By Natalie Mulhall , BelRockCityGirl Blogger

Last week, I picked up my first 9mm handgun.

I was lucky to find exactly what I was looking for, and right now, with all of the hullabaloo going on about the assault weapons ban, this is not an easy task.

Gun shops all across America have recently had record sales of guns. This means their inventory weapons, is really low. I have noticed that the three shops I frequent, have a severely diminished supply of guns across all platforms. Shotguns, rifles and handguns are not sitting long on the shelves of firearms dealers. Legal, law abiding, people everywhere are snatching up these weapons, even at inflated prices.

Ammo? Same situation. I have been keeping an eye out at all the local shops and some of the bigger box type stores, and the story is the same. You can get your hands on .22 ammo fairly easy, but, .380, .38, 9mm, .40, .45, .223, 7x whatever…your lucky to find more than a box sitting on a shelf anywhere.

I picked up my new Kahr cw9 last Tuesday and hit the range on Friday. I had read excellent reviews of the gun, but guns are very personal. Something that one person loves may not be a gun that another loves. Fortunately, for me, after taking my 9mm to the range, I found that I indeed, love that gun.

After my warm up with the .22, I am excited, and a little nervous about shooting the 9mm. What if I totally suck? What if that bigger caliber is really challenging for me? What if my shots are all over the place? Ok girl, bite the bullet, and get to shooting that new, nifty pistol!

I load up the 7 bullets into the mag, a difficult feat in itself, that spring is really tight, tap it, rack it, and take aim. That first trigger pull was soooo long. I know I was anticipating that “bang” and recoil, and my target proved as much. No hole. I completely missed the freakin’ target on that first shot! What in the Sam Hill? It took me firing off the remainder of those six shots to accustom myself to the long double action trigger pull and the recoil. Those six shots did hit the target and I felt slightly redeemed.

Now that I know I can hit the target at 30 feet, I continue to load mag after mag and fire away. The trigger feels more comfortable after each shot, and the recoil seems to nearly disappear. I gain confidence with each and every shot.

This gun has a couple features which are new to me, like the fact that when you unload your magazine and the slide locks open, the slide will automatically close and rack a bullet into the chamber when you tap in the next loaded magazine. Me likey. The other new to me feature is the lack of a manual safety. That had me nervous, just a little bit. After I thought about it for a moment though, I decided it wasn’t a big deal, seeing as though I rarely use the safety on my Beretta. All in all I think I got a great BANG for my buck! I could not be happier with my new Kahr 9mm.

After I put about 80 rounds through the cw9, cleaned up my casings and packed up all my stuff, it was time to find a companion for my new friend. I went into the shop, and with some assistance, found a nice leather holster. Now, I know that we cannot legally carry here in Illinois, but soon enough I will be legal to conceal carry in a myriad of other gun friendly states thanks to the Utah conceal carry class that I took on Gun Appreciation Day! That is not my only reason for a holster though.

As you may know, I have five sons in the house. They range in ages from 8 – 16. Safety has to be on my mind at all times. Yes, I could put the gun in a lock box, and pray that if I were to need it I could get to that gun in time. Our house is three full stories, and if something were to go down, and I were up in our room for some reason, what good does that gun do me if it is locked in a box two stories below me? Sure I could take that lock box with me when I go to the bathroom, or go to the second floor to change the laundry, or even up to my room on the third floor when I need to do something up there, but how practical is that? Not very.

This is where the holster comes in. When I am at home, on my property, I AM PACKING; I have that baby strapped to me at all times! That is the absolute safest place I can imagine. There is no way any of my kids can get their hands on that gun without my knowledge. Better yet, it is right there at my side, ready to defend my family at any time.

Returning home with blasted targets, a holster, a lot less ammo and a new found love for my 9mm, I had one last exploration to accomplish. DCOA. Disassemble, clean, oil and assemble. This can be a make it or break it when it comes to the love meter of a new gun.

Taking apart this weapon was a piece of cake! Getting the slide off my Beretta is a pain in the ass. This gun? Easy! Not one broken nail! Recoil springs and the recoil guide rod were easily removed from under the pressure of the barrel lug, and the barrel slides out easily. Clean. Oil. Assemble. Putting this gun back together was just as satisfying. DCOA complete, I reloaded the magazine, tapped it in place and holstered it at my hip. Even more satisfying.

This is my gun. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

That is the slightly edited (replace gun with rifle) first line of the Rifleman’s Creed from the Marine Corps doctrine. Many of you are familiar with that creed, perhaps from the movie Full Metal Jacket. Many of you also agree with that statement, as I do. My gun is MINE, and NO ONE should handle it without my express permission.

I am quickly becoming very fond of my new weapon. I assume, as time passes I will become even more enamored with its quiet confidence and the safety it brings me. Praying I will NEVER have to draw that weapon, it does give me peace of mind knowing it is there for the protection of me and mine.