Brits aren’t known for their love of firearms. In fact, we tend to hate them. When it comes to American gun culture, the majority of us look on with a mixture of horror and confusion when we see a Second Amendment activist walking through an airport with a rifle strapped to them. To many of us, it all seems so vulgar.

But in the wilderness of West Virginia, I recently found myself learning how to shoot an AR-15 alongside friends. There’s an exception to every rule, and I am apparently the exception to the rule that all Brits hate guns. Guns transcend the lines of nationality and gender.