things to do before course / PAL?

BP7

BP7

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hi all,

a friend of mine at work pointed me to this forum. i'm in ottawa. it's snowy.

ok, so evidently the RA centre has the open house on the 31st, so since they're literally less than 5mins from where i live, i'll be there all day for the handgun and rifle sessions.

i plan on doing the courses as well (normal & restricted), getting my PAL, and all that stuff. since it'll probably be 3 months (from now) before i finally have the PAL in my hands, what can / should i do in the meantime? i suppose i can go visit the few local stores to look at guns and see how much i need to budget for them once i'm able to buy, or maybe see how they even feel so that i can say "yah, this is about right" or "wow, this is huge, too heavy".

is it possible to buy a "dummy" handgun to learn how to handle / load / aim / clean it? by "dummy" i mean maybe one that has a false / plugged barrel, and loads plastic / dummy rounds. something OTHER than a BB gun, of course.

or am i pretty well stuck twiddling my thumbs until at least the 31st of january?

(i've read a bit about ammunition and handguns on wikipedia, so i kinda know that i'll most likely start with a .22LR pistol like a Ruger MkII / MkIII, or MAYBE a .22LR rifle plus a 9mm pistol)

incidentally, does living in an apartment cause 50 billion red flags to pop up with getting a PAL? does the RA centre allow storing firearms on-site?

---

EDIT - i'm not a kid. i'm 35. never owned firearms of any kind (other than one BB handgun worth around $25 bought at CrappyTire). want to get into this ONLY for sporting / target purposes (maybe some competition later on, like in 3-5 years), and have ZERO interest in hunting.
 
Welcome to CGN!

You don't have to twiddle your thumbs. Assuming the friend who pointed you to this site is a gun owner, ask him to take you out to the range to get some hands-on time with different guns. You don't need that experience to pass the PAL exams, but it sure couldn't hurt. There's also no harm in going to the gun store to check out some of the guns you may want to purchase once you receive your PAL.

As far as storing guns in your apartment, check with the building's by-laws and your tenant agreement. Some buildings prohibit the storage of firearms and you really don't want to bring home a shiny new gun only to later realize that you risk being evicted if you're caught with it.
 
ya, he (friend) does own guns, but he's busy for the next few weeks with competitions and whatnot.

as far as storing firearms in the apartment, yeah i figure i MIGHT have some limitations so that's why i wonder if ranges typically allow storing on-site.
 
I was originally looking to store at the range to appease the wife. No range in my area has this service either. Pistol shooting requires a lot of practice at the begining so your .22lr pistol idea is great until you work out the kinks. I started with a 40cal and a month later bought the 22 so that I could learn to shoot a handgun with cheap ammo first. Somedays, I still like shooting the 22 over the 40 cal just because blasting through 500 rounds ammo is dirt cheap in 22 but in all honesty I would rather shoot the 40.
 
It's more personal preparation rather than preparation for the courses. I just took both of the courses in the last month and really, it's a mixture of common sense and paying attention.

The courses allow you to handle the disabled guns they have on hand as well, as well as how to load/unload ammunition from them. The course I took, had 1 gun per type of action, with the exception of a few rare types but all the main ones were covered.

The practical test was probably the harder of the 2 exams - But just pay attention and take your time to remember how all the actions/saftys work on the guns they have availiable. They pretty much just ask you how to load/unload/PROVE a few different guns as well as apply the safty devices and trigger locks. How to properly transport restricted firearms as well as store them. All this information is in the course, so just pay attention.

The written tests are straight forward multiple choice questions. They can range from "which of these are not a sight - a,b,c,d" to is <blank> ammunition interchangeable with <blank> ammunition. They can also try and trick you in a few questions, so make sure you read the question over well. Again, all this information and knowledge will be the courses - Just pay attention, and ask questions if you are unclear. It's in reality, pretty darn easy.

