THIS JUST IN: T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE!!! (and other merchandiise)

Hey Ladies!

I've just created an online store with a Femme et Pistolet t-shirt available for purchase! The shirt is $25.95 - a bit pricey...I know, but I get $2.60 per purchase. All of the funds will go directly towards the Femme et Pistolet cause! This will help me with out of pocket expenses for snacks and refreshments for our group get togethers, getting the Femme et Pistolet name out there to other ladies and organizations, etc.

Here's the link!

http://www.zazzle.com/femme_et_pistolet_t_shirt-235104617800403001




Also available (please check back, as this list will grow!):

iPhone Barely There Case

Shooting is for Everyone!

A work in progress, but here are some shots of some lovely femmes taking there first shots and some season shooters doing what they do best!! Check back for Shooting is for Everyone Part II!!

Women and Guns in History

Annie Oakley wasn't the only gun totin' femme of the past. Take a look at these lovely ladies!


January 5, 1938. Westmoreland Hills, Maryland. "Mrs. Albert F. Walker of this town has been declared 1937 women's skeet shooting champion of the country by the National Skeet Shooting Association."


An original wire photograph from the archives of a newspaper showing women practicing with revolvers. The women are fully identified and their names can be read on the back were they are referred to as "Police Women".
 This was considered the "wrong" way to hold a rifle.


80 years from now, our children's children could be looking at the same picture of us and be inspired!


"Pat Laursen, national women's skeet shooting champion, wearing glasses that improve her aim and protect her eyes from flying pieces of pigeon. Photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt in Akron, Ohio. 1940"

The Decision to Carry Concealed

Just a quick follow up to my previous post, "Defend Yourself."

It is important to note that you should NOT carry concealed or keep a gun that you intend to use in an emergency situation until you have had EXTENSIVE training and are proficient with the weapon.

A gun in untrained hands in a high stress, emergent situation is almost as dangerous as a gun in the "wrong" hands.

You know what all this means?? More time at the range! Yay!! Does it get any better than that?? A day at the range is a beautiful day. No kids, no work, no nothing. Just you and your gun - perfect harmony and total zen.

Defend Yourself

As women, we are often the prey of those unsavory characters who prowl this fine world of ours. Therefore, it would be in our best interest to defend ourselves to the best of our ability. Self defense courses are fantastic, carrying pepper spray is also a good start. But, why stop there?? Why not turn the tables on those who intend to do us harm?

Not to be a Paranoid Polly, but why just hope for the best? Why not put yourself in the BEST possible situation to you keep you safe and in the lives of those who love and depend on you?

The thought of firing a gun may scare you, and the thought of CARRYING a gun may terrify you but do either of those things sound less scary that not being able to defend yourself in the event that, god forbid, something DID happen?

I don't want to go all preachy here, I just feel it's an important point to make. We must, of course, keep perspective. Femme et Pistolet is all about baby steps, easing into this whole world, educating yourself and becoming comfortable with what is currently a very foreign realm.

I just hope that I have given you some food for thought.

I will leave you with a bit of reading about a smart and courageous woman who chose the path to defend herself as best she could and because of that, probably saved herself from a very gruesome outcome:

Woman Defends Herself from Home Intruder

I apologize for the dark nature of this post, but sometimes I will take a bit of a "realist" stance on this blog. For the most part, I'll try to keep it light!!

~ Le Femme

Femme et Pistolet is on Facebook!

Check out our new Facebook Page and be sure to "like" us!

http://www.facebook.com/FemmeEtPistolet

EVENT! Ladies Day at the Range!

Hello Ladies! I've been informed of an upcoming LADIES ONLY event at the Royalston Fish & Game Club! The event is geared towards those of you who have never shot before but want to try! It's going to be an AWESOME event!

Note that Pre-Registration is Required!

Details are below:

Hope to see you there!!!

-Le Femme

Big Booms = Big Fun!

Fear not the guns that have a big bark, the bite is totally worth it.

