My Daughter shoots with the kids Jr. program at my club every Friday night, so I decided to bring the new R9s along to show off. People were aghast! The first guy who opened the box knew it was 9mm, saw it and said “That’s… that’s…” before he even picked it up. So right away everyone on the range was instantly drawn to the table. I announced that it was a 9mm and everyone’s mouth fell open. People passed it around in amazement. Everyone was sticking it in their pocket, and checking out each others crotch area (you don’t see that happen too often on a pistol range). Everyone was impressed, especially with the weight and capacity. The older kids loved it. I could see one of them salivating. No, we don’t let them shoot pistols of any type.
Then the old guy every club has at least one of, and my club is blessed with several, wobbled over and said “Yeah, that’s nice, but it’s useless past 30 feet” as he gave it a dismissive waive of his hand while, in an amazing display of dexterity I would have doubted he was capable of, simultaneously shook his head from side to side. Since he was the resident expert on everything he professes to know everything about, which is in fact everything, I told him “forgetting for a minute there is not too often a justification to shoot anyone more than 30 feet away, why do you say that?” So he replied in his matter of fact voice “A .32 has no power! It can hardly go 30 feet!” So I repeated loudly, for the benefit of his shot out ears, that it is actually a 9mm. He looked me in the eye, shook his head and adopted the gentle look of Yoda speaking to young Luke Skywalker (and the resemblance was uncanny) as he explained that .380 is not 9mm. So I replied, “It’s a real 9mm.” His face lit up! Had I gotten through to him? He straightened up and said “Oh, you mean it’s a 9 by 18?” At this point I was practically shouting, “NO! PARABELLUM!!! FOR WAR!!!!! 9 by 19!!! A REAL 9MM” to which he responded “Oh” and walked away.
After I got home, I showed it to my neighbor who dropped by. His first words were “OH MY GOD!” He was suitably impressed as well. He said as soon as he has a grand to drop on a pistol he’ll get one. Most people would take that as a sarcastic write off, but I know this guy and he’ll get one some day, especially if his carry permit comes through.
I’m having a ball with this thing, and I have not even shot it yet! It does turn heads!
