What the World Needs Now...

More caring, passionate, dedicated Women Firearms Instructors.  There are relatively few of us.  Many women feel more comfortable learning from a woman.  We generally have a different style or manner.  I’ve worked with some amazing men, patient, talented, smart and funny.  But not all women have been so fortunate.  Or, they have a fear of the unknown and are just more comfortable learning from a woman.

Women’s classes and programs are getting easier to find, but…we need more!  I usually team teach with a man.  The women often tell me how relieved they were to walk in to the class and see me. 

What do you need to be an instructor?  Some basic shooting skills, a willingness to learn and keep learning.  You never want to stop learning, from other instructors, from your students, on your own…Dip your toes in by taking the NRA Pistol Instructor course and then looking for someone to team up with.  Maybe someone who is already established to take some of the stress of and you can gradually build your teaching skills and your comfort. 

Most import?  Be passionate about shooting and helping others learn to shoot.  You can always learn the skills, the techniques and the public speaking, but you need to love what you are doing.  The students can tell.  If you genuinely love it, odds are they will to.  If you are bored and not having fun, they won’t have fun either.

Practice, read, research, talk with other women shooters…be prepared for the questions that are gender specific, like what do you think of the Bra Holster.  If you haven’t tried it, how do you answer that?  Be careful not to just give your opinion, but to explain why.  If you love a particular product, tell them why you love it as opposed to something similar.  If you really don’t like something, be prepared to explain why not.

I am a convert, I really like Glocks.  Why?  The only time a Glock has ever had a malfunction on me I was shooting it upside down.  It takes every brand of ammo I have given it.  It is so easy to break down and clean, and they have a reputation for being reliable.  I also like Ruger, Smith and Wesson, and Browning, but none of them have performed like my Glocks have. 

I love Remora holsters for carry in a skirt or a dress, and dressy slacks.  Why?  They are like pocket holsters, but the outer fabric clings to my skin so it takes very little retention to keep it in place.  I was skeptical when I saw it, but I tried it and now I love them!  They are also the only company I have found currently making a thigh holster.  The band is long enough to circle my thigh (which is pretty close to my 18 year old waist measurement) and once I got used to it…it was easy to access, didn’t slip, secured my firearm…what more can you ask from a holster?  Sure, I carry a big hybrid holster when I carry a full size gun, but when I need to scale down because of my attire, I like something that conceals well, and works. 

Bottom line…if you love shooting, think about sharing your passion.  The rewards may not come in dollars, although there is some of that, but more often in the smiles, the thank yous and watching someone take their very first shot and realizing they can do this!

Safe Shooting!

A Woman's Right to Choose

Do you choose to be a victim? Sometimes someone selects you and attempts to “cull you from the heard”. Did you volunteer to be a victim? Probably not, but more often than not something told the mugger, rapist, murder that you were the one.

How do others see you? Do you walk with your head down? Do you avoid eye contact with people passing by? Are you blissfully swaying to your tunes or frantically texting as you are walking down the sidewalk? Are you juggling bags, purse, keys, phone and children making your way through a parking lot?

OR

Is your head up, alert, looking around? Are you keys out and ready? Are you looking directly at the people around you, casually scanning 360 degrees so you know who is close to you?  If they are close enough for you to see their eyes clearly they are close enough to get to you, probably faster than you can react if you are not prepared.

To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy, you might be a victim if;

·         You tolerate small incursions into your personal space without comment.

·         You watch the ground when you are walking.

·         You wait until you get to your car to get your keys out.

·         You have no awareness of who is around you.

·         You go through your day assuming all if fine, nothing will happen because you are a good person.

·         You think it is rude to ask someone to step back when they crowd you in a line or at the ATM.

It is your right to tell a stranger to take a step back, to meet the eyes of those around you, to stand tall, be strong and alert, to protect yourself and your family, to walk with a presence.

Only you can choose to be a victim. Stand tall, do everything to reduce the odds that you will be selected.

Stay Strong, Stay Safe

Learning to wear a gun is like learning to wear a bra…(Revisited)

Note:  this post originally appeared last year.   This type of question comes up so often in classes that it seemed a good time to bring it back.

Remember when you were first learning to wear a bra? It was uncomfortable, constricting, the straps kept slipping, the band irritated…I remember thinking I was never going to get used to this thing! Well, I did, and now feel strange without one (of course that could be aggravated by ample proportions and the effects of gravity). 

