Defensive Carry banner

Do you ever wonder,

3K views 48 replies 31 participants last post by  Thumper 
#1 ·
about yourself, and/or how others percieve you.
I know I am quite different from most other women my age, and sometimes I think they think I'm out of my mind.
There was a discussion on another gun forum I belong to about introducing women to guns and shooting. The majority or the conversation was pretty much about things like fear of guns in general, fear of recoil, getting dirty, loud sounds, crying, and on it went. It all seemed so foreign to me that I posted my story
" Oh dear, I think there is something wrong with me.
I remember my first time shooting, 1972 at the ripe old age of 12 at Bald Mountain range in Lapeer. Dad started me off with a .22 single shot rifle, fun but boring at the same time. I eyed Mom's .22 Browning Nomad, and decided that looked like a lot more fun. Dad agreed to let me try it, and after 50 rounds I still wanted more bigger fun. There was Dad with the pretty shiny nickel plated Model 36 snubbie, ooh I wanna play with that, it's loud and looks like more fun. I begged, nope, to much recoil, he says, I pouted, too bad he said. Then I got smart and told him I thought I could shoot it better than him., That worked(men can't resist a challenge), he said OK smart-azz show me, and I did. I immediately imformed him that I would be the next owner of that gun, took 37 years but it's mine now.
Fast forward to my early 20's, and a boyfriend who loved hunting. I start with the let's get a handgun thing, and he agrees. now bear in mind I'm dating Mr. Macho so he gets a Ruger Super Redhawk .44 Magnum, has it Magnaported and puts a scope on it(remember, he is a hunter). We head over to the range and he loads up his prize, fires it and proceeds to split his forehead open. A quick bandage job and he's ready to go again, crack, right next to the first cut. He decided to let his Dad give it a try, not bad, Dad actually hits the target and doesn't hurt himself. Meanwhile I have been chomping at the bit to try this puppy, and finally my turn comes, 6 shots in a 2" group at 30 yards, and more, and more until all the ammo is gone.
Fast forward again to the mid fourties, married (to a great guy) with a 12 year old, OK she's smart enough and mature enough to have a gun in the home, I'm going to buy hubby his first handgun for Christmas(200. Shopping we go and we find a very gently used Ruger GP-100 with a 6" barrel, priced right and Merry Christmas Honey. He handles it well, I handle it better. Fun always leads to more fun and of course CPL's. That Ruger is a beauty but not so good for carry. Neither is the Ruger MK III that I picked up knowing it would a good starter for the daughter. OK carry guns, we rent a Kimber and fall in love, twins come home with us. Dad remembers I told him I would be the 2nd owner of that Model 36 and finally decides to sell. But still I lust after a .357 of my own, and pick up the 686+ snubbie. Hubby falls for the Stag Arms 2T AR-15, and one day at the fun shop I spot my dream gun, and hey, my birthday is coming up in a week. I drool, I loose control of my leg muscles and must, simply must have that sexy Model 29, blue, 4 inch barrel, and oh my what a sheer joy to shoot.
I am SICK, and happier than a pig in you-know-what.
Nope, I don't want any help:smile:"
Am I the only one like this? I've always been interested in the "masculine" hobbies, fishing, cars, racing, and the like, and shooting was just one more thing that can naturally to me. Sometimes I feel like the only woman in the world that enjoys the things I do, and feel detatched from other ladies, and in the next moment I stop worrying about it, and feel confident and secure and I don't concern myself with it.
What do others here(male and female) think about women with similar views and interests?
 
See less See more
#3 ·
LOL, no and that may very well be part of the reason I am the way I am. I am an "only" and Mom was just as interested in the same hobbies.
Can I blame my upbringing?
 
#4 ·
Great post, thanks for sharing your story. You are not alone. Several women in my family have broad interests. I have an 18 year old daughter who shoots trap & skeet in 4H and surprises the "guys" at the range when she is able to shoot the big rifles and pistols, often better than them. My wife played basketball for many years, often against guys in a church league (who would "play nice" with her - which she would take advantage of - until they found she could play.) She has been a little slower to come around on guns and shooting, but today she and my soon to be 21 year old daughter are taking a CHL class.

