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This is a forum for OFCC's ladies to chat about their unique challenges when it comes to carry, or any other subject.

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Toothfairy
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:19 am

New here...

Post by Toothfairy »

Hello all!!!
Took a ladies first shot course in Jan. and my OCD kicked in and been hooked ever since. Taking my CCW in two weeks.
I am a little confused on filling out the paperwork (college I moved a lot but my perm addr. was still with parents...just bills were at college addr...not sure which to list on application). I am also putting a great deal of thought into my first pistol and exactly how to carry. I have been shooting everything from .22 to .40 (think they have decimal in front please pardon if incorrect) and love everything I've been using. I do appreciate and understand pro's and con's of size /concealablilty vs. accuracy etc. thats why I'm not rushing.
I would like some opinions from you ladies who do carry. If been carrying for a while and possibly maybe think if every to get something different would choose something else and why...I would love to hear from you.
I am located in Columbus area and would love to get all the target practice I could get...are there any ladies clubs around?
Thanks to all!!! :D
bcdad
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Re: New here...

Post by bcdad »

Welcome
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pirateguy191
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Re: New here...

Post by pirateguy191 »

Welcome, and I believe you owe me some coin from when I was a kid. I'm not sure I got money for all my teeth. :mrgreen:
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." - Ronald Reagan

"When democracy turns to tyranny, the armed citizen still gets to vote." ~ Mike Vanderboegh

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AlanM
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Re: New here...

Post by AlanM »

pirateguy191 wrote:Welcome, and I believe you owe me some coin from when I was a kid. I'm not sure I got money for all my teeth. :mrgreen:
You really want a visit by someone that might have a dragon tat on their back?
Have you had any old family movies transfered to modern media lately?
AlanM
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Mustang380gal
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Re: New here...

Post by Mustang380gal »

I've been carrying since licenses were available. My husband is partial to old guns, so that's what I am most familiar with.

I started with a .380, and yes, the caliber does have a decimal point. A .380 is roughly 38/100 of an inch. a .45 is 45/100 of an inch. you see the pattern. 9mm is the metric equivalent to .380. There's many variations that get kind of confusing.

My first handgun was a Colt Mustang. It is small, easily concealable, but no longer made. There are several manufacturers that are making a similar handgun, but I don't know their names.

If you haven't picked a carry gun, go to a shop that rents guns, and try a few until you find one you are comfortable with.
RIFLEWOMAN, wife of a RIFLEMAN, mom of 9, NRA life member, OFCC Patron member!
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Gumby
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Re: New here...

Post by Gumby »

Hi Toothfairy!

WELCOME! :mrgreen:

I agree with Mustang, it's a great idea to "try out" some different guns, the ranges sometimes rent them. I did not do that, but luckily am still pleased with the carry gun I chose (Smith & Wesson 642 which is a 38 special with concealed hammer). It's not a great gun for lots of range time (the kick makes my hand hurt after firing a lot of shots) but some of my others are better for that. However, it's great for every-day carry because it's fairly small. I usually carry appendix-style in an IWB (inside-waistband) holster, but sometimes in my handbag.
Gumby

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson
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BobK
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Re: New here...

Post by BobK »

Toothfairy wrote:Taking my CCW in two weeks.
I am not sure where you have decided to take your course, but if it isn't too late to choose, you may want to consider one of the people in town that are also cross-certified as a Utah Concealed Carry Instructor. It would be very helpful to complete both Ohio and Utah training in the same training class.

That gives you a cost-effective option if you decide down the road to also get your Utah non-resident Concealed Firearms Permit. This would give you reciprocity in many more states that your Ohio license alone, and is thus useful if you anticipate traveling in the next 5 years. Utah is less expensive than Florida, and provides the same states.

Here is a list of Out-of-state Certified Utah Firearms Instructors.
Toothfairy wrote:I am also putting a great deal of thought into my first pistol and exactly how to carry. I have been shooting everything from .22 to .40 . . . I do appreciate and understand pro's and con's of size /concealablilty vs. accuracy etc. thats why I'm not rushing.
Well, I have to say you are on the right track to try out as many options as you can to see what shoots well for you.

I didn't know what I wanted to buy either, so I made a number of trips to ranges that rented handguns and tried out a variety of models. Even though it costs money to rent a handgun, you will spend less money than that if you buy a handgun that you end up disliking. I would suggest waiting on buying anything until you have had multiple range visits where you have tried renting or borrowing multiple handguns to see how they shoot for you.

Talking about them on a forum is kind of like reading about handguns in a magazine. It is all well and good, and writers have interesting opinions. But there is nothing like actually shooting a pistol to know how well you naturally point it, how you like the trigger feel, differences in recoil, group sizes, etc. You can line up twenty people with twenty different handguns and what works for each individual will be all over the map.

For one example, I have one friend who is a retired Marine and Navy Seal, and incidentally a crack shot. However, he doesn't like 1911's because when it comes to shooting them fast and accurately, they do not naturally point well for him. He far prefers a Sig. The dozens of 1911 manufacturers attest to their popularity in the market because many people find them to point naturally and be a great shooter.

