Have you ever fired a gun?
Discussion
pidsy said:
Was in Ukraine a couple of weeks ago and spent a very interesting morning with a couple of their army firearms trainers. Fired about 10 different guns, various pistols, ak47, m16 etc but my favourite was the SVD Druganov.
7.62 rounds and a kick like a mule. Awesome.
Had one of those, awesome rifle once zero'd7.62 rounds and a kick like a mule. Awesome.
Trustmeimadoctor said:
matt im back in florida yet again in may what range do you recommend previously ive just used the orlando gun club. anywhere thats got a good range of rentals maybe full auto that isnt too overpriced? looking at 3 of us 2 have shot befor one has never so it be good if they can offer slightly more hands on for him rather than "there take the gun and go shoot" without showing him how to do it safely
Machine Gun America - www.machinegunamerica.com - Kissimmee - this, I believe, is the only indoor facility that gives punters access to automatic weapons. I haven't been, but it gets good press.Re-Load - www.reloadguns.com - Tarpon Springs (just north of Tampa) - this place is very impressive, but not local to Orlando. Their simulator is pretty awesome and the place is new and well managed. Sounds petty, but has excellent air scrubbing/ventilation - so nothing like as smokey as is typical, particularly as there is a lot of evidence that powder smoke and cordite are carcenogenic.
In the metro area, we have Shoot Straight in Apopka and Casselberry www.shoot-straight.com, Reigs on OBT just north of Florida Mall www.orlandogunshop.com, Shooting Gallery, as mentioned earlier www.shootinggalleryrange.com and finally Oak Ridge Gun Range on S. Orange Avenue at Pine Castle www.oakridgegunrange.com - take your pick of these - they all offer pretty much the same product.
Edited by Matt Harper on Saturday 1st October 19:35
Off the top of my head
Pistols
Glock 17 9mm
Sig p226 9mm
Browning 9mm
Colt .45
.357 revolver
.44 revolver
Rifles
.22 rimfire
.243
.270
Sa80 a1/a2
Lsw
LMT Sharpshooter
AK47
Machine guns
L7 GPMG
.50 HMG
L94 chaingun
Minimi
40mm GMG
Big Stuff
66 lasm
94mm LAW
120mm rifled
120mm Smoothbore
Probably a few others that im forgetting about too
Pistols
Glock 17 9mm
Sig p226 9mm
Browning 9mm
Colt .45
.357 revolver
.44 revolver
Rifles
.22 rimfire
.243
.270
Sa80 a1/a2
Lsw
LMT Sharpshooter
AK47
Machine guns
L7 GPMG
.50 HMG
L94 chaingun
Minimi
40mm GMG
Big Stuff
66 lasm
94mm LAW
120mm rifled
120mm Smoothbore
Probably a few others that im forgetting about too
Limited to Silver Pigeon shotgun in the UK....
But outside the UK have been able to try
Sig P226
FN Five-Seven
FN P90
AK47
AK74
Wildey Magnum .475
Of them all, the Wildey is awesome in terms of power & recoil, but the two FNs are the ones I'd actually want.
But outside the UK have been able to try
Sig P226
FN Five-Seven
FN P90
AK47
AK74
Wildey Magnum .475
Of them all, the Wildey is awesome in terms of power & recoil, but the two FNs are the ones I'd actually want.
Edited by DavidJG on Saturday 1st October 21:25
Matt Harper said:
and finally Oak Ridge Gun Range on S. Orange Avenue at Pine Castle www.oakridgegunrange.com - take your pick of these - they all offer pretty much the same product.
I've been there, it was friendly, straight forward and fun I've shot quite a lot of guns now - "proper" ones in the US but not enough with each to really bond, just tourist play (although my fav is definitely the 9mm Glock 17) and many, many, air weapons in the UK - mostly target shooting (also a few rounds of 7.62 @300 yards... not my cup of tea though). On the whole I prefer pistols to rifles.
defblade said:
Matt Harper said:
and finally Oak Ridge Gun Range on S. Orange Avenue at Pine Castle www.oakridgegunrange.com - take your pick of these - they all offer pretty much the same product.
I've been there, it was friendly, straight forward and fun I've shot quite a lot of guns now - "proper" ones in the US but not enough with each to really bond, just tourist play (although my fav is definitely the 9mm Glock 17) and many, many, air weapons in the UK - mostly target shooting (also a few rounds of 7.62 @300 yards... not my cup of tea though). On the whole I prefer pistols to rifles.
But (and it's a big but), range training and discipline is a bit lax there in recent years. Customers with zero experience are just handed guns and ammunition and pretty much left to figure it out for themselves. Not good.
I was in there one time when this youth (one of a group of Irish tourists) pointed a loaded 12 gauge shotgun at me (not maliciously - just plain inexperience and stupidity). When I had a quiet word with him, he basically told me to go f
k myself. Granted, the staff then threw them all out, but it really made me realize how potentially dangerous these places can be.Not sure why, but Oak Ridge range has had more than it's fair share of suicides over the last 3 years (at least 2 a year) and I certainly didn't want to be on the range when some poor sod decided to end it all.
On a lighter note, here is a gratuitous pic of my Glock 17 9mm.
Matt Harper said:
You are correct - it is a friendly place (staff-wise) - and close enough to where I live to have been very convenient - and I've bought several guns from them.
But (and it's a big but), range training and discipline is a bit lax there in recent years. Customers with zero experience are just handed guns and ammunition and pretty much left to figure it out for themselves. Not good.
