I grew up in New Jersey, and was taught to hate handguns. Really. Shotguns and rifles were okay if you hunted (not that I ever had the desire to hunt), but handguns? Evil. Death machines. The only reason to have one is to use it to kill someone. People get killed all the time by handguns, mostly people who found one, played with it, and shot themselves or someone else by accident. At least, that’s the lore I grew up on. But I’ve known since I moved to Virginia that it’s a very gun-friendly state, and y’know, I’m a woman alone, and my neighborhood has gone downhill considerably in the last two years. I’ve been thinking a lot about learning to shoot and buying a gun.
Which is why I spent Sunday afternoon at the Blue Ridge Arsenal in northern Virginia learning to load, shoot, and unload four different kinds of handguns. Plus a rifle.
These are the pistols I used. There’s a Ruger Single-Six and a Colt Woodsman, both .22’s, a Colt Official Police revolver (circa 1940), and an Enfield Mark 2 (.38). There was also a Stevens 15-B .22 rifle.
My teacher, Stretch, is an ex-police officer. He spent some time beforehand teaching me how each of the guns are opened, loaded, and closed. We did this, of course, without loading the weapons at Chris and Janet’s. However, I got really good at shooting empty guns at the fireplace logs to get the feel of the trigger and the gun. I was also tickled to hear Stretch compliment me on holding my finger properly off the trigger of each weapon until actually firing it. Because believe it or not, I learned that from reading military bloggers. Their posts making fun of faux soldiers, terrorists, and fauxtography taught me how to hold a weapon properly.
After Stretch was satisfied that I had a good idea of how to use the guns, we drove to the shooting range. We had to wait a while, and I looked over the various weapons and gear. I got a kick out of the pocketbooks that come complete with a holster inside for your weapon.
While we were waiting, I could hear some very loud reports from inside the shooting range. I didn’t realize it was going to be that loud, and I have to say, I was starting to get scared. I was wondering if maybe this was one of the stupidest things I’d ever decided to do. By the time it was our turn, I was pretty positive I was going to hate it. Inside the range it was even worse—we had earplugs and ear protection, but it was loud and startling and I was getting really nervous. But I figured I was there, I’d paid, I may as well at least try to shoot. Stretch started me on the rifle at three yards.
You know, it took exactly one shot to make my nerves disappear. I loaded the rifle, locked the bolt, cocked the hammer, aimed, and fired. And I hit the target. Where it counts. This was the result of my first shot:
Granted, it was only three yards, but Stretch told me he started me out close to build up my confidence before moving on to tougher targets. It totally worked. I spent the next few minutes loading, shooting, clearing out the shell casing, loading, shooting, clearing out the shell casing… it was kinda cool to see the little pieces of metal go flying out of the rifle. (I saved the shell casing from my first shot. Think I’ll drill a hole in it and add it to my keychain.) And we moved the target back to seven yards.
The rifle was the most fun to shoot. I’m thinking my first purchase is going to be a relatively inexpensive .22 rifle, especially since everyone tells me that you can buy a brick of 500 .22 rounds for about $10 at Wal-Mart. That’s a lot of hours of target shooting. Have I mentioned how much I really, really liked shooting that rifle?
I did spend much more time firing the pistols, however, and I now find myself rather fond of revolvers. Those were fun to load, fun to shoot, and fun to empty the casings out of. They were a lot harder to shoot than the other two, though.
You may notice that I shed my coat fairly quickly. That’s because I only noticed the cold about as long as I noticed the noise from the other lanes, which is to say, both went away after I started firing the rifle.
You can compare my hold and stance if you like. Damned if I can tell which gun was which in this picture. Not after two hours, anyway.
Oh, wait. That’s not a revolver. I think that’s the Colt Woodsman. I’m sure Stretch will correct me if I’m wrong.
My shooting got better as I went along, until, after about an hour, I started to tire and my groundhog started getting away. Okay, not really, but I didn’t get nearly as many shots in the bullseye area with the two revolvers as I had with the previous three guns. Here’s my favorite grouping, using the Colt Woodsman.