Shot my first military surplus weapon today, a Mosin Nagant M44 built in the 1950's. It is a carbine, which is a shorter version of a rifle and shoots a 7.62 x 54R bullet:


Left to right: 7.62x54R, .45, 9mm

Admittedly, and I trust you will keep this within our little community, it was the first gun I've ever been intimidated by. Yes, your very own Le Femme had a tinge of hesitation when it came to firing this mighty boom stick.

I was at the range with my husband, and after watching him fire it, my little brain said "oh $hit". I was intrigued, but curiously nervous - not something I'm used to feeling when it comes to guns. I think it gave me some insight into what those of you who fear or are nervous about guns must feel. But I bit the bullet, pun TOTALLY intended and picked up that rifle and fired and.....

it was AWESOME!!! I have a speckly tiny bruise on my shoulder (my battle wound that I'm so proud of) because once I got one shot off, I didn't want to put it down! 

In conclusion, conquering fears is good for the soul!

In other news, and totally off topic, I conquered another fear tonight. I went into the dark part of the woods this evening to fetch some firewood. First time I've ever been able to get myself to do that... so see Le Femme isn't so big and bad after all! 

Below is a video for your viewing pleasure of my M44 experience:

Instructor Certification!

Just a quick post!

Well after much encouragement from the community on NES (www.northeastshooters.com), I've finally decided to pursue my Instructor Certification!

This way, in addition to my hosting the groups, I will be able to instruct all you lovely ladies should you decide to pursue shooting and maybe even your LTC!

Please continue to follow this blog!

~Le Femme ♥

A Day at the Range

If the time comes that you think you may be ready for our Day at the Range group, here's a little of what you can expect:

We arrive at the Range, and unpack our Range Bag which includes: Eyes & Ears (shooting safety glasses and ear protection), ammunition and of course our firearms for the day.

We check in the with the Range Officer on duty.

[PAUSE FOR EDUCATION]

Range Officers (RO): Most (and I stress MOST, not every) gun range is equipped with an RO. Some clubs have a range officer on duty during all active range times; some have them only during select times of day; some don't have one at all. (These are things you may want to consider when choosing a club - should you decide to join one).

An RO is a designated individual who is present to maintain the safety of a gun range to the best of his ability. Things he is looking out for: making sure people do not break what is called "the 180" (in other words, making sure they aren't pointing their gun anywhere but down range); making sure people are following the general rules of that particular gun range; keeping tabs on who is at the gun range and how they're conducting themselves and their firearm. Basically they are there to be another set of eyes on a mission to keep things as safe as possible.

A good mindset is to think of yourself as an RO, even if you're not. Everyones common goal is safety and then fun. So, if you see someone doing something they shouldn't be doing - SPEAK UP! You won't be shunned. In fact, just the opposite, you'll probably get a good pat on the back for being aware.

[BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING]

Now we review the Four Rules of Gun Safety (ALWAYS ALWAYS go over these before you shoot, it's a good way to get it drilled into your brain, say them out loud!)

[PAUSE FOR EDUCATION - THIS ONE IS LONG BUT SUPER IMPORTANT]

The following rules are not meant to intimidate, scare or deter you from shooting, they are simply the rules that every shooter must follow, and really they should make you feel a bit safer that this is the general practice:

The Four Rules of Gun Safety:

#1: TREAT ALL GUNS AS IF THEY ARE LOADED - If someone hands you a gun and says "Don't worry it's not loaded," your reply should be, "Well I'm going to treat it as if it is loaded." This includes not pointing it at anyone or anything you don't plan to destroy (you will hear this repeated in a subsequent rule); not pulling the trigger for a "dry-fire" before verifying for yourself that the gun in fact has no round in it - and even once you've done so, you always dry-fire in a SAFE direction.

#2: NEVER POINT THE GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T INTEND TO KILL OR DESTROY - I don't like to use this phrasing for people who are already skittish of guns, because it automatically goes to the notion of "gun violence", don't let it take you there. We can't pretend that guns are not lethal weapons (especially thanks to Mel Gibson, heh heh), but we can handle them smartly in order to make them as safe and as fun as possible.

