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School is out and grandpa has a little time off, so I pick up Grandson #4 for a little trigger time at the Arnold Rifle and Pistol Club. I’m digging the club, since you can drive your truck right into a “combat bay”, back in, and just friggin’ shoot. G4 is a pleasant lad, so taking him out to shoot is always fun. He’s conscientious, thoughtful about safety and takes instruction with nary a complaint or argument. Couldn’t ask for a better kid. As we are wrapping up the shoot . . .

…the bay next to us erupts with some deliciously loud banging, far louder than any pistol round. The combat bays are safe even for rifle rounds, so it’s not uncommon for folks to unleash some serious ordinance into the berm for the sheer fun of it.

As G4 finishes packing up, I peek around the corner. A tall guy in black slacks and a white shirt, ball cap and dark glasses is lighting up the targets with a military-looking rifle. As he pauses, I ask “That’s a SCAR, isn’t it?”

The man is Paul McCain, who has a video camera set up to record his shooting fun. He runs a YouTube Channel which is very much worth checking out. Paul is doing yeoman’s work demonstrating gear and techniques for the brotherhood and invited us over to take a look. His FN SCAR was tricked out, topped with an Elcan tactical optic suitable for an Apocalypse near you.

You’d think that with a heater like that, one would be a bit hesitant letting strangers handle the merchandise, but Paul’s just not like that. Within moments he was offering us both a test drive.

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Paul loaded up a mag full of .308 and after a short instruction drill, he had Grandson #4 sending copper-jacketed fun downrange. Mindful of the expense of ammo, I only squeezed off a few rounds, though I would have been delighted to squeeze off more.

Not finished with his hospitality, Paul then showed off his IWI TAVOR, the Israeli bullpup rifle the kids are all nuts about these days. The Tribe truly know how to make a fine firearm. G4 could handle it like a pro, and I enjoyed the experience.

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I like my combat rifles stock – I figure that the engineers made it that way for a reason, and since I don’t compete, I would rather know my SHTF firearm doesn’t have some tricked out component waiting to go wrong. The TAVOR handled and fired great with the stock trigger.

All that said, what I enjoyed most was the fact that Paul reinforced what all of us know, that shooters are great people. Paul set an example of brotherhood and hospitality, traits I want my kids and grandkids to have. It’s one thing for grandpa, grandma and mom and dad to harp on about it, but to have other adults showcase those qualities is very much appreciated.

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Raising children is a challenge. We need all the help we can get. Thanks to Paul and all the others out there who extend kindness and courtesy. It reflects well on all of us.

P.S. Do Paul a solid and check out his videos.  You’ll like them.

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36 COMMENTS

  1. This the kind of story I needed to read after such a crap day. Shows gun lovers can be kind and sharing people.

  2. Stinkin’ lucky kid indeed! I never got to shoot anything that cool…well, not when I was a kid anyways.

    Great article!

  3. You know a person really loves firearms when they’re eager to share their possessions and experiences with those around them.

    This sort of thing has happened to me a few times in my life, and every time it does it’s a real day maker. Not only do you get to play with a new toy or two, you get to meet an exceptional person and have faith restored in the kindness of man.

    Actually… it most recently happened to me again a few days ago with a nice older man letting me play a round with his Browning Citori… *I wish I could afford one now*

  4. Hey everyone,

    Remember to broach the topic and invite newbies to the range — even people that might seem “Progressive” or downright anti-gun. My wife recently touched on the topic of being armed in public with a co-worker whose political leanings are to the left. The co-worker had never even thought about concealed carry and was somewhat taken aback at first but my wife was cheerful, polite, and even keel. A few days later, my wife invited her co-worker to shoot at a local range. To my wife’s surprise, her co-worker responded with an excited and enthusiastic yes. Even more interesting, the co-worker’s husband wants to go as well. We will be scheduling the event soon.

    Other posters have said on this forum before and it bears repeating: be polite, cheerful, and respectful and invite people to shoot. And when you get to the range, continue to be polite, cheerful, respectful, and emphasize fun as Mr. McCain demonstrated above.

    Of course it goes without saying that we have to be patient with first time shooters and instill respect for firearms and the safety rules as well. Just make sure you convey that respect and safety with a happy face!

    • Absolutely right. We need to be for things as well as against. Many of us, like Mr. McCain, can afford to be generous with our time. Grandson 4 has been impressed for life, and we need to spread that out among our fellow citizens.

