revolver. A Smith and Wesson 357 Magnum, to be precise.” He opened his fist to reveal a palm covered in bullets. “There's no clip. The ammo goes into the cylinder."
"Are those the bullets?” She peered into his hand. “My, they're pretty."
"Pretty.” Rick looked down at his hand and pulled a face. “Haven't heard that before."
"They are. The way they are all golden, with a copper tip. Just like jewelry made out of two-tone yellow and red gold."
"It's not gold, it's composite, but the tip is copper. You can get lead-tipped cartridges as well, but people who work in law enforcement use these, or hollow-tips. These are called full metal jackets."
"Oh? She smiled up at him. I thought that's something you wear."
"Nope.” He smiled back at her. “It's ammo."
"Why do you prefer these? Is it just because they're pretty, or are they better in some way?” She picked up one of the bullets and held it between her thumb and forefinger, admiring the sleek design.
"Lead is poisonous. It can seep in through your skin. If you handle a lot of ammo, like cops do, you want to avoid lead."
Georgina dropped the bullet back in his palm and reached over to run her finger along the barrel of the gun. “I like this one. Show me how to put in the bullets."
His eyes followed her finger and there was a moment of silence. Then he cleared his throat and carried on talking. “The proper term is cartridges, or rounds. Just the tip is the bullet. The rest is the shell casing. It holds the charge and the primer. Those explode and make the bullet fly off at an enormous speed."
"Was that the stuff that was raining over the wall?"
"Yeah. That was the empty shells. A semi-automatic needs to eject them to get the next round into the chamber. With the revolver, the used shells stay inside and you have to eject them afterward."
"I want to try this one. Show me."
With a flick of his wrist, Rick flipped out the cylinder. He showed her how to slot the cartridges in one by one. Then he showed her how to twist the cylinder back in place.
"This is a double action revolver. That means that when you pull the trigger, it will first cock the hammer, and then fire the round. You have to pull the trigger quite hard."
"Will I have to spin the cylinder for the next shot?"
"No. That happens automatically."
"Is the safety on?"
"It's on.” He stepped close behind her, and moved her arms to point at the ground in front of her. “Remember not to point at your feet.” He reached out to the weapon she was holding and pushed the safety catch off. “You're ready to fire."
Georgina held the gun in both hands and raised her arms. Rick stood right behind her, just as she'd imagined. She could feel the heat of his body against hers. The noise of the steady little explosions from the other lanes appeared to fade away.
"Can you see the little raised sight at the far end of the barrel? There's a little notch in it?"
She nodded. Her hair caught the side of his face, that's how close he was.
"There's a little bead at the near end. Look down the barrel and line up the two."
"Okay.” She could see what he meant.
"Now aim at the target. Aim a little higher than you want to hit, because gravity will drop the bullet a fraction during flight."
She looked down the barrel of the gun at the cardboard man. “I can't do it,” she said, lowering the gun. “I can't shoot at a target shaped like a human."
His arm flashed out and pulled hers up. “I told you not to point at your feet."
"Sorry.” She shifted her stance and looked at him over her shoulder. “I want one of those targets with concentric circles."
"It's going to take at least ten minutes for me to go and find you one."
"Will you do it? Please?"
A shout came from the next lane. “I've got a spare. If you take the weapon out of her hands, I'll bring it over."
"All right, buddy,” Rick yelled back. He took the revolver from Georgina's hands and pushed the safety back on.
"How can he eavesdrop?”
"Are those the bullets?” She peered into his hand. “My, they're pretty."
"Pretty.” Rick looked down at his hand and pulled a face. “Haven't heard that before."
"They are. The way they are all golden, with a copper tip. Just like jewelry made out of two-tone yellow and red gold."
"It's not gold, it's composite, but the tip is copper. You can get lead-tipped cartridges as well, but people who work in law enforcement use these, or hollow-tips. These are called full metal jackets."
"Oh? She smiled up at him. I thought that's something you wear."
"Nope.” He smiled back at her. “It's ammo."
"Why do you prefer these? Is it just because they're pretty, or are they better in some way?” She picked up one of the bullets and held it between her thumb and forefinger, admiring the sleek design.
"Lead is poisonous. It can seep in through your skin. If you handle a lot of ammo, like cops do, you want to avoid lead."
Georgina dropped the bullet back in his palm and reached over to run her finger along the barrel of the gun. “I like this one. Show me how to put in the bullets."
His eyes followed her finger and there was a moment of silence. Then he cleared his throat and carried on talking. “The proper term is cartridges, or rounds. Just the tip is the bullet. The rest is the shell casing. It holds the charge and the primer. Those explode and make the bullet fly off at an enormous speed."
"Was that the stuff that was raining over the wall?"
"Yeah. That was the empty shells. A semi-automatic needs to eject them to get the next round into the chamber. With the revolver, the used shells stay inside and you have to eject them afterward."
"I want to try this one. Show me."
With a flick of his wrist, Rick flipped out the cylinder. He showed her how to slot the cartridges in one by one. Then he showed her how to twist the cylinder back in place.
"This is a double action revolver. That means that when you pull the trigger, it will first cock the hammer, and then fire the round. You have to pull the trigger quite hard."
"Will I have to spin the cylinder for the next shot?"
"No. That happens automatically."
"Is the safety on?"
"It's on.” He stepped close behind her, and moved her arms to point at the ground in front of her. “Remember not to point at your feet.” He reached out to the weapon she was holding and pushed the safety catch off. “You're ready to fire."
Georgina held the gun in both hands and raised her arms. Rick stood right behind her, just as she'd imagined. She could feel the heat of his body against hers. The noise of the steady little explosions from the other lanes appeared to fade away.
"Can you see the little raised sight at the far end of the barrel? There's a little notch in it?"
She nodded. Her hair caught the side of his face, that's how close he was.
"There's a little bead at the near end. Look down the barrel and line up the two."
"Okay.” She could see what he meant.
"Now aim at the target. Aim a little higher than you want to hit, because gravity will drop the bullet a fraction during flight."
She looked down the barrel of the gun at the cardboard man. “I can't do it,” she said, lowering the gun. “I can't shoot at a target shaped like a human."
His arm flashed out and pulled hers up. “I told you not to point at your feet."
"Sorry.” She shifted her stance and looked at him over her shoulder. “I want one of those targets with concentric circles."
"It's going to take at least ten minutes for me to go and find you one."
"Will you do it? Please?"
A shout came from the next lane. “I've got a spare. If you take the weapon out of her hands, I'll bring it over."
"All right, buddy,” Rick yelled back. He took the revolver from Georgina's hands and pushed the safety back on.
"How can he eavesdrop?”
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