A friend ran the Police Academy indoor range. He had obtained permission to hold some civilian "beginner wimmens" classes and asked me to help.
2 nights / 3 hours each. We had the class of 16 filled and set up.
I was at the door, checking firearms. A 68 yo woman comes up. Tells me she doesn't have a gun, has never shot , has never held a gun. Though, her husband had tried to get her interested for years. He had passed, 6 months ago, the neighborhood had deteriorated and her children had convinced her to sign up. I welcomed her in, the Academy had several loaners.
The 1st night was SAFETY, different actions, SAFETY, cartridges, SAFETY, inspection, SAFETY, cleaning, SAFETY and storage.
2nd night, SAFETY review and onto the range. We had 8 at a time on the firing line.
The widow stuck close by me. I started her off with a S&W 17 .22LR. She listened intently, wasn't nervous and was focused.
She shot and asked if I had something bigger(?).
Moved her to a M10 .38Spl.
She asked about 9mm?
Showed her a Beretta M92.
She asked what I shot? I showed her my 1911. She lit up, that's what my husband had, can I shoot that one?
She emptied a mag and giggling like a school girl, "I like this one."
Wanting to add a little more adrenaline (standing there, punching holes in paper can get boring after 2 hours)
I tell the shooters to load and make safe, place gun on the lane table, take 2 steps back and clasp the hands behind their back.
I tell Ron to run the targets to the back wall, 33 yards. Turn off all lights.
When he is ready, no warning, activate target returns and turn on back wall lights to half dim.
He waited what thought was an eternity and then the targets started back and lights barely illuminated the target.
I was standing directly behind the widow. She stepped up, picked my .45 and 4 shots.
There was one woman that didn't get a shot off. 2 had targets with no holes.
The widow is looking at her target and a woman snickered.
I tell the widow to explain her target. (Standard B52 silhouette)
She points to a hole, this is 1st shot (2" from left ear)
This is 2nd shot (clipped bottom edge, centered, family jewels gone)
Shots 3 and 4, right between the eyes.
You would have thought she had just thrown a SuperBowl TD pass, from the cheers.
1 of the women that had fired 3 shots and didn't have a hit, asked "how did you do that?"
I tell Ron to turn the lights off and show them the Trijicon night sights on my 1911.