Stretch pointed out to me that if you take the targets we were using, and place them over a person’s chest, I pretty much destroyed my home invader at 21 feet. Now I begin to see the practical purpose behind target shooting. (All the shots in the corner were Stretch’s. He got his guy, too.) My first shot at the groundhog hit him square in the head. Wish I could say I was going for his brains, but I was aiming at the orange dot in the middle. I got that orange dot more than a few times.
I had fun. And I learned a new skill. Now that I’m back in Richmond, my plan is to find a shooting range nearby and take a course. While I was at the range in northern VA, I was absolutely struck by the thought that every single person in the lanes next to me had the capacity to kill every other person there. And so did I (albeit a little more slowly, what with all the .22 weapons we were using). I don’t think I ever paid closer attention to anything else I’ve learned in my life than I did to whatever Stretch told me. Well, except for the names and makes of the guns. While he was telling me the history, I was looking at the trigger, the hammer, the magazine, the chamber, and the other parts of the gun and making sure I understood exactly what to do with the moving parts. I made only one mistake at the range. I put an unloaded weapon on the counter in the lane pointing into the room, not at the target. I won’t make that mistake twice. It might even have been this one.
I think it is highly likely I will at least buy a rifle for target shooting. As for home protection, I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’ll make that decision after I’ve learned a heck of a lot more about handling guns. But I’ve come a long way from the Triple-L liberal that was scared to death to so much as touch a gun.
UPDATE: Linked at memeorandum.
Good target shooting for a first-timer. I don’t know what style your instructor is teaching, but if you want more rounds in the bull, you need to concentrate more on sight picture–your target shows the classic pattern of “chasing the bull”, which means you were probably looking at the bullseye of the target instead of at the tip of the sight blade. Plenty good for short-range, but if you move to 50 yards instead of 7 yards, sight picture will become much more important.
Sight alignment, sight picture, trigger squeeze, and breathing will get you in the bull almost every time. Remember BRASS, Breath, Relax, Aim, Slack, Squeeze for every round, and you’re good to go.
Meryl:
For concealed carry, I recommend the Sig 232 (.380) semi-auto. It fits really nice in the hand, and shoots straight as can be.
Good for you, keep it up. I’m sure if you visit the womens forum at AR15.com you would receive a warm welcome.
Would it be sexist of me to say, “Consider the eye candy?â€
Nah. People are allowed to notice that other people are pleasing to their eyes.
Glad you decided to find out for yourself what responsible firearms ownership is all about. Now its time to try some pistols in viable self defense calibers. The .38 was a good start. Try a .45 ACP, .40 S&W and a 9mm pistol.
Meryl,
Congrats, nice group on the gopher for a first timer. FYI, there’s a range on Turner Road (http://www.dominionshootingrange.com/) and one in Stafford (http://www.indoorrange.com/) that my wife and I use, we’re up near Ashland. Have fun.
You’re welcome to join us over here. We need more folks just like you to help spread the word. Guns are not evil :-)
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=644103
As expected any thread on guns brings out all the gun-lovers (yes, I am) and their preferences and advice 8^)
To Meryl I would just like to pass on this quote about women and guns…..
“God made man and woman. Sam Colt made them equal.”
The Enfield looks like a Mark I*, a variant made for use by tank crews. The idea was that the normal hammer spur tended to snag on stuff when carried in close quarters. The Mark I* was produced from 1928 to 1942, when it was replaced by the Mark I**. The ammunition is not too common today. It will shoot .38 S&W just fine, but not the far more common .38 S&W Special.
The Woodsman looks like an oldie, probably pre-1916, if that’s the original two-tone magazine. Originally those were not meant to shoot modern “high-velocity” .22LR ammo, though many were retrofitted with the later mainspring housing so that they could do so safely.
The Official Police is the best gun of the batch, at least from a self-defense standpoint. The Army Special, the Official Police, and the Commando were the same gun – very sturdy and high-quality items, certainly compared to the stuff Colt was cranking out by the 1970s.
Sorry, but if you’re going to show off old guns you have to expect this sort of thing. Consider it part of your initiation.
Glad you enjoyed your range time.
