand you want it to be a safe experence for everyone including others at the range, but if you hand that to a first time shooter you are going to overwelm them. They can't remember all that.

Drop rules 3 & 4. (these come later)

Safety gear, give it to them, tell them to put them on.

A beginner does not need to know the technical aspects of the four conditions.

Don't describe grip and stance, show them, physically position their hands and tell them why.

And yes, have fun.

**del48** · May 5th, 2014, 03:37 PM

Here's my routine:
While driving to the range or while waiting, have them memorize the 4 rules and repeat them back. Emphasize two additional guidelines: all transferring done on the bench/table (lay firearm down, muzzle down range, no hand to hand) and never try to catch a falling gun. I try to break bad habits before they can even start, especially trigger discipline. I make sure everyone understands and respects the seriousness of safety. Everyone still has fun though.

**Misery Loves Shotguns** · May 5th, 2014, 04:33 PM

I took my girlfriend to the last PMSC group shoot and she did really well with all the safety rules. Particularly no sweeping anyone and she kept her finger off the trigger when she wasn't aimed downrange. She had never shot anything before. That's not always the case though and it's not my instruction. I gave the same instructions to my mother a few years ago and she embarrassed me. She shot the roof twice at an indoor range because she didn't understand how to properly manipulate the DAO pistol she bought against my advice. Fortunately no one else noticed. I tried to show her how to stage the trigger and it didn't help. Didn't listen when I tried to instruct her on stance either. Kept leaning backward too. Some people are slower learners and that's fine. I'm patient and I communicate well. The problem is when your borderlined learning disability puts other people in danger, I can't work with you anymore.

**jthrelf** · May 5th, 2014, 04:45 PM

Also remember to keep an eye on their hands/fingers not being in the path of travel of a semi auto's slide. And to not have any fingers forward of the front of a revolver's cylinder where hot gasses and particles could burn you.

oops just saw that's included in the OP. I agree that there's probably too much detail. The four rules and non-verbal instruction on stance and grip should suffice for most people.

**thundrr1** · May 5th, 2014, 05:52 PM

See,,, I read that more as an instructors syllabus. Sure you can give it to them to read,,,, but I see it as a guide for an instructor.

I do like the one round at a time.

**JW1914** · May 5th, 2014, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by Sparks

Too much for a beginner. I understand you want it to be a safe experence for everyone including others at the range, but if you hand that to a first time shooter you are going to overwelm them. They can't remember all that.

Drop rules 3 & 4. (these come later)

Safety gear, give it to them, tell them to put them on.

A beginner does not need to know the technical aspects of the four conditions.

Don't describe grip and stance, show them, physically position their hands and tell them why.

And yes, have fun.

I agree with this... Don't want to overwhelm someone and possibly lead them to be overly nervous and not have fun, or even make a mistake because of it.

I think a stern and serious explanation of the first 3 cardinal rules along with a reminder to not be scared are a good start. Tell them that some people might flinch and get startled from the noise or recoil and that this is normal, don't be afraid of it at first and it will go away after a few more shots most likely.

**Yellowfin** · May 5th, 2014, 11:14 PM

Pistol in the holster when not pointed downrange with intent to fire. That takes care of muzzle direction, treating as if loaded, and finger off the trigger. On and off table is too many possible muzzle directions, no retention, and too much non-essential and irrelevant fumbling. When your hand is on the gun it's pointed either towars the ground into or out of the holster or towards the target to either load or shoot, period. If you start with that and keep it to that it can and will work.