Overheard in an Airport Boarding Area

Alternate title, "What Sort of Heater Should I Get For the Little Woman?"

Sitting in Houston yesterday, waiting for my flight to St. Louis, and reading the latest issue of Guns & Ammo, I get this:

Random Passenger: "Excuse me Sir, do you know a lot about guns?"

Ambulance Driver: "Ummmm, well that depends. For your average airport boarding lounge, I suppose I do. For where I'm going, probably not so much."

RP: "I'm thinking of getting my wife a pistol. What kind do you suggest?"

AD: "I dunno. Depends on the person."

RP: "I've had a lot of people tell me to get her a snub-nosed revolver, because automatics jam a lot"

AD: "Snub-nosed revolvers are very reliable, but can be very hard to shoot accurately. And the modern semi-automatics are every bit as reliable as a revolver. My advice would be to ignore any person who recommends one specific type of gun for a person they've never met before."

RP: "So you wouldn't recommend a snub-nosed revolver?"

AD: "I'm not saying that, I'm – well, have you ever shot a snub-nosed revolver?"

RP: "No. I've got a Glock 9mm."

AD: "A compact Glockl would be a nice choice. Or heck, your Glock. Look, the lighter and more concealable a gun is, the more difficult it can be to shoot accurately, and often the recoil can be unpleasant. You want to get her a gun that she enjoys shooting, so that she develops some proficiency with it and is more likely to carry it."

RP (looking at me like I just grew a second head): "A gun that she enjoys shooting?"

AD: "Yes. Shooting can be very fun, and it's the perfect stress relief. It's also a great way for couples to spend time together. My advice would be, take your wife on a date to the gun range. Rent as many pistols as you can, and lay down the coin for whichever one she likes best, and shoots accurately. And if there are instructors available, sign up for lessons together."

RP: "They do that? Rent pistols?"

Another Random Passenger (extending a business card): "Yes, they do. As a matter of fact, I own a pistol range, and we've got plenty of pistols available for rent. Bring your wife on down, and you can both try out a few. I can provide some basic instruction for you both, and if you like, later we can sign you up for our concealed handgun course."

RP: "Hey, that's great! Thanks!"

A few minutes later, as we watched him board his flight, Another Random Passenger casually said to me, "Nicely handled. Going to the NRA Annual Meeting?"

"Yep," I answered. "Filming some instructional video for an EMS website while I'm up there, too."

"Cool. I guess I'll see you at the convention, brother."

"See you there."