RE: the SURVIVOR'S GUIDE of the FUTURE: EPISODE 2: a GUN
I used to be a background investigator for the government, and it was my job to investigate people in the military and civilian contractor jobs to make sure they qualified for a security clearance. I had to go on a lot of military bases to do interviews, and it always made my slightly uncomfortable walking around them, with so many armed people walking around me. I was always concerned about one of them snapping and starting to shoot everyone in their path. I especially hated it if they guys with the guns were walking BEHIND me, or coming up in front of me.
My husband has one handgun, but I can't use it. I don't have enough arm strength to pull it back to cock it. He says I need a revolver, as they don't require pulling back the top of it to shoot it. Yet, I'm still concerned about how good I would actually be with one, as I haven't been able to straighten either of my elbows since I was 16 (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). Any shooting I did would have to be with bent elbows. I'm not sure how effective that would be, or how accurate in aiming.
I never fully extend my arms when I shoot. It is too tiring and difficult to maintain for more than a brief period. Something with minimal recoil is probably your best bet if you wanted to try getting into shooting.
@michigunner Yeah recoil is not your friend :D Probably a top reason some people don't like shooting. I like the minimal recoil I get with my gun. Very managable and I'm back to aiming in about a second!
@stephmckenzie Yeah honestly the best thing you could do is try out a friend's gun at a shooting range or rent one there to get the feel of it. As far as having to pull back on the top, you want something that is double-action, with no need to chamber that first round, so basically you'd want a revolver. It's a skill that needs to be built from the foundation up, so you'd need to slowly get the hang of it (: But honestly, my sense of safety shot through the roof when I got my gun!
I was so freaked out by my husband having a gun in the house, I hid it. He actually had it for a long time before he told me, because he knew I didn't like the idea, and I was having knee surgery, so the day before the surgery, I hid it, and he spent the next four days while I was in the hospital looking for it. I did it in a way where I made him think HE lost it. :)
I eventually gave it back when I got home, and I'm used to the idea now, but it was not something I liked at first. Now, I'm thinking if I can learn to use one, even with my messed up elbows, it might be a good idea, the way things are going in the world. That pepper spray, kitchen knife, and pair of scissors I carry with me (and also keep in the table by my bed) are only as good as the weapon any potential assailant is carrying.
Yeah honestly training yourself on how to use them makes you feel WAY MORE safe around them. Your local gun shops SHOULD allow you to hold them and feel the weight, etc.