“While I live in a very nice, quite [sic], wealthy neighborhood with a responsible police department, the decisions that are made for my own protection between the time a crime is being committed, when the cops are called, and when they arrive is up to me. My means of equalizing an unsafe situation? That would be a .40 caliber Springfield XDM semi-automatic handgun given to me by a former Blackwater firearms instructor.” – Trish Williams in Firearms, an Equalizer for Women [at dailysurge.com]

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73 COMMENTS

    • I dig the reference, but I think Huxley was more correct with Brave New World than Orwell with 1984.

      Neither government wants the populace armed though, so pick your poison?

  2. Just an observation, but it seems that we’re getting more and more QOTDs from people who get it. Is it editorial slant (choice), or evidence that we’re winning?

    • Maybe TTAG is trying to avoid giving its readership ulcers so early in the morning.

    • The truth of the matter, despite the constant media drumbeat, is that there are more of us than them. Natural that the QOTD reflects that.

  3. I don’t know about winning or not, but it’s evidence that SOMEONE gets it. And if she gets it, then you know there’s others. Unfortunately she’ll be pilloried by her so-called ‘sisters’ who can’t think for themselves but instead gang up on others and tell them what to do.

    Tom

    • My wife is a “sister” and like the other 15 “sisters” she has bi-weekly trips to the range, they get it. More people of color get it.

      • Thanks Dirk.

        That you are unique is something of an understatement- and I would expect your family to be also independently minded. Without giving offense by seeming to be assuming or generalizing here,

        whats your take on “other” people of color outside of your circle of friends and family.
        Is there a sea change underway that you can sense?

        My guess would be that 2A rights believers don’t tend to group around about skin color, per se,
        (or sex or religion, or any other private matter)
        but if you are pro-2A its more about a persons own values-
        independence, self-reliance, and respect for others, and
        some tendency toward certain political beliefs- preference for small government, for example, rather than a “D” or “R” or “I” after your name in the list at the voting booth.

        We seem to be seeing that confirmed here at TTAG, on a growing basis, but
        I would be very interested in your own “ground truth”.

        • I would ask about if someone attends some religious services regularly, if they live in suburbs vs city, if they are more conservative in dress, speech, manner, if they are in the business world vs government, and if they have travelled abroad.

          Trust me – most of my friends are black, my baptist church is predominantly black, and most of my shooting buddies are black. There are a lot more of us than you know. Sometimes, people worry about how they are perceived among others, but everyone who knows me knows I am fair but tough, conservative but not dogmatic, religious but not a zealot and best of all, an all around nice guy.

          Now if I can only get Shannon to have coffee with me.

          Comment moderated!! 🙂

        • Dirk, if your wife looks anything like the “sister” in the pic here, I completely fail to understand how Shannon even enters your mind…That’s gotta be one of the nicer article illustrations I’ve seen here…

        • Dirk,

          Sometimes I have a difficult time keeping a positive outlook on the RKBA. Yours comments fit very well with my observations about the support of the RKBA among motorcyclists and bicyclists I made the other day, and it is good cause for optimism.

          Tom

        • Another Robert – my wife is a true dime. Way hotter than this fine woman. Plus, as an added bonus, she doesn’t care if I smoke cigars in the house, spend $$ on ammo (I have a spreadsheet for inventory control) and guns and my love for tailored clothing and shoes. No – mine is a keeper.

          My infantile “attraction” for Shannon is more that I think she is lonely in her life and probably her relationships. I volunteered to take one for the proverbial team because once she met me, she would be like Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles:

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9JqbCH4aVw

          but I would not have to hit it – my wonderful personality alone would work wonders. Just saying, . . . . 🙂

        • @ Dirk– LOL!! I guess it’s appropriate to have an infantile attraction to an infantile (at least on the subject of firearms) liberal goo-goo harpy… LOL!

  4. I think she meant to say “quiet” neighborhood, but it might by quite quiet.

    Al Shaprton will be along any minute to call her an Uncle Tom.

    • I do not understand how people like Sharpton aren’t seen as the modern-day equivalent of negro-slavers in the antebellum south. I can’t think of other organizations outside of the KKK or Aryan Brotherhood that are doing more to hold minorities down and keep them from creating better lives for themselves.

