Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G.

For a while now, I have been asked by either my Chief or my Father to teach women’s introductory handgun classes. A good friend of mine who is a judge teaches the legal portion, and I and a few of my shooting buddies teach ballistics, storage, handling, and shooting. It is interesting from multiple perspectives. It continually reinforces things that I have seen proven over and over; it lets me see a variety of different guns that I would not normally encounter in the LE arena; it teaches me new things, and forces me to be a better teacher because I have to adapt to new audiences. 

I have had the chance to teach young ladies all the way through ladies in their eighties that have never fired a gun before. They all come for different reasons, and all come from different walks of life. Some are scared of guns, some enjoy shooting and just want formal instruction. 

Many years ago I met Ed Lovette (google him). We discussed the old OSS (Office of Strategic Services – predecessor to the CIA) training methodology. Those conversations, and his teachings, helped me create a specialized course of instruction for people who may never shoot their guns again after my brief class. I take into account that, for some, if they do shoot, it will be in immediate defense of life. While I do not have the time or space here to go into the entire program, the essentials are: finger off the trigger until the gun is on the target, grip the gun high and tight, get the gun up in front of your eyes, roll the trigger, shoot only as fast as you can to get hits. That may sound like what you should do all the time, but it is a lot for a non-dedicated end user to process, and takes some NLP and psychological-emotional anchoring to allow them to mentally recall at an undetermined later date, under some of the most severe stress of their lives. (Marcus Wynne, Dennis Martin, and Jeff Cooper all trained me, and the knowledge they passed on has contributed to the syllabus. It would behoove you to google those names, and learn from their writings as well.) 

Claude Werner (the Tactical Professor, google him while you are at it) once told me that some people were physically and emotionally worn out after a few rounds. I never understood what he meant until I started teaching first time shooters in classes like these. We often do not see the forest for the trees, because we are looking at the problem from our perspective, and do not realize that not everyone is like us. Seems silly to type since we should know this, but it is a reality, and we often need to take a step back, and consider other points of views. 

That builds up to the point of peoples pre-conceived notions being thrust on others, regardless of how good the intentions are. Women, are especially vulnerable to this. Men from all walks of life often recommend the absolute worst guns for women. I see it every single class: 

The mint condition, unfired Walther PPK/S that even I could not fully retract the slide on. The pristine Remington 51 that broke the firing pin after a couple of magazines. All manner of snub nose revolvers (both dirt cheap knock offs and high end models). The small, shiny guns. The full size guns that smaller hands cannot fit around. The magnum revolvers and big bore autos that hurt and terrify people that have little grip strength or arthritis. 

So, what is the answer? There is not a school solution that fits everyone. But here is what I can tell you I have seen: 

Some women can absolutely handle LW 45 Auto 1911 Commander’s, and Glock 19’s, and Smith & Wesson 629’s. There is not a question about that at all. Some men can even handle those guns, even though a lot can’t and refuse to admit they can’t……..

Some women can handle a double action revolver trigger, some struggle. As much as I like my J frames, the Ruger LCR has been better suited for those with less hand strength from what I have seen. They have lighter (cam driven) triggers, and recoil taming rubber stocks. The actions are smoother, and the cylinders are easier to open. 

The little Ruger LCP Max (staggered magazine 380 Auto version) and the LCP II 22 LR (if you removed the death trap of a thumb safety and magazine disconnect – and yes I am absolutely advocating removing these items. SOME manual “safeties” are false gods, that actually make guns inherently unsafe), are both guns that have proven to be controllable, reliable, and useable for a wide variety of women shooters. 

The Glock 42, the SIG P365 in 380 Auto (and sometimes the P365/X in 9mm) seem to work well for some. However, the strength required to manipulate the slide on those guns sometimes makes an otherwise shootable gun a liability in life or death situations. Yes, you can teach the use of a hard surface to manipulate the slide, until the rear sight falls off after the gun is dropped, or there is no hard surface to rack it off of because a rapist is on top of you in bed or on the ground.

I like the concept of the EZ series from Smith & Wesson, but they do not always work out. Some women cannot reliably grip the guns in a manner that deactivates the grip “safety.” Some women can shoot them, but not ride the thumb safety due to their bone structure or the muscle tissue in their hands. It is fine to tell someone to not ride the thumb safety, until you have seen one too many people inadvertently reactivate it under recoil. Not a good thing to happen in a gunfight. 

Calibers are a funny thing. Some have to have a certain threshold, and decry they will never carry a mouse gun. I’ve known plenty of hard charging big bore studs that said that in their prime, but now carry 32’s and 22’s because of all the havoc they wreaked on their bodies. Almost any caliber can stop a fight if the shooter places the bullets in the right place. Sam Colt gave us the great equalizer, and we should take a more sane look at that. 