My philosophy as a Father is to allow them the space to develop the God given gifts and interests they have. Not all do the same things, nor do we pressure them to do so. If you have more than one child you realize they are distinctly different in many ways. I personally am blessed by the fact that the women in my life are able to do the "sportsman" activities and still be feminine.
 
#5 ·
I think that one-dimensional people (male or female) are BORING! Give me a good book and a couple of hours of peace & quiet or a loud hockey game, an interesting new recipe in the kitchen or a long day in the woods. I'm happy with it all.

If some one is only happy with their comfort zone and refuse to move beyond, then I'm not really interested in them. They may be good people, but just not interesting to me.

I am sure that you are not JUST interested in shooting sports. There is more to you than that. The fact that you like "guy stuff" doesn't change that. It's just one more thing that makes you interesting to your family and friends.

A lot of the women I date, I date only once. That is simply because they can't move beyond the clothes and drama subjects. No depth. (I should say that I know more than a few guys that can't get beyond the cars and hunting subjects either. Again no depth.) I am still looking for the one who can cook like Emeril, think like Plato and shoot like........Rugergirl!:image035:
 
#7 ·
Nope, you're not the only one.

I started shooting when I was five and never turned back.

I weld, woodwork, played "army" with my brother, worked out with him and went swimming with him and his EOD team mates (and kept up) when I lived with them in college. I also sat around drinking beer, smoking cigars and cleaning guns with him and his buddies at the end of our marathon range trips where I usually beat everyone else on his team.

I love gun and knife shows and grew up slinging cow crap, feed, hay and other nasties on the farm so getting dirty doesn't frighten me.

My husband says I'm definitely not normal in my desire to kill an animal and eat it. The hunter/gatherer in me is coming out.

I know how to clean up but "guy" stuff doesn't bother me in the least. I'm not under any illusions. There are things that guys can do that I can't do, but I'm not afraid to at least try.

We plan on putting our son into mixed martial arts when he gets old enough and I plan on being right there beside him. It's something I've always wanted to do so why not do it with him.

I also want to take an edged weapons class and an evasive driving class, not to mention a few good shotgun and rifle classes. My husband and I have been planning a team-based tactical class for a while that requires lots of rolling around in the dirt. I am really looking forward to it.

If I were a man I think I would go join the Marines and ask to deploy.

Take heart in the fact that you are not alone. You're just rare.
 
#9 ·
What a great example.....I have 4 daughters and the one who I thought would take to shooting and hunting and everything that I enjoy decided one day that shes just not interested....My 13 yr old the one who is the girly girl the one I wrote off in being interested..all of a sudden took interest and now she loves to shoot and will also be trying to take her first deer this year....You never can tell....Great story.....I think I will let my daughters read this..Thank You...
 
#10 ·
from Mary via sigp250

No,

You not alone out there! I love to shoot also. Have done so for for several years but just resumed in past coupe years. Why, because of the need for self defense.

Yes most other women think It is nuts but I enjoy skill required and think nothing is wrong with it. I'm glad to see more women at the ranges!!!! We need to protect ourselves and I see it as a sport also! I have a concealed carry endorsement good in 35 states and proud of it! We have been in business for a year now as 01-FFL dealers. We are building quite a large website. So far, there are about 14.000 items. Once we get FFL terms and some other necessary programming completed, we will offer almost every hand gun and long gun including .50 cal Barret. If you want more information PM me.

Mary
 
#11 ·
Definitely not alone. My 25 year old cousin started getting interested in fishing and guns in her late teens or so. She fishes a lot more than I get to. I would like to find a woman with multiple interests as well. Shame that Rugergirl doesn't have several sisters.
 
#14 ·
Ooops sorry about the confusion, it's my Galloping Gunorrhea coming out:redface:
Thanks you to the others who have posted, I don't feel quite as odd. Maybe that's due to just getting back from the range(always makes me feel good), but knowing there are others like me is great.
Roadrunner you nailed what I was thinking but lacked the words, when you described a few dates. I stumble for words when the conversation turns to clothes and make-up, and make-up and clothes. Most of the girls in our social group don't talk about much else. I like to have my brain stimulated, lets talk about more than appearance and TV stars. Give me some brain food, whether it's cooking, politics, firearms, camshaft theory, off road suspensions, or even home decorating. Maybe it's the one dimensional folks that I don't understand.
I'm sure glad I found this site and the great folks here:yup:
 
#15 ·
Your not that odd in my family. My older sister for years has been drooling over our dads .357mag. He finally sold it to her, and Im pretty sure she carries it now.
My younger sister though she perfers the smaller stuff, she wasnt blessed with the ultrastrength bones of the family quite the opposite really, and she's cursed with no pain feeling what so ever so she takes it easy. Dad raised us all with guns taught us all how to shoot, heck my older sister always ticketed off the other guys in her Army unit by out shooting everyone.
 