    • Al Sharpton is pretty much a joke outside of the Tri-State area. Like Jessie Jackson he flys in and jumps in front of cameras to make himself look like a leader and to direct the framing of various issues for his New York and Beltway paymasters. He is a 1%er: a wealthy, politically astute, well-connected insider; a convenient rhetorical tool for wealthy Dem insiders and a convenient dog-whistle foil for wealthy Repub insiders.

    • I beg to differ. There is only one caliber to rule them all; .460 Rowland.

      185g bullet moving at 1560 ft/s and 1000 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle..44 magnum ballistics in a high capacity semi-auto pistol with conversions for most .45 ACP pistols. I currently have a conversion for my 1911, I’m getting another for my Glock 30.

      You can load the ammo at what ever specs from your regular +p self-defense ammo all the way to .44 magnum level for hand gun hunting or defense against four legged predators.

      Oh; wait a minute, this is perfect for me, it might not be the “perfect” for everyone else, What was I thinking, sorry Matt in FL, I was being a bigot there for a minute.

      Yep; what ever gun and caliber a person carries, (regularly) is what is perfect for them.

    • I’ll take it in 9mm instead, but otherwise I agree on all points. And that IS exactly what I carry – XDm 3.8 compact in 9mm.

      (I’m far more accurate with 9)

    • Or, one could take a lesson from Rob Leatham, who helped develop the XDm. .40 cal? It’s a compromise cartridge. Carry something bigger (.45) or carry a lot of something (9 mm). The caliber wars never get old.

  7. Well I guess JJ was right about some people when he said if you use a .40 S&W you have a small penis. /sarc.

      • That was my point, I never cared to watch any of Jaeger’s (sp?) Videos, but when he posted the video insulting myself, and a large portion of the population. I go out of my way to not watch anything of his.

        • I doubt he insulted you personally. He probably insulted your ideas or ideas near to yours, which to me, given the very serious nature of self defense training, is appropriate.
          I think Yeager mildly insults, justifiably so, the mindset of: “Hi pressure calibers (like the .40 cal) are are so superior in stopping power that they offset any disadvantages.” Yeager’s training experience showed (almost all) people using hi pressure calibers perform substantially worse during stressful, emergency, self-defense situations. Furthermore, there are additional costs in ammo and firearm wear.
          My own thoughts are that anyone who CAN handle a hi pressure caliber would still be better off regularly shooting low pressure calibers since we all age and get weaker.

        • I don’t think we nessescarily get weaker with age. I think most people just don’t take care of themselves, and this they appear weaker, so that’s something to think about. In all honesty I don’t really like Yeager, I just don’t. he comes across as a pompous butt munch. Frankly, some people may shoot better under pressure with a “high pressure” round. Remember everyone is built differently, so what works for Yeager and his guys, may not work for someone else.

        • @ihatetrees – Not wanting to start another caliber war – so he (and you) actually roots for .45 ACP? That is what I call low pressure cartridge. 9mm pressures can go above 33.000 CUP which is more than my .40 SW loads. Yes you can load .40 hotter than 9mm but for most loads the pressures are about the same.
          The wear on my guns and cost of my ammo is nobody’s business but my wife’s and mine.
          Mr. Yeager should check some reloading manuals before he starts insulting fellow shooters.
          And let’s ask Jerry Miculek about him getting weaker with age.

        • Haven’t y’all ever heard of old man strong?

          It’s stronger than workout strong, but not stronger than farm boy strong, and no where as strong as retard strong.

  8. She trusts not in Samuel Colt. She trusts in herself.

    Which is as it should be.

    Samuel Colt (and many others) have merely helped to supply the tools of self help.

    Thank you, Mr. Colt.

  10. Hollywood does have it’s uses, after all. If Miami Vice reruns get more girls into the world of shooting, then cue up the Jan Hammer and fire up the Ferrari and let’s do this.

    That being said, it it is interesting with regards to ladies and guns. There’s quite a few who are like “ew gross…” when it comes to guns. But the minute they finally fire one, that changes in about a second.

    The hard part is getting them over that first hurdle.

    Also, I run into a lot of guys who live with girls who prohibit weapons in the household. A great example is a couple who lives in my neighborhood. The man of the house, is always asking about my guns, and also how to get a CWFL and so on. He’s fired weapons before, but doesn’t own any. He had an idea of getting his permit and weapon without the knowledge of the lady of the house.

    Uh no. She’s going to be cleaning one day and find the “hidden” safe/box or whatever. Chaos in the household and also I’ll get a nasty phone call since it’ll be on me too since I’m the “gun guy” of the group.

