Hazwaste
Member
I'll try to present the Reader's Digest version of this...
Four years ago I decided to get my CHP. My wife was supportive of this and understood the purpose, but was in no way interested in doing so herself, nor would she ever go with me to the range to punch paper. She did, however, pick out a .38 snubbie revolver for her to keep with her at home or in the car (very good car-carry laws in Louisiana), though again she would not practice with it.
Recently she came to the conclusion that the very same reasons why I carry a handgun are the ones why she should also, especially the part about being able to defend the children, so she decided to get her CHP. She was very nervous about going to the class, so I volunteered to go with her, although I'm not required to attend to renew my permit.
The first night of practice firing our handguns did not go well with her. In short, she couldn't hit the paper at all with the snubbie. I later found that she was using +P loads (another story involving a clueless Wal-Mart clerk), which was causing a great deal of pain in her hand, and she was flinching before each shot. Needless to say, she was disheartened and worried she would not qualify.
But she is not one that gives up easily. She asked me to take her to the range the next day, as we were to shoot qualifications that night, and she wanted to try my sidearm, a Springfield XD 9mm 4". I coached her on stance, grip, breath control, aiming, loading, safety rules, etc. She struggled with loading, since she had never done so before on an autoloader, and had trouble with the slide too. But she kept trying. Finally she got the weapon ready to fire. Then she opened fire. At 20' she was putting them within the outer circle within the first mag. By the end of our session, she was getting them within the 9 ring. Although she was in obvious pain, she would not stop until she felt confident in her ability.
That night, she went into the range to qualify with the XD, leaving me to watch from the other side of the glass. The instructor was amazed at her progress. Again, though in a great deal of pain, she never complained and blew through her qualification without any problems.
After YEARS of trying to get her to go to the range with me, the first thing she said when she came out (with a HUGE proud grin on her face) was "That was AWESOME! When are you going to take me to the range again?"
She has also taken over my XD, and won't give it back until I get another one.
I can not be more proud.
Four years ago I decided to get my CHP. My wife was supportive of this and understood the purpose, but was in no way interested in doing so herself, nor would she ever go with me to the range to punch paper. She did, however, pick out a .38 snubbie revolver for her to keep with her at home or in the car (very good car-carry laws in Louisiana), though again she would not practice with it.
Recently she came to the conclusion that the very same reasons why I carry a handgun are the ones why she should also, especially the part about being able to defend the children, so she decided to get her CHP. She was very nervous about going to the class, so I volunteered to go with her, although I'm not required to attend to renew my permit.
The first night of practice firing our handguns did not go well with her. In short, she couldn't hit the paper at all with the snubbie. I later found that she was using +P loads (another story involving a clueless Wal-Mart clerk), which was causing a great deal of pain in her hand, and she was flinching before each shot. Needless to say, she was disheartened and worried she would not qualify.
But she is not one that gives up easily. She asked me to take her to the range the next day, as we were to shoot qualifications that night, and she wanted to try my sidearm, a Springfield XD 9mm 4". I coached her on stance, grip, breath control, aiming, loading, safety rules, etc. She struggled with loading, since she had never done so before on an autoloader, and had trouble with the slide too. But she kept trying. Finally she got the weapon ready to fire. Then she opened fire. At 20' she was putting them within the outer circle within the first mag. By the end of our session, she was getting them within the 9 ring. Although she was in obvious pain, she would not stop until she felt confident in her ability.
That night, she went into the range to qualify with the XD, leaving me to watch from the other side of the glass. The instructor was amazed at her progress. Again, though in a great deal of pain, she never complained and blew through her qualification without any problems.
After YEARS of trying to get her to go to the range with me, the first thing she said when she came out (with a HUGE proud grin on her face) was "That was AWESOME! When are you going to take me to the range again?"
She has also taken over my XD, and won't give it back until I get another one.
I can not be more proud.
