About 12 years ago LOML and I took the concealed carry classes and she did well. Then she realized open carry was leagl in this state and refused to get her concealed license. "If I'm carrying I want people to know it!" This was her statement, and she has carried open at work a couple of times - she is a geologist.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
Smart lady. When people ask why we open carry I respond "Because I am not a victim". While CC is fine, but it's only purpose is to be deployed AFTER there is an attack. Properly concealed carriers look just like any other unarmed person. We hear many times of CC holders coming out on top after an attempted crime, which is good. But it the person does not come away unscathed, and will live with it for some time. Plus losing their gun until the courts return it. There just are very few incidences of open carriers attacked, or involved in shootings.Originally Posted by Wayne Smith
Well the think is she's afraid of the loud noise of a centerfire. She will flat burn threw the 22lr. Also she's afraid of the slide on a semi-auto. That's why I said as soon as funds allow I'm getting her a revolver. Also she has a fear that every gun she picks up will hurt her from recoil when she fires it. I'm finally getting her out of the notion she had that guns just go off and kill people. Her dad was showing me a new revolver he had baught once and she wigged out about us handling it around her. O and the cylinder was swung out with the gun unloaded, mataining muzzle discipline by both of us the whole time. Threw exposure to fire arms she's starting to clam down a bit but is still apprehensive when it comes to firing anything that's not a 22lr rifle.
And while your suggestion is a reasonable one I couldn't part with the 9. It's just a hi point c9 which means it isn't worth much but that gun is special to me. It was my first handgun and it was given to me by my wife as a present. I had been wanting a pistol for a while because at the time I still had my motorcycle and when I went on rides I was yousaly alone. There's still places way back in the mountains where a stranger can feel the eyes watching your every move. When your passing threw you don't stop, and it's to your benefit to have back up in some form or fashion.
I cast therefor I shoot. Or is it the outher way around?
Yep, alot of wild places and people back there. Pills and unemployment have really hurt Appalachia.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
my wife carries a pepper spray gun in her purse.
Ahh good, nothing like an iritated, angry guy stabbing you, vs the guy that originally just wanted your purse and threatened to stab you.
Pepper is for steak grilling.. lead is for bad guys.. ( ok maybee a little copper gilding to go with the lead if that's how you swing. )
W/o stepping on toes or anything, I;d like to get in on this discussion a bit.
My wonderful better half was asked to hold a NRA Women On Target over 15 years ago. It was a new program, initially designed to get women into hunting. Well, there wasn't any real guidance,,, so we created our own clinic, more around handguns, and it was a huge success. What was to be a one time thing became a 4-5 times a year event. We have taught hundreds of ladies to shoot.
First, it's a ladies ONLY clinic, save for the few select male instructors my wife picks. No macho attitude, calm, patient & very gentlemanly guys only. (This is because we do not have enough qualified ladies to run an entire clinic.)
This atmosphere allows the ladies to relax & see that almost everyone else there is the same as they are. New, unfamiliar, scared (sometimes,) & female. Many have never handled a firearm before, or worse, have had some macho type hand them a recoiling handgun that hurts & scares them, then laugh at them. Sadly, some male types do not want their women to enjoy shooting.
After a 2 hr classroom, where safety, grip, sights stance, etc is all covered, they are put with individual instructors who take them one on one, & have them shoot handguns. We require all of them to start with 22's, where they shoot 50 rounds. Then we move to DA revolvers & have them shoot 38 spl light loads. Lastly, we have them try 9mm semi's. W/o fail, most of them PREFER the simplicity, the ease of handling, & general abilities of the DA revolvers. We never force our opinions upon them, we allow them to see what works for them, and let them decide which type of handgun is their best choice.
After they have had our basic clinic, we have held Level II clinics, where we just use 22's, and have them shoot different "stages" to make them have to reload, move, shoot through a window or door, around a wall, sitting, etc. All basic, but a building skill.
My point in sharing this here is to let folks know that ladies can & will learn to shoot,, IF GIVEN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS & ATTITUDE. It would surprise you how many of these ladies are widows who inherited a few guns from their deceased husbands & now decide that they need to learn to protect themselves.
If you have a lady in your life who may want to learn, or who is a bit apprehensive etc, look into a ladies ONLY clinic. Especially if it has a female instructor. Look for a WOT clinic near you. Find a woman who teaches, especially beginner classes. And from what we have learned, stay away from any of the "tactical" types,, even the ladies who teach that.
We have learned the following;
Ladies can & will learn to shoot, quite easily when offered a chance to work with other beginner ladies.
They usually sign up in pairs or families. (They like a familiar friend with them.)
Keep things on a simple level.
Make it FUN!
Never start with anything bigger than a .22 LR.
Allow the lady to work up to other calibers.
Make them work the guns, do not do it for them. (This is important in that you make them load a 9mm magazine, rack the slide, operate all the mechanisms, etc.) If they can not do it,, especially a lot of the older ladies who no longer have the strength, DO NOT FORCE them.