    So it has fallen on me to get the both of them out to the range. I’ll pay for the ammunition. I told the man of the house it’s better to do it this way and openly acquire a firearm rather than have that big of a secret in the house.

    Now, for the most part, most girls I know around here are ambivalent-to-enthusiastic about it. My girlfriend was ambivalent but is now at the point of “OK, put up or shut up – you keep rambling about all the cool things you are buying for your guns – I want to shoot one of them…”

    Now, here is an interesting question – I want to buy her her first gun as a gift. However, that would be a straw purchase, right? That being said, I guess the “gift” would be the purchase, but more along the lines of “Hey, we are going to the LGS today and you are going to pick out a gun and I am going to pay for it…” – and she is the one filling out the 4473…

    • thats because nearly all women are obsessed with control, and once they realize that they can control a firearm and through that their destiny and safety, they love it.

    • “My girlfriend was ambivalent but is now at the point of “OK, put up or shut up – you keep rambling about all the cool things you are buying for your guns – I want to shoot one of them…””

      Awesome! That’s really cool. And, that shows the “lie” regarding the preconceptions that females don’t like guns. It’s very likely that don’t like it because they have never done it, associate guns with “guy stuff” and fall into similar traps.

      You are, however, at a bit of a ‘dangerous’ crossroads. Her first experience is going to be like the first impression on a blind date. It will mean a lot.

      Please don’t be one of those jack-offs we see on youtube that take their female SO shooting “for the first time,” hand them the biggest, baddest, hardest recoiling, most uncomfortable gun to shoot that is at least 30% too big for them to hold properly anyway and then LAUGH AT HER when she shoots it.

      I would suggest, if you have not done this already, give her as many lessons as it takes with dry fire for her to learn the basics of safety (4 rules, etc), grip, sight alignment, etc. Do this in the comfort and privacy of your own home…her “safe place” as it were, NOT at the range with a bunch of “gun guys” around watching, loud noises going off randomly and her trying to process a lot of new info with a loaded firearm in her hand.

      Not trying to be preachy. I have had the privilege of introducing a fair number of females to shooting, and some basic common sense (ha!) practices to make it a positive experience will pay HUGE dividends.

      Good luck, and report back. Or, better yet, let HER report back as her own TTAG commenter.

      • Actually what I was going to do was a few basics at home, and then go to either Nexus or Lock & Load and let a female instructor take care of the “real stuff”. Being a papi chulo (Miami expression for machismo jerk) moron isn’t my MO. I love firearms and I love being able to purchase them and the last thing we need is someone howling about how bad guns are. Yeah, I’m the “2A Nerd” ha ha.

        • Offloading to an instructor (properly vetted) is never a bad idea.

          I’d say you have a good plan, and she’s lucky to have you introducing her to guns.

          Good job, and my hat is off to you, sir.

    • “Now, here is an interesting question – I want to buy her her first gun as a gift. ”

      Let her pick it out, when she’s ready, else you risk it becoming (or being seen as) a bowling ball named Homer.

      If she shoots all of yours and comes up with one she *really* loves … Give it to her. You can buy another one just like it for you. Nothing, but nothing, will show her you want her in the sport with you like giving her one of yours.

      Oh, and teach her to clean her own gun. It instills a real sense of pride, ownership and responsibility.

    • Let the GF shoot your guns first, enough to get past the flinching from anticipating recoil, to the point where it’s actually fun for her.

      Then let her pick out her own gun, even if she uses questionable process (“I like the shininess” or “it looks cool”). If she likes it, she’ll practice with it. That’s what counts.

      Then you give her the cash ahead of time, go to the LGS and let her buy her own gun and fill out her own 4473.

      BTW my wife and I recently bought pistols for ourselves for our anniversary. It’s a beautiful thing.

    • If any man needs to consult with a woman in the house how he protects her and the household needs to get a pair and there needs to be a different woman in the house. This, in particular, includes if/what firearms may be housed.

      Perhaps, depending on the quality of the woman and if rugrats are present, a discussion of where/how the firearms are stored. As ready for use or locked in a vault (condition useless).

      • Agreed. I was single when I purchased my first pistols, and “taken” when I got my first black rifle. Actually it was the black rifle that took my GF from “Eh, he likes guns, it’s a better hobby than most guys have” to “Wow, that’s awesome! I want to shoot it.”

