Hi all! I don't know much about guns, but I'd like to learn. My fiancé is a huge gun nut so I figured I'd try to fit in. I guess this will be a very interesting learning experience for me. (Since I am a woman) I never shot a gun, but frankly, I'm a little scared to. Hopefully I'll get over that fear very soon. Well, I hope to learn something useful on here.

Its nice to meet you.  Try not to let guns scare you.  A gun being scary is really [if you think about it] an insecurity in your own ability.  If laid on the table a gun is nothing more than a paper weight.  Yet in the hands of an able person it can hit targets from several hundred feet away very precisely.  Though it is the best weapon for self defense 99.9% of all firearms are merely collections and/or used for target practicing.  In a nutshell YOU are what makes a gun what it is.  Your job is to make you as safe and knowledgeable as possible.  

Patty

I'll give you the same advise I was given,  

DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS!

Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.  
Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.  

If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!  

Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!

please tell me that's a typo? j/k of course.

Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   please tell me that's a typo? j/k of course.

OOPs- FEED not FEEL!!!

A huge welcome from another sunny and friendly state, AZ!  Will be 80 here today, and I know you can appreciate temperatures of that nature in February!  

Shooting is somewhat like driving, in that the first few times are always fraught with nervous anticipation coupled with a little fear.  But like driving, a responsible shooter who pays attention only has to worry about other shooters (drivers) and account for the possibility they might make a mistake.  A firearm of any caliber should not be feared, but it DOES need to be respected!  A 22 short can still kill, so there are a few things to keep in mind - we call them the rules of safety.

#1.  Always assume a gun is loaded, no matter how many times you have checked to make sure it is clear.

#2.  Because of this NEVER EVER point a gun at anything you are not intent on destroying.  That means that your muzzle should always be pointed downrange, and never at another human being.

#3.  In addition to #2, never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire, always assuming that #1 and #2 are truths.  That is, when your finger is on the trigger, you act like the gun is loaded (whether it is or not) and that the muzzle is pointed in a direction that, should it go off, will not hurt anything you had not already intended on hurting.

#4.  Which leads us to the fact that bullets go through things and bounce off of things.  Therefore, you always make certain downrange is clear, you have an excellent backstop, and no ricochet will occur.  You want that bullet stopped where you want it to stop.  If #1 is true, and #2 is true, and #3 is true, then #4 must be true.

At that time, you are ready to squeeze off a round and have some excitement!

If you carefully apply these rules to your gun handling, accidents do not happen and you will enjoy the sport tremendously.

Start small - small gun, small noise, small bllets, small recoil.  Learn to be confident pulling the trigger on that to quell your fear, and then you can move up if you want to.  Don't let anyone pressure you into shooting something you are scared of.  You're not going to run to the range the first time and unload 6 44 magnums and go whoppee!  And if you do, I call dibs

The thing is, hun, this is a hobby.  You should enjoy it as you do other hobbies.  Start off small, and build up from there.  And like any other hobby, it takes time to get good at - don't get frustrated if you are not hitting anything at first.  You will develop that with practice, which is why I suggest a small caliber gun...  So ou practice a LOT and stay comfortable.  

We're a jovial bunch of characters here, but anything at all you want to ask, please do so!  This place is a wealth of information, if you sort through some of the funnies to get it.  

Again, turn your fear to anticipation, and just lean into it slowly.  Welcome to Team AR15.com!

Richard

Welcome!
Looks like Richard, Patty and Beekeep have already gotten you rolling!
Don't be afraid, like Patty said.
Think of it this way, you drive a car, right? Cars can be deadly, right?

And there ya go.

NO NO NO NO NO NO, by all means, please feel the animals!  Just kidding.  Just don't ever pay attention to anything I say,  EVER.  You'll be ok if you do that.

Depending on what you ask around here, most of the responses will be informational/instructional. Put on your tough skin for the rest. There are a shitload of "drips under pressure" (ie "experts") around here who will chime in with cute smart-ass responses (I, however, would never do such a thing!). Separate out the chaff, and you'll get what you came for.

This is the most informational site on the WWW, period. I go nowhere else on the web for news or other info...there's always someone here who'll post anything worth paying attention to. You're surrounded by some very knowlegable folks, they have collectively saved my ass many times on AR builds I almost screwed up on. Saved me mucho$$$$$.

Welcome aboard the SS Gun Culture. Look around and have fun.

Welcome aboard, XxXsTaRxXx!

Hi There!

Glad to have you here.

Welcome to the site!

Hello and welcome aboard!

