It's a Mans Word

Well, not really, just some of them think that way.  I’ve been reading stories lately from women instructors who are belittled by men.  There are not a lot of them that do it, but they are getting more attention as out numbers grown.

I call these men “Range Randies”.  I also have another, less polite term for them, you can probably figure that out.

 

I’ve had my share, having shot for more than 15 years, and taught for nearly 8.  Sometimes it is an instructor, sometimes it is a gun store clerk and sometimes it is a RR on the range.  I walked off the range one time and got stopped by a man who asked what I was shooting.  Ok, didn’t think much about it.  GLOCK 19.  He proceeded to inform me that I had too much “muzzle flip”, yep, “flip” not climb for a 19 and clearly I wasn’t shooting it right.  A lot of responses ran through my head; the excruciating case of tendonitis, aka shooter’s elbow, that almost stopped me from going to the range, my credentials, the single hole, albeit jagged as befits multiple rounds through almost the same space, in the center of my target and the fact that he appeared to be shooting buckshot, or the fact that his “big ole pistol” might be over compensation.  Instead, I smiled and walked away.

I was taking an instructor course, was on the range and this RR yelled some instruction.  I was on the line, gun up…I turned my face toward him and said “What?”  He repeated the same words, louder.  I gave him a blank look and he repeated himself, even louder.  I lowered my muzzle, looked him straight in the eye and said “until you put it in different words, you can get as loud as you want, I don’t understand what you are asking for”.  He then told me to rack the slide.  I nearly punch him. Did I leave out the escalating set of instructions was roughly 3 sentences long about sliding my support hand up, blah, blah, blah?  At that point, I had multiple instructor credentials already, so I knew who to rack a slide.  He thought he was funny.  Had it been up to him, I might not have passed that class but fortunately he was one of 5 votes. 

Hang in there!!