What happens in Vegas ...

... doesn't always have to stay in Vegas, does it?

Sorry for writing this in English. I'm using a company laptop that doesn't have Chinese IME.

Anyway, I've planned two range trips within a month, and both were blown by my boss sending me here to Vegas on Friday. Fortunately, I did get some time off Sunday afternoon, and promptly drove downtown to get some full auto fun.

The hotel I am staying has fliers for two gun shops. I've read about The Gun Store being a bit pricey, but the other store is not open on Sundays, so that was my only choice. It wasn't too hard to find, just about 3 miles from the Strip, but I don't know if there is a way to get there without our own car or taxi.





The place is full of NFA toys and all sorts of handguns for rental, but who cares about the latter? I took a quick browse on the wall, and decided on comparing two generations of German machinepistols - MP40 and MP5. The price for each is the same - $40 for 50 rounds, $65 for 100 rounds. The price also covers range usage, full-time coach, and eye/ear protection. I was just gonna blast 50 rounds each, but the all-American cutie behind the counter convinced me that going for 100 rounds is a much better deal. I also picked up two targets because I forgot to bring some technical documents from work to shoot.



After a short wait, my coach walked me inside the range. He is nice and friendly, just as one might expect in a tourist establishment. The first thing he asked was whether I've done any shooting before. I told me I'm fairly familiar with semi-autos, but have not shot full-auto before. That was probably enough to skip the beginner's safety lecture, but he still wouldn't let me load the guns until showing it to me once.



The first gun he got me was the MP5. It feels smaller but heavier than I'd expect. I planned to shoot a couple of rounds in semi first just to get the feel, but the coach placed the selector in full happiness and told me to try 3 round bursts first. With the target at about 7 yards, aimed head shots were too easy. The difficulty of doing controlled 3-round bursts was not as much as I imagined. Of course, a big part of it comes from the MP5 itself, as I would realize later.

During the shoot, the coach controlled my pace. After finishing the first magazine of 25 rounds in short bursts, he then told me to aim at the center of mass and do longer, 6~8 round bursts. That's when controllability becomes an issue. In my first couple of long bursts, I did not shoulder the weapon properly and it started slipping. Even with proper position and posture, it was no longer possible to get the same tight groups as 3-round bursts.



The real rock 'n roll happened on my last magazine, when the coach told me to open up. I think I managed to keep all the rounds within the silhouette, but that's about it. I can clearly see why real operators don't open up in most tactical situations.



Even though the MP5 was well-used, the MP40 they have felt like a clunker in comparison. The coach told me to place my support hand between the magwell and the trigger, instead of holding the magazine like I saw in movies. He said that the gun would jam if I do that.

This MP40 is my first-ever experience with a gun that fires with bolt open. The coach run me through the same regimen, also with 4 magazines. Despite having gotten my feet wet with automatic weapons, I shot worse with the MP40. Head shots at the same distance was iffy. I could feel the bolt moving back and forth, and that undoubtedly affected accuracy to an extent. The rate of fire was also perceivably slower than the MP5.



It is not really fair to compare two firearms designed and made decades apart, but I think the MP5 is a much better gun. Superior bolt design gave the MP5 better accuracy and controllability. Better ergonomics did not hurt either. Having said so, I can see that MP40 did exactly what it was made to do - spraying bullets - and did it rather well. By the way, the keyholes were formed when the target paper was folded by the muzzle blast.



With a long line of shooters waiting, I did not get to slow down and enjoy the moment. However, the coach was nice enough to let me pose and take a few photos. I suppose that's part of the package. It was fun while it lasted, but that was like burning dollar bills for fun. Unless my company gives me a hefty bonus this year, I don't think I can afford to do this often.