#16 ·
What do others here(male and female) think about women with similar views and interests?
I was at the thanksgiving table a couple of years ago, bemoaning the fact that I didn't have any sons to take shooting. My 15 year old daughter said: "You can take me!".

Up until that point, the thought never crossed my mind. Not that I thought that girls shouldn't shoot or anything like that, but I never thought of my daughter as wanting to shoot.

We went to the range, I started her out with the 10/22, gave her a try on the Jennings J-22 "girly gun", moved her up to the S&W .357 revolver loaded with light .38 handloads, then gave her a try with the Ruger LCP.

The only one she really didn't like shooting was the LCP.

We were shooting down 12" steel plates at 10 yards, and she was hitting 4 out of 6 shooting single action (couldn't hit any double action) with the revolver.

When she goes up to college I'm going to buy her her own rifle. Her college has a shooting team, they hunt and have a special room in the basement for slaughtering their catch. :)
 
#18 ·
I never leave the house unarmed....and I also never leave without makeup. ;) You're not alone, I have bought 7 guns in less than a year, I have a CHP and my hubby does not (yet). I grew up in the Peoples Republic of NY and my parent's are not anti's but they are gun people either. So I was an adult with kids when my husband bought a gun and I finally shot one. I do sometimes think my friends think I'm nuts too but that's never been something that concerned me. ;) I like clothes, make up, purses, etc, but I will just as easily not buy clothes to spend money on more ammo.
 
#19 ·
I also dont think you are alone.

Not only that, I've developed almost all my interests on my own, my family was into very few of them. (Except we camped and I do owe them my love of the outdoors).

But I've always longed for, felt I belonged in the West....& was born and raised in NJ. My entire family (all one side) is all Wall St....I became a park ranger (my first career).


So I took up skiing, scuba, fishing hiking, horses, and now guns, all on my own. When I was with my ex, all he & I shared were the fishing and hiking....everything else I had to seek out on my own.

Dont know what drove me/drives me, except certainly a love of the outdoors and a desire for a rural, Western lifestyle. And I've got it, God Bless.

It's not very common, but I think I do share alot of these things with my local women friends and their families. It's not that strange.
 
#20 ·
You are not alone!

I was always interested in fishing and the 'guy' stuff. I was never afraid of guns but I was taught to respect them. I don't need help with the recoil and I certainly never cried at the range.

But that doesn't mean I wasn't feminine, I hated wearing pants growing up and God help me if I didn't want to fish on a muddy river bank wearing a puffy dress and jewels when I was young.

My brother didnt' like his GI Joes so I would take off the fatigues from the dolls and take their plastic M16 and I would put the fatigues on Barbie and give her the gun and sent Barbie to war. One of my favorite scenarios was Barbie and friends were at a ball and then an atom bomb fell and she had to deploy elsewhere.

I grew up reading Tom Clancy more than romance novels and while the popular girls were only interested in volleyball I'd rather do martial arts or rockclimbing. But I still love my heels and my frilly dresses (and my combat boots). Mom asked me what I wanted to do for my senior pictures and I told her I wanted to pose with my prom dress, combat boots and my rifle. We just couldn't find a photographer who seemed into that idea.

Maybe it's just me, but I think part of the barrier of getting women interested in guns is that it's portrayed as a masculine activity. Guns are gender-neutral, IMO. And putting out pink guns isn't going to suddenly make it more applicable to women.
 
#21 ·
I'm sure you're not alone! But I'm quite the opposite of you. I'm a girly girl. Zero interest in most traditionally male interests. No sports, no hunting, no fishing, no off-roading, no, no, no. And up until recently, no interest in guns either.

xSerenityx, I do think guns are a more masculine endeavor. So is football. So is hunting. etc. Doesn't mean women can't enjoy those things, but they more typically appeal to males.