        In my experience though, most anti-gun girls don’t let it get in the way of friendship at least. The couple I spoke about where the woman is anti-2A and the guy is pro-2A (but doesn’t own), she doesn’t disown me for carrying. Oddly enough when she has a drink or two she calms down…”Maybe if I went to the range I’d change my mind…”

    • It was the delivery of my sixth handgun to the front door (a black powder revolver) before my wife found out that I owned any guns, after which I showed her two other .36 revolvers I own. She is “ok” with those because they are “antiques.” (No, that’s not logical, but I can live with it.) But she still does not know about three other pistols, the.22 rifle or the shotgun, none of which are in places where any cleaning will find them. She does know about my carry gun, but she is rarely aware that I am actually wearing it. She does know that I taught the kids to shoot, but doesn’t know that I bought my daughter a pistol for college graduation. And I don’t plan to tell her, because it would only upset her.

    • However, that would be a straw purchase, right?

      No. A gift is not a straw purchase. According to the ATF, you are the actual transferee/buyer, and not a straw buyer, if you are legitimately purchasing the firearm as a gift for a third party.

    • I *loved* MIami Vice when I was in high school! I’m a middle aged woman in IL who recently got my CCL and have been carrying for about 10 days. I have a group of friends that includes 5-6 other shooters, all but one a woman. Interestingly enough, me and the other woman are the most enthusiastic shooters of the group. I’ve extended invitations to go out to the range with me to several of the wives, but no takers yet.

  11. It’s balance. If you want to see “the other side” — people who don’t get it — go to any MSN website. It’s very refreshing to see that people with guns are neither few, nor limited to a small demographic.

  13. Good for you lady, speak the truth. I enjoy my XD but I think I may be going down the XDM route soon enough.

  14. I love to see minorities buck the trends of their respective communities and join the POTG…..and a woman at that. YOU GO GIRL!!!!

  16. +1 DIRK…as an evil old white man married to a beautiful black woman I’ve found most black women “get it”. Years ago my wife was a YWCA rape counsellor. She taught self defense tactics to timid White Women She was amazed how many didn’t want hurt their attacker. “If I don’t resist he won’t. hurt me” “I could never hurt anyone” . Some wouldn’t even carry pepper spray. (In Illinois).

  17. “Murder rates decline when either more women or more men carry concealed handguns, but a gun represents a much larger change in a woman’s ability to defend herself than it does for a man.”

    The same comment applies to old farts (yo!) who have slowed way down, when facing a young attacker. That’s why they call the gun an equalizer.

  21. Another beautiful young sister of the gun! Terrific, more for our team! Good for her. She is taking responsibility for herself and her protection and not leaving it up to someone else. Here we go again with the caliber wars. Can we stop it already? The best gun and caliber is the one you like. Not what others tell you.

    A bit of advice to the men folk who want their ladies to take an interest in shooting. LET THE LADY PICK HER OWN GUN AND YOU SHUT UP! If she wants a pink gun that you hate …. Shut up! Find a qualified FEMALE instructor and pay for the instruction and do NOT stay and watch. She will be intimidated by you. Tell her you are proud of her and can’t wait to go shooting together when she is ready. You will get a big kiss and wonder why you didn’t do that earlier. She will get “bitten” by the gun bug. Then you can buy all the guns and ammo you want without any complaints from her. Before you know it you’ll be buying her guns for Valentine’s Day and Birthdays etc. I know from experience.

    • true. my wife for the longest time did not want to go to the range with me b/c she didn’t want me correcting her. she has attended women-only classes and now goes with her girlfriends to shoot in the am, and then bkfst afterwards (gab fest). It wasn’t until this last wknd when we had a “couples date” night with several other couples that she commented how she comfortable she felt when I “gently” suggested some changes to her shooting grip and voila, she was hitting center mass with ease. Now she wants to go to my range on my nights . . . . . she also wants a gun of her own and not one of the ones I have in the safe. problem is she is petite and doesn’t want something too big so we are working through a list of possibilities. . . . . slowly but surely.

      • That’s why I thought of telling Benny in the other post that the road to Hell is always paved with good intentions.

        But I didn’t want to be too obvious, either 🙂

        Tom

  22. 2 words, rocket launcher, I’m not kidding,bits hard to conceal as living hell, but ain’t nobody gonna mess with you when you whip that bad boy out, plus, if you ever actually use it, the news shall report it as a gas line explosion.

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