Many months ago, our favorite Nigerian shotgunner (and TFB Writer), Y Man announced that he would be coming to the States on business here. Immediately I thought about a possibility of him making a detour to Texas in order to hang out, shoot guns, and fulfill his wishes to experience some firearms that he would normally not get to shoot back home, where firearm ownership is not commonplace. I commented on his announcement that if he came to my neck of the woods, we would make sure to get as much trigger time as possible. I got in touch with Y Man after I asked Steve for his contact info, and after much planning and effort we both were able to coordinate and come up with a schedule that allowed him to visit the Lone Star State for a few days in February. Y Man came to town and it was there that our odyssey began.

First thing was first: Y Man needed a cowboy hat to be an official honorary Texan, and he is pictured above wearing it. We also got some fantastic Texas BBQ that he thoroughly enjoyed alongside his favorite dish, potato salad (which he says he could consume daily for the rest of his days and be content). We also went to a few shops so that he could purchase a few much needed items that are either not available or too expensive back in Nigeria. As a result of his spending, I am sure that the stock prices of several electronic stores rose! However he did not make this detour to Texas for work, but rather to sling as much lead as possible… and we did just that.

On day one, Y Man, myself, and two of my friends who brought out plenty of toys for him to play with went to a local indoor range called DFW Gun Range. We were the only customers at the time, so we were free to do as we pleased and the staff was also helpful and getting in on the action! This was also the first time Y Man had shot full auto, but he still handled it all like a professional. In fact, when I went into the foyer to talk with the range staff, they asked if my Nigerian friend was in special forces or something back home (I am completely serious!). For never having shot most of the firearms we brought out, Y Man handled them with extreme proficiency, and most of all safety. We spent most of the time indoors shooting full auto stuff, including an MP43, MP5, M16, M4, 22lr M16, FN FNC, Uzi, Mac 10, and we rented an M3 grease gun to play with, which Y Man loved. We also shot a few pistols including my Five-seveN and Mark 23, and my friend CJ brought out his Smith and Wesson Model 29 with some very powerful hand loads. When Emmanuel fired the monster of a revolver, he looked back at us with a facial expression that conveyed “hell yeah” to us all (with the gun pointed down range of course).

On day two, we traveled to a rural area to do some outdoor shooting with emphasis on distance. I brought out some neat stuff for Y Man to try, and even with snow covering most of the ground we had too much fun. Y Man told me the firearm he wanted to shoot the most was a Barrett, so of course we had to take it out and put his skills to the test (which he will tell you about in his posts). We plinked with an AK-74, Garand, SCAR 17s, my G36 build, UMP build, and a few more until our trigger fingers were sore and the cold temperatures started to get the best of us. He took plenty of photos and videos as well, which I am sure he will make available.

When we got back from the range, I asked Y Man what his favorite guns were and he said the following:

• For fully auto firearms, he liked the classic M3 “Grease Gun”
• For rifle, he said the AK-74 (he liked the low recoil and he was very accurate with it)
• For pistol he said the USP 45
• As for the gun he was most disappointed with, the said the SCAR 17s (he will have to explain why)

All in all he got a good sample of guns to play with, and I can’t wait to see all his photos and videos!

A few observations and nuances about our time together may provide a look into what this guy has to go through in order to be a legal firearm owner in Nigeria. First, you may only own a shotgun and you must be over 35 years of age. Not to mention firearms are expensive, the licenses are expensive, and you may own 100 shells at a time. Also new to me is what Y Man calls a “rustling handshake”, which is when two people shake hands and there is something in between the hands that rustles if you catch my drift. If you have read Y Man’s posts over the years, it is incredible what this man has had to do to participate in this hobby that we take for granted often times, and he ordered many tools to help improve his own firearm and shooting ability, as well as his technical abilities (he may be keeping Dremel and DeWalt in business). Y Man is also very handy and tech savy if you couldn’t tell by his articles where he humbly shows off his mechanical prowess.

All in all I enjoyed our time together and hope that next year he is able to visit SHOT with us and post his insights. Until then, I look forward to reading some more of his posts about shotgunning in Nigeria!