My take on -
Choosing a gun for anyone to use.
I've shared this before.
In assisting new folks, men, women younger, older, physically limited, and even guns for younger folks even kids to shoot, we let the person choose.
Sticking with ladies be they daughters, sisters wives or girlfriends.
Right off the bat, not even the folks that owned the private range would Pick a gun for kinfolks or give shooting lessons to kinfolks.
This alleviates a lot of unneeded pressure on the lady, and therefore more attentive and receptive to input.
Ladies work better with ladies, and we had ladies to assist with all this.
Ladies will share and communicate things to each other, where men and women will not often times.
We guys, don't take this wrong, still we had earned the trust of ladies and sometimes a lady does want a guys take. It depends on the lady.
Just like a guy wants input from a lady on a tie, to go with a shirt and sport coat, suit, whatever.
While we did CCW, some were simply too young for CCW, meaning a house gun for a teenage daughter, or 19, 20 year old living on their own. Same token, we had elderly ladies, some physically limited that did not get out much, and they did not want CCW, though some changed their mind.
Classroom on revolvers, semi autos, how various guns worked.
Just a table full of guns and looking, handling and asking questions.
Pretty, Cute and Beautiful are just some terms ladies use to describe guns.
If they don't like it, they will not use it to learn it, much less shoot it, and forget carrying it.
Gun Fit is one thing we stressed, we are all different and some guns simply fit some folks better than others.
For instance Eight Model 10s all exact, except with different stocks.
It was that obvious to ladies handling the same gun, the stocks made the gun fit and "these are really pretty and fit my hand really well too!"
Sticking with the Model 10, we had Snubby, 3" , 4" and 6"
Ladies are not dumb, quite smart actually. "Huh, the snubby is cute, but the 3" and 4" point better,and the 6" is neat, probably more accurate as it does not "dance" when I point it, still it seems to me the snubby is going to take a lot of practice to learn well".
Ladies are doing this, with the Ladies "instructors" if you will, near to assist and us guys withing ear shot if they wanted a guys input.
J Frame. One of our ladies, is a crack shot with a J frame.
"Gals, I spent a lot of time shooting a K frame, then transitioned down to a J frame. I worked really hard with ____ (a retired SWAT fellow that was a really great revolver shooter and competitior). It is NOT the best gun to learn on, I do not recommend it for a first gun, still if one is given to you, we can work on this".
Lessons: We started with .22 revolvers, in rimfire, then centerfire. Such as Model 18 then Model 10
Did the same with Ruger Sp101, Colts ...etc.
Semi-Auto, again .22 rimfire then centerfire.
Ladies had all these guns to try, different stocks, and had fun!
Beretta 21A for instance, it was small, cute and some pretty stocks are available, still after shooting one, "Neat and cute, but I see why this is NOT a great choice for a first primary carry gun".
.40cal. Overwhelmingly, this caliber was not liked. Recoil was sharp, and the guns were not cute, pretty and all that.
Ladies actually hated the DA/SA. They preferred the SA of a BHP, 1911, Ruger semi ...etc, or the DA of a Revolver as they had started out on.
"Phooey! I mess up that first shot in DA every time, I don't like that, and the first shot is real important until I get to the SA one".
DAO semis, they said "Just a DA revolver that takes ammunition up its stocks".
Caliber: .38spl, 9mm and 45ACP the most chosen.
Loadings in the 38spl could be from light to heavier.
9mm was affordable and "cute" and they liked the "recoil curve, that is what you call it, right?"
45ACP had a gentle "push" and the guns slim for CCW and the SA trigger they liked.
Ladies narrowed down choices.
Hackathorn's Test was then used.
1/4 sheet of typing paper, 5 shots at 5 yards, and the paper don't lie.
Best group in the best time, reveals what gun, and with what loading a lady (anyone) shoots best.
Holsters:
Ladies shared with ladies to NOT use off body carry.
Exceptions might be wearing a little black dress, and a Jetfire in a little clutch purse for going to Powder room, still the better idea was for the Guy to wear an additional gun, so lady could access a bigger gun when out.
"Go to ladies room with other ladies that are also carrying, and gentleman keep tabs, or are just outside the ladies room to escort a lady".
Ladies, instructors, other students, tried a variety of holsters.
Just get folks together and see what other ladies used for a holster with the same guns they had picked out.
"Gang, we are all shaped different, no way in hell we are going to get anything off the rack most likely. So just like we tweak our clothes to not show too much cleavage, or thigh, or whatever, go see the Leather Wizard".
Leather Wizard, was a shoe shop guy that understood ladies come in different shapes. Ladies found a holster from actually trying on and concealing, and shooting with, and with a lady, and this guy, and his wife, tweak the fit of a new holster.
Some of these ladies were on a budget. Colt Detective Specials...some really liked, shot best, just out of the price range.
Used Police Trade ins such as Model 10, 64, Ruger Six series and even SP101 were found.
While the snubby was not the preferred, these ladies got with the lady that shot revolvers really well and the SWAT fella and worked hard to get really good with a snubby.
I mean a good used Police Trade in Snubby often times was too good a deal to pass up.
Most often chosen:
Police Trade in dedicated 38spls, 9mm 3913s, and Commander sized 1911s and BHPs, Model 19, 66 and other K frame .357s and these ladies do carry .357 loads.
Tip up Berettas for Physically Limited, some did not have hands or lower arms.
Too many ladies had a "guy" stick a gun "at them" and said "you will use this" and they resented it all to hell.
Too many ladies came in and "hubby, boyfriend, fiance, daddy took me shooting and I hated it".
Too many ladies "thought" the smaller guns were what they would use and carry, and these ladies through the way we did things, picked out bigger guns.
One "thought" she wanted a small .22 revolver for carry. She totes a 5" Capsian 1911 in 45ACP , or in 9x23, unless these don't match her outfit and then it is a Model 66 with full house loads.
She is a tall 4' 11.9999" and she still gets carded being in her 30's.
The J frame is "cute" and that is for being a snit and shooting steels at 35 yards....
*grin*