This also comes from someone who had absolutely no knowledge/hands on experience with firearms other than BB/pellet guns and paintball guns. Admittedly, before the course I had no idea when someone was talking about a "gas" powered rifle, I just assumed they had a C02 cartridge or something, lol.

Also, you will not be able to go to a store and handle any firearms until you get your license. You will however be able to go with a friend to a range and under direct supervision (basically an arms length away) be able to use his firearms.
 
So why cant he go to the store and handle and browse? He is under the direct supervision of the clerk who will be helping him, is he not.

One store around here put up a sign saying that a PAL was required to handle firearms and you would be required to produce it. Next time I went in sign was gone and no one asked to see my PAL when I wanted to look at a rifle on the rack. I have never been asked for my PAL to handle in the store.

Might be a store policy where you are.
 
PAL and RPAL courses

I took 'em both in December. What I found to work in my favour was to read and re-read the manuals. Pick 'em up a few weeks in advance of your course and take 'em home. If you have not handled weapons before, try to find a coach to walk you through... some of the basics. Safe handling is key ... memorize and talk out loud ACTS and PROVE during your practical test.
 
thanks, guys! today (saturday), i went to a local shop in ottawa, and got to talk to the clerk for about an hour (store was nearly empty so that was good) and got to handle a few handguns - a norinco (?) 1911 copy, a glock 17, a S&W M&P, and a browning 22LR buckmaster or something like that. i have to admit that i liked the glock and S&W, and the 1911 felt crude - but had a nice light trigger pull since it's SA (dry fired it and the glock)

started talking about ammunition costs too since i'll be going through lots of it just to learn the basic things. seems that 22LR is around a nickle a pop, and 9mm is nearly 5-10x as much.

how many rounds does a beginner typically go through on a single outing during either an evening or a half-day on a weekend?
 
Buy a .22LR and the round count is immaterial. You can shoot until your fingers bleed.

Cost considerations aside, you really want to start with a .22LR.
 
Wendell said:
Buy a .22LR and the round count is immaterial. You can shoot until your fingers bleed.

Cost considerations aside, you really want to start with a .22LR.
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pistol or rifle? bolt-rifle or auto-load rifle? ya, getting a wee bit off-topic here from the initial thread, but just this afternoon i stumbled across the Kel-Tec SU-22 (though i hate that giant long curved magazine - looks too assault-rifle).
 
BP7 said:
pistol or rifle? bolt-rifle or auto-load rifle? ya, getting a wee bit off-topic here from the initial thread, but just this afternoon i stumbled across the Kel-Tec SU-22 (though i hate that giant long curved magazine - looks too assault-rifle).
Click to expand...

Whatever you prefer, it doesn't matter. Unless...

You might have sport in mind, some form of competition, and you'd be frustrated if you didn't take that intent into account. Bullseye, IPSC, IHMSA, SASS, IDPA, PPC, DCRA, ISU, USPSA Steel Challenge...they all have different needs.

Identify what your primary intended use of this firearm will be. Answer that, and the selection will narrow most conveniently.
 
"...storing firearms in the apartment..." No fuss. No bother. Nobody's business but your's. As in your landlord has no say in what you own. A lease cannot make something illegal that is not.
You will want some kind of lockable, not easily moved container. My 8 long gun(has more than that in it), inexpensive, safe fits nicely in the back of a closet. Has in every place I've ever been in too.
"...how many rounds does a beginner typically go through on a single outing..." Depends on what and where you're shooting, but 50 rounds of .22's isn't unusual. Buy .22 ammo by the 500 round brick, but not until you have a .22 pistol and have tried a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your .22 shoots best and cycles the action. The price of said ammo means nothing. .22's don't always like every brand. A.22 is the best firearm to start. Relatively inexpensive to shoot and the same techniques apply to all handguns.
Not entirely unusual to shoot that much of centre fire either. Shooting factory gets expensive fast. So does shooting jacketed bullets. Reloading cast bullets reduces the cost of cf ammo.
Buy a copy of The ABC's of Reloading. Your local gun shop or Amazon. Has more info than just reloading info. A copy of Hatcher's Notebook would be good too. Mostly about U.S. military rifles, but it has a lot of general technical shooting info too. Good read even if you never own a rifle. Text book that doesn't read like one. Same sources.
One thing at a time though. Like bigmagnus says, read the books. Wikipedia isn't a great place for accurate info. Anybody with Internet access can post there. This forum is though. So are most of the U.S. forums.
Join a shooting club too. Ontario's CPFO has decided it's required just to own handguns anyway. The same one your work buddy belongs to would be good. Most club members will let you try they're firearms(Most shooters are just like that. They'll bend over backwards to help a new shooter.) and it opens doors. Invitations to go hunting, etc.
 
