Guys, I took the Sig 228 to the range today. I finally got my wife to go shooting for the first time. More about that later.
The Sig shoots like a dream. I'm no master marksman but I shot very tight groups. After the first few rounds I remember thinking to my self, "Man, this thing shoots exactly where I aim!" No FTF or FTE. It ate up the 124gr. GoldenSabers and the 115 FMJ Winchester rounds. I put 150 rounds through it and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok so my wife decides to tag along. We made a date out of it. Took her to Red Lobster and shopping at the mall, which by the way is a target rich environment. On the way to the indoor range I explain to her what to expect. Told her that being in an indoor range is like kind like being at a rock concert. The various blasts kind of feel like being close to a really loud bass speaker. (Only example I could think of to help her know what to expect with the "vibrations and sounds".)
So we get there and go into the range. It is pretty busy and right away I could tell that she was uncomfortable. I figured kind of arrogantly that she would be fine and be able to handle the 9mm.(Guess that I forgot that I learned on a .22) Last year I took her sister shooting and she shot my G21 with no problem. Anyway she stands behind me as I fire a couple of magazines down range. I get her up to the firing line, show her how to handle the pistol, stressing gun safety. I then loaded one round into the 228. She fires and I can tell she doesn't like it. I load one more round, she fires and really doesn't like it. The round had an excessive muzzle flash. In fact she hands the pistol over and goes out.
I continue my range session loving my new 228 but also worried that she is in tears and now hates guns. I finish my session, go out and pay. I don't see my wife in the lobby. I start to go out to the SUV and the clerk says your wife is still shooting bowling pins. "Bull$%^t!" I say. "She went out to the car". The clerk motions me behind the counter and shows me the security camera screen.
Sure 'nuff my wife is on the bowling pin range shooting. It seems that one of the friendly range instructors decided to let my wife shoot a Ruger .22 pistol that had a Red Dot style scope on it (AimPoint?). Immediately, I am a little jealous. But as soon as I walk in my wife is sweeping left to right NAILING the pins!!!!!!!!!! The jealously immediatly gave way to GREAT PRIDE. The range instructor had shown my wife how to work the Ruger and she was doing great. The instructor walked out and I took over. She did great. Even when the gun jammed she kept it pointed down range, took her finger off the trigger, flipped the safety on, and waited for me to clear it.
Long story short, she probably shot about 100 rounds. She did recieve a war wound-the slide caught her hand a little but nothing that a band-aid couldn't handle. All in all what started as a negative experience turned in to a pretty postive one. She is not addicted to shooting by any means but has agreed to go with me again sometime as long as I can find her a pistol with pink grips!!!!(My girl is a prissy chick!) So she isn't a 100% shooter like we are but she could be with some work.