“Another Kind of Shooting, Part 2″
The participants continued to arrive until we closed the registration at 10:00 a.m. We had a simple opening ceremony. Our special guest shooter Quezon City Prosecutor Jonathan Lido gave a very inspiring address. He emphasized the importance of being a responsible gun owner. He stressed that it is better to own a gun and find no use for it than having no gun when you need it most. He told us of his personal experience where he was able to neutralize a would-be killer who planned to harm a lady judge in her Quezon City Sala. Prosecutor Lido used his skills as a responsible gun owner. He is a tall and big man and used a Magnum 357, a look-alike of the Magnum 44 revolver used by Clint Eastwood in that Hollywood movie where he had a famous line, “go ahead punk, make my day”! As part of the opening program, Prosecutor Lido made a ceremonial shoot in one Firing Stage using his Magnum 357.
The Range Officers at the Camp Karingal Firing Range are all Police Officers. Maybe it wa the main reason why the participants were all well behaved as far as being very careful with gun handling safety procedure while inside the firing range.
The participants came in with their guns and ammo safely kept inside their bags or gun boxes. They proceeded to the specifically designated Safe Areas. It is only in these safe areas where shooters are allowed to take out their guns and have it securely placed in the rig of their firing range holsters. The guns are safely locked in the rig. While at the Safety Area, the participants had to fill their magazines with the live bullets and after which the magazines are placed in the magazine racks in the holster. It was a great sight to see all the participants milling towards the Firing Stages with their guns safely secured in the rig of their firing competition holster.
I first made a queue at the table of the Range Officer manning the Stage 1 firing range. I joined the group of the “Tyros” – the term used to refer to the first timers in contrast to the old timers as far as firing guns and shooting tournaments are concerned.
If I have to make a one word to describe the gun owners inside the Firing Range, I would call them as courteous. You see, everybody were very courteous such that even in several instances that the Range Officer obviously made way and accommodated a Johnny-come-lately Sr. Police Officer who wanted to fire his gun in a specific firing stage, nobody made a fuss about it. No complain was ever heard. Imagine if the participants were not courteous and considerate with one another, baka biglang magkabarilan sa loob ng firing range!
(to be continued…)
