Tuesday
Jul152008
NRA means "No rentals available."
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 4:07PM
My sister is a proud Republican. She loves lower taxes, big business (She has told me "what's good for business is good for people." repeatedly) and an individual-rights approach to the Second Amendment. She's among the many that are thrilled by the Supreme Court's ruling to lift the handgun ban in the District of Columbia, especially since she 's living in DC for the summer. To celebrate she and a family friend went to the National Rifle Association's shooting range this past week.
They toured the museum and paid for the range. My sister had to fill out paperwork and get a 30-minute evaluation on using a hand gun. She's been shooting before and has had training. When she passed the written test they indicated a lane for shooting. She asked how much for gun rental. And that is when she got a shock.
There are no guns for rental at the National Rifle Association's shooting lanes.
Many shooting ranges provide rental for a variety of handguns for those who are recreational shooters but don't bring or own guns. The leading lobby for gun-owner's rights takes their mission quite literally-- it is helpful to be an actual gun owner if you are interested in shooting there. Hearing this story from my sister was pretty amusing, especially since they had administrated the whole vetting process with her plainly standing there in a tank top and jeans. How many 20-year-old interns do YOU know with a conceal and carry permit? And in that clothing where on earth was she supposed to be packing heat?
Beyond defending the right to keep and bear arms, the NRA kindly suggests you bear them if you want to shoot on their range. Bring your own or go home.
They toured the museum and paid for the range. My sister had to fill out paperwork and get a 30-minute evaluation on using a hand gun. She's been shooting before and has had training. When she passed the written test they indicated a lane for shooting. She asked how much for gun rental. And that is when she got a shock.
There are no guns for rental at the National Rifle Association's shooting lanes.
Many shooting ranges provide rental for a variety of handguns for those who are recreational shooters but don't bring or own guns. The leading lobby for gun-owner's rights takes their mission quite literally-- it is helpful to be an actual gun owner if you are interested in shooting there. Hearing this story from my sister was pretty amusing, especially since they had administrated the whole vetting process with her plainly standing there in a tank top and jeans. How many 20-year-old interns do YOU know with a conceal and carry permit? And in that clothing where on earth was she supposed to be packing heat?
Beyond defending the right to keep and bear arms, the NRA kindly suggests you bear them if you want to shoot on their range. Bring your own or go home.
Reader Comments (3)
Ms. Mackenzie, your terminology needs some updating. 'Packing heat' was last heard in the 50s, along with terms such as, 'packing a heater', 'packing a roscoe', strapped, and many others. These terms were usually used in movies and not in common usage even then. today's concealed carry holders do not speak like that because they do not think that way.
These terms are used by those journalists who seek to denigrate those individuals that exercise their right to self defense by carrying a firearm. More appropriate terms which are used by today's citizens are 'concealed carry', 'carrying a firearm', 'open carry', or 'carrying a pistol or gun'. The other terms may sound flashy and dangerous to journalists but are not used by the common CCW holders.
Why don't you man up. I have been to their range, its not a gun store it's a range. Those ranges that offer rentals are usually owned by those who also have a store giving you a chance to shoot their product they sale before you buy. Gun Clubs and Private ranges don't offer rentals. If you were a real man you would have had your own firearm with you for your sister to use when you visited the range.
I have been to that range, went through the same process to get my blue range membership card. You misrepresent their procedure. You do not pay until you are done shooting, there is no evaluation process other than a simple going over range rules at the front desk. You do have to take a range safety/evaluation test (One Page). If that took her 30 minutes she has no basic safety knowledge to begin with and should begin with a Certified NRA Basic Pistol instructor instead of range where she wants to shoot immediately.
Again Man up and quit whining like a girl.
Neil, I think the person who wrote the article really is a girl guessing by their name....Meredith MacKenzie.