Imagine if you were interested in becoming a pilot so you could fly yourself across the country for your personal vacations and to visit friends. Would you buy an airplane, take a single flying lesson, and then feel confident your skills are up to the challenges of takeoff and landing in any airport, in any weather, day or night? Of course not. Flight students spend numerous hours practicing their skills in various conditions. Then why is it that so many people purchase a firearm for self defense purposes, try shooting it once, and then feel they are prepared to use it under stressful conditions?
We at Stone Hart’s Gun Club & Indoor Range feel that ongoing training and practice is an imperative aspect of gun ownership. We say this not only because we are a range facility, but because time and again we see examples of people who couldn’t operate their firearm precisely when under pressure.
Take, for example, this week’s news story of Jan Cooper, the 72-year-old woman in California who used her gun to defend herself and her 85-year-old husband. This is being heralded as a success story. It does, after all, have a happy ending where the “good guys” were unharmed and the”bad guy” went to jail. Mrs. Cooper lawfully owned a firearm and used it within her rights to defend herself against a determined burglar who ignored other warnings to go away.
While this case could be used as an example of someone successfully using a gun to defend herself, it’s important to bear in mind that the one shot she fired missed her target. Had the burglar continued to enter after the shot, or if there had been more than one invader working together, things could have ended differently. If Mrs. Cooper needed to take additional shots and all of the missed like the first one, it might have been a sad ending. This underscores the need to keep one’s shooting skills up to date. The best way to do this is to go to the local range, take a class, and then go back regularly to practice, practice, practice.
At Stone Hart’s Gun Club & Indoor Range, we offer free gun safety classes once a month taught by NRA Certified Instructors. We also offer additional classes for all skill levels. Just owning a gun does not ensure ones protection. One needs to know how to operate it safely, with good aim, and confidence. If you are interested in learning more about our training courses, visit our website www.stonehartsgunclub.co , call us at 305-255-4884, or simply stop in. We look forward to seeing you soon.
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