Gun Experience

Hey everyone. I wanted to write about how I was doing lately. I feel like I haven't written anything on a personal level for some time. 

After having graduated, I spent just over a month doing whatever I have been meaning to do. It mostly consisted of learning mixed martial arts, but little events now and then as well. To list some off, I watched the Superbowl at an American sports bar in Itaewon, I went swimming at a water park, met a lot of family and watched tons of movies. I managed to sign up for an online Korean history course. I also wanted to read books, but I did not quite manage to accomplish that. I have a bit more time before I head into basic training. The training will only be for a month, and after that I will be placed in some rural part of Korea to serve as a doctor for those with difficulties accessing medical needs. 

In any case, I wanted to talk about the time I visited a shooting range. For those in the States, seeing guns may not be such a rare occasion, but it is illegal to possess firearms in Korea. There were at least three prominent shooting ranges in Seoul, and I got a friend to tag along since he had some business near one of the spots. 

I was expecting a lot more professionalism, but the place looked more like a tourist spot than a practice facility. They handed a booklet of all the guns they had. My friend and I each chose a gun and paid for 10 rounds. I chose the Glock 25 as it was recommended to be the simplest and the most common one to shoot first try. Let me remind you that it was really expensive. 

The whole experience was rather short lived. 10 rounds was not much, but the impact was definitely memorable. I have been told many a times that the recoil will be strong. I was expecting a knockback, but a handgun didn't have as much a punch. Plus, they somehow chained the guns for safety measures.

I have to say, though, I got scared. I have been trying everything new during these times, and I thought I was well prepared for anything, especially for firearms. All the media portrayals of handguns, machine guns, rifles and what not, was nothing like the real deal. It had power. The moment I shot my first round, fire blazed in front of the gun. I could clearly see the blast. The shot, however, was too fast to notice. The scariest part was that the gun was fully capable of incapacitating, rather, killing another human being. I don't think it was a matter of human frailty, but skewed technological advancement driven by human madness. 

It was a fun experience, but my heart was heavy. I don't know how many rounds it would take for me to be fully comfortable with a gun. I honestly don't know if I will ever become at ease with a weapon as such. It was my first time I was ever glad for the gun control laws in Korea. 

I'll try to keep up to date what I am brewing in these times of freedom. Until then.