Saturday, June 10, 2006

Firelapping

Who uses it: Gunsmiths and rifle owners
What it means: Polishing the inside of a rifle barrel by coating a cartridge with lapping compound, a fine abrasive material. Lapping a rifle barrel changes its ballistic signature; it's one way to conceal evidence of firearm use. It only works on rifles; don't try it on a pistol.
How you can use it: When smoothing things out.

It's 350 miles from Gardiner to Worcester and back, but the trip was worth it -- because I shot two out of three targets with an AK-47 today, and was 3 for 5 with the civilian equivalent of an M-16. I hit three clay pigeons with a Beretta .391, hit a metal target with a Glock 9, and did really well on the target shooting range with a semi-automatic rifle. It was the most fun I've had in ages.

That said, I don't plan to buy a gun or get a license. I don't want or need a gun for personal protection -- I wouldn't ever use it to protect myself, and therefore it would just be a hazard to me. If I want to go back to a shooting range, I can use one of the range's guns.

This morning's Kennebec Journal reported that we have had two and a half hours of sunshine over the past ten days. Yet another reason it's a good thing I don't own a gun.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've shot more types of guns than I have. As a defender of the 2nd Amendment I think you should by a gun. Say a S&W 50 magnum.
The Mystery Uncle

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

Ladies and gentlemen, my Uncle Matt (I think)...

One of many things I was surprised to learn yesterday was that, in most parts of the country, it's easier to buy and own a gun now than it was ten years ago. Massachusetts and New York are among the exceptions, but here in Maine, it's pretty easy.

As tempting as it might be to buy a gun that could shoot a plane out of the sky (!), I don't want to own one. Yesterday's instructor, who was great, said that some people just can't bring themselves to shoot another human being -- and that if you know that about yourself, you're better off not keeping a gun in the house.

Anyway, I'd much rather go to a range where I could shoot a lot of different guns than commit to just one for the rest of my life.

And people still ask me why I'm single...