  5. Ya gonna spoil that kid (though it was the strangers fault, and that’s what grandparents are for). Sure wish I was ‘spoiled’ like that when I was his age.
    What does he have to look forward to as he gets older, a death ray particle beam? BB guns and such will be like leggos and Lincoln logs.

  6. Tim, you are a wonderful grandfather and I enjoyed reading this article. I never knew about Paul McCain or his YouTube channel before, so thank you for bringing Paul’s channel to my attention. I have liked, shared, and subscribed–Paul McCain has some fantastic videos up.
    It’s really great as a community when we gun owners come together to share our arms, ammo, and expertise with each other in a safe and friendly manner. I’m sure everyone has a story about a kindly good samaritan at the range. Tim, RF, if you read this, that would make an awesome piece to pose to the Armed Intelligentsia. I’d enjoy reading everyone’s stories!

  7. For me, a big part of the fun is sharing. I’ve got a few different FNH pieces that usually get attention at the range. It’s always fun to see their faces light up when I offer to let them try it…. and then the big grins after shooting. Usually, they reciprocate with whatever they’re shooting, and I always accept. That’s what it’s all about! 🙂

  8. Hope you and the youngster had fun, and I really hope the trolls keep out of this post. My 9 year old likes to be around when people are shooting but not much into it herself. She has had a pink cricket in my gun safe for 6 years and has only shot maybe 50 rounds.

  9. AWESOME (as my kids would say). I’m taking them out shooting this weekend — nothing so extravagant, though. An AR-15 is the belle of our ball. Even with that, both prefer working the bolt on my old Stevens 66.

    P.S.: “ordinance” (legal crap on a local level) is bad; “ordnance” (stuff that goes boom) is good.

  10. I was not having the world’s greatest day that day and frankly headed out to the gun club to blow off some steam in the best way I know how.

    It really made MY day to meet Tim and particularly G4, who was a very polite young man.

    I genuinely enjoy sharing out at the gun club and my best experiences are always when I get to meet a fellow club member, talk guns, and shoot some new things. And when I can let a youngster enjoy something like G4 did, wow, that’s the best.

    Tim, you and G4 turned a pretty lousy day into a great day.

    God bless.

  11. Hats off to you for teaching this kid, and what wonderful hospitality by Mr. McCain. If the kid is interested and teachable with the right atitude (as G4 must be ), it pays off in so many ways.

    My sister taught my niece at an early age (what a hoot watching her blast a target with my sister’s 686 Smith at 12 years old) so she would know what to do around a firearm. As it turned out . . . .

    A few years later at a somewhat drunken high-school party, a girl came into the room with her dad’s 92F , waving it around like crazy, scary dangerous. My niece jumped up, took it right out of her hand, dropped the magazine, and cleared the CHAMBERED ROUND (!!), put it and the magazine in her purse and went straight home. Next morning, the idiot’s Dad shows up, thanked her to no end, and got a dose from my brother-in-law about safe storage. I shudder to think if there had been no one there who knew what to do . . . .

    • There’s a meme of “Parenting Fails” going around, one of which shows a dad helping his kid shoot a pistol. I think it’s clear which parent failed in this scenario (hint: it wasn’t your sister!).

    • That right there is why it’s important to teach all kids about guns and gun safety. Take the mystery and scary out of the gun and a kid is going to know what to do with it and how to act around them.

      • Knowledge is better than courage. Courage is thinking the gun is going to “go off,” grabbing it away and praying it won’t shoot you in the foot. Knowledge is knowing the gun’s not going to “go off,” grabbing away and making it safe.

  12. Thank you for that story, and thanks to generous and safe firearms owners. Now, go take a kid out and show him/her gun safety, and watch them enjoy the sport!!!

  13. Great story and follow up. My boys are with Pap (Grandpa) this week in PA. He will take the boys to his hunting camp/range to cook out and shoot everything from an AK to old .22 revolvers with his hunting/shooting buddies. They love every minute of it. The favorite is always shooting skeet which we don’t get to do at home at all.

    Pap is a stickler for safety and sound technique but lets the boys burn ammo at a rate I won’t allow. Good, clean country boy fun on his dime 🙂 I am sad that I cant make it down this year.

  14. Reminds me of the 4th of July. Went to the range, having fun, and a couple guys drive up to the table next to us. They’re shooting, we’re shooting. Good fun. Then they bring out an Uzi! After a while watching, I went over to talk to them about it, and was surprised when they offered me a turn. Wow was that fun!

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