Women's feelings on firearms

[Guest MrsS]

What are your female friends/relatives' overall opinion/feelings on firearms?

Explain, if possible.

With the excpetion of one friend & my sister, they are pretty much against firearms, especially when it comes to carrying it. Weird thing is, some of them have shotguns in their homes....so long as their spouse does the shooting, I guess. No matter what I tell them, they seem to be set in their attitude that guns are wrong & shouldn't be carried except by the military, police & hunters.

Edited October 10, 2008 by MrsS

[PackinMama]

MrsS, I edited your poll to add the choice "Some For/Some Against." I didn't really have an option without that choice, since I'd say about half the women I know are pro gun and about half are anti gun.

A few friends, my mom and most of my female family members are pro gun. However, there are a couple in the family and several friends/aquaintances that are anti gun. My grandmother-in-law is completely anti gun......but my grandfather-in-law keeps one of my rifles in their home "just in case," which she doesn't approve of whatsoever. I've asked her "What if someone were to break in your home and try to hurt you?" (basically what I usually ask anyone I know that's anti gun) and she (as do most I ask) say "awww, that would never happen." Kinda like I (and most people) thought my home would never catch fire....until it burned to the ground in '96.

[Guest hustle]

I have one friend who is scared to death of guns, refuses to touch them, and believes that only criminals own them.

However I have found that my other female friends are very interested in guns. Their husbands/boyfriends have guns for hunting, but they are afraid to learn to shoot from the guys. Only one of them has even held a gun. Mostly they're just interested in handguns. They buy the ammo, and I let them shoot my glock 23 and my S&W 686+. I guess maybe I'm just more patient and explanatory. It seems like every time a female friend finds out I have a gun she'll ask if I'll teach her to shoot it when no one else is around. One factor may be that several of my friends are future teachers. It never hurts to know how to handle a gun since they seem to be making more and more appearances in the classroom.

[Guest billwilly73]

Most females I know are a better shot than I am........only exception WAS my ex-sister inlaw she was afraid of guns. Not so much as "only bad people have guns" as she was afraid of shooting because of the hurt of the recoil. Me ans some friends were at my brothers house sighting in some guns one afternoon and I could see the intrest on my ex-sis inlaws face so I asked her if she wanted to shoot, and she said she would if it didn't hurt. ................. Now bear in mind I know this girl and she is tougher than most men I know.......We had several guns 30.06, 30/30, 243, 22lr, 20ga, 410, 9mm, 357mag, and a 44 mag Ragin Bull........So I ask her which one she wants to shoot, she wants a rifle soooo since she is my sis inlaw I grab the 30.06 and an old jar of Ragu basghetti sauce and set it about 50 yards. She shot the gun said it hurt a little bit but she killed the sauce. I told her if she could handle shooting that rifle she could shoot any of the others there with no prob. Next she wants to shoot a hand gun and she goes straight to the Stainless Ragin Bull with 8.5 in barrel............she loved it and I think I have created a monster now. Everytime I see her she wants to go shoot..............I guess next time I'm bringing the 300 mag see if she likes it.

[~Emily~]

I didn't vote at all since I have never asked any of my women family members or women friends about their view, except for my best friend who has a Sig and can carry. The subject has never come up. I know my parents have his old Navy Colt in their house but probably haven't fired (or cleaned) it in years. My sister says she'd like to come shoot with me but we can't seem to make the time.

Several years ago I took the guys I work with to On Target one day at lunch. They shot mine and rented several others so I doubt they'd have an issue. But other than that one day I've never talked to anyone about it except my brother who got me into guns in the first place. And he and my best friend are the only people who know I have an HCP.

Edited October 11, 2008 by ~Emily~

[Rightwinger]

Won't vote as I am not a women, nor do I play one on TV but.....you can view the poll and there are 3 against as of this morning! I don't even know but is this poll open to non members? I would not think so....so we have three members on a gun site who don't like guns?

Sheesh. If you don't like guns, go join PETA, Moveon.org, or any other sheeple site and go away. I don't visit those sites, they have nothing to offer me with my views on life in America. Why should they be members here? They will never convince me that guns are nothing but tools to be used under the proper circumstances and needs.

