Hi everybody,

I'm 27, my girlfriend is 24. She doesn't have the slightest problem with me having guns. She knows them, knows the safety rules, how to safety check them, how to load them, helps me on deciding purchases, even joins me watching YouTube gun channels.

But.. she doesn't really "like" them. I mean it doesn't interest her one bit. She lets me be but doesn't want to shoot any firearm. And trust me, I definitely don't push her to or want to do it.

Carrying is not an option where I live. But I'd definitely like her to know how to use a firearm for home defense. We are planning to move together. I travel for weeks for work and she'll have to stay alone. Also,I know her and honestly believe she'll have a lot of fun plinking. I just think she's afraid.

Do any of you guys have had similar experiences you'd care to share?

Thanks in advance!

Take her to the Range with a .22LR and let her experience the fun. Then if she agrees, progress up to a .38 Spl. and see how she likes that. She might enjoy it a lot. Just do NOT start her off with a large caliber, Magnum or really heavy gun - you're sure to turn her right off.

Tell her about all the beautiful women you meet at the range.

tell her you are going to be teaching some other young ladies to shoot this weekend and i'll be she will want to go with you. when "they" don't show up see if she wants to learn since you are already there. lee

Have her try a 22 if and when she's in the mood for it.Theres no point in pushing something if she just isn't interested in it.

Be mean to her. Flirt with other women when she is around. She will get interested in guns real quick and in a hurry.

Next time the subject comes up, invite her to go to the range with you. If she turns you down, tell her it's a standing offer, and any time she wants to join you, she can.

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John 14:6, Luke 21:11

Tell her shopping for holsters is just like shopping for shoes.

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Common sense isn't.

Sometimes, the idea of being placed in the situation of being told what to do by your boyfriend, creates a mental block.
Perhaps if you can arrange for an instructor other than yourself, and also not be present during the lessons, it might be more palatable to her.

After I became interested in firearms, I gave my husband a Shield and a concealed carry class for a Christmas gift. He had no problem going to the class by himself, even though he had refused to go with me previously.

After he had that solo experience, we were fine shooting together, and now he's a better shot than me. YMMV.

Tell her she can't.

Muzzle report and recoil, as well as other shooters in proximity are typically the issues.

Find a place to shoot where it's just you and her... put one of these in her hands and she'll have an instant smile on her face.

Insult her and hand her a loaded gun. You probably only see her shoot it once though. I second bigwheelzips suggestion.

This is good. Some spouses who don't have an interest in the other spouse's interest won't participate in it at all. At least she is willing to spend some time with you on some level.

Nor should you. If you push her, you may just build resentment. Sometimes no matter how we try, we can't interest a spouse in a hobby...nor do we have an interest in some of their hobbies. For example, my wife likes to make bead necklaces, bracelets, etc. I have no interest in that whatsoever, and I don't pretend to. She doesn't try to make me, and if she did, we'd probably just end up having a fight. There are other ways we can spend time together.

Perhaps you could tell her that you'd feel better about being away from home and her if you knew she was capable of defending herself. If she is uncomfortable with you instructing her, sign her up for a class and let her go alone, unless she wants you there...maybe she doesn't want to "fail" in front of you. Once she takes a class, and has a good instructor helping her learn to shoot, she may come to like it...or she may not. The good part of this is that even if she never does come to like it, she doesn't object to you enjoying guns. That's not always the case! If nothing else, appreciate that.

After looking at your location try this. Tell her it's the latest fashionable thing in the US, and show her these two websites for a couple of new ranges near me. Me and the wife are members at Target Time since it's only a mile or so from my house.

The Midwest's Premier Firearms Destination | Frontier Justice

Firearms - Shooting Range - Training | Target Time Defense

The ranges and shops are more boutiques geared towards the fairer sex.

Diamond studded grips?????

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Vietnam 1969-1971

Good luck .. been married for 42 years and my wife just doesn't care for guns .. not against them .. and is happy I carry but she just doesn't have any interest in them or in getting her licenses to carry .. knows where they are and would shoot you if you broke in ..

She seldom shoots any of my pistols even though she is an above average shot for as little as she shoots .. her dad taught her out on the farm 60 years ago ..so been around them all her life ..

She has her interests and I have some also separate from hers .. she goes to the range and watches when I shoot .. helps me pick up my empty cases .. but she just doesn't care to shoot .. we both love all kinds of sports .. So really what more can I ask ..

Oh .. forgot .. She's a out standing cook too !!

Same story, or nearly so. My wife is no foe of guns, and doesn't object to my interest. She knows how to shoot, and has shot, but has little interest in shooting. I've tried to get her to take more interest, but it has never worked. I don't push it any more.

Tell her how sexy you find girls with ear protection.

Watch for the back fire.

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Dum vivo cano

Tell your girlfriend you find a woman who can shoot and handle
a gun S- E- X- Y like Angelina Jolie.

Good luck.

Order her something from Dene Adams...then she'll want to get a CCW, to wear it.

You might just need to accept that she may never develop much interest in guns, and that that would be okay.

You're both grownups (though I have grandchildren older than either of you ). Her adult decision may be a yawn.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Hahahahaha Oh, man, I sure had a good laugh with some of your replies!!

Also thank you very much for the honest input and experiences.

I was aware of starting her with a .22. The range I go to has a S&W 617 and a Ruger MKIII like the one ChatanoogaPhil showed. Both are very soft recoiling guns and the Ruger boasts a light trigger and big sights.

