By Crystal Perry,PCGC Instructor

One of the biggest questions I get, as a firearms instructor, from guys and gals, is what type of firearm is best for a women. To put this in perspective, that is like asking a women what pair of shoes is better. Inevitably, the answer to this question will be hugely varied. Most of these answers will also lead with a question in return, well it depends… where am I going, what am I doing, and what am I wearing?

Funny enough, these are the same type of questions you should be asking yourself when you look for a firearm as well, whether you are a guy or a gal.

Girls, firearms shopping is truly a lot like shoe shopping, just with a bigger price tag and less complaints from the men folk about the bill. It’s a win, win. Just think, it is a form of shopping that your guy will actually enjoy coming along for and best yet, you can find a weapon or a couple of weapons that meet your needs for several different occasions; just like those new heels you bought to go with your new dress and the tennies you bought for kicking around the town, you can never have too many shoes or guns!

Ok, enough with the shoe analogy but they are very similar. Buying a firearm does take research and time. Firearms are not a one size fits all, different firearms meet different needs. There are small guns and small calibers that are great for concealing but you give up power; how many rounds you can carry; and they are more difficult to shoot. Revolvers, are easier to operate but again you don’t have as many rounds and they are not as easily reloaded in an emergency. Larger frame guns are great for training, are more comfortable to shoot but are hard to conceal.

So, the best thing you can do is ask the same questions as you would when shopping for shoes, where am I going, what do I need it for, Does it fit, and what am I wearing (can I conceal it)? Then you find a gun that meets the majority of these needs. This is why I said before, that you might find yourself with more than one firearm, it is likely that you will not find a single firearm that meets all your needs. That is ok, just make sure you get the gun that works for you or guns.

Also, just like anything else you might find a gun that fits most of your needs and then you will have to adapt to some things to fit the guns requirements. Like wearing a longer shirt to cover it while you’re carrying. It is better that you get a gun that feels comfortable and that you can work with, that might be a little more difficult to conceal (you can always change what you wear), then to buy a firearm that you are completely uncomfortable with.

A final word to the wise, just because it’s pink, shiny or cute looking doesn’t mean that it will work well for you. The gun industry hasn’t caught up to women and firearms yet and their solution to a more interested women’s market is to paint a guns, made for a guy, pink. I carry a glock 26 most of the time, not the prettiest gun out there but it is black and accessories with everything I wear, but more importantly it fits my needs.

So don’t get lulled into buying what the guy behind the counter is selling or what the guy next to you is putting in your hand. Make sure you listen to what they have to say and then try out several firearms; pick them up, try to manipulate all the moving parts, and find the gun that fits you and your needs.

Hi! Well this is my first entry into the blog world so I thought I would tell you all about my visit to Shot Show 2011. As always it was absolutely packed with both products and people.

The first day, I sat in my hotel room and made a plan on how to best use my time. The next day, armed with a map of the sands convention center, Dan, Roger and I (Jamie) entered with the masses in hopes of seeing, and possibly buying for the store, the latest and greatest of what the gun world has to offer. For those of you who do not know what the Shot Show is, let me explain. The Shot Show is the largest firearms trade show in the world that focuses on the civilian market. There is one major problem with the show though; there is entirely too much stuff and not enough time to see it all.

That being the case, we set out on our journey in the most efficient way. As soon as we actually got into the show, our plans went right out the window. Talk about being like a kid in a candy store, there was so much cool stuff my head was spinning! We looked at all makes of firearms and accessories i.e. Sig, CZ-USA, Kimber, Springfield Armory, etc.

Most years there are new things introduced to the market – new innovations sometimes involving ground breaking technology, but this year was kind of slow. Every manufacturer had some really neat things, but none had that show stopping item that everyone was rushing to see. Last year, for instance, Kel-Tec had their new KSG shotgun. That shotgun was unlike anything else I had ever seen. It seemed like everyone at the show was at Kel-Tec’s booth waiting in line just to get a look. So here we are a year later and the KSG still isn’t available.

Needless to say, we saw all types of guns and accessories, but nothing that was earth shaking. We made our way up and down aisles and in and out of halls, stopping only to write up orders for products to bring into the store or to check out other interesting things that caught our eye. By the end of our time at Shot Show we had managed to order a sizable amount of firearms for sale in the store, but the jewel of our adventure was the purchase of a Barrett M107 with a suppressor for our rental fleet!

Well I’m so glad to be home, back in Utah where the people are friendly. You know, Utah kind of reminds me of my home (Oklahoma). People are always nice and willing to have a friendly conversation! On a side note, while we were at Shot Show, unknowingly we were filmed at the CZ booth by nuttinfancy and later saw ourselves on youtube.