Traditionally speaking, topics related to firearms have typically been deferred to men simply because not as many women have been interested in firearms or have a mastery of them. Even when knowledgeable women are present, it is the male in the room to whom questions are often deferred. Fortunately for those of us in the firearm industry, this is changing. But for those who have general questions about firearms, whether that means general skill or general technical information, here’s why women should seek advice from other women.
Sales Interactions
The term “man-splaining” exists for a reason. Some men like to pontificate to women when it comes to firearms. And again, simply because there have not been as many women interested in or proficient with firearms, it is easy to make assumptions. The result is they can react to women as if they’re all ignorant. This can be off-putting. If someone wants to make a sale to a woman, treating them like they’re clueless is not going to help them make a sale to an informed female customer. This highlights a need for better salesperson communication skills.
This also highlights why it might be a better plan for her to talk to another woman when it comes to purchasing a firearm. Women are going to tell each other what they like or don’t like about a particular firearm and why they did or didn’t choose it. They’re not going to look at another woman and say, “Well, sweetheart, your tiny little hands want a revolver.”
Instruction
If someone wants to teach a woman, assumptions that she’s ignorant about the topic can be another hurdle that women face. A logical instructor would ask a student his or her skill level before making assumptions on how to instruct them. Sadly, some men skip this step when it comes to women, often assuming they are the least skilled, need extra help or are on the low end of experience. While this might be true in many cases, making assumptions tells students that you don’t care enough to even learn their background. A well-informed women likely would not be in such a class to begin with, but if she were, she probably would not return or refer others to it.
One way to skip this frustration is to seek out a female instructor. Female instructors tend to understand things like: why women might wear a holster or a belt differently than a man; and why women might modify some of the manipulations they do to better suit their strength or physical stature, etc. For example, women tend to have, because of biology, less hand strength than men. Knowing this, the instructor will further understand that women may not be able to manipulate the slide on a handgun easily, and therefore may need additional information to build the best technique for themselves.
Safety
We’ve all seen the online videos where a boyfriend hands his girlfriend a shotgun or a large-caliber handgun with zero instruction, just to get a laugh out of how she may not manage the recoil properly. This is very sad, and the sort of behavior that contributes to women and girls not wishing to further their range time and become proficient with firearms.
When it comes to safety, women are often more timid than men. This lack of confidence can sometimes be their own downfall. Women, being unsure of themselves or afraid of recoil, and not being given a proper example of how a woman can manage the recoil in a firearm, can put them in an unsafe place. Not just physically—but it might color their entire perspective on owning and using guns. This does not bode well for future generations, or any man married to her.
Tailoring exposure to recoil and the forces that happen when you shoot isn’t something that only a woman can do. But women might understand better why other women might prefer this sort of introduction to shooting a firearm. A six-foot tall, 200-pound man might not understand why a five-foot tall, 115-pound woman is afraid of the recoil in a firearm. And that’s understandable. A person that big probably isn’t afraid of much. But tailoring the firearms and methods with which women are introduced to shooting them is as important as any aspect of instruction and building strong and confident firearms owners.
Perspective
Because women face some of the same hurdles when it comes to manipulating and controlling a firearm (and what boils down to is a “handheld explosion” when you shoot it), they are better suited toward teaching other women how to physically and mentally master the process. Most married couples will tell you that husbands and wives generally don’t go to each other when they want to learn a new skill. Married couples know each other too well and often will get under each other’s skin, especially if there is any tension over a task they are taking on. (From shooting a gun to planting the garden, married couples can have strong personalities that can benefit from outside perspectives.)
And because women often have similar outlooks, they want to learn about guns for safety, but maybe it’s not their life’s passion. Or perhaps they want to become competent, but that’s really all that they want to do with it. Having an explanation from another woman as to why they found importance in having not just competency with firearms, but mastery, might be the difference between a woman being a casual gun owner, and someone truly capable of defending their family.
It’s easy to say that some men are just big and unaware, that’s not really their fault that they don’t “get” women—and that’s fine, but women shouldn’t stop there. They should do better for each other and elevate one another to a place where their skill at ensuring their safety and that of their family is something well within their grasp.
