The next step

The next step for me was to buy SOMETHING related to the sport… obviously I could not buy the gun yet so I bought the safe instead!!! While my application was being processed I bought my gun safe and then spent the next few weeks fretting about where to put it and how I was going to do it considering I am a computer geek and putting a power tool in my hands is tantamount to disaster… Anyway, the Firearms Officer came round (really nice bloke) for the initial inspection, agreed that putting it under the stairs was a good place and after a couple of small mishaps while drilling the bolt holes (there was a bloody cavity in the wall right where I was drilling the first set of holes wasn’t there!!!!!) the safe was up and fitted. The officer returned to check all was good and gave me the green light and my shotgun certificate…. EXCELLENT!!!! Now I could buy my gun!!! Yee Haa!!! Only, it isn’t as easy as that is it? No it never is!!!!! Groan….

Anyway, during this time I had been to a shooting ground called Waller’s Ash in Hampshire with my work colleague who was also applying for his certificate at the same time and we shot some rounds of sporting. Although not great we still managed to hit about 50% of the targets… we also visited Bisley again for more lessons (a very, very good idea if you are starting out… make sure you get a lesson or two BEFORE you jump in….) and had been to a shooting show where my mate and I got a chance to shoot at a practise stand. It was also the first time I shot a semi-auto (Hatsan Escort) and quite enjoyed it.

I have also found a shooting ground near to where I live called Fareham Clay Target Club and shot there on a number of occasions at their practise stand and once around their lovely sporting layout using a club supplied Beretta semi-auto, and if anyone tells you semi-autos kick less than an Over and Under then they are lying as some of them kick worse!!!! :o)

Anyway, as you can see I shot quite a lot, at lots of different places and tried loads of different guns…..so…..you’d think choosing my first gun would be easy wouldn’t you? Well you would be wrong!!!!