From:	Marc A Renouf <jormung@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject:	Re: improving skills
Date:	Tue, 12 Sep 1995 00:01:52 -0400

On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, Patrick D. Little wrote:

> Do you think that a hand gun and other firearms are as closely related
>as a computer and other pieces of electronic equipment. I would say that
>most firearms operate within the same parameters. If you can operate a
>firearm you can most likely use all firearms.

Not so. I'm pretty good with a pistol or a shotgun, but give me
a rifle and I'm hosed. I can't hit the broad side of a barn, especially
stationary targets (yes, I know that sounds weird, but it's true).
You'd be surprised just how much difference there is between
different varieties of firearms, especially between pistols and anything
else. If you are a crack-shot with a handgun, learning to fire a rifle
more accurately is not going to raise your pistol skill because the two
are a) used totally differently, b) aimed totally differently, c) recoil
differently, and d) are effective at different ranges. There are some
things that are general, across-the-board type knowledge, like how to
squeeze a trigger correctly, but in actuality, firearms are *quite*
different from each other.

Marc