Kate is unimpressed. Commenters have recommendations. I like the sound of this.
The model 500 HS410, or “Home Security” model, is only available in .410, and is specifically designed for defensive use. It comes with a youth sized stock, a vertical foregrip with, in some versions, a built in laser sight, and a special muzzle brake and spreader choke on an 18.5 inch (47 cm) bead sight barrel. The .410, while by far the least powerful common shotgun chambering, still generates energy in excess of a .357 Magnum, and the spreader choke produces wider patterns, as well as less chance of wall penetration, in the short ranges to be expected in a defensive situation. This model is targeted at the novice user, who needs a simple, easy to use yet effective defensive weapon, and is packaged with an introductory video covering use and safety.
Are they available in Canada?
James Fulford writes:
Congratulations on the gun thing. The youth firearms thing is probably a good idea if you’re going to buy a rifle or shotgun.
It’s not women vs. man–shooting is something that both sexes can actually do equally. It’s the running around holding the gun over your head and shouting “Airborne! All the Way!” that girls have a hard time doing. (And don’t try–it won’t impress the safety guy.)
But the stocks are designed for the average length of arm, and you’re always going to be five feet tall, unlike the youths, so it’ll probably be a good investment. You can also have gunsmith shorten the stock of a normal gun.
By the way, THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT FINGER/TRIGGER THING.
Asthma and peanut allergies may be exaggerated, and most second-hand smoke science is fraudulent, but fingers on triggers are d*a*n*g*e*r*o*u*s.
Modern guns are designed so they won’t just go off, so almost every incident where some gets shot by accident involves
A) a finger
B) a trigger.
Another reader writes:
Madam —
Further to your post on your firearms safety course, I thought I’d briefly share my experience with the same. I’m under 30 and have lived in cities all my life; I had never handled a gun until it occurred to me that handling them was a skill that any reasonable person should possess — kind of like knowing how to change a tire. Anyways, while I was out in Vancouver after my final year of university (about two-three years ago) I took the
Non-restricted/restricted FAC/PAL course. The key differences between your and my experience seem to be as follows:1) Our course was conducted by some guy (he was a certified instructor, sure) in his basement.
2) The instructor was also the test adjudicator.
3) Both restricted and non-restricted courses were conducted at the same time.
4) The total instruction time for the two courses was sixteen hours over two days. I think this is probably a bit shorter than what the regulations call for.
5) While the instructor did a good job of instilling in us a good sense of firearm safety, it was fairly apparent that he was instructing us in how to pass the test. I appreciated this. :) His objective seemed to be to get as many not-obviously-crazy people as possible into firearms ownership, which was totally fine with me.
6) Throughout the instruction, he liberally sprinkled his remarks with epithets remarking on the absolute failure of the long-gun registry in Canada. I appreciated this as well.
7) We also never fired any guns. Ever. I had to buy my own guns before I was able to fire one for the first time. This seemed a little odd to me, but I just wanted to get my damn license already.
8) The practical portion of our examination consisted of identification, loading, unloading, and safe-carry procedures.
9) The written and practical examinations were dead (ha) easy thanks to the gerrymandering of Mr. Instructor.Conclusion: it looks like firearms instruction is a little more rigorous in Trana than it is in the west.
Funnily enough, however, I came away from the course with a slightly greater appreciation of the (exceptionally limited) virtues of the C-68 regime. I do think that the long-gun registry is a waste of time/money and is basically philosophically indefensible (handguns have been mandatory-registration for a long, long time — fair enough), but I was happy that those seeking firearms were required to take some sort of safety course first.
With respect to your finger consistently wandering inside the trigger guard when you pick up a weapon, follow this procedure to eliminate that dangerous practice:
1) When first picking up the firearm, and in this I will assume you are right-handed, use your right to grab the (usually curved) place where the stock gradually turns into the butt. This should be far enough south of the trigger that you won’t slip your index into it automatically.
2) Use your left to stabilize the front end in whatever way you feel is most comfortable.
3) When maintaining your grip on the firearm, make sure your right index is pointing down the length of the stock until you are ready to fire. Take a look at some graduation portrait photos of military-types with their weapons; this is how they handle them.
I’ve included some small photos as a reference.
I salute you for deciding to train with firearms. This is something that every good Canadian should do, every city-dwelling Canadian especially so, and every female city-dwelling Canadian especially-especially so.
I remember being at one of these dreary “STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NOW!” fundraisers (I was dating an unflinching/unthinking feminist at the time — ah university) which, in a confession of their completely supine position, was calling on the state to do more to protect women. You used to be in the movement, so I’m sure you understand the hypocrisy of it all, ie. “I’m a pacifist and violence is wrong! [aside: thank God there are non-pacifists that allow me to maintain my fantasy-land approach to reality.]”
I used a black felt-tip to answer the rhetorical question posed on the literature they had left everywhere (“what can we do to eliminate violence against women?”) with a pithy “BUY A GUN.” The one organizer I talked to who seemed the least aggressive of them all (why is it that so many radical fems / feminist lesbians / whatever swagger like their upper-body strength isn’t 1/10th that of 90% of men?) blanched at my suggestion that maybe, just maybe, women should learn how to defend themselves. I guess that wouldn’t address the “root causes of violence,” or whatever.
Love your site,
SC
Oh and by the way: the instructor I had yesterday has 25-years experience teaching this course. And he said yesterday that in the event of a Columbine style attack, the students should all throw their binders and other junk at the attacker. If you’re gonna die anyway you may as well pull a United 93 and screw the guy up. The stupidest thing to do is just hide under desks or line up to get killed.
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT SOME OF US (Andrea) SAID after V-Tech, for which we were shat upon from
a great internet height by brave male bloggers whose names are best forgotten.
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