Why is there such a stima against women and firearms use by them?

[HvBikeWlTravel]

A perfectly healthy lady can handle just about any major caliber round/semi-auto platform on the market.   Give them training - and opportunity - they will shine.  

 

Well, I'll agree with that. Where I can't agree; first-time buyers/users should NOT be sold something they can't use.

[Guest ab28]

Well, I'll agree with that. Where I can't agree; first-time buyers/users should NOT be sold something they can't use.

Being in college, I've talked to people about guns, some were interested, and came over to my house to learn to shoot. I started them all with the same thing, whether male or female, a .22 rifle.

[Guest joeyd99]

My wife has small, very delicate hands and has tried and tried but she just can't rack the slide on most auto's, she is most comfortable with a revolver.  I have tried many different types and brands of auto's for her, and the problem is generally two-fold, she can't rack the slide and with a DAO, the trigger pull needs to be under 10 lbs for her to be able to pull it comfortably.

 

And while she will shoot my 1911's, she just isn't comfortable with the size of a large auto, doesn't fit her hand, and she isn't crazy about the recoil.  I bought her a snubby .357 Lady Smith a while back and with the stock rosewood grips it hurts my hand to shoot a .357 round in it, and even with .38's it isn't really a joy to shoot, but it doesn't bother her, compared to a .45acp, I guess it's just the size of the gun and how it fits her hand, and she says 'it's so pretty!'...it is a very nice looking gun!

 

I grew up with guns of all types and was throughly trained on the 1911, M-14 and .50 cal in the USN many years ago.  I do have a Kahr K9 that I carry, just because it's small and concealable, but I prefer a large frame 1911.   I do like that K9, it's probably the most accurate DAO I've ever shot, and for a smaller gun with the Hogue grips, it feels very solid in my hand; I am not crazy about and do not own any polymer framed guns.

 

But I don't really think it is necessarily a gender specific problem.  I was in a local gun shop the other day and an impish young man was buying his first hand gun, a full size Colt 1911, poor guy didn't know the first thing about it.  While the shop owner was doing his paper work, he was asking me all kinds of questions about the operation and break down of his new gun, I was a little concerned and hope he has taken the time to learn how to operate and be comfortable with a 1911.

 

When  'anyone' asks me for a recommendation on a first gun, my first question is always 'what do you want to do with it?'.  We all know that different guns are more, or less, suited for different purposes.  And, especially for a first time gun owner, I will usually recommend a revolver, just because they are so simple to use and maintain.  But, in my humble opinion, the key to gun ownership, regardless of gender or weapon system, is to get to know your weapon and be comfortable with it in any circumstance, and the old adage that 'practice makes perfect' definitely applies to gun ownership.  Just my .02!

 

One last thing, my wife is a natural, she's a crack shot!  She is scary accurate, off hand or from a rest, freaks me out that she is so accurate with very little range time under her belt over the years.

Edited June 23, 2013 by joeyd99

[East_TN_Patriot]

I worked at a gun store several years ago and at that time, most women gravitated towards the smaller guns.  At that point in time in that geographic area, most women were only purchasing a firearm for self-defense, had little knowledge or experience with firearms, did not particularly enjoy shooting, and were looking for small firearms that they could hold onto easily and put in their purse without adding too much weight.  Many times female customers would show interest in a particular gun because it was "cute".  It's the same reason gun manufacturers make small handguns with pink grips.  It's "cute".   Many women have difficulty comfortably holding a full-size handgun.  During my law enforcement days, our department had to order smaller framed duty pistols for a couple of female officers who could not effectively handle the Sig P229 we issued.  My mom never developed the arm strength to rack the slide on a large semi-auto handgun.  

I agree that a sales person should not make assumptions about female customers, but I suspect that many don't think that they are treating the women differently or at least not unfairly.  I also think that many female customers also live up to the stereotype.