Machine Gunning

Have you ever fired a machine gun? I betcha 99.9% of the people who read this (and probably 99.999% of the world population) never did.

Me ... vs. Osama Bin Laden

I never did, until I saw an ad in a Las Vegas magazine advertising The Gun Store. You pay your money and you get to fire a machine gun, taking out your frustrations on a paper target in a safe and controlled environment.

They’ve got 14 machine guns, 13 semi-automatic rifles, and 16 handguns you can fire, just to get that urge out of your system.

I opted for the “World War II” package and got to fire two semi-automatic machine guns – a Thompson (50 rounds), an MP 40 (25 rounds), and a 1911 .45 automatic pistol (20 rounds). Plus, they gave me a t-shirt when I was done.

For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as I don’t see myself doing this again. Even with the magazine ad discount, it did cost me over a hundred dollars. But I wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world.

My instructor Tom gave me the lowdown on the weapons and taught me how to hold, aim and fire. I’m not saying I’ve lost my fear of firearms, but at least I know what it’s like to fire one … or three, for that matter.