Gooseberi Gets a Gun

[nelson133]

I took Gooseberi out gun shopping Saturday and she ended up with a lightly used Kahr CW9 with 3 mags for a reasonable price. She looked at several others, but this was what fit her hand the best, and it was concealable. She is thinking that she would like to get a carry license in the future.. I wouldn't have thought that she would have chosen the Kahr, just goes to show what I know and why it is important to let others choose their own guns.
We spent several hours at the range and it was quite a little shooter, I liked it quite well. She went through between 150 and 200 rounds without a any problems. Afterward we took it back to her house and I showed her hot to clean it. Now she is getting used to having a loaded gun in the house.
While at the range, she also put a lot of rounds through some of my other guns. She still likes the Ruger Mark II, but says it is starting to feel like a toy gun to her. She likes the Ruger P95, but not the P97, and really likes the Sig P220. She ran close to 100 rounds through the Sig. She loads her own magazines, and had a great time.

 

[Baba Louie]

Way to go Goose!

Is this a great country or what? With friends like you nelson the Goose has a good fighting chance to remain a free woman.

Kudo's to you both.

Get her some good training. And more ammo.

 

[Gooseberi]

Don't let Nelson133 fool you He is pretty smart, when he goes to the range he takes a lot of guns with him, he was just happy to see a gun there that wasnt his, but he had a chance to shoot. j/k In reality he is great to gun shop with, he made me ask the questions and do most the talking with the clerks, yet was there to ask or make comments if he felt I needed more information. He never pushed anything, unlike the woman clerk I encountered. She truly wanted me to consider a revolver.She said many women have problems with racking the slide. (I felt enpowered after reading the link Baba Louie sent regarding Tamara's small essay on "racking" the slide of a semi-auto in her blog. It's titled "Boomsticks: Rack 'em up". http://www.booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/) I wanted to suggest to the clerk she check it out and pass the info along to her customers.
The Ruger Mark II is what I default to when I want instant gratification I can put a round of shots in the target and be fairly sure I am going to like what I see BUT I love shooting the Sig P220. The recoil on that is easy and the gun feels at home in my hand. Either I have to buy one eventualy or do my best to maintain a good friendship with Nelson133 so I can shot hisLOL
Now I am learning how to have a loaded gun in my home, close at hand.I have to admit there is a sense of comfort knowing it is there and ready if needed. But it is still a moment of *surprise* when I spot it on the table by my chair, or next to the alarm clock in the middle of the night when I get up for a drink or something. Did anyone else have a period of adjustment once they obtained a gun for home protection?I would like to know it this is just me or if others went thru anything.

 

[Baba Louie]

Did anyone else have a period of adjustment once they obtained a gun for home protection?I would like to know it this is just me or if others went thru anything.

Of course it's a natural sorta weird (yet comforting) feeling. I mean, it's a potentially dangerous weapon. Your sense of heightened awareness should always be there when a firearm becomes part of your equation. ALWAYS.

Tip... unload firearm. Place ammunition in some other room, safely out of harms way for a bit. When alone, practice draw and fire exercises, making sure it's unloaded and safe... check it three times (that should probably be ALL Capital letters but I don't like shouting). Get a holster and good belt. Wear them. Get used to the weight and location. Practice practice practice until it becomes smooth and natural. You might want to buy some snap caps (I never really like to dry-fire on an empty chamber). I think it was Col Cooper who wrote about dry-firing at the TV ads (he chose the letter "O" IIRC) before they changed or faded out. Quick reaction time coupled with unconcious (subconcious?), safe handling.

Strong AND weak handed.
Standing, sitting, lying down.

Sounds stupid to some I know. So don't tell 'em. Just practice.
You might be lying in bed when you need it. Or sitting at a restaurant table. Or in your car. Probably won't be standing with it in hand, at the ready. Ya know?

When you can Gooseberi, please do take a class or two. It's good to become a student (a lifelong study if you will) who values self control and pushes your self imposed limitation envelope. Not to mention, fun.

And congrats on the Kahr

 

[Hemicuda]

NO, not ALL of us went through an adjustment when they got a home defense... BUT most did, I will bet...

I didn't have one, simply because there were ALWAYS home defense weapons in my home...

My earliest and fondest memories of my father were of him, teaching me gun safety... and him teaching me the basics of shooting...

there were guns available to me from about age 4... by 6 I had my own rifle, BB gun, and a key to dads gun closet...

by 8 I was competing, and had a couple real guns...

at 12, when my parents divorced, Dad gave me a 12 Ga. single shot H&R Topper, to use for home defense, and small game... (I lived with mom, in the country, and she only had a .38 Spl Colt Detective Special, and refused to take away ANY of my fathers guns, she figured they were HIS, not HERS, so she let him keep them all... (the colt had been HER fathers...) Dad TRIED to give here a .243 and a 20 Ga. doublegun... TRIED to get her to take them! "nope, you earned the money for those, you keep them"... - my mother had some strong conviuctions about fairness, I tell ya!

my housewarming gift from Dad, 11 years ago, when I finally BOUGHT a house was a Remington 870 Marine Magnum...

he also got me my first deer rifle at 14 (Marlin 30-30 Levergun...) and pistol at 18 (beat up Ruger MK-I)

Nope, no adjustment about guns in the house... they have simply just always been there!

 

[Gooseberi]

Thanks

Thank you both Baba Louie and Hemicuda, I enjoyed reading both your posts Baba thanks for the suggestions and Hemicuda you were blessed. It has been folks like both of you that has made me feel very comfortable here...some day I will chat like the long time gun owners hereLOL
Take care,
Gooseberi

 

[Black Knight]

Glad to hear you got a gun. Now take as many quality courses as you are able. Training can come from many sources. Enjoy the new world you have entered. As any world there are good folks here willing to help and others that don't know where to start and then even others that only want to help themselves. I think you'll find THR is just loaded with the good folks willing to help. As far as adjustments go it happens to some first timers so don't worry about it. Anytime you have a question please come to THR. No one has all the answers but maybe with the many folks here we can come pretty close. One more thing about questions, ask away. Even if you think it is silly or stupid believe me some else somewher is wondering the same thing and is scared to ask. How do you think all of us learned what we individually know?
We asked those same questions long ago. Welcome to the club. Stay safe and refuse to be a victim.
BTW I don't know either of you (nelson133 or you) and how close you two are but from what I have read I would say both of you would be keepers.

 

[Froggy]

oops. wrong place. Nevermind.

 

[Baba Louie]

Well, since Froggy bumped this back in, I gotta ask nelson133 (and goose) if you guys have any recent updates on Gooseberi's gun-handling/shooting skills and comfort levels.

Hoping so.