Find out whether your dominant eye is on the same side as your dominant hand. My nieces are
cross eye dominant, and don't enjoy shooting rifles at all. They all find shooting handguns to be
a blast, though.

If you're cross eye dominant, think about starting out with a .22 handgun.

If you're into the political side, check out:

http://www.a-human-right.com
http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/arms

He's got some great posters.

Anyway, the whole point is to enjoy your new found pasttime, so have fun!

Sam

Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   please tell me that's a typo? j/k of course.

If the "animals" are the guys in GD, they would love to be felt I am sure

from a fellow Floridian.  
______________________  

 

Welcome.

Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!

You rang?


Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question:
Just how many pairs of shoes do you own?

YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century.

Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century.

No one ever asked me that question...  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...

OK, if it'll make you happy:

How many shoes do you own?
This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...   OK, if it'll make you happy: How many shoes do you own? This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet.

Forgot how many, had to go and count...
23 pairs. That includes 9 pairs of various Doc Martens I started wearing/collecting in 1989.

Welcome aboard.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...   OK, if it'll make you happy: How many shoes do you own? This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet. Forgot how many, had to go and count... 23 pairs. That includes 9 pairs of various Doc Martens I started wearing/collecting in 1989.

No one ever asked me either, and the answer easily tops 50.  Not one pair of Docs, either -- they're almost all girly shoes.  I do have some Dansk clogs, a pair of Adidas running shoes, and some Salomon hikers, but everything else is girly, girly, girly.  Lots of kitten heels and ballet flats and some killer stiletto sandals, too.

Girly girls can be shooters, too!

Welcome, Stars!

Quoted: What's with all the XXX's? Or are they blanks for filling in later

Yeah, what does that stand for?....

You probably don't want to know what came to my mind.    

Welcome!  

The phrase "don't feeD the animals" means....wear thick skin if you post in General Discussion...and don't let the knuckle draggers scare you or wear you down.

Remember, it's only the internet.

See ya around!

Daisy

Hi there I don't shoot much either, infact very very little the past couple of years. Hopefully we can start doing alittle more

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...   OK, if it'll make you happy: How many shoes do you own? This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet. Forgot how many, had to go and count... 23 pairs. That includes 9 pairs of various Doc Martens I started wearing/collecting in 1989. No one ever asked me either, and the answer easily tops 50.  Not one pair of Docs, either -- they're almost all girly shoes.  I do have some Dansk clogs, a pair of Adidas running shoes, and some Salomon hikers, but everything else is girly, girly, girly.  Lots of kitten heels and ballet flats and some killer stiletto sandals, too. Girly girls can be shooters, too! Welcome, Stars!

Ah, but the other 14 pair I have *are* girly girl shoes.

Welcome

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! ... If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...   OK, if it'll make you happy: How many shoes do you own? This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet. Forgot how many, had to go and count... 23 pairs. That includes 9 pairs of various Doc Martens I started wearing/collecting in 1989. No one ever asked me either, and the answer easily tops 50.  Not one pair of Docs, either -- they're almost all girly shoes.  I do have some Dansk clogs, a pair of Adidas running shoes, and some Salomon hikers, but everything else is girly, girly, girly.  Lots of kitten heels and ballet flats and some killer stiletto sandals, too. Girly girls can be shooters, too! Welcome, Stars! Ah, but the other 14 pair I have *are* girly girl shoes.

It's Official:  Both Ladies have more shoes than I have worn this entire century.

Welcome

-MrsMonk

Thanks so much for making me feel welcome. I guess the reason why I'm afraid of guns is because I'm a girly girl. I'm also from New York and I just moved down to FL a year or two ago. And I never really knew FL was a big "gun state". I met my fiance down here in FL, and since he's a gun nut and a life member of the NRA, it was a little strange for me. Because you can't carry firearms in NY I dont think. But anywho... I guess I'll get used to it sooner or later. I really dont like the idea of shooting animals though. Oh Boy...

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! Dont worry about the fear of shooting.  for me, that passed after the first shot.  The first gun for me was a Remington 870.  (shotgun)  It kicked like a mule.  But i laughed and did it again until there was nothing left for me to shoot.  I promise, the fear will pass.   Just dont be too scared to ever even try it.  You'll never know if you never try.   If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...

Me neither...my guess is that being a stay at home mom, they assumed that I was perpetually barefoot...

FTR: My max was 39 pairs (I used to sell shoes) and I currently have 26.
Can never have too many pairs of shoes.

Since everyone has already given you good advice, I will skip the advice part and just say
Welcome!

(Oh, and by the way, now I'm feeling all butt-hurt that nobody has asked me how many shoes I have...)

