It’s a snowy morning in Boulder, Colorado, where I’ll be spending time with old friends for the next two weeks. It’s also been a long while since I added more true stories to Stays Magazine, and I’m pleased to present “Rainy Day at the Gun Range” by Travis Catsull, one half of the brilliantly irreverent Austin, Texas, alt-country duo the Charles Potts Magic Windmill Band. Travis’ story interestingly sheds light on the humanity of gun enthusiasts, who are lately being made out as demons. Personally, I’m in favor of much stricter gun laws, never owned a gun and only shot one a few times in high school, but I do know that not all gun enthusiasts are Jarrod Lee Laugher. Many of them are much more well-armed.
“RAINY DAY AT THE GUN RANGE”
by Travis Catsull
It rained all weekend, which ruined my plans to go camping and
fishing. Instead I went to Red’s Indoor Range to shoot my guns. I keep
a shotgun near my bed and a .22 rifle in the closet. It’s fun to shoot
clay pigeons with the shotgun or cans with the .22. I bought a scope
for the .22 and decided I’d mount it and take it to Red’s for
target practice.
Red’s is an interesting place. I’d never been before. First of all,
there was a line for the shooting range. In fact I had to wait an hour
before a bay was free. This gave me lots of time to look around in the
gun shop, listen to the patrons and talk with the people working
there. Oddly enough, most of the customers seemed interested in
assault rifles. M-16 or M4 type guns that are used in the military.
Also, factory guns are simply not good enough for these guys. Flash
lights, laser scopes, double moon magazines, folding gun stocks and
aftermarket barrels were flying off shelves so enthusiasts could
personalize their machine guns. So I just stood there drinking my
ginger ale listening to a room of all white men talk crazy gun talk.
Eventually, a young guy in army fatigues asked me if I needed some
help with anything. I said I was interested in renting a hand gun for
target practice and would like to see which guns they had for rent.
The kid introduced himself as “Scout” and showed me the case where
they kept the rentals. Of course there were about a hundred different
guns you can rent, including AK47s and Dirty Harry cannons, but by
Scout’s recommendation I rented a Sig Sauer 228 9MM. After a quick
lesson on how to use the pistol and what all the levers did, I was
ready to go. I jumped in my bay with boxes of ammunition, two rifles
and a handgun.
I felt strange. Guns going off all around me being shot by strangers
and the only thing between them and I was a slice of particle board. I
didn’t feel completely safe because here’s the type of people I shared
a completely full and crowded gun range with:
The two frat boys – These guys look like they just walked off a party
barge except they have a Glock in a plastic HEB bag. One of them keeps
it under the seat of his lifted Ford F350 SuperDuty w/ mud grips that
he drives back and forth to his job waiting tables at Baby A’s. They
walk in with a few jokes on their lips, buy a 100 rounds and sit there
shooting the Glock tilted like a gangster saying things to the paper
target like, “Take that bitch!” and “You looking at my truck
motherfucker?” as they squeeze off a few rounds.
The ex-Vietnam soldier – He’s quiet and confident. He shoots an old
M-16 w/ no mods or scope. He’s had the gun for 30+ years and it’s
worn and well oiled. He also shoots a Desert Eagle .50 cal because
it’s bad ass and if he’d had that in ‘Nam things would’ve been
different. Both guns work like they should. He’s got on a camouflaged
jacket, some prescription shooting glasses and a hat stating his
division and branch from back in the day. He knows everyone who works
at the range. He’s been reading Guns & Ammo magazine since he was a
teenager and can tell you what type of gun it is by the sound of it.
The brown ‘86 Dodge truck with the camper on it in the parking lot is
his. A bumper sticker on the tailgate reads, “I love my country, but
fear my government.”
The grandpa and grandson – They are there together with a deer rifle
and a few boxes of ammo. They are probably shooting a .243 or maybe a
Marlin or Winchester brand 30/30 with a scope. Something traditional.
For some reason the boy’s father isn’t into hunting and Grandpa thinks
he should learn how to shoot. Once the kid gets used to the recoil
he’s having the time of his life and can’t wait for deer season when
he and Grandpa will go hunting.
The 26-year-old ex-Special Ops guy – This is the Jason Bourne guy who
comes out to simply keep his skills honed. He’s a fucking professional
killer and he’s shooting the M4 tactical assault rifle with a $1,500
laser scope with the target as far away as it will go. He’s in his bay
crouched like a sniper and when his target comes back there’s only two
places where shots have registered as he’s been practicing his “double
tap.” His gun is modified in so many ways he’s probably the only one
who can make it work. He’s got a buzz cut, pays in cash and doesn’t
say a word to anyone as he quickly and completely breaks down his
rifle and puts it back into the stainless steel case custom built for
this gun from some video game future.
Me – The guy looking around watching everyone else wondering if I’m
going to get shot while loading bullets into my .22 rifle hoping the
meth head with the hand cannon next to me doesn’t shoot a hole in my
leg while trying to pick up the cigarette lighter he just dropped.
Tags: '86 dodge, .22 rifle, ak47, baby a, charles potts, dirty harry cannon, glock, gun & ammo, heb bag, jarrod lee laughner, jason bourne, m4, red's indoor range, sig sauer, superduty
