When I took my CCW class, I was in a tough spot in life. My not-so-nice ex-husband and I had recently separated and he had made some threats against me. Additionally, he left me with a lot of debt. I had a need for self-defense and no money to make that happen. I couldn’t even pay rent on my own. But GB helped me out by letting me borrow his Bersa Thunder .380 as a carry gun for me and Armed and Safe allowed me to take their CCW class for free through a scholarship for a female shooters made by an American soldier.
I knew Armed and Safe would help me with an addon just like they helped me to get my original permit, so after I left Safe Shot on Saturday disappointed that I couldn’t qualify there, I called Armed and Safe. Allan Main answered my call on his cell phone. He was out at the range setting up for a CCW class to qualify. He told me if I got my happy butt to the range before 1:45 p.m. that day, he’d qualify me right there. No range fee, no target fee, no fancy ammo. Just $5. Nice.
Before exiting the car, I applied my eyes and ears, grabbed my gear and then bee-lined for the firing line. I checked in with an assistant of Kelly. I didn’t catch his name, and that’s a shame, because he was awesome. He bellied me up to the firing line, eyeballed my gun and told me a few things about it and revolvers in general. He revealed to me that he himself conceal carries a revolver. Good times.
Allan and Kelly both came over and checked out my new toy. I showed Kelly the laser (which I didn’t use to qualify; it’s not visible in daylight) and Allan showed me his sights on his revolver. The gentleman who was supervising me showed me his too: his front sight was painted with bright red nail polish. Nice!
On my revolver, the sights are black on black and set very close together both horizontally and vertically. This coupled with what I read online that my gun tended to shoot high and off to the side due to the insane trigger-pull on it inspiring people to drag wood or jerk the trigger meant I needed to be careful. So when the line was hot, I paid close attention to my trigger discipline. My first five shots were all high of my target, but they were grouped nicely, so I just had to work on my sight alignment and sight picture a little bit more. This was my first time shooting this gun, so I had to get used to it and I did. My next shots were right on.
Kelly surveyed my work and proclaimed me “qualified.” She filled out the paperwork and I signed it. Then, I gave her the quoted $5, plus a $5 tip for all of the help she and her two coworkers had provided. As we wrapped things up at the range, the rest of the class participants headed back to Scheels where their class was taking place and I went back home.
Last night, a friend of GB’s drove in for a visit. They haven’t seen each other in about a year and they’ve missed each other a lot. They stayed up late last night, talking and catching up. I couldn’t stay up with them because I had to get up early this morning, so I headed up to bed around 10 p.m. Before I turned in, I gave the guys a run-down of my guns so they could take them to the range with them tomorrow.
The Bersa’s out of the safe, there’s a box of mag for it in the mag dresser upstairs. The Walther, Marlin and Mosin are all in the safe. Ammo for those are upstairs as well. I only have one mag for the Bersa. Extra mags for the Walther are in its box with it. The Marlin’s extra mags are in my range bag. I figured if they’re going and I can’t, they might as well take mine with them. The more guns to shoot the better, right? I told them all goodnight and went to lay out my clothes for the next day when, GB hollered at me. “Honey!”
GB called me back from the bedroom to prove to his friend that although I just gave a run down of my collection and sounded like I’ve been a gun girl all of my life, that in fact I wasn’t gun-gung-ho until I met GB and even then he had to work me up to it first. He said to his friend, “Before she didn’t like guns, now she knows more about guns than I do.”
My blog has been receiving a lot of hits from people Googling for information about which concealed carry gun to buy their girl for Christmas. The correct answer is: DO NOT BUY YOUR GIRL A CONCEALED CARRY GUN FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! Don’t buy her any guns for Christmas. No plinkster .22 handguns, no rifles, no shotguns, nada.
Now, before everyone jumps out of his tree, just hear me out on this. A gun you like, that has the stopping power you want and feels good in your hand probably won’t be the gun she likes, she can easily carry and feels good in her hands.