sunray said:
"...storing firearms in the apartment..." No fuss. No bother. Nobody's business but your's. As in your landlord has no say in what you own. A lease cannot make something illegal that is not.
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When you sign a tenant agreement, you agree to abide by the rules set forth in that agreement. Laws have nothing to do with it. If your tenant agreement bans guns, you can be evicted for breaking that agreement if you store guns in your apartment. It doesn't have to be illegal for it to come back to bite you.

Check your tenant agreement before bringing guns into your apartment.
 
how many rounds does a beginner typically go through on a single outing during either an evening or a half-day on a weekend?[/QUOTE]

I would think for a normal day at the range I would shoot about 180 rounds .22 and between 50 to 100 rounds or .40.

By the way it does not take long to go through this many rounds depending on what drills you are doing. For me this about an hour to hour and a half.
 
Hi BP7,

You can download a copy of the CFSC (Canadian Firearms Safety Course) and CRFSC (Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course) Student Manual's at no charge from here:

http://fseso.org/index_files/Page322.htm


They are the manuals that are used at the PAL for restricted and non restricted courses. That should give you something to do before Jan.31

Have fun and enjoy your new hobby. :)
 
that's excellent! thanks! i didn't even think to google-search for it. just made a print-out of it, should make some good learning.

looks like my non-restricted course will happen as early as jan.23. wheee!!!!!



SkilledShooter said:
Hi BP7,

You can download a copy of the CFSC (Canadian Firearms Safety Course) and CRFSC (Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course) Student Manual's at no charge from here:

http://fseso.org/index_files/Page322.htm


They are the manuals that are used at the PAL for restricted and non restricted courses. That should give you something to do before Jan.31

Have fun and enjoy your new hobby. :)
Click to expand...
 
You're on the right track if you start off with a 22LR.

I suggest starting with a rifle if you plan on going into the woods and want a gun with you. As far as I know, there is nowhere in Canada that allows a civilian to carry a restricted firearm outside of a shooting range.

Use respect when going on other peoples land.

I agree with what the others have already said about starting with a 22 pistol. If you just wanna pop off a few rounds and have a pistol, start with a 22 and move up from there.

Some manufacturers have a 22 pistol modeled after one of their 9mm or 45 cal which makes it easy for you to learn where the safety is, where the magazine release is, and how the slide will function (ie: last round hold-open). Can anyone name specific models/manufacturers? Thanks.

I hope you get your license, get some guns, and have fun.

S.
 
actually i've been looking at the (long-winded) ATT process, and i'm thinking of starting with a rifle instead, but maybe in .17HMR instead of 22LR. still have time to decide! in the meantime, reading the course book is good, as is walking into a store to at least hand-hold some of the arms.

the more i think about things, the more interested i am in achieving accuracy rather than making ludicrous amounts of noise or elephant-size holes in sheets of plywood. a buddy of mine at work showed me some of his targets from 100 / 200 / 300 yards, done with a .22-250 round. NICE!

one thing that my newbie-brain can't let go of is the "cheap tricycle" of 22LR. oh, i know it's probably the best overall spot to start, but part of me would rather start with something a notch or two more "ambitious" (and suck up the cost - it's not like i spend my $$$ on booze and smokes anyways, so i can afford to spend a bit on ammo)
 
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