2wheelwander
New member
My 18 year old daughter will graduate high school this year and is only a few weeks short of being a CNA. She'd have had it by now if classes had not been cancelled. Wants to move out and be independent. She has an outstanding head on her shoulders and I don't have to worry about her.
A few weeks ago she asked about concealed carry and told her in Indiana she can conceal carry at 18, but can't buy a new gun until she is 21. She took it upon herself to apply for CCW and get her fingerprints done. I took the day off and went with her with plans of just having a Daddy Daughter date day. After fingerprints she wanted to go look a guns.
Took her to one of my favorite LGS and spent 2 hours in there (ZX Guns, Fort Wayne). Had an outstanding salesman who showed me guns I'd not even thought of. I knew she'd want to eventually carry a single stack 9mm striker fired polymer after talking and letting her handle a wide variety of handguns that would easily be carried in a purse. Without firing a shot she shy'd away from all snub noses and DA/SA compacts. Just didn't like the feel. She attached to my Dads LPC . The gun salesman showed her every single stack 9mm striker fired he had. From Beretta to the Sig 365 SAS (I Loved that gun and its sights). Time and again she kept going to the Glock 43X. So, thats what I bought for her to train on.
We got home and she started on my Smith 22A, on to my CZ-85, PCR, she wanted to skip my RAMI and got onto the 43 as she became comfortable. She did extremely well and was upset she couldn't fire as fast or accurate as I could. Tried to tell her I had 40 years of shooting behind me - didn't matter to her. I bet she fired 500 rounds between .22 and 9mm. She shot until the web of her hand was red and sore. Targets were fun, hitting gongs and making them ring really added to the fun for her - just making the gong ring. Smiles all around.
Cleaning - she learned to field strip my new Glock, cleaned the barrel and learned how to lube it, reassemble. Returning that to the safe she, for the first time, stuck her head in with genuine interest in what Dad had and wanted to shoot EVERYTHING. Put .38's in my 6" GP100 then .357. She loved shooting it. Thought my NAA mini .22 mag was 'cute' and wanted to shoot it. Put her behind my Marlin 39A to get some rifle time.
Throughout the entire time, every time she handled a firearm she practiced trigger and muzzle discipline. Was safer and more instinctive than I've seen virgin shooters at LE ranges. She kept her respect, but lost her intimidation of firearms. I was so impressed by how she carried herself and awareness at the range, I gave her that Glock 43. She was beside herself.
My big takeaway training my daughter to shoot. Things I/we take for granted, or even appreciate, as seasoned shooters are irrelevant to a new person - or even annoying. People who ask me what to buy I tell them to find what fits their hand best and go from there. Typically I recommend an hammerless snub or a Glock 19 for a quick answer. My daughter hated the DA/SA CZ's. Having 2 different trigger pulls was stupid to her. Even on the hammerless snub, she just didn't like that long trigger pull. Didn't matter the Glock trigger sucked compared to a CZ, consistency and simplicity is what she went for. Take up, creep, reset - irrelevant. She found what fit her hand the most comfortably and gained confidence from it.
When it was all over she said she already wanted a second gun! Must be in the genes.
A few weeks ago she asked about concealed carry and told her in Indiana she can conceal carry at 18, but can't buy a new gun until she is 21. She took it upon herself to apply for CCW and get her fingerprints done. I took the day off and went with her with plans of just having a Daddy Daughter date day. After fingerprints she wanted to go look a guns.
Took her to one of my favorite LGS and spent 2 hours in there (ZX Guns, Fort Wayne). Had an outstanding salesman who showed me guns I'd not even thought of. I knew she'd want to eventually carry a single stack 9mm striker fired polymer after talking and letting her handle a wide variety of handguns that would easily be carried in a purse. Without firing a shot she shy'd away from all snub noses and DA/SA compacts. Just didn't like the feel. She attached to my Dads LPC . The gun salesman showed her every single stack 9mm striker fired he had. From Beretta to the Sig 365 SAS (I Loved that gun and its sights). Time and again she kept going to the Glock 43X. So, thats what I bought for her to train on.
We got home and she started on my Smith 22A, on to my CZ-85, PCR, she wanted to skip my RAMI and got onto the 43 as she became comfortable. She did extremely well and was upset she couldn't fire as fast or accurate as I could. Tried to tell her I had 40 years of shooting behind me - didn't matter to her. I bet she fired 500 rounds between .22 and 9mm. She shot until the web of her hand was red and sore. Targets were fun, hitting gongs and making them ring really added to the fun for her - just making the gong ring. Smiles all around.
Cleaning - she learned to field strip my new Glock, cleaned the barrel and learned how to lube it, reassemble. Returning that to the safe she, for the first time, stuck her head in with genuine interest in what Dad had and wanted to shoot EVERYTHING. Put .38's in my 6" GP100 then .357. She loved shooting it. Thought my NAA mini .22 mag was 'cute' and wanted to shoot it. Put her behind my Marlin 39A to get some rifle time.
Throughout the entire time, every time she handled a firearm she practiced trigger and muzzle discipline. Was safer and more instinctive than I've seen virgin shooters at LE ranges. She kept her respect, but lost her intimidation of firearms. I was so impressed by how she carried herself and awareness at the range, I gave her that Glock 43. She was beside herself.
My big takeaway training my daughter to shoot. Things I/we take for granted, or even appreciate, as seasoned shooters are irrelevant to a new person - or even annoying. People who ask me what to buy I tell them to find what fits their hand best and go from there. Typically I recommend an hammerless snub or a Glock 19 for a quick answer. My daughter hated the DA/SA CZ's. Having 2 different trigger pulls was stupid to her. Even on the hammerless snub, she just didn't like that long trigger pull. Didn't matter the Glock trigger sucked compared to a CZ, consistency and simplicity is what she went for. Take up, creep, reset - irrelevant. She found what fit her hand the most comfortably and gained confidence from it.
When it was all over she said she already wanted a second gun! Must be in the genes.