[Guest TinkerBell]

Ive always felt firearms were a persons choice to have or not. Shouldnt matter the sex or race of a person. My mother is against them. I on the other hand thanks to my now boyfriend have an interest in them. Im new to the subject but im being open minded and actually enjoying it.

[Guest MrsS]

Won't vote as I am not a women, nor do I play one on TV but.....you can view the poll and there are 3 against as of this morning! I don't even know but is this poll open to non members? I would not think so....so we have three members on a gun site who don't like guns?

Sheesh. If you don't like guns, go join PETA, Moveon.org, or any other sheeple site and go away. I don't visit those sites, they have nothing to offer me with my views on life in America. Why should they be members here? They will never convince me that guns are nothing but tools to be used under the proper circumstances and needs.

Actually, the poll I started involved our female friends and/or female relatives' feelings about firearms.....not the member themselves. ( I stated that clearly on the very 1st thread).

Edited October 11, 2008 by MrsS

[Guest TinkerBell]

Well some of my female family members say everyone should learn the basics of shooting some just dont like em and dont want them around. Im also finding out my friends r kind of getting into shooting and going to the range.

[Rightwinger]

Actually, the poll I started involved our female friends and/or female relatives' feelings about firearms.....not the member themselves. ( I stated that clearly on the very 1st thread).

Not so clear. How do you post a poll answer for mom in law that doesnt like guns, sister who is iffy, and friend who shoots IDPA?

Average feelings for all the non members you know?

[PackinMama]

Won't vote as I am not a women, nor do I play one on TV but.....you can view the poll and there are 3 against as of this morning! I don't even know but is this poll open to non members? I would not think so....so we have three members on a gun site who don't like guns?

Sheesh. If you don't like guns, go join PETA, Moveon.org, or any other sheeple site and go away. I don't visit those sites, they have nothing to offer me with my views on life in America. Why should they be members here? They will never convince me that guns are nothing but tools to be used under the proper circumstances and needs.

MrsS was pretty clear on her post with her question "What are your female friends/relatives' overall opinion/feelings on firearms?" How in the world did you take that to mean that there are any women on this board that don't like guns? Every woman here likes guns or obviously they wouldn't have joined the forum in the first place.

Not so clear. How do you post a poll answer for mom in law that doesnt like guns, sister who is iffy, and friend who shoots IDPA?

Average feelings for all the non members you know?

Ummmmm....how about the option "Some for/Some against?"

[Guest hustle]

[Rightwinger]

OK I'm owned. Never claimed I think like one of them

[Guest Dean_JC78]

I got a mixed pot here but I do not see women as generally any different than men with opinions to firearms. It really depends on the person. My wife for example really enjoys target shooting and her only "issue" is that firearms are expensive (meaning takes money away from things we NEED). Others like my sister are not really for or against. She really just does not care either way.

Now my mother is against them but it is because she is afraid of them in a totally irrational way. I have tried and tried and tried to make her comforatable but she still looks at any gun as the boogyman. She accepts the fact that others have firearms and that I do as well but anytime the subject comes up she gets really uncomfortable.

Again I say that I know plenty of men that I can fill into any of those catagories. I think the real difference is the enthusiast group. It is rare that I meet a woman that is really into firearms. I see that as the real difference between men and women on the subject.

[Guest Dean_JC78]

Well some of my female family members say everyone should learn the basics of shooting some just dont like em and dont want them around. Im also finding out my friends r kind of getting into shooting and going to the range.

I think everyone should learn firearm safety. Even those that do not own or plan to own one. It would help get rid of the "boogyman" mentality.

[Guest Angel 24/7]

I have not one girl friend that likes to shoot or have a gun or know anything about one. I am on the lonely side of it. The only info I get is from here & other sites & husband of coarse.

When I told my close friends that I carry, it took a minute for them to get their jaws off the floor.

I don't know if it is because all of us are on the girly girl side. IDK???

[Guest Sunshine23]

Most of my family is against them. I wasn't really against them, but more so scared to death of them before NELSON came along. I had always been taught "guns kill people." A friend of mine thought it would be a good idea to invite me to a family function and get me to shoot. I hadn't ever held a gun or anything, and said time after time, no thank you...I don't want to. I was eventually talked into it. Needless to say, they didn't warn me about a kick or anything. Luckily I kept control of it and no one was hurt, but it could have went VERY badly and it made me even more scared of guns. But NELSON has been very patient with me and a very good teacher...and has turned me into a gun addict I'm now shooting everything that he puts in front of me and a very proud owner of an AK-47.