Learning to be comfortable with your carry gun is the same way. At first, it digs in, you bump into it, you feel like it is sticking out at least a foot and that everyone is staring at the lump under your clothes wondering if you have some kind of growth. Then, one day, you are wearing your carry gun and…you barely notice it! It has become, maybe not comfortable, but you have become used to it. Just like a bra, you barely notice it is there and find you miss it when it isn’t there. You come to realize that if people are staring it is because you are fabulous, not because you are armed. The lump, if noted at all, is assumed to be a cell phone or keys.

Like everything else, it takes time to become comfortable, so be patient. Of course, you have shopped carefully for a holster designed to fit your gun, and know that you have a secure fit and easy access. So, relax, and wear your gun in safety and ease.

 

Update:  There are so many holster options, and as women, it can be difficult to carry the same way all the time.  I've learned to generally be happy with one of two ways.  One I can practice and the range and one I have to practice at home.  When possible, about 80% of the time, I carry inside the waist band.  It used to be strong side hip, right in line with the seam.  Over time I've shifted forward slightly, not quite appendix but between the two.  I find that I print less (I carry a full size gun) and with a bad shoulder, it is easier to reach the firearm.  My second preference is thigh.  Sometimes I want to wear a dress that doesn't give me many options.  A Remora thigh holster took care of that for me.  I am right handed and wear it high on my left leg, gun to the inside so I can access it easily.  While it is reasonably comfortable, it is not something I'm likely to forget is there, but that is ok because I don't want to do the body pat looking for my gun because I'm carrying too many different ways.  Ideally we find one way and stick to it, but fashion may dictate an occassional change up.  Just be sure you have practiced with your carry mode, now your limitations and how you will access your firearm in a hurry.

 

Safe Shooting!

Opinions are like noses...

A reader recently forwarded an article where a prominent author on women's personal defense issues was offering her opinions related to the Colorado tragedy and pending firearms legislation.  She was quoted as supporting banning "assault weapons", as defined in the reference piece that could include anything with a magazine capacity over 10 rounds.  She was also quoted as agreeing with the ban on online ammunition sales.  And, my favorite quote related that she didn't think a 3 year old could pull a trigger if they accidentally found a firearm.

This is someone I  respected, even if I didn't agree with her in all cases.  Now, in my opinion, she has missed the mark.  I know many people who can do a "tactical reload" in the time it takes some folks to pull the trigger once.  I buy ammo on line in bulk to save money.  And..."Assault Weapons" is a bit of a misnomer...as we all know, it isn't the gun that kills it is the person wielding it.  And, a 3 year old probably can pull the trigger on a semi-auto with little trouble.  But she has been pictured with a revolver which many adults have trouble pulling the trigger on.

To use the tragedy in Colorado to promote political views is unfair to the victims and their families, and to all of us.  Had the patrons in the theater been allowed to lawfully carry concealed firearms, things might have ended differently.  But they were banned from protecting themselves by the theater's policy.

We all have opinions.  We are all entitiled to share, however, when one is quoted as an "expert" the burden is higher to be non-political and ethical.

Be safe!

Why shouldn’t I have a tiny gun?

I get questions along that line a lot.  I want to carry but I don’t want to change my style so I need something really small.  Well, ok, but have you shot one of the really small guns yet?  No, want to try one of mine?  Then, the response is usually where was the Glock 19 you showed me?

Tiny guns are convenient, maybe even a little cute.  What they are not is easy for beginners.  If you are a new shooter and you think you want something small, before you open your wallet, try one.  The lighter the gun, the more difficult it usually is to control.  And there are a plethora of small polymer frame guns on the market.  Most of my shoes weigh more than these guns.  They are hard on the wrist, touch to aim, difficult to control…at least that is my experience.  I never recommend less than a 9mm to a new shooter, and nothing smaller than a Ruger LC9, which I like because it has enough weight to it that it shoots like a larger gun.  It has the slim profile of a single stack magazine.  It is my go to for when I need a lower profile than my go to Glock 19.

If it hurts your hand, you won’t want to practice with it, and if you don’t practice with it, you won’t be proficient…If you are not proficient, you have a door stop. 

They have a use, but if you are starting out, be kind to yourself and go with something midsized or larger.  Shoot something you will be happy with, then as your skills and confidence progress, consider going tiny as a back up if you really want to.

Safe Shooting!