Guns & Ammo

Guns guns guns. When I was 9, G.I. Joe was kickin much Cobra ass (with his pals Sgt. Slaughter, Flint, the Lusty Lady Jay, and the silent-but-deadly and emotionally complicated Snake Eyes) But unlike all the other 9 year old boys, I wasn't allowed to play with guns - thus I had none. All for the better I think - I learned that just cuz shooting people was fun, that didn't make it ok. But now I'm older, and my father-in-law Mark (pictured with a firearm and oxygen tube in his nose - how american is that?) owns a number of extremely impressive bits of history. Guns.

I went to the range on Saturday with Mark and two of his employees Alan and Javier. Then on Sunday - Jorge pulled out his collection and we went back. It was my third and fourth times ever firing the weapons and there are a number of things that occurred to me this trip.


As usual when one steps out of the car at a firing range, the impact of the rounds firing is staggering. I knew immediately where I was and needed no help focusing. its a strange thought to be so near so many people who love guns enough to purchase them. Coming from my hippie upbringing its pretty damned far from home. At any moment any of those folks could turn and start firing at people - I dunno maybe they had a bad day at the car wash, or just broke-up with their wife's best friend, or could smell the hippie blood in me... anyways - that could happen at any moment. Also I realized its a pretty powerful feeling to squeeze off a round at a target. Powerful in a scary, dirty way. Also, it would have sucked to be in any war ever.

Also, guns have changed... a lot. I fired guns from the 1860's (single shot black powder, same guns Custer's men had - which of course didn't turn out so well, not a musket, not pictured). I fired guns from the old west - model 1873 sideloader rifle (pictured at top) as well as the cowboy revolver from the 1890's show with the other pistolas. I fired guns from Dirty Harry (that big assed .44 calibur magnum - holy jeebus that thing was powerful, obnoxiously powerful). I fired guns from WWII - the cool Russian one that jorge has - is an M-44, did you know 2million russians died in that war? I know - crazy... It prolly cuz that effin gun has way to much kick - tho I must share - I hit the x on the bulls eye with that bad-boy (not pictured). And lastly - I even fired some gangsta guns - the ol .45 automatic - well not all gangstas, just the mean ones.

I fired em all - felt pretty good about it - had no visions of directing them anywhere near anything living and gained yet more respect for the weapons of firey doom and their history. Different stuff for a hippie child - if i'm not careful I'll get my hippie card revoked...