New guy here: Odd request

[mossytxn]

Long time lurker, second time poster

My somewhat Anti of a wife is starting to see the light. She wants training. She wants a pistol. She wants to be able to throw 15 rounds or more at a bad guy in the house to protect her family. Yay for me!

She said last night that she thought it was time to do some research into guns and gun control for herself so she could make her own decision and not listen to the news. Again, yay for me! Smart girl here...

I have seen an email forward several times about various countries that passed strict gun control laws and then quietly removed a large portion of their population. I can't find it. Can someone post it here?

Also, if you could help my point to some concise links about Australia and the UK and their issues after passing laws, that would help too.

I don't want to overwhelm her with info, but some research with a slanted view would be ok

We'll be looking at Cornered Cat; she'll be taking a women's intro to shooting class (I won't teach her); what else am I missing?

Thanks High Road

 

[ZeSpectre]

Just a few ideas (in no particular order)

let her come around at her own pace (sounds like you are doing fine there).

Approach most everything from the "safety first" angle. "Honey, I know you are a little nervous so first we'll just concentrate on safe handling and storage" and move on from there.

Pay attention and also point out situations (in real life, in the news, etc) where a "firearms" response is NOT the right solution for the problem. It re-assures the other person that you haven't gone over the edge and that you don't view firearms as the ONLY solution to various issues. I know it sounds a little counterintuitive but it works

Bring here on here and let her chat with us.

 

[mossytxn]

I just found this link on the Texas CHL forum.

http://www.gunfacts.info/

Cool stuff here.

 

[v8stang289]

I dont know if this is what you where referring to or not. I got it from http://www.varmintal.com/apoli.htm

-Matt


56 Million people murdered by their Own Governments in the 20th Century!

-The Soviet Union established "Gun Safety" in 1929. From 1929 to 1953, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-Turkey established "Gun Safety" in 1911. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-Germany established "Gun Safety" in 1938. From 1939 to 1945, 13 million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill people, and other "mongrelized peoples," unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-China established "Gun Safety" in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. See the picture below. Which target do you want to hold?

-Guatemala established "Gun Safety" in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-Uganda established "Gun Safety" in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-Cambodia established "Gun Safety" in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, 1 million "educated people," unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

-The United States Congress expanded "Gun Safety" in 1968 in direct violation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. In 1993, 86 members of a religious "cult" residing outside Waco, Texas were exterminated because of unsubstantiated allegations that they possessed firearms made illegal by the unconstitutional 1968 "Gun Safety" Act.

-Congress is currently considering passage of additional unconstitutional "Gun Safety" laws. It remains to be seen how many more innocent people those laws will kill.

What is the message? "Gun Safety" KILLS! -- It kills Children, Religious, and Ethnic Minorities.

 

[yourang?]

as many will offer: let her pick her own gun

if you are some where where you can go and sample a bunch of
different ones, let her try a bunch and then let her decide what
she wants

one consideration would be: will it be a carry gun? and which
method will be used? (holster vs purse) or will it be a house or
car gun?

start her out slow, maybe with a 22 to learn the ropes and then
gradually work her way up

it is a fun thing for both of you to do together....
my wife has become quite proficient and often suggests that we
go "punch some holes in some paper"

good luck!

 

[mossytxn]

v8stang: that was it.

yourang: I have a shiny new Buckmark waiting for her to try. The class we have her signed up for will shoot .22, .38, 9mm, and a .357 or .45 for those that wish to try. Each shooter will get to try 5 different handguns in each caliber.

It will primarily be a house gun. She is not ready to carry one full time. If she ever decided to, then that would be a great excuse to buy a new gun again!

She has already tried shotguns with me on the clay range. I even have a 20 gauge setup for home use with a short, light barrel and a youth stock for her. She is good with that now, but she wants to become proficient with handguns as well.

Interesting story: we were at the range with (her) shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot. She shot the silhouette with all 6 rounds from the magazine and the bottom half was unrecognizable. She asked if that was what would happen to an intruder. When I said yes, her response was "Good, it'll teach that sob to come in my house!"

She is trying to come around. There is some kind of fear holding her back. Maybe education on her own pace is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[mewachee]

http://www.corneredcat.com/

Cornered Cat is a great place for women and men.