It was a few years ago I went; they did ask if I'd shot before, which I have, and they were quite ready to do as above - I did just check which controls were where with them myself though and they were happy to run through the gun with me, but I can see how your comment could easily happen...But (and it's a big but), range training and discipline is a bit lax there in recent years. Customers with zero experience are just handed guns and ammunition and pretty much left to figure it out for themselves. Not good.
Matt Harper said:
Machine Gun America - www.machinegunamerica.com - Kissimmee - this, I believe, is the only indoor facility that gives punters access to automatic weapons. I haven't been, but it gets good press.
There are at least 3 in vegas so i guess nothing unusual in allowing automatics .Edited by Matt Harper on Saturday 1st October 19:35
Air Cadets and later the TA for a couple of years let me have a go on a variety of rifles - Lee Enfield .303 (the Air Cadets were really cutting edge!!), SLR, L42A1 & SA80.
The most fun, though, was a revolver that I couldn't tell you the name of....
We lived in the South of France for 3 years in the early 80s, and a family friend was an ex French Navy pilot who had flown in Indochina and the like. They invited us for a barbecue at a big cliff top house which belonged to the French equivalent of the Royal British Legion.
As it was having some renovation works done at the time, the other family's son and I were taking it in turns to shoot at an old TV in a skip with my air rifle. As his son lined up his shot, the dad came up behind us, put his finger to his lips, then timed a pistol shot just as his dun pulled the trigger on the air rifle, blowing the old TV to smithereens!
He then let us fire off a few shots, and this thing - which made Dirty Harry's Magnum look rather under-powered, had more kick than anything else I've ever fired! Apparently the logic was that pilots were supposed to be good shots in their aircraft, but weren't expected to be up to much on the ground if they got shot down, so they just issued them with sidearms which would kill an enemy even if they only hit them in the forearm!
The most fun, though, was a revolver that I couldn't tell you the name of....
We lived in the South of France for 3 years in the early 80s, and a family friend was an ex French Navy pilot who had flown in Indochina and the like. They invited us for a barbecue at a big cliff top house which belonged to the French equivalent of the Royal British Legion.
As it was having some renovation works done at the time, the other family's son and I were taking it in turns to shoot at an old TV in a skip with my air rifle. As his son lined up his shot, the dad came up behind us, put his finger to his lips, then timed a pistol shot just as his dun pulled the trigger on the air rifle, blowing the old TV to smithereens!
He then let us fire off a few shots, and this thing - which made Dirty Harry's Magnum look rather under-powered, had more kick than anything else I've ever fired! Apparently the logic was that pilots were supposed to be good shots in their aircraft, but weren't expected to be up to much on the ground if they got shot down, so they just issued them with sidearms which would kill an enemy even if they only hit them in the forearm!
bimsb6 said:
Matt Harper said:
Machine Gun America - www.machinegunamerica.com - Kissimmee - this, I believe, is the only indoor facility that gives punters access to automatic weapons. I haven't been, but it gets good press.
There are at least 3 in vegas so i guess nothing unusual in allowing automatics .Edited by Matt Harper on Saturday 1st October 19:35
A good experience, but not one I need to repeat on a regular basis.
bimsb6 said:
Matt Harper said:
Machine Gun America - www.machinegunamerica.com - Kissimmee - this, I believe, is the only indoor facility that gives punters access to automatic weapons. I haven't been, but it gets good press.
There are at least 3 in vegas so i guess nothing unusual in allowing automatics .Edited by Matt Harper on Saturday 1st October 19:35
The regulations that govern public access to automatic weapons are extremely demanding and rigorously enforced in FL. You can ride around in the desert shooting 50 cal auto at radio controlled vehicles in NV if you have the money.
Matt Harper said:
bimsb6 said:
Matt Harper said:
Machine Gun America - www.machinegunamerica.com - Kissimmee - this, I believe, is the only indoor facility that gives punters access to automatic weapons. I haven't been, but it gets good press.
There are at least 3 in vegas so i guess nothing unusual in allowing automatics .Edited by Matt Harper on Saturday 1st October 19:35
The regulations that govern public access to automatic weapons are extremely demanding and rigorously enforced in FL. You can ride around in the desert shooting 50 cal auto at radio controlled vehicles in NV if you have the money.
Edited by bimsb6 on Sunday 2nd October 22:06
.22 BSA Air rifles
.22 'rat gun' that I have no idea about
various shotguns (clay)
Lee Enfield .303 school
some 7.62 school
SA80 TA
More recently
.357 S&W Magnum
Glock 9mm
Being new to handguns I was amazed at just how bad I was on paper targets (10m!) with the Glock, which has made me view movies in a whole new light. The S&W was a lot better (crapness is relative!), presumably because of the increased barrel length. The Glock was great at quick firing at numerous outdoor close range metal targets under pressure, but it did feel rather underwhelming, like you were pinking at them as you would an air rifle. I'm sure this must have been the ammunition though.
.22 'rat gun' that I have no idea about
various shotguns (clay)
Lee Enfield .303 school
some 7.62 school
SA80 TA
More recently
.357 S&W Magnum
Glock 9mm
Being new to handguns I was amazed at just how bad I was on paper targets (10m!) with the Glock, which has made me view movies in a whole new light. The S&W was a lot better (crapness is relative!), presumably because of the increased barrel length. The Glock was great at quick firing at numerous outdoor close range metal targets under pressure, but it did feel rather underwhelming, like you were pinking at them as you would an air rifle. I'm sure this must have been the ammunition though.
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