c919
Member
So the other day I took my wife to her first gun show here in TN. Aside from ammo, we weren't really looking to buy anything, but we were looking for carry gun ideas for her. She will be making the CCW leap in the near future and she is not sure what she wants to carry. She wants to carry IWB and has tried on my holsters just to get an idea of size and even the PPS was too big for her (she's 4'11" and 100lbs soaked).
We have a pretty good range here that has a decent rental case, but it doesn't really have that many subcompacts, etc. So the gun show was at least a place where she could get her hands on all of the things we've been looking at online. (She's leaning towards a PM9 or a Sig 238)
Anyhow, we stop at this one booth so she could check out a P32 and we got to talking to the fellow operating this booth. He was pretty friendly at first, but as we started small talk about what she was looking for he tells her that it would be absolutely stupid for her to carry anything but a .22 j-frame (at this time he displayed said gun). She promptly replied "Nope, not gonna happen. I'm looking for a carry gun." That's my girl! He replied "Little lady, this is about the only gun you'll be able to shoot worth a damn and it's perfect for keepin' in your purse."
I step in and tell him that she's no novice. She routinely, and accurately, shoots my SP101 .357, Beretta PX4 .40, Walther PPS 9mm and her new favorite is my G20 (and all she's put through it is DoubleTap ). Recoil is not a big issue here. She chimes in to tell him that she wouldn't be carrying in her purse, she was going IWB. He just keeps on insisting that anything but a .22 revolver in her purse is a bad choice for her. So I thanked him and we went on to the next booth.
Now I understand that a .22 revolver would be a good option for some people (it's better than nothing right?), but one should carry something bigger as long as they can still maintain proficiency. I guess he just though I was blowing smoke about her shooting bigger calibers.
We had several folks suggest purse carry throughout the day. Seriously, it's not hard to reason that a gun in a purse is just a poor plan. It's terrible advice IMO.
The above story is just one of many examples of how women are often treated in the gun world. Over the past couple of years since my wife has gotten into shooting, I've heard some pretty bad advice thrown her way. It must suck for all the ladies out there who know a bit about guns. It doesn't really matter what level of knowledge she displays, she just gets treated like there is no way she will ever know what's best for herself. I know people in the gun business see plenty of ignorance from both genders, but some folks just can't talk to women as equals. It's just assumed that they know nothing. I know new shooters need to be walked through everything and start from the bottom, but people should be able to tell when someone has been through the motions and has become an avid and educated gun enthusiast.
How frustrated would we be if we had guys tapping us on the shoulder to give us advice we already know every time we were at the range? Or if every time we walked into a gun shop someone had to condescend to us? I think all of us have been to "that gun shop" where everyone was treated like an idiot, what if that was the attitude you got almost everywhere?
When I meet someone who has an interest in guns, I can usually tell whether or not they actually know a good deal about them within a few sentences. It's not hard to read people. I would think that if these folks weren't so tied up in spouting out what they thought was best for someone else, they might actually listen and be able to tell that there are a good deal of women out there with a knowledge of guns. Furthermore, they might be able to hear what a woman is looking for and help her with that.
There are a few stores here that know us and they treat her just like they would treat a guy with decent knowledge of guns. To be honest, those places get more of my money. Personally, I don't like people who treat my wife like an idiot. Nor do I like people giving my wife advice that could get her killed.
So do you all notice this stuff too?
For those of you with wives or daughters that shoot, do they get the same treatment?
Ladies of THR, I'd really like to hear from you on this topic.
We have a pretty good range here that has a decent rental case, but it doesn't really have that many subcompacts, etc. So the gun show was at least a place where she could get her hands on all of the things we've been looking at online. (She's leaning towards a PM9 or a Sig 238)
Anyhow, we stop at this one booth so she could check out a P32 and we got to talking to the fellow operating this booth. He was pretty friendly at first, but as we started small talk about what she was looking for he tells her that it would be absolutely stupid for her to carry anything but a .22 j-frame (at this time he displayed said gun). She promptly replied "Nope, not gonna happen. I'm looking for a carry gun." That's my girl! He replied "Little lady, this is about the only gun you'll be able to shoot worth a damn and it's perfect for keepin' in your purse."
I step in and tell him that she's no novice. She routinely, and accurately, shoots my SP101 .357, Beretta PX4 .40, Walther PPS 9mm and her new favorite is my G20 (and all she's put through it is DoubleTap ). Recoil is not a big issue here. She chimes in to tell him that she wouldn't be carrying in her purse, she was going IWB. He just keeps on insisting that anything but a .22 revolver in her purse is a bad choice for her. So I thanked him and we went on to the next booth.
Now I understand that a .22 revolver would be a good option for some people (it's better than nothing right?), but one should carry something bigger as long as they can still maintain proficiency. I guess he just though I was blowing smoke about her shooting bigger calibers.
We had several folks suggest purse carry throughout the day. Seriously, it's not hard to reason that a gun in a purse is just a poor plan. It's terrible advice IMO.
The above story is just one of many examples of how women are often treated in the gun world. Over the past couple of years since my wife has gotten into shooting, I've heard some pretty bad advice thrown her way. It must suck for all the ladies out there who know a bit about guns. It doesn't really matter what level of knowledge she displays, she just gets treated like there is no way she will ever know what's best for herself. I know people in the gun business see plenty of ignorance from both genders, but some folks just can't talk to women as equals. It's just assumed that they know nothing. I know new shooters need to be walked through everything and start from the bottom, but people should be able to tell when someone has been through the motions and has become an avid and educated gun enthusiast.
How frustrated would we be if we had guys tapping us on the shoulder to give us advice we already know every time we were at the range? Or if every time we walked into a gun shop someone had to condescend to us? I think all of us have been to "that gun shop" where everyone was treated like an idiot, what if that was the attitude you got almost everywhere?
When I meet someone who has an interest in guns, I can usually tell whether or not they actually know a good deal about them within a few sentences. It's not hard to read people. I would think that if these folks weren't so tied up in spouting out what they thought was best for someone else, they might actually listen and be able to tell that there are a good deal of women out there with a knowledge of guns. Furthermore, they might be able to hear what a woman is looking for and help her with that.
There are a few stores here that know us and they treat her just like they would treat a guy with decent knowledge of guns. To be honest, those places get more of my money. Personally, I don't like people who treat my wife like an idiot. Nor do I like people giving my wife advice that could get her killed.
So do you all notice this stuff too?
For those of you with wives or daughters that shoot, do they get the same treatment?
Ladies of THR, I'd really like to hear from you on this topic.
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