For home defense, I would suggest getting
this stock:
http://www.knoxx.com/products/SpecOps_Stock.php
with this mossberg shotgun:
http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/New/50580.jpg
8 SHOT CRUISER 50580 12 Gauge HEAT SHIELD INSTALLED, PISTOL GRIP ONLY
The position of the safety on the mossberg is like a flashlight switch on the top of the gun.. you can easily find and use it in the dark. Push it forward for fire, pull it back for safe. This is far, far better than the safety on other shotguns which is just a tiny button by the trigger guard. Which postion is safe? In the dark? Who knows!
The 8 shot capacity means you wont have to worry about reloading.
You get a heat shield. With the Knox stock and regular (not magnum) #1 buckshot loads you can stop attackers with reduced overpenetration out the walls of your house. The Knox stock will take all the sting out of using the gun
and it adjusts to different lenghts, so you can make the shotgun fit you. If your house is out in the woods, then you can use the 00 buck if you want.
Also get some of these dummies
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=6811&title=SHOTGUN+ACTION+PROVING+DUMMIES
so you can regularly practice loading, unloading, dummy firing, and cycling the shotgun.
I second the AR15.com recommendation.
A great community, with lots of info about all firearms, not just “evil black rifles”.
Plus, their general discussion forum has threads on any topic imaginable (within the code of conduct): from politics to recipes to music to history…..
Tom, you and Stretch can argue about Mark 1 and Mark 2. I just put up the picture to illustrate what I was shooting with. I’m the novice here. Stretch, I’m sure, will be here after he gets out of work to explain to you why it’s a Mark 2.
Meryl,
Darn, forgot to add this: If you’re interested there’s a gun show at the Showplace this weekend (Sat & Sun) and one at the F’burg Expo Center (behind Central Park) on the 15th & 16th. Cheers.
Beautiful narrative. When I read “fun to load, fun to shoot, and fun to empty the casings out of..” I realized that you were a natural.
Jeff Cooper, who knew more about this stuff than anybody, and who is singlehandedly responsible for the revolution in shooting of the last few decades (two handed high-speed pistol shooting, finger off the trigger for safety, shooting schools for private citizens, and a hundred other things) once did a short essay to analyze the home defender’s situation. Here’s part of what he said:
“..Competence, skill level, social outlook, physical strength and emotional stability are all pertinent. Most significant of all, however, is whether or not the person who will use the weapon is a recreational marksman. If you shoot regularly for fun you are in ‘Category A.’ If not, you classify as ‘Other.’
I think you’re well on your way.
Greg, nope, it’s too early to make a decision. So no gun shows for me this weekend.
(I’m sorry if someone has already mentioned this in the posts and I missed it)
Another 22 rifle you might consider is a CZ-452 rifle. I bought one here in Montana for about $200, and it has worked great for gopher hunting. They are nice looking guns with very functional open sights that are easily adjustable. Here is their website: http://www.czub.cz/index.php?p=32&idp=2&ids=8&idz=22&lang=cz
Having said that, I love Ruger guns. Not only because they are great guns, but also because Ruger one of the last (if not THE last) American-based gun company. Also, if you do get a Ruger, you can get sexy t-shirts, tank tops, and earrings from their online store. Because nothing is more fun than finding out you own more Rugers than the guy who just scolded you for wearing a pink shirt with the Strom-Ruger logo on it.
(I just read charley’s post)
Speaking of Jeff Cooper, when I asked my Dad what book he would recommend above all others for advice on rifle shooting, he said Cooper’s “The Art of the Rifle”. It is a great book, although a little sexist [Cooper compares a man’s joy in holding a rifle to a woman’s joy in holding a baby. C’mon! I would much rather hold a rifle(not scary at all) than a baby(generally terrifying, although not as scary as toddlers or 5-year olds).]
Meryl,
Sorry, should have explained. I didn’t mean it as a buying experience but as a learning experience. If there’s one thing people at guns shows like to do it’s talk. In fact you usually can’t get them to shut up :o), sort of like blog comments on steroids.
Congratulations on a successful introduction to shooting!
