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June 21, 2017,

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Beginner, Ladies and Firearms Cold hard metal stared up at me. I was excited. I finally had one. But I didn’t know how to use it. I was intimidated. What if I hurt myself? I gripped the handle and looked at the long barrel of my brand new Revlon curling iron. This 400 degree, 3 setting wizardry of beauty was going to grip, heat, and tame my hair, just inches from my face. Scary stuff. But I was determined to have the luxurious wavy tresses that my teenaged heart desired. Firearms and curling irons are both tools in my opinion. Now obviously firearms are a very different kind of tool (I don’t recommend styling your hair with them) but I see learning how to use them in the same light. Both should be treated with a good degree of caution and respect for rules of safety. Get instruction from someone who knows what they’re doing to avoid getting burned. Become comfortable handling it without losing respect for it. And practice. I didn’t try to curl my hair for the first time by myself. I had a trusted, beauty tool experienced friend help me with instruction and guided practice. Lots of practice. Gradually my fear of burning my ears off abated as I began to handle the super-heated barrel with ease. Now many years later, curling hair is as simple as riding a bike. I’m still careful and use caution not to burn myself or leave it on when leaving the room. This has become almost second nature. And I believe with proper instruction and practice, ladies can be just as confident handling firearms. Find a qualified instructor to guide you through basic handgun knowledge. Your local gun range should have some good recommendations. Now, I’m lucky enough to be able to visit my awesome brother-in-law who happens to be a first-class instructor. Wayne’s the man. He is very patient and relates knowledge in an easy to understand manner. I really liked how before I even touched a firearm I was learning important points of safety. Honestly, I was slightly intimidated to pick up the gun at first. But it didn’t burn or bite or snarl at me. So far so good. I was then able to get acquainted with handling the unloaded gun and learned how the different parts operate. I was instructed on basics such as how to load, fire, lock and unlock the safety and what to do for any mechanical mishap. Wayne helped me figure out which kind of firearm would be a good fit for me. The make and model names are still a little scrambled in my mind but I do have a few favorites. When the time had come to go to the range and put this new knowledge to action, I felt adequately prepared and assured that if I had any problems or questions Wayne would be right there to assist me. Shooting is a thrill. Its loud and might make you jump at first. It took me a while to get used to the recoil. But boy is it fun and empowering. I left wanting more. I’ll definitely be going again to practice and improve accuracy. I’d like to be at the point where I’m confident that given a bad situation I’d be able to defend myself. In the future, I’d like to purchase a firearm and also to take a concealed carry class. So, I’ll be getting advice from Wayne about that. In the meantime, I’m researching gun ranges in my area to see if they have a ladies’ night!