i used to have a small collection of airguns. a .177 co2 pistol and a .22 pump pistol. lots of fun, especially since they’re safe enough to use in ones home. so long as the proper precautions are taken. the .22 finally broke - it must have been like 30 years old when it finally gave up, and the .177 i sold at some point. talk about inexpensive target practice. i may have to look into that again, what with the cost of firearm ammo these days.

and yeah, getting the firearm purchasing permit in new jersey was a two month ordeal, including finger printing, two letters of recommendation from friends, and an fbi background check. and that’s not counting the pistol purchasing permit, which was a whole ‘nother thing.

.22 and “Ladies Day” shooting are about all I can manage regularly right now, and even that’s not so much. Just to add to the fun, the counselor I have been seeing (’cos my bf bailed after 14 years of cohabbing and I took it just a skosh hard) happens to be a bigtime target-shooting champion. With about everything from air pistols to shotguns. How likely is *that?* And here I wanted to be the only statistical anomaly in the room….
Your hubby will come ’round, or not; people need their own time with things.

soon after, i bought a pretty good bow and regularly visited a local indoor range. the range also sold firearms, but i had no interest until my apartment was burglarized. i spoke to a salesperson at the range, and purchased a remington 870 12 gauge magnum shotgun for protection (after enduring the 2 month waiting period and firearm purchasing permit application process in my then home state of new jersey). soon after getting up to speed at the local trap and skeet range, i looked into sidearms, got a pistol permit, and purchased my s&w 9mm, and then a few years later a s&w 22 target pistol.

after transition, i found i just couldn’t afford to go to the range anymore - even the 22 ammo and range fees were too expensive. so i stopped going. here in phoenix, the local range has a “ladies day” where i can use the range for free. i think i can swing that, if all i have to pay for is the ammo.

my hubby has little interest, though i’ve convinced him that it may be a good idea that he at least learn to handle the firearms we have in the house. hopefully, he’ll come to the range with me at some point. he may find that he likes it.

It’s an interesting coincidence that women didn’t get the vote in the US until small handguns firing brass-cased cartriges were available and often sold as “protection for the lady of the house.”

I had barely shot at all before transition. (Yes, it was “too manly.”) Some years back, my ex got into it and I went along. Turned out I had more of a knack for it than he does, and wasn’t he unhappy about that.

Pink Pistols has an excellent reputation and learning the basics — especially the Four Rules of safe firearm handling — is a vital first step.