My first firearm that I purchased was a Ruger 10/22 and I still regret selling it. They are great little .22 rifles.
While handguns are good for home defense, I’d suggest a long gun – rifle or shotgun – in your case. You seem to be more accurate and more at ease with a rifle. Some pundit said a pistol is for fighting your way back to your rifle or shotgun which you shouldn’t have put down in the first place.
AR15.com was recommended earlier and I’d go with that recommendation. In addition to learning anything and everything about “evil black rifles”, you also find out how to take out Zombies if they invade.
Tom Gresham of Gun Talk radio fame has been recommending an AR-15 carbine lately for home defense and I tend to agree with him. If you get one in a M-4 carbine configuration in .223 Remington with an adjustable stock, you will have the power you need, low recoil, plenty of ammo available with 30-round mags, and you can hang stuff like lights and lasers on them. For home defense, I’d look at the varmint rounds which are meant to be frangible (break apart on impact). You can pick up past shows on his podcasts at http://www.guntalk.com
Good luck and good shooting.
john
Great job on your first session on the range, Meryl!
You might want to check out http://www.theboxotruth.com to see which calibers are more suitable for self-defense. The guy who runs the site actually tests all kinds of firearms and calibers on various targets.
If you do find that you enjoy shooting, you might look into attending or even competing in Cowboy Action Shooting events. They can be a lot of fun.
Lots of recommendations of the .357 magnum. Yeah, it’s a great manstopper. But for home defense you have to remember that it’s also powerful enough to go through thin walls and keep on truckin’ which might upset your neighbors if they live close to you.
I just skimmed the responses, so forgive me if this has already been said. The DAO Ruger 22 is AWESOME– by far my favorite.
Target shooting is great fun. But, before you keep a gun in the home for self defense, ask yourself this question: Are you prepared to shoot to kill? If not, then the gun could easily become a danger to you in a crisis situation.
I love shooting. I also keep my gun at the range because I know that I don’t have what it takes to pull the trigger on another person.
Well, that’s true. But every single person also has the capacity to kill while driving, using household cleaning chemicals or power tools, or by slipping somebody too many over-the-counter pills or some antifreeze.
Society depends on the fact that most people don’t want to kill anybody. And guns in the right hands make it possible to stop some of those who do.
Oh, I almost forgot — congratulations on your first shoot!
Good for you, Meryl! You’ve started a fun new hobby. I hope you keep practicing your shooting skills. I took my wife shooting just last week where she succeeded in hitting the target several times with the 22 single shot pistol. But once I gave her the 22 rife she put twenty four shots in an area you could cover with a half-dollar and that was at 24 yards. I’m very proud of her.
Hi Meryl,
Good for you. I can recommend the Ruger 10-22 rifle as excellent. The CZ sounds interesting, but I know nothing about it.
For home defense I use a Remington 870 12 ga with #6 shot. I have neighbors and two very busy streets adjacent. If anyone tells you a shotgun will not kill at 10-20 feet, they do not know what they are talking about.
A good revolver in .38 is nice. Use full power Glasers for defense, and shoot .38 wadcutter reloads for targets. It is lots of fun and affordable.
Ayoob’s got a bunch of books out and he knows what he’s talking about. Think about getting some tactical training. This can be as informal as shooting with your friend, or one of the schools.
“The SP-101 is ideally suited to fit most female hands.”
Replace the factory grips with Hogue grips. Costs about $15, but provides a much better hold on the weapon.
Also, get the 3 inch or longer barrel version of the SP-101, as a 2 inch snub-nose gun is difficult to shoot well.
Nice work at the range! It made me feel like a kid again, recalling when I learned the 4 rules for the first time. You are fortunate to have a friend who cares enough to make sure you learn the right way.
There is a lot of good encouragement here as to how to take “the next step” in familiarization and ownership, some of which I think is very good and some of which makes me cringe (as I am sure there will be someone out there who cringes at what I have to say). Like you, I like the idea of being part of the process, and prefer to shoot bolt action rifles. That also makes shopping for a rifle of your own easier, since I can’t think of many bad bolt action .22s that you are likely to run across. Any decent gun store should be able to get a used one for you for $100-150 if you keep looking. Take Stretch along to check the workings.
