S
siglady
Guest
I recently participated in a Firearms For Women course instructed by Dan Detmer of Firearms On Target. He is well qualified. The course was held at the Tulsa Gun Club. To encapsulate, the entire course...classroom time and range time...was perfectly suited to my needs and exceeded my expectations. It helped me lose most of my fear of firearms while giving me an appreciation for a gun's capabilities as well as my own capabilities. Before the course, my experience with firearms was limited to firing a few rounds from a SW 38 and a P238 Sig with my husband helping as much as he could; and I was not smooth in the handling of either one because I was too nervous and afraid I would shoot something other than the target. To my surprise, I was able to hit the target, but I remained very clunky and delicate in how I held and loaded the guns. Not a good thing. I wanted to feel at ease and decided the only way to do that was to become knowledgeable about firearms, and the only way to do that was to find an instructor who had the expertise and ability to convey to me what I needed to know in order to handle a firearm safely and proficiently. I needed instruction that would help me gain solid confidence by taking the fear out of guns. Following are a number of ways that the Firearms For Women course "exceeded" my expectations: The instructor recognized each student was a separate person with perhaps different needs and reasons for taking the course. Fears were addressed, including fear of guns, fear of using a gun, fear of having a gun around the house with children present, etc. The course was not watered down for the three women students. The instructor, expected and informed us that we would learn how to handle a gun and the responsibility that comes with that knowledge. It was a serious course but at the same time we were all made to feel comfortable in asking any questions we might have. This quickly translated into respect between us all and respect for the subject matter. It was also fun... classroom and range. The most important job I have now is to practice, practice, practice. I highly recommend Dan Detmer as an instructor, and for any ladies wanting to learn to handle firearms comfortably and with confidence and knowledge, look into taking the Firearms For Women course. If you are not in the Tulsa area, please find instruction that you believe will meet your needs. Do the research by going on line, calling and asking questions, and if possible, talk with someone who has taken instruction from that particular instructor. (As a side comment...I do not have strong hands and fingers, and before taking the course I was unable to rack the slide on my husbands Colt 45. During the course, Dan showed me another way to rack the slide using the upper body muscles in my arms and shoulders instead of pulling with my fingers. When I got home I showed my husband how I could now do this with his 45 and he was ecstatic.)
