Becoming Annie Oakley

“If you own guns people will call you paranoid, but that’s ridiculous. If I own a gun what the heck do I have to be paranoid for?”

In case you weren’t fortunate enough to grow up in a family of gun lovers like I was, or even if you were but never learned the basics, I’m here to share what my military bother and sweet gun totin’ daddy taught me that were passed down to them.

Going to a gun range and shooting isn’t enough, because learning how to properly handle, carry, and shoot a gun for the right reasons is important. Now I’m not certified to teach a gun shooting class or lessons, but I am here to give some tips and pointers that beginners should know and should always keep in the back of your mind. My dad told me repeatedly, “Never aim a gun at something you don’t intend to shoot.

• Daddy is a wise man. Never point a gun at something you don’t intend to shoot.
•  Confidence is key, but no one is "too good" to make mistakes. 
•  Never store guns and ammo in the same spot and side-by-side, as anyone, possibly the one person you don’t need (children, attacker, etc) could load it and shoot it when stored that way.  Easily accessible for you is a given, but you want to be the only one in your house loading and shooting your gun.
•  Treat every gun as if it’s loaded.
• Get familiar with where the safety on the gun is and how to quickly turn the safety on or off.
• Never hand anyone a loaded gun if not on safety.  Duh, right? What do I mean? Your dad, boyfriend, friends, etc. will ask to see your new pistol. And you’ll want to show it off! Before handing it over, unload it or flip it on safety and point it at the ground, not at the person your handing it to (it’s easy to forget in a moment of excitement and I'm sorry ladies but we can be ditzy).

Next, what type of pistol is good for women? Where do you start when searching for a pistol? I have a few favorites:

1.     First, you’ll want it to fit comfortably in your hands. Go to the nearest reliable gun shop and feel some out. 

2.     Glock 19 9mm Luger. This gun fits great in smaller hands and is also pretty easy to conceal. It has some bells and whistles that other pistols lack.

3.     S&W M&P .38 Special. This gun is a revolver but is awesome for women because it’s so lightweight. It is only about 14 ounces! You can get this gun with a laser which would be ideal for stressful situations when needing to make one quick accurate shot in an attack.

4.     Glock 42. This is one of the smallest of the Glocks and for obvious reasons is great for women. This gun only holds 6 rounds and one in the chamber, but with practice at a shooting range you can get the hang of quickly and carefully changing out magazines. This gun is really fun for just shooting at the range or on the farm for target practice!

It seems like more and more each day I see girls wanting to go out and buy pistols for protection, but there's nothing more dangerous than someone with a gun that doesn't know how to shoot or carry. I am a full supporter of the NRA and the freedom of owning guns. Therefore, I also fully support gun safety. It is something you should always consider a priority when owning or shooting. I personally don’t carry on a day-to-day basis, and only shoot for recreation and/or hunting. But if the need ever arises to carry, I’ll be fully prepared and you should be, too!
-Caroline