For a handgun, I would be lost without a .22. I have a Browning Buckmark and love it, but most of the other American brands are good also (Ruger Mark III, SMith 22A). The Beretta Neos is a little on the homely side, but works very well and can be had for around $200 new. Shooting a handgun well is a difficult thing for most people (there are some “naturals”, but I surely am not one), and the only way to get proficient is practice. Practice is a lot more palatable at .22 ammo prices. Get the fundamentals worked out, then bring out the expensive shooters.
For a centerfire handgun, I love police trade-in Rugers and Smith and Wessons. As long as you are not going to carry concealed, the bigger the better (frame size, 4″ barrel seems to feel right to me). They are almost always in .357 magnum, and will shoot .38 special.
If you have a range in the area that rents out handguns and rifles, be sure to take advantage of it. It’s like trying on shoes, some just feel right. My friends all rave about their Glocks, but I have to try harder to shoot a Glock well than a Springfield XD, so I went with the latter. Wouldn’t have known without trying.
Thanks for the entertaining window into your life, which I have enjoyed from afar from nearly the beginning. Shalom.
I am always amazed at women who shoot for the first time at how accurate they quickly become…I guess they didn’t play Cowboys & Indians with built in recoil on those toy guns.
A shotgun is too long for house protection and easily deflected by acharging assailent.
A Sprfingfield Ultra CompACT .45ACP IS MY preferance.
You rock! Many of us have been shooting a long time and get wrapped up in the technical aspects. But you’re right. Its fun. And as you get into it more, you’ll find all sorts of cool variations and events. Welcome to the club. Enjoy.
John R: One of the remarks I made to Stretch after I learned how to shoot: “Now I’m prepared for the Zombie invasion.”
Heh. Great minds.
Do not carry your handgun in your purse or clutch as many women have these snatched by lowlifes before they can draw the weapon. A more secure carrying method would be a belt pack with a hidden holster pocket, even though these are less flattering to your appearance than a handbag.
You are doing everything right so far. After a few more sessions with your instructor, talk to him about the advantages and disadvantages of automatics versus revolvers, and perhaps he can suggest specific models given your budget.
Lastly, DO NOT take your gun with you when you are traveling through MD, DC, NJ or NY. The laws there are harsh.
Do get a good gun safe.
chsw
Just remember – nobody ever raped a 38.
Great to see you’ve taken these first steps in getting acquainted with firearms!
Nice to see you went to Blue Ridge Arsenal, I make there about once a month to do some shooting.
As for home defense, go with a snub nosed .38 – ease of concealment and its simplicity of operation.
“The case for the snub-nose includes cheap ammo, big bullets, simplicity of operation, and excellent reliability.”
It is all that you need.
Some guy on ar15.com had WAY too much time on his hands and came up with Arfcomix and Arfpocalpse Now dealing with Zombies. View at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you fall out of your chair from laughing too hard.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=619676&page=1
John
Meryl,
Girl to girl here, beware. Guns are like shoes, one pair is never enough.
Susan, I’m sure. I don’t have a large shoe collection, but I have a few pairs. I expect to own a few guns.
Hey Mark. The arcane British system of naming weapons has done us both in. The weapon in question is an Enfield Number 2 Mark I*. So give us both full marks. If you want a real head-ache try to follow the history of the SMLE.
Learning to shoot well is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Now that you have the basics down (good two-handed grip there!) a class with an experienced competitive shooter can improve your shooting more than you can imagine. I know because it happened to me. I took a course from Bruce Grey (www.greyguns.com), made some good friends, and it’s enriched my life greatly.
Congratulations–now don’t stop!
There’s lots more fun to be had.
Blue Ridge Arsenal is a great facility. I took a basic handgun course there a few months ago, and was impressed with the instructor and the range.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone in the Northern Virginia area who wants to find out more about shooting or guns.
I’m leaning towards a 9mm if I end up getting a handgun, but a buddy who took me for my first trip to a range down in Georgia swears by .22s, because ammo is cheap, and plentiful.