You made some very good points which I hadn't thought about. She not wanting to "embarrass herself" in front of me, or feeling "lectured".
But on the other hand, she's a bit shy and has a bit of a low tolerance to failure, if you know what I mean, that's why I'd like to be with her to support her.

I just let her be. I think for now I'll just let her know that anytime she'd like to join me to the range she's invited or if she'd like to take a course I'll give her the contact of a good instructor and she can arrange herself if she'd like.

That sounds fine, sir. I don't expect her to be Jerry Miculek, just she having a basic shooting experience and if (God forbid) someone ever broke in and meant her harm, she'll be confident to welcome the miscreant with lead.

Anyway, thanks again everybody! Happy to be here.

Ask her if she'd like to go to the range, then shopping for shoes with dinner after. Gets them every time.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

If you get her there, if possible, take some "fun", reactive targets. When she first started, my girl found paper boring, but really liked water bottles, cans, fruit, balloons, etc.

Use your imagination. Keep the targets close so they're easy to hit.

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Because of the metric system?

I had a pump up air pistol and a hand full of .177 darts. My wife loved to play darts with me. She got so good that after one or two games the darts would be destroyed.

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Dum vivo cano

,I'd try out something like sporting clays.
(I get the idea you're more in to pistol and perhaps rifle shooting.)

Maybe you don't shoot any shotgun clay target games at all yourself,,,,Good!

There's a chance for both of you to go in as rookies,take a few walk through & shoot course lessons from the local club expert(s) and get acquainted with the sport at the same pace.

Shotguns aren't as loud and rattling to the nerves as CF rifles and handguns and everybody misses targets on the sporting clays course.
You can shoot by yourselves as a pair or shoot with others as a group if you feel comfortable doing that.

Once the shotgun sport gets ahold of her she will most likely want to try some rifle and handgun shooting too.

Light loads in any decent shotgun are all you need to have fun and break some targets.
We don't even keep score when we shoot. We hit some,,we miss some (alot some times!) it's just nice to be out there.
The sporting clays is on a course so you'll be walking thru woods, fields and shooting over same plus usually some water. It makes for a very nice day.
(If she really gets in to it,,many places have womens only leagues that shoot at a different local club every week. A day out w/ the gals)
Just my thoughts..

I have been trying to get my wife interested in firearms for at least 20 years, all to no avail. But then she doesn't complain about my guns or the fact that I carry, she doesn't know how to shoot me and she is not spending the kids' inheritance on guns.

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Jim

Take her to the range to shoot and then go out immediately to a nice dinner followed by wine and love.
Repeat as necessary until it is her idea to go to the range.
Man, I wish I had thought of this sooner.
Jim

This. Plan to go on a nice day and at an outdoor range with no one else around. Tried to get my wife golf and it was ok until there were so many people watching and waiting. Use a 22, a nice 10/22 handles well or a handgun in 22. Load it for her at first so all she has to do is shoot. Shoot at something that blowsup like a can of pop, watermelon, not explosives. Dont shoot too much or give too many instructions. Have fun ad encourage her. Keep targets close. Then take her out to eat and talk about what she wants to talk about.

Don't take her at all. Let the range be your sanctuary and treat it like your man cave. Having time away from each other is not always a bad thing.

In your situation, if you have tried all other options, maybe adding a couple of pink guns to your collection might do the trick!!

You're her boyfriend, right? You're not her husband. There's a difference.

Would you like it if your girlfriend told you what gun to buy, what car to drive, what you should be doing at work to get that promotion, etc etc?

If she wants to go, she'll go. If you keep nagging about it, she'll never go, and decide you're too big a pain in the neck to keep around.

Haha! Grips too!

You might explain the different outcome from calling 911 versus having a gun in her hand then call 911.

Yes, get her interested and entertained by shooting and hitting fun targets with small bore rifle and pistol. The appreciation of firearms will follow...........

roll up Ben Franklin's and put down the barrel and tell her she keeps all she finds.

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Hipcocked45

Put her out on a dark road for an hour or so.

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Just a shooter

Sabrina was a natural. Didnt think of guns at all before we met, and I innocently let slip in during conversations-interesting things about guns. Sabrina actually asked me if id take her out shooting. My insides screamed with joy-my heart flip-flopped like fish on dry land-my heart beat so rapidly that I thought it was going to rip out of my chest-I went pale white with surprise-then I woke up from the dream. Sabrina reallly did ask me to take her-the rest of the stuff is fiction.

Anyway, once at the range-she was a natural.

Hahahaha.

Gentlemen, I don't know about you, but I am not the boss in this relationship, lol. So no, I don't "tell her" to do anything. I know better than that.

And I don't dream about her being my range buddy, that's unreal. The question was mainly directed at tips for encouraging her to go ahead and learn how to shoot, in order for her to feel confident enough to defend her life if, God forbid, she needed to.

Why in the Hell would you want to do that? If you get your lady friend interested in guns and shooting, she'll expect you to take her to the range. This would ruin a perfectly good chance to hang with the guys from time to time.

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Always Stay Strong!

Hahaha. Well in the first place I don't really have buddies to go to the range to. It's not that common over here. We are all very reserved about it.
Here if you own a firearm you most definitely hide that fact. You don't show them, you can't brag about them, keep 'em to yourself. Over here if you own a gun you're either a sociopath, a criminal, paranoid, a lunatic with no compassion for the poor little angels that rob and kill "because society didn't give them a chance" or all of the above.

And my main interest is her knowing how to handle a gun, not be afraid of them and build her confidence around them.

Plus it's gonna cost you a new weapon and holsters for her....but what's money for anyway?

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Hipcocked45