How to get your gal to let you buy another gun
By MARJ LAW
“I need another 9mm handgun,” says Joe a few months after we meet.
“Another?” I ask. “You have more guns than any one person needs. No. We don’t need another one in the gun safe. No.”
How does a guy expand his collection when his significant other wants nothing to do with it?
Guns were surely not my interest. When it comes to interest, I for one, have in mind we would like to go antiquing, cook for friends, and try out some of those continuing education classes.
I asked ‘way back then: “What do you enjoy in your spare time?”
Well, Joe likes hunting, target practicing and fishing.
Our interests are certainly not the same. How do we blend them?
Joe has figured the answer to this one.
He disparages my ancient Saturday Night Special that had given me a false sense of security when I lived alone.
“Let me give you a real gun!” he offers, and purchases a Ruger Mark III 22/45. We go to the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range.
You can’t miss the target with this long-barreled .22 Ruger. It’s a great beginner gun. There’s hardly any recoil, a light trigger pull, and a long barrel that helps to ensure accuracy. In short, even a rank beginner can shoot holes in the target and look great doing so. The Browning Buckmark and the Smith & Wesson Victory are also wonderful .22s that’ll make beginners look good.
Hitting the target is fun. I have instant success with that .22. I meet other women and men who enjoy hitting the targets, too. With .22s, we learn rules of the range, proper grip, not to flinch, and to make a good stance, among other things.
Well, guys, this is how Joe hooked me into the sport. Instead of sitting at home doing crossword puzzles like my mother did, I get to be outdoors, meet new friends, and practice harder each week to make holes in the bull’s-eye. Yes, I’m hooked.
Now, some gals prefer to learn to shoot by someone other than their husbands. They may want a woman’s advice, or they may want to join a group. Over the last 15 years, Joe and I have assisted those new to shooting on Wednesday mornings at the WCSO range around 10. We practice with friends who also enjoy hitting the targets.
Anyway, let’s go back in time. I realize the .22 I’m learning on is too long to wear comfortably in a holster and too heavy to lug in a purse.
What to do?
Since new shooters are often told that while a .22 is a great target gun, it isn’t sufficiently powerful to use as a defensive weapon. Over the months, I’d made many holes in the bull’s-eyes with that .22. “It’s time to move on,” I think.
I’d like a gun to conceal in my purse, and that I can wear in a holster next to my body.
I really do need a .380. A person can have 2 handguns, right? One for target shooting and one for defense. The Smith & Wesson .380 EZ is a compact gun that can fit in a purse or holster. Other .380s are also compact. So, I’m rationalizing the need to have to have a .380.
Like the .22, the .380 EZ has light recoil and a grip that fits a small hand. Even with its shorter barrel, the .380 is nicely accurate.
Blam! Blam! Blam!
Hey, I’m getting rather good at this! Now I have a target gun and a defensive gun. Well, sort of a defensive gun. Some people, though, don’t consider the .380 much of a defensive handgun.
“You otta try a 9mm,” advises a male range friend. “If there ever comes a time when you need self-defense, you’ll want at least a 9mm handgun.”
“Isn’t my .380 good enough?” I wonder, but am starting to be interested.
“It’s OK.” However, he looks unconvinced. “But a 9 has more take-down power. If a bad guy is hopped up on drugs and decides to attack you, a 9mm handgun will be more likely to stop him from hurting you or your children.”
“Like which one?” I ask.
“The Sig Sauer 365 9mm is a good gun.” He looks down at my hands. “With your small hands,” he begins, “you’ll be able to get a good grip.”
He just so happens to own the Sig 365 and brings it to the range the following Wednesday for me to try out.
Like the .380, I find that this Sig 365 shoots very accurately. Cool. Recoil is firmer than the S&W .380, but it’s controllable. So, yes, I think I might need the 9mm handgun, and I like the way this one handles. Maybe I should have a handgun with more take-down power. Especially when Joe works out of town.
But having a third handgun? Aren’t two enough? I’m too parsimonious to purchase yet another handgun.
Joe is quite clever. At Christmas that year, I open a smallish rectangular box. Yes, it’s that Sig 365 I like so well.
And now I have three. Each has its own use.
The .22 is for target shooting and ego building because you just can’t miss the target with the Ruger Mark III. The .380 sits on my bedside table, in case Mr. Bad breaks down the door intending great harm. And finally, the 9mm Sig for personal protection. I have a way cool sticky holster for the Sig. With this holster, the Sig fits within the waistband of my pants or in my purse.
Three guns is a little over the top, but I’ve learned quite a lot about handguns. In fact, I’m a pretty good shooter. At the 7-yard targets, anyway.
It’s enough of a confidence boost to make me consider the competition at the WCSO range. Wouldn’t it be nice to try competing with a gun which has a long barrel like my .22, but also the strength of the 9mm? That would make a fine competition gun.
Somehow, a fourth handgun ends up in the gun safe. I need it. Right?
And this is the story of how Joe got me hooked in handguns. I’ve learned that different handguns suit different purposes, so we need more than 1 gun each.
Now Joe wants yet another 9mm? I sigh. I’ve learned the truth of: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
Over the years, we have merged our interests. Joe will go happily to look at antiques with me. He is ready and able to help cooking dinner for friends. We save a lot by eating venison from his hunting instead of using hamburger in lasagna and tacos. His teaching about handguns is now my continuing education class. We visit the WCSO range, assisting newbies and practicing with range friends.
If you want another gun in your house, learn from Joe. First, involve your significant other in shooting, making certain she/he gets a gun that is simple to shoot. After she becomes proficient with this one, it will simply follow that she’ll need another gun. And maybe another.
As you can see, this is Joe’s clever way of: 1) involving me in his favorite hobby, and 2) helping me understand the absolute necessity of owning yet another handgun.
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Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.