Goal #38) Shoot a Machine Gun

A recent trip to Las Vegas brought an opportunity for me to fulfill one of the most wild goals on my list, to shoot a fully automatic machine gun.  Unfortunately I was unable to complete this goal because I arrived after they had closed for the evening.  With a bit of disappointment I vowed to achieve this goal someday.

I never thought that someday would come as soon as it did.  When checking into a hotel the other night I was looking at all of the local activities when I came across an advertisement to shoot a machine gun.  Much to my delight the store was in a nearby town & a small detour wouldn’t be any inconvenience.

When we arrived I looked around the store at their selection of firearms.  They had a great selection, many which I wouldn’t mind having for myself.  I’m not a hunter but I enjoy spending a summer afternoon shooting targets at the local rifle range. 

As I continued my look around I was greeted by a store employee asking me if I needed any assistance.  I asked about shooting the machine guns & was informed that I had a broad selection to chose from, but I had already made up my mind from the flier I had found at the hotel.  I wanted to shoot an Uzi.

After filling out some information & showing identification I picked out my target & stepped into the indoor shooting range.  I was briefed on the basic operation of the weapon and soon I was taking aim at the paper target of people pointing their own machine guns in my directions.

I squeezed the trigger & the gun rattled in my hands.  It is hard to describe the feeling of shooting a real Uzi.  After a couple of quick bursts I held the trigger down longer for the full effect.  A short time later my magazine was empty and I was grinning from ear to ear.

It is funny that my goal of shooting a machine gun was added to the list in a moment of spontaneity.  I never expected to have the opportunity to complete this goal.  I’m happy that I had a second chance at accomplishing my goal; I smile each time I think about shooting the Uzi.