It is no secret that I prefer the 45 Auto. I got that from my grandfather, and Jeff Cooper. My father is a Magnum man, and has a long history with the 357 (and the 22) Magnum. I do not often carry a 45 Auto these days, because I have broken my hand and wrist several times, and shot a lot of full power big bores, and abused my body doing action guy stuff. I can shoot a 9mm for days most of the time, but there are some days I have to shoot a 22 LR. I just don’t do it in front of people so as not to ruin my image…….

Regardless of his politics, not many would argue that Ernest Hemingway was not a man’s man. He was fond of the 22 LR, and said that Mohammad Ali could walk into his house to beat him, and “Papa” could stop him with a single round from his Colt Woodsman, to the eye. Col. Charlie Askins, really regardless of his politics, was also a straight beast of a man killer. He talked about a 22 Magnum snub nose in his pocket being a first line option for a well armed and capable man. Jeff Cooper even championed the 22 LR, though in much more limited circumstances. While those are some high pedigree proponents, the first person to get me to even consider that as an option was Claude Werner. He is a really brilliant and thoughtful man and instructor. I cannot recommend seeking out his writings and lessons enough. (I may even mention him again in this article.) 

Speaking of Claude, he observed (while he was the Chief Instructor at the elite Rogers Shooting School, yes that Rogers) that a certain unit had better scores with a specific gun when they ran it suppressed or were wearing gas masks. He opined that was due to the concussion of that round and gun combo underneath the awnings of the shooting lanes at the school. I have found that some women have shot much better with a  suppressed 22 LR than without a can on the gun. It is much easier to learn when you are not distracted by concussive explosions every press of the trigger (even small ones). So, don’t discount the learning power imparted with a “hush puppy.” 

The Kel-Tec P17 is a wonderfully neat little gun. My only complaint with them is the thumb safety is not that friendly, even to me. It is however, a very good gun to start one’s shooting journey with. Most serious guns (as opposed to non-serious guns) have an analog 22 LR trainer. Glock has the 44 sibling to the 19. Sig has the P322 to the P365. There are many variants of the 1911, my favorite being the vintage Colt Ace units. I was enamored with that unit since I read “Without Remorse” and Mr. Clark re-taught himself how to shoot with one after an ambush that left him wounded. My attorney was nice enough to gift me one when he found out I had always wanted one. (It is because he is a nice guy, and not because of all the business I generate for him. I think.) 

Regardless of the gun, or caliber, it must fit the shooters hand. The shooter must be able to proof the gun and ascertain its condition without much trouble. The shooter must be able to clear basic malfunctions without too much difficulty. 

Do not look down on someone that cannot afford a dot equipped custom combat masterpiece. Do not look down on someone that cannot shoot a 45 Auto, or even a 380 Auto for that matter, or a 32. Do not chastise them, and do not speak in a manner that causes doubt or hesitation. You never know how much weight your words and opinion hold to people, and you do not want something you said from atop an ivory tower to make someone not have a fighting chance. 

If the gun is reliable, and the shooter can hit a 8” circle repeatedly at across the room, that gun will absolutely be ok, regardless of caliber, for the vast majority of people. 

There is yet another option to touch on before our time comes to a close this evening, and that is the 22 LR rifle, and 9mm carbine. Claude Werner (again, I know, but I am keeping on with this until he runs out of good info) has championed the 22 LR rifle for home defense. Chuck Haggard (look him up too, and go train with him) is on record talking about how many homicides he worked that a 22 LR rifle was used in. Jeff Cooper stated that every well run household should have a 22 LR (preferably pistol and rifle). My late grandmother had given a lot of thought to the matter of home defense later on in life. She came to the conclusion a Marlin Model 60, with a bright front sight, was about ideal. She could hold and aim it without trouble, and it had no recoil. If she needed to be very precise, as in shooting from an elevated position, she could prop it on a window sill or a banister, and make head shots.

During the tumultuous times several years ago now, when riots and civil unrest were occurring all over the place, my father became interested in an AR-15 instead of his long trusted friend the 12 gauge. He and I discussed it, and he was concerned with capacity, fast handling, maneuverability. I recommended against the AR because he was not interested in a suppressor, and I didn’t want him to blow his eardrums out indoors with a 5.56 (he hears better than me, even at his advanced age). I ended up setting him up with a 9mm carbine with a red dot, surefire, and 33rd Glock magazines. It weights much less than his shotgun, carries many more rounds, is quicker to get into action, and quicker for multiple targets, especially given his age. It also makes a fine backup to his Registered Magnum (the “Killing Gun”) that sits beside his bed. 

There are many good and workable options and solutions, you just have to keep an open mind, and consider other possibilities. One day, you too will get old, and your hands and back will not work as good as they use to. Lots of hard men carried 1911’s and ended up with a 22 LR in their pockets later in life. Some will never have the privilege of being able to carry a full size combat gun into harm’s way, but they still need a means of equalizing. King David had a rock, and more importantly, God, on his side. Where there is faith, and will, there is a way; even with a 22………..