teaching a freaked out, non-shooter

[Blackhawk]

move "7. Dry fire" to before "5. taking her to an outdoor range ...."

Get some snap caps, and let her dry fire. Tease her into saying "Bang" every time she pulls the trigger.

Don't take her to a range until she's VERY comfortable with the gun and dry firing and begs you to take her to one. Ranges are noisy and very stressful for those who don't really want to be there. Another factor women actually find important, VERY important, is the lack of acceptable restrooms.

A first range experience for most women is traumatic irrespective of how they feel about guns. Taking a woman who has a severe fear of guns to a range could form an association that she'll never get over. Besides, your odds of encountering "helpful" range commandos are pretty high, and they'll be the opposite of helpful if she doesn't really want to be there.

 

[Sven]

I always clear my weapons before handling them, and I make a habit of explaining to people what I am doing and how to verify status themselves.

Namely, I remove the magazine, rack the slide back and lock it, then inspect the mag channel and the chamber (using my finger). I verbally explain each step I am taking as I do this, and then have the newbie perform the same operation themselves.

When they hand the gun back to me, I do the same thing again. If I ever see them take the gun without checking the status, I repeat the process and have them do it themselves.

Then we start dry firing.

Then we shoot a single round of .22LR.

Then two rounds, but I have them load the magazine themselves.

I try not to 'go off' on the finer points of marksmanship (ie, breath control) if the user isn't ready for it - but I do RELIGIOUSLY watch their hands while firing. I've even seen guys who shot in the Army decades back regrip and put their thumb behind the slide.

I also religiously watch their trigger finger and make sure they only put it inside the trigger guard when on target.

If they violate one of these safety rules, I say "stop" and carefully take the weapon from them, explain what happened, and start over.

Good luck with your mom.

-sven

 

[Waitone]

I'd suggest going two directions.

First, provide your Mom a gun-in-the-box. That is a gun which was disassembled (properly field stripped for cleaning, not a detailed cleaning). Silly as it sounds, a gun-in-the-box demonstrates the reality of a gun being a piece of machinery. It has no heart, no mind, no soul, no free will. In short, a gun is simply a hunk of expensive steel. I second the suggestion of using a .22LR as a starter. Better yet, make the .22LR your gun-in-a-box. You can then pick up the pieces and let her handle them.

Second direction is to give her the safety lecture. One hour initially covering ALL the basics including the 4 rules, over do the ear protection, ballistic grade eye protection, high collar blouse for women, ball cap, and close toe shoes. While doing the 4 rule routine let her use the gun-in-the-box. Make sure you cover trigger takeup be it a revolver or a pistol. Spend time describing mechanical safeties and how they overlay the 4 basic safety rules.

Then, step out of the way by enrolling her in an NRA basics course. By that time she will have determined a gun is not a living being (gun-in-the-box), she's been exposed to all the safety equipment, the basics of handling (trigger takeup instruction and mechanical safeties), now she will be in a class of people in just her position. . . . interested but ignorant.

When she's through with the NRA basics class she now has a similar language through which you two can communicate, she met new people whose common interest is guns, and she just learned the NRA is not a satanic organization.

Good luck, keep us posted.

Hey WyldOne! Have you joined the NRA yet??????