I used to do a lot of game shooting, was in a few syndicates and got invited to the odd estate shoot. Great sport but I’d prefer to be out on my bike and not having to be friendly with the Nice But Thicks. I shall probably transfer my gun to a mate’s collection when the licence expires.

Owned an airifle as a kid – the ubiquitous 177 BSA Meteor*

At school, I used to shoot:

.22, 7.62 and 5.56 (SA80 single shots – L98, I think?)

I’ve shot clays a couple of times, and TBH I’m not a bad shot. I’ve been thinking recently about doing that a little more seriously, but not sure I can handle the expense.

*Which I asked my mother about recently, expecting it still to be in the loft: “Oh no, I cut the barrel off it and threw it in the dump.” Cheers Ma….

I do the odd bit, mainly clays, Nazis and fifth-columnists but if a woodpigeon crosses my sights ….

In boyhood years I had some experience with air-rifles/pistols when the opportunity was there, and also – through the cadets at school – got to try a .303 rimfire a few times. I wasn’t a bad shot, as it happens.

In recent years I have dabbled with air-rifles again, and bought a .22, but not being a countryside type I don’t get the chance to use it much. My work involves keeping an eye on a disused factory which local pigeons have found useful as a toilet – the temptation to ‘go to work’ in there has been strong. There’s plenty of dry, illuminated indoor space to get some target practice in before deciding whether I’d be skilful enough to take a clean shot at the birds though.

Tried clay-shooting too, as a bonding exercise with my dad – didnae last long! (but I didn’t shoot him, just in case I implied it) However, I did enjoy that, and proved to have some good hand/eye co-ordination. It’s a tad pricey though, so more of a rare treat than a regular pastime.

Toy guns for a living! (I run a couple of airsoft sites, and assist in some tactical firearms courses.) I also shoot rabbits and small vermin, mainly with a .22 precharged airrifle and very occasionally clays with a 12g.
I have fired a host of 9mm, 5.56 and 7.62 weapons including M249 and GPMG as well as Glock and Sig pistols and MP5s of various designations.

My final collection included:

Daystate Mk3 FTR in .177
Theoben Rapid 12 in .20 cal. (on FAC at 28 ft./lbs)
Miroku 3800
Anschutz XIV carbine in .22lr
Weihrauch HW45.

All gone.

.303 rimfire a few times

it’s centerfire not rimfire

I have fired a host of 9mm, 5.56 and 7.62 weapons including M249 and GPMG as well as Glock and Sig pistols and MP5s of various designations.

i find the quasi-military willy waving a bit disturbing.

i find the quasi-military willy waving a bit disturbing.

+1.

My limited experience with firearms has been with a small bore shotgun (Four-two or something like that? Can’t remember) and a 12 gauge off a beach on the Isle of Sheppey (Highly irresponsible tbh), and a couple of rifles a few times on a range in Norway. I actually ‘cut my teeth’ using 6.5mm hunting ammo, which apparently is more powerful than target ammo, and by Christ it had a kick on it.

I found it really enjoyable, I have to say; the whole process of shooting, the breathing, squeezing the trigger, all that, really focusses the mind, and I definitely felt the ‘buzz’. Would love to do it again.

One of the rifles I got to fire had been used by a Norwegian Resistance sniper. It had several notches on the butt. Holding something that had killed Human Beings really drove home what horrible, nasty things guns can be, but they are also tools for hunters, and it’s in our ‘nature’ to hunt, so I think target shooting is a perfectly legitimate sport, but it’s sad we live in a World where such things are used to such needlessly destructive purposes, far too often.

Shot for Agriculture college’s Clay team, don’t shoot live stuff.

i will add that i grew up with firearms/gunshops/firearms dealers/guntrade/shooting to the point of familiarity/boredom.
it’s the fetishistic angle/boasting thing.
i guess it’s no different from saloon cars capable of 200mph in a country with a 70limit and carbon/ti bling/7inch xc bikes

I had a .177 gatt gun when I was a kid, only thing I ever shot was my brother

When I was 12 my dad bought me a side by side 20 gauge shotgun, quite rubbish, but meant I didn’t struggle holding the gun up. At 14 my Grandad bought me an over n under 12 bore, quite a nice one too. My Dad and I would usually shoot clays with Avon Smooth Bore, won a few trophies too 🙂

By the age of 18 I had pretty much stopped shooting and then found out my Dad had sold my gun! That was the end of my shooting days. 🙁

Only shot in recent years at stag doo’s and things, but I’m still able to mount the gun and hit about 80%+. 🙂

ME!!!! I LOOOOOVVVVVVEEEE IT, REALLY HELPS ME WIND DOWN AND RELEASE PENT UP FRUSTRATION BUT HURTS MY THROAT AFTER A WHILE. Oh that’s a second “o” in the title and not a “u”….

Back before the bans used to shoot Practical Pistol, and Police Pistol I and II. Had a Colt M1911a1 .45 ACP, a S&W Model 19 4″ .357 magnum, and a Taurus PT99 9mm (Stainless Beretta 92 Copy), and an AR-10 7.62mm.

Had no interest since the UK bans on SLR and then Pistol shooting, so shooting reserved for holidays abroad. I have a friend abroad with a nice collection of fully auto weapons, so that’s some consolation.

