New to guns

[jwmama1]

Hi everyone. My husband is an gunowner who open carries, as well as conceal carries. For years he had been trying to get me to carry a gun, but to be honest, I thought he was a little extreme. I don't go anywhere unsafe. I didn't need a gun. December 14, 2009 my thinking changed. I was raped. It was at a place I felt perfectly safe at, a place I went everyday. I had no way to protect myself or to stop it from happening. That day I started rethinking the whole gun thing. I have been carrying a gun with me everywhere I go now for the past month, and for the first time since the rape I feel in control. I am not afraid anymore. I do however have a few questions: the first one is, I have a hard time with the slide of the gun to check it. Do you have any suggestions? My second question is today I was at the store getting groceries with my daughter and a women saw me with the gun and asked how I can have a child, esp. a girl, and dare to carry a gun around her. I was speechless. It was the first time anyone had commented on my gun and I didn't know how to handle it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle it in the future? My husband said that I should have said it is because I love my daughter that I carry. What do you think?

[Teluch82]

I'm sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident no one deserves to go thru anything like that. For your first ? If the gun is new the slide will be tight until you fire a couple hundred rounds thru it to help soften the spring a little. The other thing you can do is to practice pulling the slide back unloaded gun of course to help yourself built the strength to do so properly. As for your second ? I would simply tell anyone that it is my right as an American citizen to carry a firearm and it is because of that reason the me and my daughter will be safe. The other response you could give if you want to be mean is to say it's none of your business as to why I carry a firearm around my daughter that's my choice not yours. I commend you on your choice to carry a fire especially in these day and ages. Stay safe and always practice good gun safety

[JAJ]

I too am sorry for what you went through. As for the slide, practice the"push/pull" method. There are videos on youtube but basically (assuming you're right handed) push the gun forward with your right hand while at the same time pull the slide back with your left. With practice it becomes second nature.
As for the 2nd ? My answer is always the same, "because I believe & support the 2nd amendment. I'm a woman also and that answer usually shuts them up. If not,I consider it their issue not mine.
Best of luck to you!

[eaccents]

Hi everyone. My husband is an gunowner who open carries, as well as conceal carries. For years he had been trying to get me to carry a gun, but to be honest, I thought he was a little extreme. I don't go anywhere unsafe. I didn't need a gun. December 14, 2009 my thinking changed. I was raped. It was at a place I felt perfectly safe at, a place I went everyday. I had no way to protect myself or to stop it from happening. That day I started rethinking the whole gun thing. I have been carrying a gun with me everywhere I go now for the past month, and for the first time since the rape I feel in control. I am not afraid anymore. I do however have a few questions: the first one is, I have a hard time with the slide of the gun to check it. Do you have any suggestions? My second question is today I was at the store getting groceries with my daughter and a women saw me with the gun and asked how I can have a child, esp. a girl, and dare to carry a gun around her. I was speechless. It was the first time anyone had commented on my gun and I didn't know how to handle it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle it in the future? My husband said that I should have said it is because I love my daughter that I carry. What do you think?

Racking the slide: try the slingshot method. This method has worked for me since day 1 (btw, I am also a woman)

Massad Ayoob explains it here: Armed and Female by Massad Ayoob Issue #63

"For example, most men operate a semiautomatic pistol by holding the frame in their dominant hand, and reaching across their chest with the free hand and grabbing the slide to “rack” it back. This is an upper body strength intensive technique, pitting arm against arm, and a lot of smaller or older women can’t do it well with many pistols. They’ll have better luck with the “slingshot” technique, in which the support hand firmly grabs the slide and pulls back while the gun-hand is pushing forward. This can be combined with a turn of the hips that puts the entire body weight into the movement, making it happen almost effortlessly."

decent pic here: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/wp-...ay-to-rack.jpg

I hope that helps! :)

As for the nosy and judgmental comment from that lady at the grocery, I really like your husband's answer--who can dispute a mother's love and intent to defend her child? :)

Practice, practice, practice until you are very comfortable. Practice your draw, practice stepping to the side as you draw ... muscle memory is what kicks in when the brain shuts down under stress.

