On Women and Guns

There has been much in the news regarding the increased sales of firearms.  What is often not mentioned is the fact that many of these sales are new sales, first time buyers. And many of those are women.

Our society often portrays firearms as the tool of men.  But in reality, they are the equalizer.  There is a saying “God made men, but Colt made them equal.”  The meaning of that saying is that prior to the firearm, an individual’s strength is what gave them power.  It was also what enabled them to overpower another who had less strength.  The firearm is a tool that allows a physically weaker individual to defend themselves against a physically stronger one.  Sadly, a situation which many women have found themselves in.

I wanted to provide some information and resources specifically for my female readers.

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The Cornered Cat, is a website dedicated to information on self defense from a woman’s perspective. (Though it’s a great and informative read of us guys too!)

ProArms Podcast is a roundtable discussion by a number small arms experts.  In August 2008 the ladies on the show did an all women podcast focused on topics and questions of interest to women.

Women of Caliber, is a female gun blogger who has a number of great posts on the matter of women with guns, and did a four part series on children & firearms  [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

A lot of information concerning firearms, training, etc is relevant to both men and women. But there are a number of aspects that are different. For example, holsters and carrying concealed. Women have hips…men don’t. This makes for a difference in how a holster fits. And many holsters and carry positions that might be comfortable for a man, can be very uncomfortable for a woman.

The above items are just a few resources to get people started. There are many others to be found. In fact, I even found a magazine called Women & Guns dedicated to women and guns. Now, I don’t know much about the magazine or it’s quality.  I am just putting it out there to show you what type of resources exist.

One of the biggest barriers that woman face when entering the world of becoming a gun owner, and taking responsibility for their own protection and the protection of their families, is the aspect of feeling alone.

Realize that you are not alone. There are between 12-17 million  women or even more in America who own firearms and protect themselves.  However, most of the time people are oblivious to the fact. People usually don’t go touting that they are a permit holder and are carrying a fire concealed. The whole point of carrying concealed is concealment. So how would you ever find out that the girl sitting next to you was carrying a .38 special?

Sometimes there are hints that shooters drop now and then if they think someone might also be interested in guns.  Occasionally, an individual is a bit more open about it, being an advocate – I fall into this category. It’s a compromise. In order to be an advocate I must share and reveal more than I would like to, but I do so for the purpose of advocacy –  to encourage people to take responsibility for themselves and their family’s well being, and to protect our communal rights to live safely.

The topic of gun ownership will often come up when a friend is or has been in a situation in which there was a risk of personal harm. Such as the drunken ex-b/f with the restraining order, having been raped, assaulted, robbed, etc.  It is at these times that ordinary people who prior walked around feeling safe, realize that they had simply, up until now, been lucky. They find themselves full of questions. Will it happen again? How can I be safe? Why?

It’s the realization that when in an emergency situation where seconds count, the police are only minutes away.  That realization is something akin to taking the “red pill” and seeing the Matrix for what it is.

Now I am not advocating that everyone get a gun. Truthfully, it’s not for everybody (if you’re a felon or irresponsible individual…please do not buy a gun).  But if you are a responsible individual who takes personal responsibility – than I think you should at least consider the merits of gun ownership. And if you do, I also suggest investing in some professional training. The NRA offers a number of courses that go from introductory, all the way to defense of the home and carry outside the home.

And while we’ve talked mainly about self-defense. There is an entire world of sporting and marksmanship to be found as a gun owner. Many women find themselves falling alove with the sport and competition of a variety of shooting sports.  Whether it’s marksmanship, shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun, or competitions which have more of a focus on practical self-defense techniques.  Shooting is fun!!! And women are good at it…

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PS – If you have any questions on any of the above topics, please feel free to contact me. I’ll try to provide an answer or at the very least, endeavor to point you in the direction of someone who can.  Especially, if you’re one who is considering becoming a gun owner but still has some concerns and need more information.  Contact info is on the right toward the bottom…