Here is a column I wrote, under the pen-name of Desiderius Erasmus an old Dutch philosopher, for a monthly Illinois newsletter on the Second Amendment. Old Desiderius’ motto was In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King, which meant that you didn’t have to be perfect in your skillset, just better than your opponent. In Latin, the phrase is “in regione caecorum rex est luscus.”
In regione caecorum rex est luscus
In the Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King
By “Desiderius Erasmus,” a GSL member
I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me
You are going to hate this column – almost every word of it. But you need to read every word, because what has happened to me could, maybe will, happen to you. Firearms have been my life. I went into the Army at age 18 and left at 52. I’ve put tens of thousands of rounds down range, from .22s to 105mm main tank gun rounds. I could sleep anywhere, or operate on reduced sleep, carry a rifle all day, tolerate 118 degrees to minus 30, and was the best pistol shot, at least of the officers, in our infantry battalion.
I’m 74 now and I don’t do most of that – but I’m not quitting! As you get older, you won’t quit either, and the following can kick that aging process a little down the road; so remember, Aleve or Advil could become your new best friend!
Sight. We had an old phrase back during the Cold War: “If you can be seen, you can be hit; if you can be hit, you can be killed.” The same goes in reverse; you must be able to see your target to hit it, and very few of us are 20/20 when we are old and gray. Get your eyes checked annually; pay attention to words like “glaucoma” and “detached retina”. Start researching red dot sights – anything but old iron sights. Some are incredible, and yes you need to start becoming interested in battery life. Or just be like old Ray Charles in The Blues Brothers. (After this column was published, I have cataract surgery on both eyes, It was very easy and I see a whole lot better now!)
Mobility. Forget speed; you need to exercise so you can just walk several miles at a time. Get some good walking shoes and a multi-purpose walking stick. If you hunt, you want to be able to walk, at least slowly, on uneven ground. Or climb into a boat during duck hunting. Stop exercising for a month and you’ll be shocked at how much ability you lose. If you are going into the back country, go with a friend – just in case. Check with your doc to see what exercise is healthy for you, because you need to start exercising two months before your hunting trip.
Recoil Tolerance. The older you get, the less tolerant of felt recoil you’ll be. However, I knew an excellent skeet shooter in his 90s, who simply switched to a .410 and was a better shot than most younger guys. For long guns, you need some shoulder and back muscle mass, so find exercises to build those up. You’re not a wimp just because you use a recoil pad. Your days of “Make my day,” with a .44 Magnum are dwindling. If all you can shoot comfortably is .22, .32 Auto, or .32 Magnum, then just do that. There’s a reason why the Walther PPK in 7.65mm (.32 Auto) has stood the test of time.
Arm and Hand Strength. You must be able to hold on to a weapon when firing it; you can get hand-gripper exercisers almost anywhere cheap, and small dumbbells (but heavier than the weight of your firearm) for wrist and arm curls to build those muscles up. Search online for “workouts to improve firearms shooting.” The stronger you are, the longer you can shoot bigger calibers.
Hearing. ALWAYS wear hearing protection when you practice, even with just a .22. The alternative is that you will go deaf. Have your hearing checked soon to establish a baseline. Some health insurance only pays for one hearing check every two years, but this may be an item you decide to pay out of pocket to do annually. Here’s the rub though. If you are out walking at night, with a concealed carry just in case, you have to be able to hear the bad guy, and if you are wearing hearing protection in case you need to shoot, you won’t hear him. There are some electronic earplugs/earmuffs that allow you to hear regular sounds, but instantaneously “close” when a gunshot is detected; I have a set and they work for me, but I’m not smart enough to advise you on these; your audiologist may be.
Fine Motor Skills. Your fingers won’t want to do what your brain tells them: picking up small items (I know – I just suggested smaller bullets!); loading magazines (Maglula UpLula magazine loaders are worth their weight in gold); and racking a slide will all start getting tougher (Glocks have racking assists you can buy and try racking closer to your body.) This can be a nerve or arthritis issue, not muscle. But don’t give up. You may just have to change to a simpler firearm, such as a revolver.
Just not a .454 Casull!