A few days ago, I was putting the finishing touches on my now functioning AR-15 when a friend stopped by. As my house filled with three more kids and the noise level increased exponentially, we sat down to chat. My friend had heard about California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsome’s ridiculous gun control proposals (banning possession of “high-capacity magazines,” requiring background checks for ammunition purchases). As I heated up a pot of coffee, she said her husband suggested she talk to me, learn some basics, and start the concealed carry permit process. Obviously, I suggested she start by . . .
shooting. I told her she should go with her husband and shoot a gun before even thinking about a CCW. I offered to show her how to shoot a handgun, as we can do that on my property. But I also wanted her to know something about how firearms function. I already had my AR-15 clamped down in its vice, so I took it as an opportunity to explain the basics.
Much like with my children, I showed her the main parts: trigger, barrel, bolt catch, safety, etc. with a brief explanation of what each does. She didn’t seem frightened of the gun itself, like some of the women I’ve introduced to firearms. Some are afraid to touch a gun, like it could bite them or something.
She showed interest and a desire to learn and even asked a few questions. “Can you hunt with this?” she asked. We all know that hunting with an AR-15 is possible, in fact, my husband has taken may coyotes with his. But many if not most people with zero firearms familiarity buy into the antis’ idea that an “assault weapon” is “only good for mass murder.”
The desire to own and learn to shoot guns amongst my female friends has increased lately. Maybe it’s because the word’s got out that I write for TTAG. At the same time, my girl friends and acquaintances know I’m leaving the Golden State to join my husband in Wyoming; this is their “last chance” to talk to a real “gun gal.” But there’s something else . . .
California’s slide down the slippery slope of gun control is reaching some kind of critical point. A point where people who wouldn’t think much about guns or gun rights are suddenly realizing that the “window” to legal ownership is closing. Joni Mitchell sang “sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Well, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until just before it goes. So you cling to it with both hands.