Firearms guide: the rental guns you shoot with us.

The WaffenPro shooting sports centre in Zerbst provides rental firearms for the range in all the common classes: pistols from Glock (17/19), Heckler & Koch (P30/USP), SIG Sauer (P226) and Walther (P99), revolvers in .38 Special and .357 Magnum, centrefire rifles and precision rifles – on five climate-controlled 25-metre lanes approved for up to 7,000 joules and fitted with electronic scoring. Guests without a firearms licence (Waffenschein) shoot them under the supervision of DSB-licensed range officers in accordance with § 27 of the German Weapons Act (WaffG).

For us, a firearms guide for beginners does not mean memorising model numbers. It is about three questions: how does the firearm work, what does the shot feel like, and what was it built for. Once you understand that for three or four systems, you will recognise every other firearm. The legal side – why you are allowed to shoot without a permit – is explained in the guide to shooting without a licence; here it is about the hardware itself.

A pistol is a handgun with the magazine in the grip: after each shot it uses the energy of the cartridge to eject the case and load the next round. The scoring display responds in quick succession, and the recoil is partly absorbed by the moving slide. A revolver has a cylinder, usually with six chambers, instead of a magazine; the mechanism is visible and simple, the trigger heavier, and the recoil comes more directly into the hand.

A rifle rests against the shoulder, is held with both hands and aimed with iron sights or a scope. Thanks to its weight and shoulder mount it is the steadiest of the three types – which is why many guests shoot better with a rifle at 25 metres than with any handgun. Which firearm you shoot first depends on what you want to experience: the fine work of the pistol, the mechanics of the revolver or the precision of the long gun.

The Glock 17 and the more compact Glock 19 are the pistols with which most guests shoot centrefire for the first time: polymer frame, low weight, no external safety lever, a trigger that stays the same from shot to shot. In 9 mm the recoil is noticeable but easy to control – a short push upwards, then the sights settle back on target. The Glock 17 sits steadier thanks to its longer grip, the 19 suits smaller hands.

The Heckler & Koch P30 offers interchangeable grip panels and backstraps and can therefore be fitted to almost any hand size; the USP is larger and heftier, with noticeably softer shooting behaviour. The SIG Sauer P226 is an all-metal pistol with an external hammer: the extra weight takes the edge off the recoil, the first shot with its long trigger travel demands concentration, and every shot after that comes easily. The Walther P99 combines a polymer frame with a trigger that shortens after the first shot – a pistol that gives beginners a very direct feel for clean trigger control.

With a revolver you shoot .38 Special or .357 Magnum with us – two calibres from the same cylinder, because the shorter .38 Special cartridge fits any .357 Magnum revolver. That makes the revolver the ideal teaching tool for recoil: the same firearm, the same grip, first the moderate .38 Special, then the considerably stronger .357 Magnum. You feel the difference immediately and learn to adjust your stance to it.

The revolver does not forgive sloppy handling and rewards patience: the trigger is longer and heavier than on a pistol, and every shot has to be released deliberately. That is why range officers like to recommend the revolver as the second station after rimfire – if you stay calm here, you will shoot any pistol better afterwards. Who it suits: anyone who enjoys mechanics, wants to improve trigger control or simply wants to know what a .357 Magnum feels like in the hand.

With a rifle you shoot at 25 metres with us using centrefire rifles and precision rifles – within the range approval of up to 7,000 joules. The long gun rests against the shoulder, the weight is spread across both arms and the upper body, and the recoil becomes a push rather than a blow. If you are wary of a handgun's recoil, you will often be surprised at how calm a rifle shot feels.

Precision rifles show what electronic scoring can do: with a focused mount and clean breathing, the hits sit so close together that the display reports the difference between two shots in millimetres. Who it suits: guests who would rather measure than feel, those interested in hunting who want to get to know the rifle mount, and anyone who, after the pistol, wants to experience how much calmer a long gun can be. The range officer adjusts the buttstock and sights to you before your first shot.

