The blurb from the advertisement read:
“Try One. Shoot a Real Machine Gun! MP5, Uzi, Thompson, MP40, AK47, Sten, M16, Greasegun, M249. Minutes from the Strip. Open 7 days. 9am – 6.30pm. www.thegunstorelasvegas.com” – no licence required and no age limit.
My son found this place while we were researching things to do in Vegas before we even left. He’s a huge gaming fan with Call of Duty being one of his favourites. Scary thing is, he can name every weapon he sees, whether it’s in a game or a movie. (I have asked him not to be a serial killer when he grows up!) So this was to be his one and only opportunity to fire one of those weapons he spews facts about.
Without jumping up on a podium I don’t believe everyone should be allowed to have a gun and I will shoot anyone that comes near my kids without blinking and I’m still questioning my parenting skills over the decision to go to The Gun Store – but what an experience!
A quick trip out by taxi as it’s not on the main strip, the first thing we had to do was promise not shoot anyone or ourselves and that we weren’t intoxicated or pregnant. Once that was out of the way we got to choose which weapon we wanted to fire. The ladies behind the counter are Hooters-style model material but very knowledgeable and helpful. They must have had a few Aussies through the store in the past because the Hooters girl that helped us guessed we’d never touched a weapon in our lives. The boys (husband and son) chose to share a G36 semi automatic assault rifle and my daughter and I went with an apparently easy to use Uzi. We also got to choose our target. There was a big range of targets including the regular kind, Bin Laden, hostage situations (bad guy holding a woman), aliens, clowns and zombies. My family doesn’t seem to like clowns (they must watch too many horror movies) as I was the only one that chose the zombie.
We had to wait in line for a good half hour as The Gun Store is a very popular place! It was interesting to note the kinds of people lined up to have a go and while my daughter was probably the youngest at 14 there were quite a few young women but it mostly young men that came out the other end with a silly grin and bit of a swagger.
Some snug blue ear protection and safety glasses and the very careful, professional and friendly young man took us through to a small room with a range. By golly gunfire is loud even with ear muffs on! The deafening crack leaves no misunderstanding that you are using the real thing; my heart started pounding from the adrenaline rush. The boys went first after some very precise and safe instruction. I paid careful attention to the instructions on my Uzi which seemed much more complicated but I leaned forward like I’d been told, lined up the funny little sights and blew the shit out of my zombie.
I never once worried about any of us accidentally being hurt; the staff were way too professional and careful with us. I didn’t stop to think about the fact that guns have only one use and that is to kill things. It didn’t make me feel like Rambo and I didn’t walk out with a silly grin and a swagger. But I did enjoy concentrating on the skill it takes to line up those sights, compensate for the kick up by aiming a little low, firing a weapon fairly competently and was pretty proud of the clean head shot in my zombie.
Would I do it again? Too right! Was it right to take the kids? The jury is still out on that!
