Saturday, March 22, 2008

Range Therapy


We all need something that absorbs us now and again. A diversion, an escape from the stresses of life . Okay you may surf or you may bake (and if you are one of my existing friends you probably have kink). Me, well apart from THAT I shoot. Well, I used to, quite frequently. Then the British Government lost the plot - and took all the guns away- and have not found that plot since, despite a huge RISE in gun crime. So opportunities to shoot are few and far between these days.

One of the stands at DSEi used to let you put a few rounds of training ammunition through a modern military firearm - the government have stopped that too - because they are mad as seven badgers. So now it is down to visits to friendly military bases or trips abroad. Like last week. So, the smell of cordite, the clunky mechanical feel, the ring of ejecting brass, the concentration of keeping shots on target. Therapeutic, range therapy. 100 rounds of 9mm through a rather dry and well worn MP5.

Sorry for the quality of the picture, phone, indoors, no flash, range owner with shakey hands. Taken to wind a mate up - we used to spend Sunday mornings scaring cardboard together - he is the guy who taught me practical pistol - and we have been some interesting scrapes around the world together. He saw his beloved collection of weapons taken away by the Police when the law went screwy. He always takes the piss I am off to Florida - accuses me of going soft in my old age. Sir is not soft - as someone once said of me 'beneath that warm exterior beats a heart of stone'.

Oh, and for those who have not seen me in a while, yeah I need to lose at least one and half stone. Someone give me a good reason and an extra day in the week.