When someone asks to try your expensive gun

[Alan]

There's always that moment of hesitation when someone wants to shoot your nice rifle or custom 1911. You want to be generous, but you're also calculating in your head whether they'll break it or shoot terribly and blame the gun. Usually I say yes but give a quick safety brief first. Most people are respectful, but that one time someone wasn't taught me to be more selective.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Yes, but…..I let people shoot most everything I have, especially over dirt. Over gravel, I get a bit more nervous. Over concrete….uh probably.

My only no guns are my 458 Lott or 45 Colt heavy loads. The first has recoil that most folks cannot even imagine. It can bring injury to someone with a weak structure and tears to most of the rest.

The 45 Colt heavies like 300gr at 1200fps are going to be dropped or draw blood from many folks, my 250’s at 1150fps are still memorable!

So, generally no, unless they are already shooting a 300 magnum and I have lighter 400gr practice loads!

The nicer 1911’s are weird because few people have shot that good of a trigger which causes unintended shots, but usually still on dirt.

 

[WIlliams_shoots]

You can always tell pretty quickly who appreciates the opportunity and who treats someone else’s gear like rental equipment.

 

[The Quiet Man]

Unlikely.

 

[Dstegjas]

I doubt I would let anyone I didn’t know who just walked up to me at the range and asked to shoot one of my guns. That seems pretty bold to me. Don’t get me wrong, I have let many people shoot my guns. It is usually after long conversations about guns in general or about other things gun related. This helps me get a feel on first if they know anything about gun and second do they seem safe to me. Either way I always have a sidearm on me just in case.

 

[Kardiak]

I never have a problem with it as long as I have seen them handle and shoot their own gun. Many people have fired my pistol at the range because they were interested in its accuracy and some have only seen the pistol on the web but not in person.