In my church, we have a program called visiting teaching where the women of the church are each assigned other women to mentor, teach and just be there for. My visiting teacher came over tonight with a gospel message, but we ended up talking more about guns than anything else. It turns out that if you tell two three year-olds that you’re late to church because of Gun Blogger Rendezvous, everyone else in the church will find out and will be genuinely interested. First, I talked to Sister M and Sister K on the last day of the Rendezvous. Later, I was approached by GB’s temple prep teachers. During a Primary planning meeting, I was asked to do a shooting themed carnival booth for our upcoming Halloween Trunk or Treat. Now, I’m educating my visiting teacher about firearms.
I taught her how to tell if a gun is loaded and if its safety is on. We talked about concealed carry. She wondered where I carried and I told her about the in-waistband holsters I have as well as about Discreet Carry holsters. She expressed surprise that I wasn’t worried that my gun would just “go off.” She was really worried about recoil and we talked a bit about what goes into how much kick a gun gives, including its size, weight, your grip and stance, the caliber of the handgun, etc. This really reminded me of me because when I first began to carry, I carried an empty gun. Then I worked up to a full mag, empty chamber and so on. Step by step. I couldn’t laugh at her or speak down to her for asking if the gun would go off by itself because once upon a time, I was worried about that same thing.
The recoil conversation reminded me of me too. GB’s Hi-Point fit my hand so poorly, I rotated my stubby little trigger finger around to the trigger by turning the gun sideways in my hand. The recoil went straight into the first knuckle of my thumb, causing me a black and purple finger that hurt for WEEKS. GB told me that recoil was normal and I would get used to it. I was glad that my visiting teacher was able to talk to me about recoil and that I was able to let her know that a small degree of discomfort in small-framed larger caliber guns or in big caliber guns period is acceptable, but that she shouldn’t feel it “blasting back” on her to the point of pain.
At the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, The Smallest Minority let me shoot a .45 revolver with bear loads in it and while I only shot it once 
, it didn’t hurt to shoot. My hand turned a bit pink like I had slapped someone and I did feel slapped by that revolver, but it didn’t HURT. I told her I’d take her out, if she was interested, and let her shoot my little Walther P22 so she wouldn’t have to worry about any recoil hurting her at all that first time at the range with me.
GB and I brought out a .22, a .380, a 9mm and a .45 and talked about how the recoil would be different on each gun because of its caliber and because of the weight of the gun. I demonstrated to her proper grip so she wouldn’t get bit by the slide or have unnecessary recoil. She was very comfortable holding the various guns and showed excellent muzzle control and trigger discipline. I was impressed! Towards the end of the conversation she said, “First I’d have to get used to shooting. Then, I’d have to get used to the idea of shooting.”
I told her that is exactly how I felt with it. I needed to learn how to handle and shoot guns before I could make up my mind as to weather I could actually use one to hurt/kill someone with it should that someone be endangering me or my loved ones. I assured her that her hesitation was normal and related the story of Sister M who had taken her CCW course and then realized she couldn’t carry. I told her that shooting and carrying is a mental process that doesn’t just happen immediately but takes as much time as it takes to get through.
My church has a slogan: every member a missionary. I feel like a missionary alright, but for gun ownership. I doubt that’s what they had in mind with that slogan.
Tags: Bersa, CCW, concealed carry, Defensive Carry, Discreet Carry, Female Shooters, firearms, gender, Girls and Guns, Gun Blogger Rendezvous, guns, self defense, Springfield, Walther
We need to get you your NRA Instructor Certification.