This is in response to Hud's msg in my "Hi I'm New To The Group" thread:
I just got back from my first stage of NRA Range Officer Training and this is what I learned:
1. Women who tell me they don't plan on carrying but want something easy to shoot while hiking, at home, etc. tend to like the ease of a revolver in say .38cal. Women who like revolvers also tend to like simplicity and ease. However, I met an older woman today who had trouble with most guns because she had such a weak grip so couldn't even pull the trigger on most guns she tried.
-Note-Many of us are intimidated by the recoil we've heard so much about. We women are simply wired to be more cautious, I think, so it's really hard not to "overthink" the whole thing and freak ourselves out so much that we can't do simple operations.
I think that was the above woman's issue more than anything else, I mean, she has to be able to open a simple car door and most of them have more "trigger pull!"
2. PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME ALL WOMEN WANT OR SHOULD CARRY REVOLVERS! (Not meant to yell-just want to be clear on this.) I get this all the time at guns shows and it drives me nuts! I am a semi-auto person and most male gun dealers (and some of the women too) seem to assume that most women want revolvers. Many women on the range today told me they just like the feel of a semi-auto and can shoot it more accurately than a revolver.
3. Some 1911 style semi-autos can be too tough to figure out for a first time shooter, male or female. There is the safety, a tough takedown, and the beavertail safety to contend with. I find many 1911's are pickier than say the Kahr, Glock, Sig, etc. If you don't have a crush grip the gun may not go into battery, or may stovepipe. This style can be a good gun for women down the road but I believe a woman's first gun should be simple to use, right down to the take down and cleaning, or she just won't be interested. We women are wired to be thinking simultaneously of cleaning the gun, doing the laundry, taking the kids to soccer, etc. If a gun is too difficult to use, it will get shelved. Down the line, women like 1911 style but only after some experience.
4. Women need a gun that fits their hand well or the recoil will make it too painful to shoot. If when the trigger finger is resting on the trigger (unloaded in this test of course!) the trigger fits just into the first joint, and the gun then lines up evenly down the rist and forearm, you've got a match. If however the grip is too big, when the trigger finger is placed correctly, the back of the gun will then line up with either side of the rist and cause pain in the wrist joint and in the shoulder when shot. (ok, that seemed a bit complex-sorry!) The bottom line here is that a woman buying her first gun needs someone experienced in handgun fitting to help her. Many women end up with a gun their husband or boyfriend likes-it fits his hand (or he'll find a way to make it fit) but it frustrates her to shoot it because it jumps around in her hand when shot.
5. Caliber-That all depends on what each woman believes, is taught, etc. Many men (and some women) seem to think a .45cal is too much recoil. As mentioned above, I believe much of that has to do more with proper handgun fit than anything else. Self-defense ammo seems to be most effective in .38cal or better. Most of the women I talked to today would rather have the biggest punch of power to stop the attack, rather than possibly just knicking the assailant. Those woman all chose .45cal and love it!
6. We women want desperately to simply solve a problem. We're not looking to be "cool" or with the "in crowd", we just see it as a simple tool. Help us find the right tool, help us find a good teacher (other than boyfriend or husband-sorry guys!) and we'll be glad to get into the sport. Drag us to the gun shop, hint around, buy us a gun, etc. and you're pretty much guranteed a no go. Let us decide what we like, let us go to classes on our own where we're not worried about either disappointing you or embarrassing you or ourselves and we're likely to enjoy it more. After all, isn't that what interested you in us and us in you in the first place-new experiences?
Well, you asked my opinion. That's it. I know it's a bit long and I promise to try to keep it shorter next time.
I made a bunch of points here. Do you other women shooters agree, disagree, ?