You will get all kinds of advice on THR, most of it good, but contradicting. Outside of making sure the safety factors are in place, I say take in all this information you can her (and elsewhere), then apply only that which relates to her. One will say, let her pick her gun (any new shooter can't know what they like) or hers the gun for her (how can a thr poster know exactly what your wife needs).

Here is a thread that I asked for my wife, http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=365419

A year ago, my wife had no interest. Since the beginning of this year, she has a grown in her views on guns, has her own sp101, completed hunter safety, and at the end of July we are taking the Utah CCW for our anniversary (her idea).

My real advice is to share your interest (women love to share) and don't pressure in anyway, gentile persuasion is a great tool.

 

[Robert Hairless]

I'd like to offer one very small suggestion for both you and your wife to consider.

My guess is that like many male gun owners you feel a strong sense of obligation to protect your family. I doubt that you're itching for an occasion in which bad guys invade your home and try to murder your wife and kids, or that you hope it happens so you can kill them. What you're probably doing is the result of having assessed not only the odds of that happening but also the cost if it should happen. The odds might be a million to one against it happening. But if that one chance in a million does strike your family, the cost could be the loss of your wife, children, and all that gives meaning to our lives. It's such a high cost that the odds pale into insignificance and so while we hope for the best we prepare for the worst. Or at least many men do so.

Perhaps it's time for your wife to think about whether she's willing to continue playing the odds and ignoring the cost. Is the potential cost--however unlikely--acceptable to her? Again, the question isn't the likelihood of a horrible disaster but its acceptability.

Even many people who get to that stage think only in terms of defending their own lives. So your wife might have decided that she doesn't mind the risk to herself in light of the odds against that risk. That's fair enough, I think.

My small suggestion is that she might want to move past that stage of thinking to the stage in which she consider whether she is an equal partner in protecting both of you and your children too. Or has she decided that it's your exclusive responsibility? If she's decided that it's your job and she has no responsibility in the matter, and if she's okay with the kinds of costs she would incur, there's really no reason why she should bother learning how to use a firearm for defensive purposes.

But if she assumes responsibility for her family too and finds the potential costs unacceptable, maybe she needs to get her act together as fast as possible. She's already well behind the curve and the train is far ahead of her. There be monsters in this world.

I'd be interested in knowing her decision.

 

[mossytxn]

I'd be interested in knowing her decision.

Her stated position is that she wants to be able to protect her home and any future kids that we have in the next few years. No children at home yet.

Her fear stems from past negaive encounters with guns growing up including one incredibly irresponsible act by her step father where he pulled out a deer rifle and loaded it during an argument with her.

I can understand her fear. I have a different view being that I got my first shotgun when I was seven years old. I always knew the power the gun had and the respect it deserved.

My hope is that after she gets comfortable with defending herself at home then she might want to move into other areas like a chl. I'm just gonna sit back and let her feel it out for herself.

Like anything else in our marriage, I may guide her to the outcome I want, but I have to do so in a manner in which she thinks it is her idea

 

[ByAnyMeans]

Mossytxn:


Sounds like you have a smart lady, and your approaching it in the correct way. there is some great advice here and I would suggest it be a process at her comfortability level.



1) Let her read corneredcat and the "other links" from that website.

2) point out situations in life and news articles where a gun would improve the situation and also when it is not appropriatte to show her it's not the one size fits all answer key.

3) You have a great class lined up to allow her to try many different caliber and model firearms. After continue to hone skills with the 22 while she decides which gun she wants.

4) Again, let her move at her own pace


It sounds like you really care for her as displayed through you approach to this. My girlfriend was afraid of guns as well but with time, patience, and safety lessons she lear'nt to love all guns. These early expieriences with guns can really screw someone up, I know. With regards to a CHL, your lady sounds like she's inquisitive and will want to learn more about it once she feels she is up to speed on handguns. Think about it, she is good with a 20g and that would be bets to handle home defense according to many on these boards yet she is not stopping and wants to learn more re. handguns. It makes sense that she then may want to learn about carrying one ( especially if you can get her to see some small ones like .380 rugers or bersa's)

GOOD LUCK