Don’t be an idiot

[JU-87]

Don’t be an idiot

He pulled out a big blue S&W case and my heart rate instantly jumped at least 30%. I had a bad feeling that he was about to pull out a .500 S&W Magnum from that case, and that he was going to hand it to someone who had no firearms experience. Sure enough, the case contained one of the big X frame revolvers. I told my party to pack up because we needed to exit the range ASAP. I approached him and asked if he thought it was really a good idea to hand a weapon like that to someone who had no clue what they were doing. Naturally he was completely resistant to any input and was quite offended by what I assume he considered my “meddling.” Short of actually beating this guy unconscious…and believe me: the thought crossed my mind…there was nothing that could be done to stop this train wreck from happening.

My guys were packed up by the time this **CENSORED** idiot had loaded all five chambers and handed it to the smaller male of the group who had clearly never fired a shot through a handgun before.

I positioned my guys well back from the action and told them to watch carefully...

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[WY_Not]

Wow. Just wow.

Dad had one of those and while they are LOTS of fun to shoot, I can not imagine handing it to anyone without knowing for sure that they can handle it and know what to expect.

[Curzyk]

When I rented the S&W 500 at Blackwing, the RSO asked if I had ever fired it before. I said no, and he said to only load one round in order to prevent the muzzle-flip induced second shot. Although I controlled the gun adequately, one shot was enough for me. Even with the long, heavy barrel, it had a heck of a hand-jarring recoil.

My "little" brother (a good 3" taller and arms at least twice the size of mine from being US Army Infantry) had a blast with the remaining four cartridges I had bought, so much so that I bought another cylinder's worth for him. Naturally, this gun gets everyone's attention on an indoor range and everyone had gathered around to watch the hand cannon.

People started offering money to shoot it and I declined and said that it was a rental and I could turn it in and they could rent it themselves if they wanted.

[TSiWRX]

Thanks for spotting that post and bringing it to all our attention, JU-87.

[glocksmith]

First concern that crosses my mind is that I don't care to see my pristine $1200 revolver clattering on the pavement when the shooter lets go of it.

[sodbuster95]

I've owned and fired multiple big-bore revolvers, including the .500 S&W and .454 Casull. While I personally enjoy these types of firearms, they aren't something you hand to someone while you elbow your buddy and say "watch this." From a practical standpoint, shooting these things is somewhat akin to simply throwing your wallet downrange. The .500 S&W in particular is a very pricey round.

[Brian D.]

Jerry Miculek from S&W (and TV/internet fame) warned me that firing the Model 329 (scandium .44 magnum 4" N frame) was more brutal than the .500 guns, when both were introduced.

He was right. Not that the X frame revolvers are mild, but those shock absorber stocks do help a good bit. The Model 329 is about the same weight as a Lightweight Commander 1911, firing factory loads with WAY more punch than a .45 acp.

[Mr. Glock]

There are 2 parts to this equation

1. Safety, as in the article

2. I'll just bet that girl will be a huge 2A supporter when she realizes her boyfriend with all the guns is a dufus.

[CCIman]

Tragically there are alot of these similar situations out there that give media fodder material, as well as us real "gun guys" a rep for poor judgement.

It was very recently that a rental company in Las Vegas allowed a child to fire an Uzi, and the recoil resulted in the instructor being killed. Prior to that, a child was killed during a machine gun shoot when the muzzle flipped and killed the shooter. Tragic.