Sandra, a Mexican American assistant nurse, is learning to use a pistol. Of a Saturday morning she practises at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (BASF), north of Phoenix, Arizona.

Pull back sharply on the slide to chamber the first round. Hold the weapon firmly with both hands, arms straight, and point it at the target, lining up front and rear sights. Breathe out steadily and gently squeeze the trigger with your forefinger. Suddenly, the whole world explodes: the cartridge is ejected sideways, the noise rattles your eardrums despite the ear defenders, the recoil pushes your upper body back and the barrel jerks upwards. The air fills with the acrid smell of gunpowder.

Sandra checks the target through her binoculars. With a wide grin, she puts down the.40 Smith & Wesson M&P Shield: ‘Bullseye!’

Built in the middle of the desert and surrounded by huge saguaro cactus, BASF is one of the US’s largest public gun ranges. Under a tin roof, a line of concrete shooting tables stretches into the distance. Behind them, the shooters, some with their families (children are admitted from the age of five), are methodically practising with airguns, semi-automatic rifles and pistols, and long-range rifles. Nothing distracts them, not even the heat (it’s 43°C); they are completely focused on their targets – concentric circles, human silhouettes or colourful aliens for junior shooters.

Everything at BASF runs like clockwork. The emphasis is on safety (ear defenders and goggles are compulsory), discipline (spent cartridges must be swept up at the end of your session), and sociability (there are picnic tables, barbecues and a campsite).

‘Business is good since Covid’

John, who owns an armoury at Cave Creek in the Phoenix suburbs, said, ‘Business has been good since Covid.’ Gun sales in the US follow a regular cycle of growth and contraction. Though the sharp rise during the pandemic was predictable amid widespread feelings of insecurity, the (…)

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