erika, I've got a question about your wannabe P.I. Why can't she qualify on the range, what's her roadblock to success? I'm just curious because I had to qualify on the range for military police and I found it ridiculously easy. It was only the second time I'd picked up a handgun and I fired a 183. I needed a 180 to qualify (this is marksman level in the military.) This was firing a .38. I have no idea how I would have done with any other handgun. I've fired a .45 since then, but never for any type of medal qualification, so I don't know how much more practice I might have required to qualify at a marksman level. I know nothing of what's required for qualification among civilian clubs/professions, etc. I just wanted to add my experience to help you flesh out whatever it is your doing with your P.I.

It was only the second time I'd picked up a handgun and I fired a 183. I needed a 180 to qualify (this is marksman level in the military.)

..so, when some dude in a uniform tells me he's a marksman, I should hide in the nearest concrete bunker till he puts the ordnance down, is that what you're saying??

Good to know.

Not really. Highest possible score is 300. So 180 isn't really that great. Now, if he said he shot expert (240 and above) then I'd start worrying.

I think Nutty's panicked by the lack of accuracy, Sail.

A friend of mine puts time in now and again at an a local range. I want to go, just for educational purposes; if I ever need a character to use a gun, I want to know what it feels like.

Hi, all. I was going to post the first 6 pages of the new novel here, but I left it on my old hard drive. Now I have to plug The Monster back in and retrieve it. Dammit. And I was sure I'd backed it up to dick.

Er, to disk. Really, that's what I meant.

the lack of accuracy

It just means he wings you instead of making the head shot. That's all. He's still hitting the target, just farther away from the center.

It just means he wings you instead of making the head shot

Ah. I thought she meant friendly fire.

I thought she meant friendly fire

There might be some of that, too. But only if you're standing right next to the person being fired at. A typical target has concentric rings, bullseye highest, outer ring lowest. You don't have to get all bullseyes (that would be the 300), but you can't be all in the outer ring and still qualify. Plus, we had to night qualify, which was 5 shots (out of 6) in a human silhouette with no external light source.

I'm going to have to see if I can qualify one of these days. Hubby says I shoot better than he does, but I want a number.

I was gonna say. It's not the headshot I'm worried about; it's missing the target entirely and hitting me instead. Or, himself. I want my "marksmen" to be noticeably better at hitting their marks than someone who's only held a gun twice!

Clearly, I need to hang out only with experts.