Sorry you had a violent incident to shake you out of your "I'm safe" mentality, but glad you survived and glad you are taking measures to protect yourself and your loved ones.

May you always have your gun and never have to use it. Remember, fate favors the well-prepared.

[Sig1911]

Teluch has good advice. Here is some more advice I hope you will find helpful.

On the first question - Dry fire, a lot. And get to the range as often as possible to practice shooting as well as accessing your gun under pressure. You should know that gun like the back of your hand. Take it apart and clean it often. Learn how to clear jams.

On the second question - If there is time to talk, respond that there was a point in time that you used to be afraid of guns, too. But now, and I trust this is true, you've gotten training and education about gun handling and gun safety. And as your child grows up, you are planning to teach her how to be safe around guns and to protect herself. How could anyone argue with that?

[jwmama1]

Thank you all so much for your advice. My husband mentioned muscle memory also, so I will keep practicing. I have no problem with the little bersa thunder .380, but hubby wants me to carry something with more firepower. I am definitely determined that I will never be a victim again.

['Lareina Saindon]

Hi everyone. My husband is an gunowner who open carries, as well as conceal carries. For years he had been trying to get me to carry a gun, but to be honest, I thought he was a little extreme. I don't go anywhere unsafe. I didn't need a gun. December 14, 2009 my thinking changed. I was raped. It was at a place I felt perfectly safe at, a place I went everyday. I had no way to protect myself or to stop it from happening. That day I started rethinking the whole gun thing. I have been carrying a gun with me everywhere I go now for the past month, and for the first time since the rape I feel in control. I am not afraid anymore. I do however have a few questions: the first one is, I have a hard time with the slide of the gun to check it. Do you have any suggestions? My second question is today I was at the store getting groceries with my daughter and a women saw me with the gun and asked how I can have a child, esp. a girl, and dare to carry a gun around her. I was speechless. It was the first time anyone had commented on my gun and I didn't know how to handle it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle it in the future? My husband said that I should have said it is because I love my daughter that I carry. What do you think?

Jwmama1, A few things:
1. If you are carrying a gun you are having trouble with, more than likely you will be in more danger when you pull it to protect yourself as it will be taken and used against you. You should be carrying a revolver, they are simple, point and shoot, no jams, no worries. I have several semi autos and some slides are easier than others. Sometimes it is a matter of the gun not being broken in yet. If that is the case, get more practice to loosen it up and to get better at using it. I have one slide my hand just isn't strong enough to pull. I would never conceal carry it as if I couldn't get it to function, a bad guy could more than likely take it from me and use it on me! I would suggest as I did for someone else earlier, that you go to a range that has different guns available to test out and try several revolvers and semi-autos to help you determine if maybe you need to switch guns or if you just need to break yours in. (assuming you bought yours new and it wasn't already broken in.)

2. As for the woman that commented on your "concealed carry" with a child, first of all, she shouldn't have seen your gun at the grocery store if it were concealed. Be careful as if someone wanted to, they could file a complaint about brandishing and in some cases you could lose your license. The changes are small, but some anti-gun people will do anything to take your right to carry away. What I would have said: I would have told her it was really none of her business, but since she asked, you carry to protect not only yourself, but your daughter as well. I would have told her that you will not put your safety or her safety in the hands of someone else and the hope they will be around should something happen. It is your constitutional right to carry and your are exercising it! Just as it is her right not to carry! Also, I would tell her that your child will be raised around guns and will be taught to respect them so that she will not be curious and ignorant as that is what causes accidents with children! :) Hope that helps!

[Teluch82]

The only other suggestion I could give you about your first question is to go to your nearest gun smith and see if there are any softer aftermarket springs that your could replace the factory one with to make the slide easier to drawl back

['Lareina Saindon]

*chances, not changes

[jwmama1]

I am actually oc right now, since I do not have a concealed permit yet. As for the slide, I can do it, just not easily yet, my husband wouldn't let me carry it if I was totally inept with it. For me, I tend to want to put it in my left hand to pull the slide back, and it is easier, but my husband said I need to keep it in my shooting hand. I also carry with a round already chambered, so as long as a jam doesn't occur, the odds of someone taking the gun from me is less.