Bring along an experienced friend

One of the main requirements before learning how to shoot a gun is for first-timers to take a fundamentals course. Even so, Roberts stresses the importance of attending with at least one experienced shooter—especially if you're going with a larger group. "It's hard to teach four, five, six, seven people about firearm safety, and then keep them safe when they're [on their own]."

Choose a larger version of a smaller pistol.

According to Roberts, any first-time shooter should start off with a smaller-sized pistol, such as a .22 caliber, .38 caliber, or a 9mm. However, it shouldn't be too small.

"The biggest misconception is that little guns don't kick," he says. "Little guns actually kick way more than big guns. We always have to go through the spiel of 'Don't get the itty bitty 9mm, because it'll hurt to shoot it. It kicks real hard. Get the medium or the large 9mm, and it'll kick much less.' It's much easier to handle."

Don't put your thumb on the pistol slide.

When you learn to shoot a gun —specifically semi-automatic weapons— beginners "always put their thumb on the top of the rear of the slide," Roberts says, referring to the top part of the gun that moves backwards when fired. "They could get injured that way. We caution them to make sure they put their thumbs on top of thumbs instead of the slide."

Never wear a V-neck.

One overlooked aspect of gun range etiquette is the attire. Some fashion choices are more obvious: not wearing open-toed shoes, for instance, goes without saying. But visitors should also think twice about donning any kind of V-neck shirt. "It creates a funnel effect," cautions Roberts. "And if they hold the gun loosely, then the round will go backwards and go down their shirt. Kind of embarrassing."

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