From .22 LR to .45 ACP, the facility covers the entire range that matters for beginners and sport shooting. The calibre determines recoil, noise and ammunition cost more than the firearm model; that is why every first appointment begins with rimfire .22 and moves up only as far as is comfortable for you. The overview shows what to expect from each combination.

What the numbers behind the calibres mean – case length, rimfire and centrefire, bullet weight – is explained in detail in the calibre guide. For the decision at the range, the rule of thumb is enough: the bigger the number, the more pronounced the recoil – and the more important the clean fundamentals from your first rimfire magazines. The ammunition cost per package is included in the prices as per the booking system; if you want to shoot more, discuss it directly with the range officer at the lane.

Which firearm you learn to shoot with is decided by your range officer after a short conversation and your first shots with rimfire .22 – not by the booking and not by your preferred model. The packages as per the booking system set the type of firearm: pistol, revolver, rifle or combination; the specific rental firearm from the cabinet is chosen by the person beside you at the lane.

That choice is about hand size, strength and experience, but above all about what the scoring display shows after your first ten shots. If the hits sit close together, you move up a level. If they scatter, the range officer stays with the calibre and works with you on grip, breathing and trigger. If you can hit with rimfire, you will later hit with 9 mm too – the reverse does not hold. That is why every beginner starts in the same place, even those who end up holding a .357 Magnum or a precision rifle.

• Rimfire .22 LR first: build technique without recoil
• Check hand size: Glock 19, HK P30 with small grip panels or Walther P99 for smaller hands, Glock 17, USP or SIG P226 for larger ones
• Read the shot group: tight groups allow the next step, scatter means technique rather than calibre
• Increase recoil, do not jump: 9 mm before .45 ACP, .38 Special before .357 Magnum
• The rifle as a point of calm: if handgun shooting unsettles you, the shoulder mount brings you back to concentration
• Young people aged 14 and over shoot certain rimfire firearms under § 27 WaffG with the consent of their legal guardians; centrefire from 18

Every rental firearm is handed to you unloaded and with the slide open or the cylinder swung out; the range officer shows you loading, unloading and the safety check first without ammunition. Only when both hands know what they are doing do the first rounds go into the magazine. The four basic rules apply equally to every system: muzzle always towards the target, finger on the trigger only when firing, treat every firearm as loaded, follow commands immediately.

The range officer explains the differences between systems where they matter for safety: with a pistol, a round remains in the chamber after a magazine change if the slide is not racked; with a revolver, the hammer is cocked as soon as it is drawn back; with a rifle, the muzzle is further forward with every movement than beginners expect. We provide hearing and eye protection, and extraction runs right at the firing point. Ejected cases are hot – a closed collar helps. If you continue in the club, you deepen your handling in training and can qualify as a range supervisor under § 27 WaffG.

Holders of a firearms ownership licence (WBK) or a hunting licence shoot their own firearms with us, provided calibre and energy are within the range approval of up to 7,000 joules; transport must be in a non-ready-to-fire condition in a locked container, and ammunition can be purchased on site. The rental firearms for guests are semi-automatic pistols, revolvers and rifles from the sporting and hunting fields – and nothing more is needed for a memorable appointment.

Getting here: Bahnhofstraße 55, 39261 Zerbst/Anhalt, free parking at the centre, Zerbst railway station a short walk away. From Magdeburg 30 minutes, from Dessau-Roßlau 25, from Halle 55, from Leipzig 60, from Berlin 90 minutes. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 3 pm, Tuesdays and Fridays additionally 6 to 9 pm, Saturdays by arrangement. After shooting, take your target with you into the clubhouse restaurant or the ApexLounge next door, Thursday to Saturday from 5 pm – where the question of which firearm was the best usually becomes the conversation of the evening. If you would like to give the appointment as a gift, you will find everything under gift voucher.