For example, GB carries a Springfield XD and I can’t even reach the trigger on that gun when its backstrap is properly seated in the web of my hand. Should he haul off and buy me one because it’s such a great gun and it would be a good Christmas present for me, I won’t like it. Shooting it will hurt because I won’t be able to hold it right and in an emergency, I’ll be throwing shots away because I can’t aim while wiggling my hand around the side of the handle of the gun trying to reach the trigger.
Another example is that GB carried a Bersa Thunder .380 before he got the XD. Me? I’m not carrying that thing! It pokes the crap out of me with the little nubby prominence near the hammer and the handle. If he had bought me this gun thinking it is small, easy to hold and hide, with decent stopping power in light of it’s weight, he would’ve bought me a paperweight. A gun I leave at home isn’t a good Christmas present.
One more thing to think about… You might think she needs a carry gun. What if she’s not into concealed carry and instead wants something she can hunt with? Shoot clay? Defend the house with? Plink? Attend an Appleseed shoot with? Before you think about picking up a gun for her, worry about not only if it’s the right gun for her, but also ask yourself: “is it the gun she wants?”
Do I have you talked out of buying your girl a surprise gun for Christmas yet? Good. Instead, buy her a gift certificate to her favorite gun shop and let her pick out her new present. Or, if you don’t need the “surprise” factor in your Christmas experience, sit her down, tell her your plans and invite her shopping with you to pick out her gun.
When she goes to redeem her gift card or if you take her on a non-surprise shopping spree, there are a few things to keep in mind:
If she doesn’t (yet) shoot, go over with her some gun-store etiquette before you leave the house. Let her know the counter-person should check the gun to make sure it’s empty before handing it to her. Tell her that although it’s just been checked, she should check it too. Teach her how to check it and be prepared to be right at her side, patiently walking her through it at the store if she forgets or is unsure of herself. Train her not to sweep anyone in the shop, especially herself, you and the salesman. Demonstrate that looking down the sights is a good thing, but that it should be done when the gun is trained on an empty wall or the floor and not on any other shoppers.
If she isn’t too green, but you still shoot more than she does, she might try to rely on your opinion because she knows your expertise is greater than hers. Do not let her do that! Because, again, a gun you like might not be the gun for her. Try phrases like, “I think it’s a good gun, but you’re the one that is going to shoot/carry it around every day. Does it fit you?” And, “What do you think, honey?”
No matter her experience level, be sure she tries every gun on in her hands and that she can easily manipulate all of its buttons. Be sure she can reach the trigger properly, even on that first double-action shot. Please take her to a gun shop with an on-site range and pay for her to shoot her top three chosen on looks/feel/button pushing to make sure she’s going to like her present for a long time to come.
Make sure the man behind the counter knows your honey is the boss of this shopping expedition and that he must impress her to get a gun sold to you two today. If he tries to hand you a gun out of the case, don’t take it from him. Tell him, “it’s her gun, not mine.” Force him to hand it to her. He wants to tell you about some awesome features? Bring your girl into it. “Honey, it sounds good to me, but you’re the one that’s going to be using it. What do you think?” The focus should be on her, not on you guys.
Buying your girl a gun for Christmas is one of the sweetest presents you can give her because it gives her confidence, skill, determination, protection, freedom, fun and more. But the gun is only able to give these things to her if it is the gun for her. Shopping without her there might end in you making an expensive, bad gift selection and therefore a bad purchase. To avoid such a disaster, go shopping with her and take your time in the store. Try everything on and put each selection through the paces, including shooting it. Doing this will show her you value her comfort, safety and opinion. It will make her a more confident gun-shopper and will increase the amount of brownie points you reap from Christmas gifts.
Once a week after work GB and I go grocery shopping. I can’t conceal carry to work due to their anti-gun policies, so before we head out the door for shopping, I take a minute to strap on my gun. Frequently my work outfit won’t accommodate concealed carrying. Here’s an example of that. In the first picture you can see that my shirt comes down past my waist and its tails are below crotch-level.From the side, notice how my shirt comes more than halfway down my butt. And yet, the length on this shirt isn’t enough to conceal carry a Bersa Thunder 9mm PRO UC.
From the side
If I were to lift my arms over my head, maybe to get something down from a high shelf at the store (and they’re all high shelves when you’re as short as I am), I’d flash my gun. Ugh. That’s not concealed enough to be conceal carrying and it’s not open enough to be open carrying.
