PISTOL SHOOTING FOR LADIES
The great majority of ladies have some inherent dread of all varieties of
firearms. This is no doubt largely due to the senseless and irresistible
desire of inexperienced persons to indulge in a mock-heroic display and
flourish of such arms when in the presence of ladies. All useless
demonstration and ostentation with fire arms serves only to distinguish
those who are unfamiliar with their proper manipulation and use. Persons
handling arms in this manner should be avoided, or promptly compelled to
desist. Many of the accidents of the “I did not know it was loaded” order
occur in this manner.
There is nothing occult or mysteriously dangerous about fire arms, but
their potential power must never be forgotten in handling them. As a
weapon of defense the revolver places the weakest and most diminutive
person skilled in its use, on an equality with the most powerful
antagonist. Ladies who travel extensively and visit semi-civilized
countries, especially the wives and daughters of men in the diplomatic
service and of the army and navy officers assigned to foreign stations,
should be thoroughly familiar with fire arms and skilled in their use.
The necessity of knowing how to shoot, like knowing how to swim, may occur
but once in a woman’s lifetime, but when occasion does require either, it
is generally under circumstances involving peril to life, and for that
reason both are advantageous and valuable accomplishments. Every woman
should, therefore, be sufficiently familiar with fire arms to know how to
handle them safely, and, in emergency, to use them with intelligence.
While skill in the use of the pistol and revolver is a useful
accomplishment, the practice of shooting with these arms will prove
exceedingly interesting. Target practice with the .22-caliber pistol is
particularly well suited for ladies, and those who have the opportunity to
indulge in it have invariably found it an enjoyable and fascinating
pastime. There is every reason, too, to believe that ladies would excel
and develop a higher order of skill in pistol shooting than gentlemen,
because they are generally more temperate and possess a more delicate
nervous system.
A number of civilian shooting clubs have successful ladies’ auxiliary
clubs. There are at the present time a large number of ladies who are
skillful markswomen with the pistol and revolver.
[Illustration: Figure 80. Combination Set.--Smith & Wesson .38-Cal.
Revolver, .22-Cal. Pistol, Utensils, etc., in Case.]
Any of the target pistols referred to in the text under the subject of
Arms (except the Remington pistol, which is a very heavy piece) are
suitable for ladies’ use. A very serviceable and handsome combination is
furnished by Smith & Wesson, which consists of their regular target
pistol with a 10-inch barrel and an interchangeable .38-caliber revolver
barrel and cylinder, fitting to the same stock. These are furnished in a
special case with cleaning rods, etc., making a complete and attractive
set. The .22-caliber Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector with a 6-inch barrel and
.22-caliber Colt Police Positive Target revolvers are also well adapted
for ladies’ use.
It is well to begin practice with a .22-caliber pistol, as this is a light
and very pleasant charge to shoot, and the tendency to “flinch” is reduced
to a minimum. After a fair degree of skill has been developed with the
.22-caliber pistol reduced charges with a revolver may be tried and from
this stage the practice shooting can progress to the regulation full
charges. It is desirable that ladies should have a little practice with
the revolver with full charged ammunition, so as to be able to manipulate
it with sufficient confidence and skill in case of necessity.