From the time kids are little, boys tend towards trucks and girls towards dolls. I don't think pink trucks or GI Joes would make that much difference.

I never wanted to play cops and robbers. I wanted to play house or animals or school.

That said, we are animals with higher reasoning capabilities and therefore, we are free to make choices that are not defined by our gender.
 
#22 ·
Rugergirl, you're not alone.:wave:

I love guns and I love shooting.

I've always enjoyed outdoor activities. Why would anybody want to stay inside?

As far back as I can remember, I've always found boys to be a whole lot more fun to hang out with than girls. A room full of women makes me nervous as hell. I'd choose a good poker game over a tupperware party any day.
 
#24 ·
Yes we do Thumper!:yup:
I'm glad to see so many of them respond here.
I have always been the type whose appearance fools people. I look pretty "girly" , curvy, long hair, feminine looking but oustide of sewing and embroidery(my business) I just enjoy the "masculine" interests and find that I've always been able to carry on a conversation with the guys, much more so than the girls. Finding so many others here is just great, I feel like I belong.
Mom always told me never to let my gender get in the way of anything I wanted to do. I took that to heart and my first job out of high school was building racing engines in a speed shop. Weekends found me at the drag strip hanging out with the guys, having some entertaining conversations, and pocketing a few $'s as well.:image035:
 
#25 ·
Do you ever wonder,
about yourself, and/or how others perceive you?
Well, now that you mention it....not really. What would that gain me in life? Oh....I'm most sure it's different for women all together, but age? What's that got to do with anything really? Again..how others perceive you......how important is that really? I guess we can ask ourselves that question man or woman can't we? Where do we put our faith? In ourselves or others? If you actually wonder how others see you, then you have questions within yourself that need to be answered first in my opinion, before you go stressing about how someone else might either accept you as is, or whether you'll need to put up a front for them in order to be social.
I know I am quite different from most other women my age, and sometimes I think they think I'm out of my mind.
You know for sure you're different from most..........? Seriously? You know there are a lot of them in the closet with the same closed minded thinking you portray here right? Some are not willing to speak out in a 'man's world' of shooting, hunting, etc......... Blood, guts, and gore.
Most men? They are pretty apprehensive about women that might be better men than they are. When it comes to anything more or less. I'm not swinging from the tree or calling out my mate....I already have my only true love. And just a tip to trip your trigger.....I think she's just like you. She has been into firearms from an early age. Semi suppressed for years by circumstances, and I have unearthed a monster! I never thought possible. Got her hooked so bad, she got her permit she's wanted for a while because of my insistence. Got her hooked on the steel challenge matches put on by the club. Got her picking up and sorting brass in her spare time (with me). She got her sister hooked on the matches as well, and we all go together now as a routine. My wife loves my previous EDC G19 for competition, and I've personalized it for her to make things better. Just ask her how things have been going, and what has happened in the past six months. I've told her that I'm ready for her to out-gun me at anything. She's a ******* shot with anything I have, and I've seen more smiles in the past six months than I've ever seen on TV outta her. She expresses the joy so well. Firearms were in her up-bringing, and I've brought everything back. That's why she's my soul mate. I'm actually looking forward to her kicking my butt on the record.
Am I the only one like this? I've always been interested in the "masculine" hobbies, fishing, cars, racing, and the like, and shooting was just one more thing that can naturally to me. Sometimes I feel like the only woman in the world that enjoys the things I do, and feel detatched from other ladies, and in the next moment I stop worrying about it, and feel confident and secure and I don't concern myself with it.
What do others here(male and female) think about women with similar views and interests?
Well, you can quit feeling like 'that woman' detached from other ladies. Most of them just don't come out without a bit of support, or do it alone without a worthless man involved.
All in all, you made a good post. But in my opinion, if you think you're something special or out of the norm........please think again. Whoever got the notion of "masculine hobbies" into your head as a women off-limits sort of deal obviously had problems and more than likely still does and it will never change. In my opinion...you have certain rights to feel special and one of a kind. That's why I feel a bit apprehensive about bursting your bubble. But I think it needs to be done.
I don't know if I can elicit a reply to this thread from my better half, but I'll pass it on for sure. She's into everything "masculine", and even some of the masculine things I haven't done yet. I love her for everything and the way she is. It's just we are so much alike, and our support so deep, that I don't think anything becomes an issue of male vs female in this house. Why should it? Some of you folks out there aren't living life the way it was intended. That makes me feel badly sometimes, but I don't think it's anything that can't be cured with a full cup of coffee. Tell you what.
 
