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On the Monday after Christmas, I called Coach Pat [Dolan] at the phone number he’d given me during the Bullseye competition two months previously. I introduced myself, said I was very interested in taking him up on his offer of coaching, and asked when he might be available and what range was convenient for him. In thirty seconds we found that 1:00PM that same day was good for both of us, and that he preferred the facilities at the Phoenix Rod and Gun Club where the Bullseye Competition had taken place.

I bought a Smith and Wesson Model 41 .22 caliber target pistol (about this date) from Sportsman’s Warehouse in Phoenix AZ. I paid $749.00 plus tax.

I sold both the Ruger .357 New Blackhawk and the Walther P-22 semi-automatic pistols at a gun show today.

I sent a letter of complaint to the Scottsdale Gun Club:

The P-22 arrived back from Walther and the rear sight is tight again. They took about three weeks, start to finish, to do the warranty work. I suppose I could have asked for faster shipping (possibly at my cost), but I didn’t.

The rear sight has worked itself loose. Walther will pay shipping both ways and complete the warranty repair so I’m out nothing but time … and fun at the range.

I joined the Scottsdale Gun Club. I paid a $100.00 one-time “initiation” fee and gave my credit card information for the monthly $39.95 on-going fee. For that I get a free handgun rental, a free machine gun rental on my birthday, six guest passes to use during the year and unlimited use of the range any time they are open.

Well, the Ruger .357 was quite an education. It is hellish to shoot, very intimidating (to the shooter as well as anyone downrange) and not cheap. With that gun, I started to understand that it’s going to take a lot of shooting to gain any degree of proficiency and, at $0.25 a pop, the .357 is an expensive way to learn to shoot.