The carrying of a deadly weapon and the ability to have within your hand the wherewithal to remove a person from the planet is a sobering cup of Joe. I know you’re thinking, “Why, thank you Captain Obvious. I wouldn’t have seen that if you hadn’t pointed it out to me.”
Because the topic of sending a felonious wanker to an early grave is indeed grave, you need to sit down with your daughter and ask her this question: Would you shoot to kill a person if they were going to do you or others physical harm? Because, duh, that’s the whole point of carrying a gun. She should have the attitude that, “I dont want to use it but should I have to I’m mentally prep’ed.”
So, first things first, father: If your girl is going to carry a weapon or have one in her house, then she had better have performed the proper mental gymnastics necessary for her to move into Dirty Harry mode if things should go to hell in her presence. There’s no time for contemplation in such a situation. When the crap hits the fan, it happens fast. Is she ready?
If your daughter cannot see herself actually using the weapon she is carrying then she has no business having a piece on her person. Yep, she had better stick with knowing martial arts or sporting a Taser or having Cujo go on the defense for her against the obstreperous because the prerequisite mindset for the serious gun owner is: I have no problem using it if a felon forces my hand.
For those girls who have made the leap into the “I’ll turn him into worm food and not bat a false eyelash” mode, let’s talk about guns. This is one of my favorite topics: discussing with good folks the proper personal weaponry to sport so that they radically decrease the likelihood that they will ever be victimized by a dumb dude trying to hurt them.
Dad, before you get your girl a gun, take her to a gun store or a gun range where they have several calibers, makes and models to choose from and have her try all the ones that are made for self defense.
Start her on the small end of the caliber spectrum okay, Rad Magnum? It won’t help things if she’s christened with a .500 S&W, .454 Casull or a .50-cal Desert Eagle. She’ll develop a flinch worse than the one I have everytime I see Pelosi. Personally, I’d start her with a little .22 and have her build up to the .38 and .40 calibers.
Let her run through the semi-autos and revolvers to see which one she digs the most. Remember, this is her gun, not yours, and the most important thing is her having a pistol that she is extremely comfortable shooting.
As most of you guys know, figuring out what a woman wants is more difficult than trying to get Donald Trump to watch Rosie O’Donnell River Dance naked. Having a-one-size-fits all approach to arming your ladies is not wise. Let them report. Let them decide.
Once the caliber, model and action are decided upon now it is time to shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot. For attack scenarios it’s not necessary with a handgun for them to practice shooting targets at 1,000 meters. My law enforcement buddies say that in serious altercations the victim needs to be able to deftly deliver three shots in three seconds at three feet.
Therefore, go to work at close range and with rapid fire. If, God forbid, your baby gets into deep weeds, you want her to do the job properly; e.g.- triple tap the center mass of the murderous/ raping jackass. At least double tap it. Two or three shots in the center of the chest should officially end the happy day of your kid’s enemy. Work with her ‘til she’s proficient in firing with both speed and accuracy. Help her to keep her shots tight, fast and not all over the map. Get several human silhouette targets and have her shoot for the center of the chest and keep her shots within the heart/lung area. To be effective in defense scenarios her gun skills must become second nature, and this comes only through practice, practice and practice.
Once she has attained confidence and crazy capability, go with her back to the gun range/store and have her get a concealed weapons permit. With this she will be able to defend herself with deadly force almost everywhere she goes outside of her house.
Editor’s Note: Our good friend Doug is the author of Raising Righteous & Rowdy Girls. Follow him on Twitter @Doug_Giles and on Facebook. You can see and hear Doug’s video blog and talk show at ClashRadio.com.