It’s still fun to shoot with a larger caliber occasionally, though. They had everything from a .22 revolver up to a .357 magnum for our class…that’s a gun that you KNOW you’ve shot!
Meryl – so much good advice and knowledge posted on this thread –
Anytime you want to go to the range when you’re in the DC area let me know –
I offer the following:
1 Beretta 92FS 9mm semiauto pistol (same as standard US military issue sidearm)
1 Ruger 10/22 .22 semiauto rifle
2 Remington 870 12 GA shotguns
1 SKS 7.62×39 semiauto rifle
1 Russian M44 7.62×54 bolt action rifle
2 Russian M38 7.62×54 bolt action rifles
Congrats on a great start as a responsible gun owner
Heh! You go Girl! I like to keep a couple of cases that look like that next to my desk in my home office. Any time I need a break they’re ready for use and the range is only a couple hundred feet away from my back door. A most excellent hobby. Revolvers are probably the most fun, I have a bunch of 22’s, 38’s and a 45 or two.
Someone in the comments recommended birdshot for home defense, THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. Read http://www.theboxotruth.com/ for more info on round penetration. This one has information on birdshot performance http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot22.htm
Meryl,
It is nice to see you have an interest in firearms. Everybody should have firearms training. I grew up with gun cabnets in the basement. I had seven firearms when I met my girlfriend fishing. I moved in with her and found out she had a gunsafe with about 50 handguns, shotguns and rifles.
My point is it is not a gender thing. I read your profile and I believe feminism is a groupism created by the liberals in this country. If you want protect yourself from intruders go to Walmart and get a cheap Mossberg 20 gauge. Since you like rvolvers… a few of my friends wives carry S&W Airlites. They are .25 cal.. Once you get comfy with your revolver try a semi-auto. I keep a .40 cal. baby eagle made in Israel with Hydro-shock shells….They fragment and will not go through walls to kill loved ones or neighbors. Also I have two English Setters that will let me know when someone comes through the door and they are great with kids.
traceman
pittsburgh
Personally I prefer to employ my Louisville Slugger. There is something satisfying in hearing the thwack.
Welcome to the self protection mindset. 911 is just not enough, you are taking the first steps to protecting yourself, great job. My daughters both are shooters at 9 & 11 and enjoy out time at the range. I don’t want them to be a stranger to firearms if they feel the need to protect themselves when they are on their own. To quote an age old overused phrase “God created all men and women”. “Sam Colt made them equal”.
Good luck on your adventure, if I can help you with any information or recommendations please feel free to ask. Regards, Jim
Meryl, you have said nothing about overcoming the mania to shoot everyone in sight when you first touched those pistols. C’mon, share.
Meryl,
I suggest you look at a “Coach gun” for home defense. That is the old double barrel shot gun. I suggest getting one in 20 GA with an 18 1/4″ barrel. 18 inches is minimum legal length for a long gun barrel.
My brother used a single barrel 12 GA but he made it a pistol. Many a miscreant went running when he cocked the hammer.
The deterrent with this type of gun is the criminal can see you cock it and he knows a shotgun means the end of the road either in a coffin or a long stretch in the prison hospital.
I’m partial to my Marlin model 60 with a 15 round banana clip and scope. As you imagine it scares the crap out of the liberals here, and they think it is a large cartridge gun, not a .22LR.
My home defense gun will be changing from a Winchester .30-30 to a 12 GA Belgian Browning. It is a semiautomatic. That means it’s like that Colt Woodsman, one pull of the trigger is one shot and the gun reloads for the next shot.
Broadsword, it was exactly the opposite. I was terrified I’d make a mistake and blow a hole in someone.
As you can see Meryl, gun owners are passionate, but tend to be pretty nice folks. And they’re more than willing to help and offer advice. It’s the criminals who are not allowed to own guns, but break the law and do it anyway, who we need to worry about. And in those areas (like mine in NH) where there are a lot of nice, legal gun owners, crime tends to be less, because the criminals know it.
Anyway, one way to relieve some of the stress surrounding your decision to buy the one gun that’s “just right” for you is to resign yourself to the likelihood that you’ll eventually own several.