For another example, I thought it would be nice to pick up a "polymer pistol". When I rented or borrowed and shot a Glock, S&W, SA XD, and some others, I found I couldn't shoot an XD as well as I shot the M&P. I did 10 groups of 5 for each pistol and my group sizes were consistently smaller with the M&P. I can't really say why, except the M&P trigger felt better to me. That doesn't mean if I stood at the range with a friend and he was shooting the same guns, the XD might have shot better than the M&P for him.

There was a time I was at the range (Big Darby Creek Shooting Range, West Jefferson) and there was a young man (new shooter) at the next lane who was shooting some compact pistol (I don't remember the brand). He was complaining about how the recoil was "crushing his hand". I said, "why don't you give this a try", and let him shoot a couple of magazines from my full-size M&P .40. He couldn't believe how much he liked it better and how comfortable it shot for him. Unfortunately, he had already spent $500 on a gun he couldn't shoot well.
I am a: NRA Life Member, Texas State Rifle Association Life Member, Texas Firearms Coalition Gold member, OFCC Patron Member, former JFPO member (pre-SAF).

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markallen
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Re: New here...

Post by markallen »

Here's a good website for women with CHL's. http://www.corneredcat.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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EChryst
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Re: New here...

Post by EChryst »

markallen wrote:Here's a good website for women with CHL's. http://www.corneredcat.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
+1 to that site for sure.
pirateguy191 wrote:Welcome, and I believe you owe me some coin from when I was a kid. I'm not sure I got money for all my teeth.
What about the one I lost a few months ago?
-Erik
Toothfairy
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:19 am

Re: New here...

Post by Toothfairy »

Thanks Everyone!!!
First of all...
As far as teeth go...the tooth fairy is flat broke also. These darned kids expect to much these days! Can you believe some parents are in it for as much as five bucks a tooth? UNreal!!! So sorry guys...no can do.

Secondly...Just finished my conceal course. Took it with my father. It was a two day, I cancelled a one day just so I could take a course with him as he did not want to do 12hrs in one day (68 yoa and thought that sounded horrible).
The course was great the first day, second day was just eh...but shooting made up for it. Always love hands on. I took my hubbys .45 Glock (the only one in the house on short notice with enough ammo for the trip :oops: ). Had only shot it one other time but I did ok. Was extremely nervous when I found out I would be doing strong and weak arm one hand shoot as well as point & shoot but I was surprised when 7/10 was the worst I did on those skills. I am however, a perfectionist and still bugs me but just have to let it go and remember it was a first for me.
I also have to let it go that my father scored higher than I did on the written and just accept the fact that we both got "A's", and passed.
We had a great time together and that made it invaluable or should I say PRICELESS!
I love my father and I can just add this to my many memories like our fishing trips from childhood. :D
ICanHazQBN
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Re: New here...

Post by ICanHazQBN »

I am a little confused on filling out the paperwork (college I moved a lot but my perm addr. was still with parents...just bills were at college addr...not sure which to list on application).
I could be wrong, but I'm thinking you would probably put down your permanent address. I would recommend calling the sheriff's office in the county where you will be applying for the CCW and ask them.
am also putting a great deal of thought into my first pistol and exactly how to carry.
Have you considered open-carrying as opposed to concealed-carrying? I personally prefer open carry for many reasons, one of which is that it is a heck of a lot easier to find a holster/gun that fits comfortably when you're carrying it outside your clothes and not inside them. Also, you also don't have to be as choosy with what you wear if you're not trying to conceal a gun under everything. I carry mine in the traditional way - around the waist. Haven't experimented with other positions, but this has been sufficient so far.
I have been shooting everything from .22 to .40 (think they have decimal in front please pardon if incorrect) and love everything I've been using. I do appreciate and understand pro's and con's of size /concealablilty vs. accuracy etc. thats why I'm not rushing.
The gun I'm currently carrying is an EAA Windicator; a .357 Magnum/.38 Special snub-nose revolver. I chose it because I love revolvers, the grips are amazingly comfortable and just feel natural in my hands, it's not a lightweight gun so the kick isn't too bad, and it's a large enough caliber to do the job it might have to do someday. I would not recommend carrying anything in a smaller caliber.
I would like some opinions from you ladies who do carry. If been carrying for a while and possibly maybe think if every to get something different would choose something else and why...I would love to hear from you.
I am looking for something very small that I could conceal on my person if the day came that I wanted to go that route. Haven't seen anything in particular that I like, but the search is still on!
I am located in Columbus area and would love to get all the target practice I could get...are there any ladies clubs around?
Thanks to all!!! :D
I'm in the Dayton area, so don't know too much about Columbus. I have never heard of any ladies clubs or anything of that nature, sadly. But I really think we women should get together and go shooting at least once a month!
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." ~Thomas Jefferson
packin'mom
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Re: New here...

Post by packin'mom »

Welcome! This is a great site and lots of info available to you.
I carry a .380 Bersa Thunder because its easy to conceal. I prefer my Springfield XD 9mm but find that its not as easy to conceal as the .380. Its a matter of trial and error. You might also find that you purchase quite a few holsters till you find one that you really like. The important thing is to find a gun and holster that you are comfortable with and carry that weapon! Good luck to you.
Packin' Mom
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