Our blogging galpal from here in Illinois, BelRockCityGirl (aka Natalie) is back with a couple of great posts.
She’s a soccer mom with a bunch of boys she’s raising and she’s getting her toe wet in the gunowner pool.
Bravo to her! And when ICHV reads this blog entry, they’re probably going to piddle themselves!
I can hear it now! “She did WHAT?!?!”
Anyway, she’s got a post on her excitement about going out and finding herself her first pistola. And then there’s a second one – on what else? Taking it out and putting some rounds downrange!
Sorry, fellas. She’s taken.
Gun Shopping Girl – My 1st Handgun
I told you I’d be back! Celebrating another 2nd Amendment Sunday with my third article about, you guessed it, GUNS! Please be kind and share my articles everywhere you can. We can all help in the 2A fight! To read more 2A articles, CLICK ON THE GUN TO THE LEFT!
Any responsible gun owner will agree that everyone who owns a gun should be responsible, and know how to handle their weapon. This is where training comes in. Before I purchased my first handgun, I knew that I would seek out professional training. I have five sons at home, and for me this wasn’t an option. I had my own expectations of what it meant, for me, to be a responsible gun owner. I needed to know, not only how to operate and fire the weapon accurately, it was also important for me to know how the weapon operated mechanically, and to know how to DCOA (disassemble, clean, oil and assemble) my own guns. I am kind of a nerd that way. I knew the only way for me to be completely comfortable with my weapon of choice, was to have 100% confidence in the handling and firing my weapon.
Research I have to admit I was a little nervous shopping for that first pistol, partly because I am a girl, and because I didn’t really know what I was doing. Where do you even start? So, I just bit the bullet and visited a couple of local gun stores. I looked, I asked questions, I handled them, I dry fired them, and I gathered as much information as I could, including reading a lot of magazines that my Dad, a lifetime NRA member, sent home with us. I did not buy a handgun on that first visit, or the second or even the third. This was serious business for me and I wanted to be confident in my choice.
After “window shopping” and researching for a couple of weeks, I felt comfortable enough knowing the very basics of handguns. I learned about bullet calibers, single action vs. double action, magazines, triggers, grips, etc… It was time for some practical training. I hired someone that did private “Intro To Handgun” classes. I was guaranteed to have a 2 hour private lesson that would introduce me to not only safety and marksmanship, but to a variety of handguns in different calibers.
Don’t stop here, silly… click on over and continue.
And a few days later:
Fun, Gun Filled Weekend – 1st Stop, The Range!
Armed with our Remington 510 and my Beretta Neos, I hit a local shop that has a small, very well broken in, indoor range. By broken in, I mean, walls with thousands of divets from casings hitting the fragile concrete, old hand crank target pulley system, and a bench rest that has seen better days, but none of that really matters. The 50 feet between my gun and that target is what really matters, and to be honest those 50 feet sometimes look like 50 yards. Practice, practice, practice. Any knowledgable gun person will say that is the most important aspect, except for safety of course. Here I am, just me, my guns, and the bad guy, in the form of a target.
The Beretta Neos w/ Carbine kit (On My Wishlist) I start out with the “dirtier” ammo. I place the bullets exactly in the same area as I always have, to the bottom right of the bull. The first 30 rounds were in a big 8″ cluster. Too big for my liking. I guess, if I am really honest, an 8″ cluster, can get the job done, seeing as though, a human torso is much larger than that. It still pisses me off and completely irritates me, that I can not get closer to that bulls eye! My poor marksmanship with this gun is why I am trying to locate a carbine kit for this pistol. Maybe I will be more accurate, and enjoy shooting this gun more. I go through another 40 or 50 rounds, with pretty much the same results. I start to think that it’s me, I mean, I know it’s me, but maybe my aim is really off or something. I decide to put some rounds through the old, tried and true, bolt action, single shot, Remington. This gun has been proven to be extremely accurate, so I know if I am close to the bull, it isn’t a problem with my eyes at least. One by one, I load and fire off some rounds. I clear the gun, leave the bolt open and set it down. I crank back the target and have a look. I find shots in the black of the bull, and some just outside of it. Not great, but not bad, now what? Back to the Neos I go.
I love this girl’s excitement and enthusiasm. Her taste in guns is a little on the Battlestar Gallactica side, but nobody’s perfect. She’s excited at learning to shoot her first pistol. Next thing you know she’ll be signed up for an NRA course or two and then lookout, boys and girls! She’s gonna be *good*!
If you’re right handed and you pull on the trigger, instead of squeezing, your shots will go to the 4 o’clock area of the target.
Are they any gun magazines specifically targeted for women?