#26 ·
Well, now that you mention it....not really. What would that gain me in life? Oh....I'm most sure it's different for women all together, but age? What's that got to do with anything really? Again..how others perceive you......how important is that really? I guess we can ask ourselves that question man or woman can't we? Where do we put our faith? In ourselves or others? If you actually wonder how others see you, then you have questions within yourself that need to be answered first in my opinion, before you go stressing about how someone else might either accept you as is, or whether you'll need to put up a front for them in order to be social.

You know for sure you're different from most..........? Seriously? You know there are a lot of them in the closet with the same closed minded thinking you portray here right? Some are not willing to speak out in a 'man's world' of shooting, hunting, etc......... Blood, guts, and gore.
Most men? They are pretty apprehensive about women that might be better men than they are. When it comes to anything more or less. I'm not swinging from the tree or calling out my mate....I already have my only true love. And just a tip to trip your trigger.....I think she's just like you. She has been into firearms from an early age. Semi suppressed for years by circumstances, and I have unearthed a monster! I never thought possible. Got her hooked so bad, she got her permit she's wanted for a while because of my insistence. Got her hooked on the steel challenge matches put on by the club. Got her picking up and sorting brass in her spare time (with me). She got her sister hooked on the matches as well, and we all go together now as a routine. My wife loves my previous EDC G19 for competition, and I've personalized it for her to make things better. Just ask her how things have been going, and what has happened in the past six months. I've told her that I'm ready for her to out-gun me at anything. She's a ******* shot with anything I have, and I've seen more smiles in the past six months than I've ever seen on TV outta her. She expresses the joy so well. Firearms were in her up-bringing, and I've brought everything back. That's why she's my soul mate. I'm actually looking forward to her kicking my butt on the record.

Well, you can quit feeling like 'that woman' detached from other ladies. Most of them just don't come out without a bit of support, or do it alone without a worthless man involved.
All in all, you made a good post. But in my opinion, if you think you're something special or out of the norm........please think again. Whoever got the notion of "masculine hobbies" into your head as a women off-limits sort of deal obviously had problems and more than likely still does and it will never change. In my opinion...you have certain rights to feel special and one of a kind. That's why I feel a bit apprehensive about bursting your bubble. But I think it needs to be done.
I don't know if I can elicit a reply to this thread from my better half, but I'll pass it on for sure. She's into everything "masculine", and even some of the masculine things I haven't done yet. I love her for everything and the way she is. It's just we are so much alike, and our support so deep, that I don't think anything becomes an issue of male vs female in this house. Why should it? Some of you folks out there aren't living life the way it was intended. That makes me feel badly sometimes, but I don't think it's anything that can't be cured with a full cup of coffee. Tell you what.
I have a question for you RamRod:

Why did it take a man to bring out your wife's interest in guns?
 
#27 ·
Things I'm still waiting to hear:

"Does this gun make me look fat?"
"Are you carrying, dear, or should I?"
"I hope you don't mind, but all their ammo was on sale."
"The next time you buy a gun, it better be for me, too."

I want to go to one of Patti's combat tupperware parties.
 
#37 ·
RG,
I'm an only too, but I'm a city girl that really really enjoys the comforts of modern day conveniences. I like my fish fresh, on ice and already filet'd. I like my cars new and under warranty and I only tolerate the outdoors if its not 80 degrees.

I love the homemaker type stuff like cooking and sewing, but I also do my own electrical work, lawn work and minor home improvements like painting, replacing vanity sinks, faucets and plumbing.

I'm new to shooting but I can already see that I'm getting addicted.
 
#39 ·
Great Post RG
I have a belief or understanding: That the ability to control a projection of force is a powerful thing. Another way to say it is, shooting just plain feels good. To know you have the power to NOT be a unwilling victim to someones evil desires is comforting. Male or female makes no difference, when the switch is turned on and the power is understood deep in the soul, you have control of your life. The more you control the projection of force the better you feel, and seeking like minded people to share with is a natural outcome, all else tends to be lite or of little value. YOU HAVE BECOME A GUN NUT!!!!!!!!!
BLESS ALL OF GUN NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top