Quoted: Thanks so much for making me feel welcome. I guess the reason why I'm afraid of guns is because I'm a girly girl. I'm also from New York and I just moved down to FL a year or two ago. And I never really knew FL was a big "gun state". I met my fiance down here in FL, and since he's a gun nut and a life member of the NRA, it was a little strange for me. Because you can't carry firearms in NY I dont think. But anywho... I guess I'll get used to it sooner or later. I really dont like the idea of shooting animals though. Oh Boy...

Cars kill more people than guns, do you like them?

When you go to a restaurant and order a steak or chicken breast, an animal died, meaning someone had to kill it.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Hunters are just following a tradition that's been around forever that we do our own killing for our eats.  At least like deer hunting, pigs, etc.  Sometimes we hunt to get rid of unwanted animals but that's a different story.

I had sort of a "fear" or "disrespect" for guns when I was younger.  And I was even a hunter.  But we are all bombarded with anti gun slogans in movies, the news, etc.  Guns are not what hurt people.  Bad people hurt people.  If it's not a gun, they will use something else.  That's why the good people need to have guns to defend themselve from the bad people.  It is a powerful tool, if used wrong, bad things can happen, if used correctly, innocent people are protected.  It really is just that simple.  There are plenty of examples throughout history, where guns in good peoples hands changed the world for the better, and protected good people.  You don't have to look to far too find that.  It's just that some people don't want you to find it.

Welcome to the boards, enjoy the journey, and be not ashamed of your fiancee's passion.  If you understand it, you might just become passionate about it too.  My wife doesn't shoot that much, but she believes the same way I do and likes having someone around that would protect her.  I just have to get her to learn herself too!!!  

Cars kill more people than guns, do you like them? When you go to a restaurant and order a steak or chicken breast, an animal died, meaning someone had to kill it. There's nothing wrong with that. Hunters are just following a tradition that's been around forever that we do our own killing for our eats. At least like deer hunting, pigs, etc. Sometimes we hunt to get rid of unwanted animals but that's a different story.

Good Point. I guess I should lighten up a bith.gif

Quoted: Since everyone has already given you good advice, I will skip the advice part and just say Welcome! (Oh, and by the way, now I'm feeling all butt-hurt that nobody has asked me how many shoes I have...)

<wipes up snarfed coffee>

Quoted: Cars kill more people than guns, do you like them? When you go to a restaurant and order a steak or chicken breast, an animal died, meaning someone had to kill it. There's nothing wrong with that. Hunters are just following a tradition that's been around forever that we do our own killing for our eats. At least like deer hunting, pigs, etc. Sometimes we hunt to get rid of unwanted animals but that's a different story. Good Point. I guess I should lighten up a bit

You're new here and you know how to fragment a quote and respond?  Wow, I still can't figure that one out.

Most of the time, if we quit listening to the public to tell us how we should feel about guns, we figure out what the truth is.  I'm glad you're open to listening.  I'm sure it will /is making your fiancee very happy if you share time with him shooting.  Only problem is you need more ammo then!!!!

Welcome aboard.  

I was directed to this thread because of a previous thread.

I'm one of the resident heathens here.

Whatever the ladies tell you about me is probably true.



Welcome aboard the Good Ship Lollipop!  

You're new here and you know how to fragment a quote and respond?  Wow, I still can't figure that one out.

Yeah well my fiance has an AR15 account, so I learn from him I guess. hehe

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll give you the same advise I was given,   DONT FEEL THE ANIMALS! ... If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us ARFCOM women!   You rang? Now that THAT is out of the way; My Official Arfcom Question: Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? YES, this is a Question I ask of almost every new Lady that shows up around here.  It goes back to a Thread that I started several thousand posts ago.  And Gals; to date every single reply have a total that exceeds the amount of shoes that I've owned this century. No one ever asked me that question...   OK, if it'll make you happy: How many shoes do you own? This includes shoes that you have worn out and haven't thrown out yet. Forgot how many, had to go and count... 23 pairs. That includes 9 pairs of various Doc Martens I started wearing/collecting in 1989. No one ever asked me either, and the answer easily tops 50.  Not one pair of Docs, either -- they're almost all girly shoes.  I do have some Dansk clogs, a pair of Adidas running shoes, and some Salomon hikers, but everything else is girly, girly, girly.  Lots of kitten heels and ballet flats and some killer stiletto sandals, too. Girly girls can be shooters, too! Welcome, Stars! Ah, but the other 14 pair I have *are* girly girl shoes. It's Official:  Both Ladies have more shoes than I have worn this entire century.

Ah, but the century is only 5 years old.