I hate coming home from work and changing every week before I go shopping. GB hates it too, like all guys dislike waiting on a woman.
Reaching for something.
Well, I found the solution to my dilemma. It’s called a “Mini Midriff” shirt. I’m not even sure though that it should be called a shirt because it’s only half of one… the bottom half. If I had a brown one in my closet, I could have added the shirt to my outfit easily. I like this idea because I’ve already got enough clothes on. In the photo, I’m wearing a bra, my garment top and the brown and teal stripped shirt. I don’t want to add a cover-my-gun shirt to the mix. That’d make 3.5 top layers on (the bra only counts as 0.5). I’m pudgy enough without adding the extra bulk of too many clothes. And while it’s not too painful now, Nevada desert summers do not permit layers.
The Mini Midriff by Molly's Clothing. Photo courtesy of www.mollysclothing.com.
Here’s a description of the Mini Midriff from the manufacturer’s website:
“Coverage is key. The Mini Midriff adds length where you need it. Perfect to wear under stylish, shorter-length tops without the needless bulk or bother of a full undershirt. You’ll stay covered with complete freedom of movement. The Mini Midriff is part of our complete Molly’s “Mini” Line, created to accentuate your existing wardrobe and work with today’s hottest fashions.
• Comfort fit • Stays put for complete freedom of movement
• Durable, silky material • Fade-resistant colors designed to go with any style • Machine washable”
As soon as I can get some pocket money together, I plan on purchasing one in black and one in chocolate. When I do, I’ll let you know how they worked for me as a concealed carry cover garment.
Someone Googled that question and Google sent them on to me; my WordPress Dashboard tells me these things. As a result of my experiences yesterday, I now know the answer to that person’s question. As a bit of background, I’ve been trying to find comfortable concealed carry holsters that work with nice outfits. I don’t want to have to wear baggy, saggy pants. I don’t want to have to wear mu-mu tops. And this desire lead me to stealing all of GB’s holsters and laying them on my bed while closet shopping for the perfect church outfit yesterday.
I decided to wear my LA Police gear carry belt with a Don Hume holster I found in GB’s collection. My gun stayed put, didn’t wobble around or feel loose and it didn’t print. I did have to wear a looser top than I wanted to wear, but it wasn’t as baggy as some shirts I’ve had to wear with other holsters we own. I wore it through Sacrament Meeting, Primary Sharing Time and Sunbeams. I cooked and ate dinner with it on. Even curled up on the couch with it on, I was that comfortable with it. Then, GB asks if I’ve tried drawing with that holster because when he carried in that holster, he’d draw the entire holstered gun. I said, yes. It’s difficult, but it’s doable, see?
I went to draw my gun and… nothing happened. My Bersa was firmly, firmly holstered in that Don Hume leather holster. Crap. GB had to (carefully) yank the gun out of the holster for me. With GB’s floppy holsters or his reinforced cloth holsters I’ve not had any problem. But this leather holster? Wow! That thing loved my gun a little too much.
I guess the answer to the question that someone asked Google and that I should have asked Google is this: depends on the gun, depends on the holster.Try at your own risk.
So you’re at the range, plinking away, pausing only to reload your magazines. As the day goes by, your thumb gets more and more sore from cramming cartridges into your mags. Just life, right? If it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t doing it right, right? Wrong! There is another way to load your mags. Try it and see what happens. At first, it’s a bit slow, but as you get used to it, you might be as fast with this method as your old, thumb-killing method.
Out at the range lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of people complain: I can’t rack the slide on my gun. It’s too big for me or I’m too weak. I believe that most people can rack the slides on their guns and if they’re having trouble, it is probably as result of a poor technique. This video shows two methods of racking a slide. One is the punch method, the other the gangsta method. Hopefully one of these two methods will work for you.
This video shows the locations of the mag release, take down lever, ambidextrous safety and ambidextrous slide release. Also pictured is a look down the sights of the gun. This is a simple video meant to answer the questions of “where is that button?” and “how good are the sights on this thing?”
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.
