To Women Who Want To Purchase A Firearm – But Don’t Know Where To Start!
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If you are a woman that wants to purchase a firearm but do not know where to start, this blog post is for you!
It is about a friend of mine who had the same problem as you and what we did to overcome it!
My friend was applying for a pistol license in Westchester County, NY, and had to purchase a firearm before she could submit her pistol license application.
Unfortunately, in NYS, she could not try a firearm before buying it because she was not allowed to hold a pistol without a pistol license; so, she did not know which handgun to buy!
I suggested she go to a neighboring state (e.g., Connecticut and New Jersey) where she could rent and shoot firearms without a pistol license.
So, that is what we did!
We went to a range in Connecticut, where my friend, who does not have a pistol license, could shoot handguns. Furthermore, they had various guns for us to rent!
First, my friend needed “eyes and ears.” I suggested she wear ear plugs under her earmuffs.
Next, we went over the rules of gun safety, and the fundamentals, such as aiming, stance, grip, breathing, trigger control, follow-through, loading a magazine, inserting a magazine into the magazine well, locking the slide back and ejecting the magazine.
Then I hung up a white piece of paper as a target (about 3 yards away) and my friend practiced all the techniques she had learned without ammunition (also known as dry firing) until she felt ready to shoot a live round.
Although many new shooters start with a .22 caliber firearm, this shooting range did not have a Glock 44, and my friend knew she wanted to purchase a Glock, so she started with the Glock 19 Gen 4, which is a 9mm.
With close supervision, she took her first shot and… she loved it! She felt empowered and excited and was ready for more!
She shot the Glock 19 several more times. While she was glad it was the first gun she fired, she thought it was too large for her petite hands and she did not feel comfortable having to readjust her grip after every shot.
Then she tried the Glock 43, which is also a 9mm but has a smaller grip than the Glock 19. She enjoyed shooting the Glock 43 but thought it was better suited as a concealed carry gun because of its shorter barrel length and limited magazine capacity (6 rounds).
Next, we both tried the Sig Sauer P365. This grip seemed smaller than the Glock 43’s yet it held 10 rounds. I felt less recoil than with the Glock 43 and would enjoy having the Sig Sauer P365 for concealed carry. My friend’s opinion was that it was “too small and slippery.”
Then we tried the Glock 43X, which we both loved for its grip size and magazine capacity (10 rounds). The longer grip made it more enjoyable to hold and shoot than the Glock 43.
We wanted to try the Glock 48, but it was unavailable for us to rent. My friend was leaning towards purchasing the Glock 48 because it is similar in size to the Glock 43X but has a slightly longer barrel. Longer barrels are better for accuracy and distance, and target shooting!
It was a lot of fun to be there to support my friend on her firearm journey and help her build a solid foundation!
According to my friend “trying out the guns with you really affirmed for me what I knew... that I would love target shooting! You were so kind to spend the time educating me further and teaching me. Shooting the different guns was indeed fun, educational, and empowering. I told a friend today how this was one of the most empowering experiences of my adult life.”
*Update: My friend and I returned to the shooting range the following weekend and were able to rent the Glock 48. We both loved it! We felt a little less recoil than with the Glock 43X. Since then, my friend has purchased the Glock 48, and the FFL is holding onto it until her pistol license application is approved.
Once she has her pistol license, she will need a safe and shooting range gear!
I hope that sharing our experience will encourage you to:
Go to a range that allows you to rent and shoot guns.
Ask a knowledgeable friend to go with you or ask the range if they have an instructor you can hire to help you.
Try various firearms until you find the one that you like best! If you are unsure about which models to try, then you can try some of the models mentioned above.
Continue to educate yourself and learn more about firearms!
You may also be interested in reading the following blog posts:
If you know a woman who is interested in purchasing a firearm, then please share this blog post with her!
About the Author: Lori Corini is an attorney admitted to practice law in the state of New York, an NRA Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer, a NYS licensed armed guard, and Director of Safety and Security and a Board Member at her Church.