*Food for thought and IMHO: There are many things that, in the wrong hands, can do terrible damage; and most of those things, people don't think twice about using: cars, knives, etc. Guns are dangerous in the wrong hands. The best thing you can do is put guns in more of the RIGHT HANDS - SUCH AS YOUR OWN.   

#3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OUT OF THE TRIGGER GUARD UNTIL YOU ARE PREPARED TO SHOOT - Some triggers are slightly tough to pull, and some are "hair triggers". It doesn't matter what you're shooting with, keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you intend to fire!

 << YES  << NO!!! (well, yes if you're him because he clearly intends to fire)

#4: ALWAYS BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEYOND IT - When it comes to shooting, there are no do-overs or take-backs. For example: If you're in a house, be aware of what is beyond walls, doors, windows, etc.

[BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING]

So, we've arrived and we have reviewed the above 4 RULES, maybe even reviewed them twice :-).

With eyes and ears donned, in an ever so fashionable fashion, we take our weapon for the day out of its locked container and place it on the table, pointing down range in the "safe position". This means we have all verified that it is cleared by making sure there is no magazine in it and that the chamber is clear.

[VOCAB LESSON]

Magazine - Not the kind you read. A metal or plastic case type apparatus which houses the live ammunition (bullets). The Magazine is inserted up into the grip of the gun and the gun is then considered "HOT".




Chamber - The interior of the muzzle of the gun is the chamber. The portion of the gun which the bullet travels through and exits from.



[AND WE'RE BACK]

Once we've verified that our weapon is clear. We will then make sure we are all ready to "go hot" and load the weapon.

 I will go first show you step by step what to do once the gun is in your hand and I will fire five rounds.

When I'm done firing. I will have you verify that the gun is in fact cleared and then I will place it on the table with the slide locked open and in the "safe position".

FYI: "slide locked open"
 (shiny part on top is the slide)

If you decide you are ready to shoot and would like to try, you will load ONE round (bullet) into the magazine ("mag"), insert the mag into the gun, and fire once given after the okay.

Once you've fired the round, I will help you verify that the weapon is clear and we will lock the slide open and place it on the table in the safe position.

When we've finished our day of shooting, we will clear and lock our weapons, review the day, review the 4 RULES and that's that. A wonderful and SAFE day at the range!

Reason #253 to Shoot: Plinkin' and Thinkin'

Plinkin' and Thinkin' - The two simply can't coexist.

"Plinking" refers to shooting a steels.

[PAUSE FOR EDUCATION]

"Steels" Are metal targets which offer a very rewarding "plink" sound when you hit them. They are reactive, which means they either fall down or swing when you hit them. See images below:





IMPORTANT: When shooting steel, you should always be at least 25 FEET AWAY from the steel targets.

[BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING]

So, as I was saying, when your plinking (or doing any other shooting for that matter) the only thing you can think of is the gun in your hand and the targets you're sighting. It's truly a glorious feeling.

After a long stressful day, with family, kids, work or whatever taxes your mind there's nothing to relax my mind like shooting at some steel. Shooting and letting your mind wander to your current stressors is like trying to tap your head and rub your tummy at the same time, it's near impossible.

Whatever ails you will cease to exist with the simple acting of pulling the trigger while aimed at some inanimate objects. Not because it's hard or scary but because there is a certain zen to shooting that can't entirely be described without experiencing it.

Kids making you crazy?? Go shoot.
Hubby/boyfriend making you crazy?? Go shoot.
Work making you crazy?? Go shoot.
Green thumb not so green and getting frustrated?? Go shoot.
Getting my drift here??

The sensation I'm trying to describe is not one that comes from aggression, or a machismo type place. It's simply a feeling of complete peace. Ironic huh? Shooting a gun = peacefulness?? There's a huge mind blow, eh?? Food for thought!

Gun Myth Debunked!

The "AR" of AR-15, is commonly thought to stand for "Assault Rifle." This is FALSE. AR actually refers to the orginal manufacturer of the AR-15, ArmaLite. When you know the facts, it sounds far less intimidating!

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
                                                 - G.I. Joe