At least they do if you know how to shoot them. With that in mind, I went down to the range with a couple of black guns and an eye towards some remedial target practice.
A natural gas pipeline is being put through the fields behind the range's berm and it felt strange to see a bit of country I'd enjoyed being torn up. Everything seemed smaller, somehow.
I clambered over the earthworks to speak with one of the pipeliners, who was sitting in a Ranger, and asked if it was OK to shoot. He said sure, as long as I shot away from the work. "Hell! I've already been shot once already!" he said, holding up his left hand, which was missing all its fingers except the thumb, and a bit of that was gone too.
"Man!" I exclaimed, promising to shoot safely, and asked where the pipeline was going. "From Whitney to Teague," said my new friend, and I told him that was "quite a thing," which it is.
Conversation over, I blazed away at some improvised targets, going for speed with the .45 and accuracy with the carbine. I have to say, the more I shoot the Glock 21 the more I like it; that pistol's right on the money. The AR worked well too, a proper little blaster.
Shoot over, I drove into the golden void like a warrior, on the edge of time.
Gun rights,
LSP
That country down by the range seemed so pristine! I'm sure that it will be once again when the pipeline is underground.
ReplyDeleteIt sure did... and I don't like to see the land all torn up, but it'll come back in time and the pipeline's for the good.
ReplyDeleteI felt sorry for my pal's hand -- he must have put it in front of a shotgun, somehow. Not a whole lot left, though he seemed happy enough.
I think that you need to make #blackgunsmatter t-shirts.
ReplyDeleteThe man with the shot up hand may have received it in combat, not by accident.
There's definitely a call for that particular "T" -- I'll get some made up. And good vet point, hadn't thought of that.
ReplyDeletePutt'n in my order for a "T". Now we need the rest of the story on guy with the missing fingers...
ReplyDeleteI'll get some Ts out in the New Year, Brighid. LL is Head of Marketing, BTW. Maybe
ReplyDeleteI'll see the pipeliner again...
We saw a pipeline being buried not too far from us, finished about a year ago, just in time for Barry to say no on the Canadian deal. Being so close to so many refineries, we've got pipelines buried *all* around here, with the grassy right-of-ways kept clear-cut, tho they do cross fence lines and roads, with the warning vent pipes sticking up from the ground.
ReplyDeleteThe #blackgunsmatter is really quite clever, in a sassy sort of way.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good day on the range. Whitney to Teague IS quite a thing...
We'll see how it turns out, Mattexian. And well done, Barry, can't have us getting any more energy independent now, can we.
ReplyDeleteI know, Jenny, that's quite a pipeline. I think you'll like the Ts.
ReplyDelete