GLOCK 17 DOUBLE STACK PROBLEM

 

Why does the Glock 17 have so many bullets? Because it might take the first sixteen shots to hit a target.

 

Some people are bad shots. Maybe you’re a bad shot. I know I am. I nearly failed Army bootcamp because of my shot pattern with an M16. I wanted to blame the rifle, but it was me.

 

I needed three rounds to land inside the circumference of a quarter. Two I could do, but one always strayed.

 

Maybe my drill sergeants reviewed my duty request, saw I’d signed up for medic school in San Antonio and let me slide? Maybe.

 

In a personal attempt to understand guns better today I took myself to a local range and rented a Glock. I was a horrible shot, which I expected. I pulled left. What I didn’t expect was the power of the moment.

 

This pistol felt like a bomb ready to blow my hand off. With half-moon sweat rings I powered through a few clips. The target was a human silhouette. If it had been an armed intruder?

 

Based on the shot pattern I’d have had a problem.

 

After my shooting session I came out of the active fire range with a bloody left thumb knuckle. The guys up front noticed and gave me a band-aide along with a few questions.

 

“Have you ever fired a gun before?” one asked.

 

“Ex-Army in the seventies,” I said.

 

I didn’t mention the medic part.

 

“You’ve fired a Glock?” another asked.

 

“No, just an M16 and a .30 caliber machine gun,” I said, hoping it was enough.

 

“Hand guns are different.”

 

I agreed, and left thinking the same thing. Different.

 

Loading seventeen 9mm bullets into the damn clip was different. Not an easy reload, I jammed them down in spite of the resistance. Imagine reloading in a panic? I can feel the shake just thinking about it.

 

So I returned to the shooting range to shake the nerves. The second time was the same as the first, just not as sweaty, which I count as a victory. But that time I took notice of who was on the firing line. Old men were the majority firing their big boomers, guys my age practicing for their home defense, or something.

 

The place was incredibly loud due to the barriers between each lane. The loud Glock echoed off the metal enclave making me rethink ear protection. I needed earplugs and headphones.

 

This is the experience I reflected on when Mr. Trump suggested arming teachers in the classroom. I can’t say when Mr. Trump last fired a handgun, if ever, but it’s an experience worth doing before recommending it for anyone.

 

To the law enforcement officers Mr. Trump called cowards for not entering the building, not everyone is a movie Rambo. Like my military insider says, “Everyone wants to be a Force Recon Marine until it’s time to do what Force Recon Marines do.” He is a Force Recon who’s seen big, tough, men break and it’s not a pretty sight.

 

The armed lawmen outside the school had to ask themselves, ‘Where do I want to be tonight’, when they decided to stand down. Does that make them cowards, or just human? They’ll live the rest of their lives with that question hanging over them.

 

Could they have made a difference with their Glock? From most sources the game of life or death changes when confronted the first time with the decision to act or not. They might have gone in and killed the shooter, or they might have gone in and froze up. Instead they froze before that confrontation.

 

Until we walk in their shoes, we’ll never know how we’d respond in similar circumstances. What we do know is school kids deserve the same education experience we’ve known before school shootings grew in number.

 

A safe education is a worthy goal and the NRA needs to help.

 

Is this a helpful message:

 

“President Trump’s election, while crucial, can’t turn away the wave of these new European style socialists bearing down upon us … How about Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bill DeBlasio, Andrew Cuomo, Corey Booker, Christopher Murphy and Keith Ellison … they hide behind labels like ‘Democrat,’ ‘left-wing,’ and ‘progressive’ to make their socialist agenda more palatable, and that’s terrifying.”

—Wayne LaPierre

 

One of the most engaged scholars for all things military and military weaponry I’ve met avoided the draft like Mr. LaPierre and Mr. Trump. He spent his Vietnam time in Canada before returning to America to wear military costumes as every day wear and speaking in the gruff, clipped, tones of a seasoned veteran.

 

I mention this example to explain the AR15 choice. When Michael Jordan ruled the NBA, kids wanted Air Jordans in a bad way. It made them feel like a superstar. It was a style statement, a brand enhancement, the same way we all look for the next hot fashion to show we are tuned in.

 

The physical image of an AR15 carries some of the same cool cache. You’re not a nobody when you own that rig, especially if it’s tricked out.

 

Imagine the feelings Mr. Trump and Mr. LaPierre would have today if they’d served in the armed forces during the Vietnam Era. I like to think they’d have more respect for weapons, that they’d have a better handle on the gun debate. A tour of duty is a great educational tool no one who has served can deny.