But back on topic, my parents are warming up to the idea. After taking my CCD class, my mom asked me why. I told her that I don't want to be another statistic and don't want to have to depend on someone else to save me if it comes to it.

[DWARREN123]

Most don't have feelings one way or the other, MOM has a revolver and my WIFE doesn't care for them. My WIFE is Korean and was raised in South Korea, she was raised in a political enviorment of the government will take care of you so you don't need one.

I think my WIFE is slowly changing though.

[PackinMama]

Most of my family is against them. I wasn't really against them, but more so scared to death of them before NELSON came along. I had always been taught "guns kill people." A friend of mine thought it would be a good idea to invite me to a family function and get me to shoot. I hadn't ever held a gun or anything, and said time after time, no thank you...I don't want to. I was eventually talked into it. Needless to say, they didn't warn me about a kick or anything. Luckily I kept control of it and no one was hurt, but it could have went VERY badly and it made me even more scared of guns. But NELSON has been very patient with me and a very good teacher...and has turned me into a gun addict I'm now shooting everything that he puts in front of me and a very proud owner of an AK-47.

But back on topic, my parents are warming up to the idea. After taking my CCD class, my mom asked me why. I told her that I don't want to be another statistic and don't want to have to depend on someone else to save me if it comes to it.

Sunshine, I think that's great! I've found that most anti gun people are that way because they grew up in an environment without guns around and without being able to shoot them. Were your parents and the others in your family that are against guns exposed to them regularly while growing up? I'd guess that the answer to that question is no. I think it's awesome that you gave it a "shot" (pun intended) and like it so much now! The last statement you made is exactly why more women should do just what you and the other ladies on this forum are doing.....and exacatly why we should try to introduce as many new females as possible to guns, shooting and this forum!

[Guest Sunshine23]

Sunshine, I think that's great! I've found that most anti gun people are that way because they grew up in an environment without guns around and without being able to shoot them. Were your parents and the others in your family that are against guns exposed to them regularly while growing up? I'd guess that the answer to that question is no. I think it's awesome that you gave it a "shot" (pun intended) and like it so much now! The last statement you made is exactly why more women should do just what you and the other ladies on this forum are doing.....and exacatly why we should try to introduce as many new females as possible to guns, shooting and this forum!

I agree. I've talked to my friends about it and they are slowly warming up to the idea. One of my sisters is starting to also. It was actually her husbands AK that I shot for the first time and fell in love. Neither of my parents (or anyone else in the family) grew up around gun, so it was passed down that way. I'm working on them though

[Guest hustle]

I grew up around them, but my husband didn't. I was the one that introduced him to guns. His mother was deathly afraid of them since her father was shot in "a hunting accident" when she was a child. I'm not going into specifics on this one. Once she found out it wasn't an accident, she was fine with my husband getting a gun. In her mind, if someone that had been hunting their whole life could have a gun accident and get killed, then it must happen to everybody.

[Guest Jason F.]

She has her carry permit. She keeps on near her in the home office. She seldom carries since she seldom travels anywhere she legally can. Normally when she leaves the house it is to go to a clients office or to take one to lunch at a restaurant.

She is a better natural shoot than I am but needs more practice and training. I think she has the more steady hand in our family. Despite that she does not really get into target shooting as a hobby.

Her only opposition to firearms is when I spend too much money on them.

[PackinMama]

My husband isn't into guns at all. He was abandoned by his mother (alcoholic/drug addict) when he was a baby and then raised by his grandparents. His grandmother is deathly afraid of guns, and his grandfather hunted with a rifle as a young man for about 10 years, then gave it up.....not sure why. When we first started going out I took him shooting a couple times.....he did ok but just didn't like it. So he tolerates me having and carrying guns and I tolerate him having "projects" (junk!) parked in our yard. Our deal concerning our son is that I get to teach him to shoot and hunt, and he gets to teach him how to ride a dirt bike. Relationships are all about compromise

[Guest Angel 24/7]

Compromise!!! I agree. I get to go shopping & spend time in Nashville. He gets to go hunting, Fishing, work on the 70 Chevy or he says tinker with it. One of the few things we enjoy doing together is shooting, I think only because he made me.

Opposites attract??