"I forgot my holster!"

I have this long standing worry that one day I'll drive an hour or more to a pistol match, and realize I have forgotten some important piece of a equipment; eye protection, ammo, gun, or holster. To hopefully avoid that, I have a checklist on my phone that I review as I pack up for a match. But I didn't use it Friday morning when heading to the local range for some practice time.

I awoke Friday morning to the sound of falling rain against the windows. Since I had the day off I was planning to hit the range, but it seemed that was not going to pan out. However, later in the morning as I enjoyed my coffee, it struck me that the sun was shining, so I (too) quickly loaded my gear into the car and headed out for some shooting practice. When I arrived that I realized that in my haste I had neglected to pack the holster and mag pouches for the gun I planned to shoot. (I had the weapon I was carrying but only one spare magazine, and no time to clean the gun before my other commitments.) So I adapted and drilled from low ready instead of the holster.

After some trigger-control head shot drills, and a bit of 25 yard work, I spent most of my time shooting on the move. Traveling back and forth between the 7 and 15 yard lines, I concentrated on steady, level movement and accurate shooting. Paying particular attention to a rolling step and stable gun, I gradually worked up my speed, at the same time being aware of the group of range officers gathered in the next bay. I didn't want to be admonished for shooting too fast or for engaging in forbidden "tactical training."

Despite the missing equipment, it still ended up being a good practice session. And the timing of my trip was just right. Near the end of my practice, the sky was getting gray again. No sooner did I begin picking up my brass did I feel rain drops hitting the back of my neck. Even though my brass was spread out around the bay and had to be hunted for, I was on my way home before getting very wet at all.

This is not my brass.

It also occurred to me that people who shoot cheap steel-cased ammo must not think the rules about picking up their "brass" applies to them. That's just lazy AND thoughtless if you ask me.