Still into air rifles and I have been since a child and all through Cubs the ATC, and at school. Imagine that, children being encourage to shoot!

.303 rimfire a few times

it’s centerfire not rimfire

I have fired a host of 9mm, 5.56 and 7.62 weapons including M249 and GPMG as well as Glock and Sig pistols and MP5s of various designations.

i find the quasi-military willy waving a bit disturbing.

Have you thought about talking with someone about that?

Fired everything from 9mm sidearms to .50 cal support weapons. Fun at first but in the end I just considered them a tool as a carpenter would a hammer.

i find the quasi-military willy waving a bit disturbing.

Willy waving? I work in a quasi-military environment as indeed I mentioned at the start of my post. I have the opportunity to handle and occasionally range test a variety of firearms as a part of that job including training others in their correct use. How is the fact that they are military or police weapons an issue? This thread seems a relevant place for such information, based on the posts prior to mine.

I’d love to get back into rifles, I used to love shooting, its one of the few things that I have a genuine natural talent for.

Willy waving? I work in a quasi-military environment as indeed I mentioned at the start of my post. I have the opportunity to handle and occasionally range test a variety of firearms as a part of that job including training others in their correct use. How is the fact that they are military or police weapons an issue? This thread seems a relevant place for such information, based on the posts prior to mine.

sorry i thought you were involved with playing at soldiers not dealing with the training of real combat personnel and their tools of the trade. my mistake.

Have you thought about talking with someone about that?

i guess experiencing discomfort at the sight of grown men who are not military personnel wearing camo in public places and drooling over MP5’s in guns and ammo is something i’ll have to live with.
i don’t think talking about it is going to help me deal with those anally retentive sociopaths.

I love how you just know me so well. You must be one of my friends, or maybe my wife. I’m sure you can’t just be a stranger on an internet forum who has made wild assumptions based something I wrote.

Oh, the

anally retentive sociopaths

who can be found

playing at soldiers

at either of my sites, or indeed at the training courses we are involved in include many serving and ex forces personel along with lots of middle aged IT types, and others from students and sci-fi nuts through to doctors, policemen and corporate types. We have run events for the military (regularly for ATR Winchester)and police as well as the likes of Ted Baker, Air New Zealand and a few boarding schools in Surrey. I’ll grant you the odd one is a bit of an oddball, but I think you’re unhappy about something you simply don’t understand.

Forgot to mention I was in the ATC and we used to shoot Lee Enfield 303’s, they had one hell of a kick for a 14 year olds shoulder!
Also shot .22 Winchesters yeeeee haaaaw!!!!

He’s got a point though. This thread is evidence of the fact that some people like to act out their war fantasies by playing with guns. Truth is, most of ’em, meself included, would shit themselves in a real war situation. As would anyone. Stuff like Paintballing, Quasar/Laserquest and Airsoft, whilst far removed from ‘real’ fighting, do still glamourise war and weapons to some extent. I do think such activities serve a purpose in giving people the opportunity to indulge in a form of combat, which is close to sport really, but yeah, lusting over guns as weapons rather than tools, points towards insecurities within the individual.

I’ve seen guns being used in the context of training/practice for hunting and sport, which is a part of our nature really (the tool may change but the act remains the same), and in a conflict situation. Very, very different.

I wonder how people view archery, fencing or javelin throwing, not to mention martial arts?

One of the rifles I got to fire had been used by a Norwegian Resistance sniper. It had several notches on the butt. Holding something that had killed Human Beings really drove home what horrible, nasty things guns can be, but they are also tools for hunters, and it’s in our ‘nature’ to hunt, so I think target shooting is a perfectly legitimate sport, but it’s sad we live in a World where such things are used to such needlessly destructive purposes, far too often.

Perhaps the sniper came from a poor background and the only way he could climb out of the poverty trap was by being a sniper, he should be getting our support and not critisism.

I love how you just know me so well.

i don’t know you at all. i have already apologised for not realising straight away that you were involved in training of real soldiers.
i naively assumed it was joe public living out their war fantasies.
i apologise again for that naive assumption.

but I think you’re unhappy about something you simply don’t understand.

having looked at your website(s)i have to agree with you, you are indeed correct again. well done!
i’m happy to remain ignorant to the joys of gunplay, i did lazer-quest once which was great fun but i was only 12 and soon moved on to the real thing so any further exploration of my inner primal killing urges never happened. i’ll just have to deal with that in my own way.

I wonder how people view archery, fencing or javelin throwing, not to mention martial arts?

Well all those things were designed for killing, so anyone that takes part in any of those activities is obviously an anally retentive sociopath.

😯

I like both sporting weapons and military weapons. Military weapons are the epitome of form follows function: built to be used in unfavourable conditions by stressed soldiers with just basic training. From an engineering standpoint that’s quite interesting.

Guns in general fascinate me but in equal measure scare the shite out of me.

Its for this reason i dont want to get involved and will stick to computer games.

An old work mate has got involved. Started with being addicted to COD then within 6 months had a gun licence and 3 dirty great shotguns. Now this guy lives in suburban London with no game shooting around. He is borderline alcoholic and has been out of work for 6 months, to top it all he is slightly unhinged.

It was far to easy for him to get these guns, the licence process took just a few weeks. Not saying anything WILL happen but out of everyone I know he is the one that should not have a gun……