Always keep the tried & true statement; KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid.
Have a lady teach them about how to carry a gun. They are built differently, (Thank goodness) they wear their clothes differently, rarely wear a heavy enough belt to carry a firearm, & in general, have a lot of challenges in how to carry.
Because of how successful we have been, and how well our students have done, in 2009, my wonderful better half was chosen as one of the top 10 ladies in the NRA WOT program.
We'll be glad to discuss things with anyone who wants help.
I offer all this after reading about how the lady above likes the revolver, or the ones who shoot the 22's have been. It did not surprise me at all.
Nurture their feelings & cater to their desires, and you may find they will carefully expand their attitudes about firearms.
Contender, alot of guys would benefit from a beginner focused/no testosterone class as well. I am 6'4/275 but cannot shoot anything stronger than 9mm or .38 +P with any kind of accuracy. I carry .380 and .38 Special and practice alot, I feel confident and well protected. When I tell this to the gun shop commandos they recoil in horror as if my "girly" carry guns are a threat to their manhood.
Surprisingly, my mom and sister have no interest in wheelguns at all. They gravitate towards the full size 9's.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
My wife carries a S&W Model 32 "Terrier" in 38 S&W On the range I can call her the shots and at 7 yds puts them were I ask in double action! Far better then I can do in single action. I don't worry about my little lady when she goes out!
" Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington
FergusonTO35,,, I see NO problem with what you carry. You carry what YOU like, what fits YOU, and to heck with what these armchair commandos think.
That said,,, read my post again,,, it's about beginners & a lot of them are older ladies. As such, due to age, arthritis, etc,, just racking a slide, or loading a magazine can be a struggle. BUT,,,,,,, but some of the younger ladies, have had zero issues with semi-autos. But when we explain how you NEED to spend TIME with a firearm to become muscle memory friendly of it's operations,,, otherwise under stress you will not be able to operate it, many see why a DA revolver is a good choice.
And before any of the nay-sayers disagree with me,,, I taught my mother to shoot, and she had a .22 cal Colt Junior my Dad had given her. I insisted she shoot this gun of HER choice at least once a month. I had cleaned her gun the day before she really needed it. It was in a holster, wrapped in a handkerchief, safety on, empty chamber, in her pocket, when a thug came into her store & pepper-sprayed her in the face. During the robbery, she was pepper-sprayed a total of 3 times, yet managed to get the gun out of her pocket, out of the handkerchief, out of the holster, yet UNABLE to rack the slide and dis-engage the safety. The thug attacked her, tried to get the gun, failing as she balled up in the fetal position, despite being thrown into shelving, breaking ribs, bruising her a lot etc. He succeeded in stealing cash & ran.
She retired the Colt, and immediately got her a Ruger SP-101 in 357 & began to practice with it. Under stress, MOST ladies will not be able to remember all the things needed to do unless they get muscle memory friendly with the gun.
First rule of self defense; Be able to defend yourself.
PS; Mom has passed away since all this, the thug, along with his 2 accomplices were caught, 2 made bail, upon which both of those committed other crimes while on bail. The one who attacked Mom made bail after several months, jumped bail, and when caught 5 years later, FAILED to get any more time than the time he'd served. I wish mom had shot the SOB.
Great work, Contender! Good on ya' and the wife both! And all your asst's, too!
That's funny......
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
My wife carries a S&W Shield in 9mm. She shoots it great. Now we're thinking about maybe putting an apex trigger at it to make it even better to shoot.
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations – we fall to the level of our training” - Archilochus
Mine carries a S&W 642. It's simple and she likes it. Practice rounds are low power loads with carry being +P.
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
- Albert Camus -
My wife is quite athletic....Very good tennis player: but is one of those gals that just can not rack an auto ...even my Ruger 22's!
That is why for her a revolver is the best bet! And as I said before, she can out shoot me with her's in double action vs me shooting single action!
I think that is a big plus for her
It all come down to what they are comfortable with!..... not what we want them to carry!
( she hates my 45 auto colt!)
" Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington
My wife used to shoot my empty tic tax boxes with my ruger 22 sa.
Good shot, can't rack a sa slide either. Revolver girl.
My wife carries a Model 30 S & W. Went through her CC class and bugs me to shoot. Only adverse problem is one time at church, her purse fell over and her gun fell out on the carpet in plain view. I though the lady sitting next to us would pass gas./beagle
diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....
My wife took her S&W 67 to LTC class and put all 50 rounds in a 4" rathole in the ten ring. The instructor winked at me and said I better mind. That said, when she discovered she could rack the slide on my 9mm Shield- it's no longer mine. I had to go get myself a .40 Shield. My oldest daughter carries a Glock .380 and my youngest daughter carries a P97 Ruger .45 because she likes it.
Reminds me of when I let my wife use my beautiful 6" blued python.. Pretty much my favorite handgun period... Well, its not mine now... I had to settle for a 4" Nickle...
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