[BlueTrain]

I think the previous comment misses the point, though generally I agree with him. There may be no point to having mechanics tools if you can't change the oil but not being able to change the oil shouldn't mean you shouldn't be allowed to drive. Bad comparison.

The subject of training and practice comes up all the time here. Clearly you have to be familiar with your weapon but that statement just scratches the surface. Considering the subject, there is more than one thing to think about. First, obviously, you must assure yourself that your weapon will function all the time, every time. That means you have to try it out with the ammuntion you have decided to use and you have to keep it reasonably clean. And keep fresh ammunition on hand.

You need to be reasonably competent handling the firearm from both a functional standpoint ("qualifying on the range") and from a safety standpoint. We're talking about something that is lethal.

Ultimately you will probably need some form of instruction, irregardless of what I have suggested elsewhere. No one learns gun handling from watching television or by osmosis. You might have a parent to teach you the basics, if one of them knows the basics. You may have picked up what you need to know in the armed forces, although I had no handgun training during my term, and the rifle part I thought was thorough but still pretty basic. Even so, it was from the army's point of view. Shooting ranges sometimes offer handgun courses that I suppose are necessary if you have had no previous exposure to handguns. But Americans suffer from the illusion that just because they are Americans, they know about rifles and pistols. That's why the adoption of the 9mm Beretta was so contentious. Everyone thought they were an expert.

On to the next thing. If your weapon is going to be actually carried on your person, which most are not, you have to master drawing the thing from your holster. But by no means should you ever "present" it to anyone. Anyhow, this is something you probably can't practice at any live range. They seem to regard that as reckless or something. Ultimately I imagine the goal should be to achieve a draw that is as smooth and natural as taking your wallet out of your pocket. And my wallet seems to come out real fast, too. So if you manage the first two, the speed will come. It might take a while to find just the right holster, too, and I hope it doesn't squeak too much.

Finally, you will have to practice. That is to say, you have to keep in practice. I am not a believer in a lot of shooting just to be proficient, though I'm sure that most of those here who report that they shoot as much as 500 rounds a week or even a lot less, just like to shoot. I have sometimes suggested that you shoot in one session no more than you actually carry. That might be logical but it strains practicality. It would make for a very short range session and probably leave you at the point where you were just getting the hang of things. And there is the cost factor. Ultimately you have to work out your own level.

There remains the question of what you should try to accomplish while you are at the range. The biggest limitation you will have is simply shooting at a range. Competitive shooting has the same sort of limitations but that's life and it's better than nothing.

Overall, I think the biggest aid to shooting, as opposed to actually carrying a gun, would be having a friend that shoots.