This is the twelfth and final student gun range field trip reflection essay from my fall 2023 Sociology of Guns seminar (see Reflection #1, Reflection #2, Reflection #3, Reflection #4, Reflection #5, Reflection #6, Reflection #7, Reflection #8, Reflection #9, Reflection #10, and Reflection #11).

I am fortunate to have many exceptional students take my course every year (find earlier reflection essays here). But this semester, the students are collectively the best group in my 9 years teaching the course.

The assignment to which students are responding can be found here. I am grateful to these students for their willingness to have their thoughts shared publicly.

By Ben Clegg

Leading up to the field trip, I was excited for the opportunity to shoot firearms that are very prevalent in American society. Initially, I considered the popularity of 9mm pistols and the controversy surrounding assault-style rifles. That being said, I hadn’t considered the 22mm pistol being of practical use for children and young adults learning to shoot guns.

Even though I had previous experiences shooting firearms, I was eager to see the reactions of some of my colleagues who hadn’t previously shot firearms. In all, within this reflection, it is important to mention my thoughts prior to shooting these firearms, my thoughts while shooting these firearms, and my thoughts after shooting these firearms.

Before entering the confines of the gun range, I was prepared for the power that is associated with these weapons. Having gone duck hunting in the past with shotguns, I was aware of the powerful and lethal nature of firearms, as well as all of the precautionary measures that need to be in place to ensure a safe experience.

That being said, I was anxious to shoot the assault rifle-style firearm, as I assumed I would feel an entirely different level of power and force. Additionally, I was intrigued to see how my colleagues would react to shooting guns for the first time. I was interested to see if they would experience the same level of intimidation and hesitancy that I had had during my first time shooting.

Upon arriving at the range, I was reassured to experience the same safety measures that I had been taught in the past relating to gun safety. After shooting the 22mm pistol, I was very surprised by how little recoil the firearm had, as the only recoil I had experienced was with shotguns. It was at this moment that I was able to understand why that specific firearm is used for training new gun users how to shoot. Therefore, I had now been exposed to the practical uses of certain guns.

Moving on to the 9mm pistol, after having held the gun, I was able to understand it’s popularity within American society due to its size and ability to be concealed. That being said, I was very surprised by how difficult it was for me to control the recoil of the gun. The 9mm’s recoil led to many inaccurate shots at my target. I had initially thought that the 9mm pistol would be the easiest gun to shoot because of its widespread popularity.

Finally, I was very surprised by everything about the assault rifle-style gun. I was aware of the power and lethal nature of the gun, but I was shocked by its accuracy and ability to be controlled. I understand that the gun was mounted and had a sight on it, but I was still amazed by how easy it was to shoot. Before entering the range, I had assumed that the assault rifle would have the most recoil and would be the least accurate. While shooting this weapon, I was met with an adrenaline rush of having such a powerful and lethal weapon in my hands. It was something that I hadn’t previously experienced and it was very eye-opening. In all, my preliminary thoughts surrounding each of these weapons had been proven wrong.

After returning from the range, I was able to determine how my thoughts surrounding weapons have changed.

First, I realized that I am most definitely not a marksman. When looking at the target that I was aiming for, there were very few accurate shots. Even with prior shooting experience, my wide range of shots shows how difficult it is to consistently be accurate with a firearm.

Next, I realized that I become a mix of nervous and cautious when handling firearms. While these emotions may be good when handling lethal weapons, I’ve determined that my mindset changes entirely in this setting. Penultimately, after thinking about how my colleagues reacted to shooting for the first time, I was able to confirm that intimidation and hesitancy are very common emotions for a first-time shooter’s experience.

Finally, I’m very glad to have had this experience as an intro to the course. I believe that this experience gives the students a good perspective surrounding the severity of the course’s subject matter.