bought my mom her first gun today

[dieselman]

My mom is 56 years old and lives on her own, I feel bad that now I'm in college I'm not just down the street from her anymore and have been wanting to get her set up with a gun so that I know she is safe. Today while I was at the 1500 I decided that getting her something was more important than checking everything off my wish list. Ended up getting her a cheap .32 revolver, for what I paid for it it is actually a pretty nice, well functioning firearm. I'm hoping to eventually upgrade her to a .380 auto but for now this is a starting point. So i brought that and a little bag of hollow points over to her house this afternoon and she was actually pretty excited by the surprise I had for her, which is the reaction I was hoping for.

I gave her the basic explanation of how to load and function it when I dropped it off, but I will definitely need to take her to the range several times as she has no firearms knowledge/experience. Which leads to my question... what is the best way to get a woman her age started and comfortable with shooting? I know classes are nice, but right now she is just going to want to work with me one on one to get started. The gun came with a box of blanks, guess the guy that had it before me bought it to scare ducks away from his lake house, so i figured i would get her started with that just so she can practice pulling the trigger and so i can make sure she knows how to handle it without popping me.

 

[45fan]

NRA Gun Safety Rules

I would start here, and work on getting her familiar with the function and nomenclature of her particular pistol. I think that snap caps would be more productive in getting her used to the trigger.
What ever you decide, remember safety first!

 

[Six Forty-Two]

My wife was in her fifties when we decided to get our first gun for home. I think a class would be a good way to go. You may want to take it with her. It never hurts to take a refresher. No matter how much you know about shooting, an experienced instructor may pick up on what she might be having trouble with where you may not.

Another option may be to see if she would prefer a women only class.

 

[PAMom]

As a new shooter at 50 and a female, I highly recommend taking some classes. I took about 18 hours of classes for women only and it was time well spent.

Since there were only three women, the individual attention was awesome. I had fun and learned alot, too. I was especially pleased with the time spent working on defensive shooting skills; not just target practice. Later, I took a concealed carry class, that was helpful by teaching me how to train with my holster.

I like to shoot and do so at least once a week. Since I have two boys (17 & 19) it is a great way to do something together. They will actually go shooting with me (probably because I buy the ammo).

Anyway, I can't say enough good things about the classes I took. They are a great way to build confidence and learn how to train to defend yourself.

 

[dieselman]

I understand where you all are coming from about classes. but i dont think she feels comfortable enough with a gun to handle it around other people, and also dont know if she has the money for them right now. what i really want to know is what can i do now to get her comfortable and somewhat proficient with her firearm?

 

[stilllearning09]

I understand where you all are coming from about classes. but i dont think she feels comfortable enough with a gun to handle it around other people, and also dont know if she has the money for them right now. what i really want to know is what can i do now to get her comfortable and somewhat proficient with her firearm?

I understand the $$$ issue, but I like the others strongly recommend a class. This is about you Mom's confidence. Having the gun is great, but if you don't know how to use it, especially in a stressful situation, what good is it? The classes are geared to the student, and if she is not comfortable, the instructor can help her overcome her anxiety and understand how to handle a firearm safely.
It's tough teaching a mature family member. There are women's events here on INGO. My question is where is her comfort level? Have you asked her to go to the range with you?
If she will go, take to her to the range and start her with a .22 pistol. Demonstrate sight picture and basic safety rules. Have her start shooting at a close range (5-7 yards).
I also came into firearms later in life. I understand you Mom's concerns, but with a little positive reinforcement from you, and good instruction, she can become proficient with a weapon. Good luck to you both.

 

[Six Forty-Two]

I haven't taken the First Shots course, but everything I've heard has been positive. And the price is right. I noticed you are from the Indianapolis area, but here is the link for Applid Balistics in Lafayette First Shots

There are probably courses like this near you.