Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
We think its very gratifying that the largest new segment of gun owners, women, are showing how responsible the "rest of us" ought to be. There are several photo's in this article, and you might have to click on the hyperlink to see them. We've highlighted some interesting talking points in this article. One of the best points was made by an instructor, and we agree They don't want to learn from their husbands.
'Women on Target' course teaches gun safety, responsibility
Sunday News
Jul 21, 2013 05:44
Manheim
By EMILY PEIFFER Staff Writer epeiffer&lnpnews.com
After firing the first shot from a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, I peered to my right. State Rep. Mindy Fee, in the shooting range stall adjacent to mine, had just shot a gun for the first time in her life. And so had I.
Fee and I were two of 10 members in the Women on Target handgun safety course at the Manheim Sportsmen's Association on Saturday.
The program, developed by the National Rifle Association, is offered all over the country, but the Manheim club is the only place it's offered in Lancaster County.
Anita Barr, chief instructor, said the class helps women to be more comfortable with guns.
"We don't want you to be intimidated. A firearm is just a tool," she said.
About half of the class had no prior experience with handguns. Most students were middle-aged women and included one mother and daughter pair.
Fee, a Manheim Republican who sits on the Game and Fisheries Committee, said she took the class to better understand what she is legislating.
"The more knowledge I have in this kind of arena, the more I can help," she said.
The daylong course included classroom instruction in the morning and shooting in the afternoon. All instructors are NRA-certified.
Amanda Christman, of Lititz, said she was always interested in guns but had never shot one herself.
"This is a great opportunity to get introduced to it and to get educated," she said.
Allan Wolf, one of the instructors, said the female-only classes allow women to "have more fun, be more comfortable and ask more questions."
Instructor Kenton Ressler said: "Women are more open to being taught. They don't want to learn from their husbands. They ask more questions when there aren't men in the class."
The course addressed handgun safety, the parts of a gun, components of shooting, possible malfunctions and cleaning the firearm.
After the morning instruction, we broke for lunch and prepared for the afternoon shooting. Most women said they weren't very nervous, but they were excited.
The group was split in half, with five of us lining up on the range, sitting in the beginner-friendly bench rest position.
Decked out in safety glasses, club hats and earplugs, we each had a personal instructor behind us during the entire process.
The instructors demonstrated how to load the magazine, position our hands and align the pistol's sights.
Due to the smaller caliber of the pistol, there was almost no kickback from each shot. It was impossible, however, to ignore the powerful feeling of firing a gun as each of our 15 shots soared down-range.
As I held the heavier-than-expected firearm in my hands, supported by sandbags below, I never felt unsafe. The instructors made sure we were comfortable and prepared.
"If you don't take anything else from today, take this. Safety and responsibility are the bottom line. From this day forward, you are now the responsible person for handgun safety," Wolf said.
Two of Fee's staff members joined her for the class. Diane Dorman, Fee's district constituent outreach specialist, said after shooting, "I felt intimidated going in, but came out with confidence."
After students finished shooting, we all examined our target paper for accuracy. Instructors encouraged participants to come back to the range and continue practicing.
A few said of the souvenir paper of clustered bullet holes I removed from down-range, "Good job for a rookie. You should hang that up in your office."
My accuracy, however, paled in comparison to Fee, who, despite this being her first experience, out-shot us all.
Fee, who grew up around guns but had never shot one herself, said she supports gun rights and that her district is "absolutely gun-friendly and pro-second amendment."
All of the day's participants and instructors agreed gun safety is extremely important, but not all said safety courses should be required for gun ownership.
"I think it's important for everyone to take safety classes," student Jaime Plank, of Mountville, said.
Plank had previously been very anti-gun, but said her position evolved after being exposed to hunting.
"If more individuals learn about the sport and craft of it, we can make it less frightening for the general public," she said. "I went from tree-hugger to NRA member."
Fee said she doesn't believe people should be required to take safety courses.
"I don't think you can make it a requirement, but as a responsible citizen, you should take a class," she said.
Instructor Dean Kissinger said he has "mixed emotions" on the subject.
"Personally, I would advocate to enact a law that would require anybody wanting to buy a handgun for personal protection to take a safety class," he said.
Kissinger added, "But the second amendment states that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed."
The Manheim Sportsmen's Association, at 552 Oak Road, Manheim, has offered Women on Target classes for the past eight years. The club also offers instruction in basic training, personal protection inside the home and personal protection outside the home.
Demand for these classes has greatly increased in the past two years, according to Barr.
Fee said she plans to sponsor her own free concealed-carry education classes in September.
"I want to make every resource available. People have to know the laws," she said.
For more information about the Women on Target program or to register for the $30 class, contact Anita Barr at 717-627-0694.