Took wifey to the range!

[bigslim]

Oh Yeah!

We finally had a chance to get out the range today. This was her first time out so we took it nice and easy with my M&P 22 to start. Once she figured out how to translate my poor explanation of sight alignment and sight picture into practical application it was on like popcorn.

We rented a P30 LEM, P-07 Duty, G-17, G19, P226 and I brought along my M&P 40. She prefers the G-19 over the G-17, doesn't make sense to me but I guess it doesn't have to. I was hoping she was gonna fall in love with the LEM or DA/SA guns but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. She couldn't pull through any of DA triggers and even had issues with the LEM. The take up on the P30 wasn't the issue, she just didn't have enough strength or leverage or what ever it took to break the shot.

The Sig was especially painful for me to watch her try to shoot. The first thing I did when we got to the range was head over to the used gun counter. In it I found a MK25 with 3 mags for $850. It took all I had not to buy it straight away but seeing as it was Sweet Pee's special day I decided to go shoot first. When she was finished wrestling with the P226 she looked at me and said "this isn't the same gun you were thinking about buying is it?"

When it was all said and done I asked my bride what she though of our little adventure. She said the if she had to chose a gun today it would either be the M&P or the G-19. She also wanted to know when we were going shooting again.

Mike

[Al T.]

She also wanted to know when we were going shooting again.

Hardware issues aside, that's a homerun hit right there.

[RoyGBiv]

She couldn't pull through any of DA triggers and even had issues with the LEM. The take up on the P30 wasn't the issue, she just didn't have enough strength or leverage or what ever it took to break the shot.

Next time you get a chance to shoot one of those, unload the gun (of course show her that you're doing this) and then have her try it.
Sometimes anticipation translates into incapacitation.

If she really does have a hand strength deficit, pick up some grip strength exercise tools from your local sporting goods store or online.

Sounds like she's found some enthusiasm for it, but don't push too hard if she says "no honey, but you go ahead", next time. If she always feels welcome to come along and does so occasionally it's a win. If she becomes a regular, well, you should marry her.

[GardoneVT]

Next time you get a chance to shoot one of those, unload the gun (of course show her that you're doing this) and then have her try it.
Sometimes anticipation translates into incapacitation.

If she really does have a hand strength deficit, pick up some grip strength exercise tools from your local sporting goods store or online.

Sounds like she's found some enthusiasm for it, but don't push too hard if she says "no honey, but you go ahead", next time. If she always feels welcome to come along and does so occasionally it's a win. If she becomes a regular, well, you should marry her.

Ive observed the same thing when I took a friends wife to the range. I brought out my 92FS not realizing the size issue until she struggled to handle the weapon safely.

The first time she pulled the slide she did it from the front. Not wanting her to blast a hole in her hand, I motioned that she should hold it from the back-at which point the muzzle was out of control as she grabbed it from the back. The only way she could manipulate the weapon given her small hands was to grab it from the front.

Sure enough, her hand was maybe 1/2 the size of my own. Small hands and big guns just don't mix, a point reinforced when I handed her an M&P with the small backstrap and she immediately went "that's more like it".

[MDS]

Yep, same here on all counts. My wife likes shooting but she's been turned off by how hard it is to rack, reach the trigger, even load magazines, on normal guns. Luckily, she's been well-enough indoctrinated that she's not tempted to go with a 380 or something unless we truly run out of options. We've been working through issues little by little, hopefully we'll reach an inflection point soon where she's comfortable enough that she shoots more, making more rapid progress, and it's off to the races.

[bigslim]

Hardware issues aside, that's a homerun hit right there.

She is getting ready to go for a massage and asked me what I was going to do. I told her I was taking the kids to the range. She replies "could you wait until I got back?" You know I can!

Roy- I think I had her try and dry fire the P-07 but that is a great idea. In hind sight I should have demonstrated the different action types that way from the beginning.
You better believe I married her, quick too, before she had a chance to realize what happened.

It took us a bit to find a technique that worked for her to lock the slide open but once there she had little to no problems with getting the slide to sling shot forward. The combination of heavy recoil spring and the small slide size of the CZ conspired against her and she just couldn't manage it at all.

Mike

[David S.]

Keep an eye out for the light LEM too if she otherwise likes the HK options.

[Al T.]

www.corneredcat.com is a fantastic resource.

[bigslim]

www.corneredcat.com is a fantastic resource.

I have steered her to Kathy's sight in the past, how much she read I'm not sure. Either way it is a great resource and I will remind her that it's there.

Took the entire family to the range today! It was my daughters first outing and she dropped a 3" steel plate at 25 yards with a M&P 15/22 on her first shot. Needless to say I was grinning ear to ear. I picked up a G19 this afternoon and took it out with the 22's. My boy LOVES the glock and the wife is starting to realize what glock knuckle is. Maybe I should get the trigger guard undercut and stipple the frame. Everybody had a great time, to bad spring break is coming to a close.

Mike

[JAD]

Ms. Jackson also has an excellent book. Recommended for people of any gender who will be around guns; my second recommendation after Principles of Personal Defense.