What Would You Do?

My daughter, Ashinator, is nineteen, living on her own and working in a place I don't necessarily like - a smoke shop.

I stopped in today to see her and it was the first time I've ever stepped into a smoke/head shop.  I didn't like it.  I didn't like that they had the majority of the windows covered; I didn't like that my 100# baby girl is working alone, often times open to close; and I didn't like the clientele I saw coming and going.

Being nineteen and on her own, she can work wherever she damn well pleases, but I don't like it.  I know I've worked jobs that I *had* to just to make ends meet, but I'd rather she not work there.  I would almost feel better if she worked in a strip club.  Why?  Because there they have bouncers - big ones - and there are always people around.  I like the thought of people being around should anything happen.

She and her brothers have reassured me that stoners aren't usually motivated to do a whole lot (which is true) and that she's got protection in the form of knives stashed around the store. There's literally no place in the store that she doesn't have a knife or weapon of some sort within arm's reach.  I asked her what she would do if she couldn't get to a knife and she said, "Mom, I'm surrounded by glass hookahs, I'll hit them with one."

I like that she's thinking outside the box and I *love* that I know without a doubt she won't go down without a fight.

What I'd really, really love to do is arm her.  Unfortunately, she's not eligible for a CCW because she's not 21.  "Emergency" permits can be issued if the person is over 18, but just because she works in a head shop does not mean she is eligible for an emergency permit.

It is legal in Colorado for someone under 21 to own a handgun, but they may not purchase it.  Typically, kids under 21 who own handguns have had them "gifted" to them by a relative, so I'm not opposed to buying her a pocket pistol.  So now the problem is - even if I buy her a handgun she can't obtain a CCW to carry it.  That leaves the option of open carry, which is a whole other can of worms.

She is old enough to purchase her own long gun, but how much trouble would she be inviting to carry a shotgun to work with her every day?  Sometimes it's best to not advertise that you're well-armed.  I think with her clientele, if they saw her carrying in a shotgun, they'd start thinking that maybe there was something worth stealing in her shop, and I don't want to invite that kind of trouble.

I'm insisting that she take Double Tap's knife fighting class with me in September, but other than that, I'm not sure what else I can do.

I'm open to ideas.  Other than make her quit her job and start supporting her myself, that's not an option.

Family Bonding



Ashinator loading up her mags.

I got to spend the day with my daughter, Ashinator.  We started our day by breaking the bank at the eye doctor's.  Not exactly a fabulous way to start a fun day, but a necessary stop.  Lunch, then off to the indoor range.  I've only shot at one other indoor range, and that was years ago with Tara at Valhalla, just a couple of months before they closed.  Since we had private lessons there, we didn't really get the whole "indoor range" experience.  I've always shot outside, always with the ability to move.  I couldn't quite wrap my head around standing in a shooting stall and not going anywhere and I didn't know what to expect.

We first met up with my brother, Junior, and my future SIL, M, for lunch and then headed to the range.  We weren't the only ones who thought to spend the day at the range; when we got there, we were told there was an hour to an hour and a half wait.  Oops, didn't plan that very well.

Since we had time, Ashinator and I ran over to have our brows waxed.  Seems an odd combination for some - from the salon to the range - but it was a girls' day, so it worked for us.  With our newly shaped eyebrows, we signed in and met Junior and M.  The local indoor range has eight 25-yard lanes, which  are $20/hr to rent or $30/hr for two people per lane. They also advertise rental guns, but since we own plenty of our own guns, I didn't explore the rental options.

We got dressed in the store - eyes and ears - before entering the airlock to the range.  I expected eight lanes to take up a whole lot more space than it does.  The range was much more open than I anticipated.  I had built up a dark, dreary, cave-like facility in my mind - and I couldn't have been more wrong.

Junior and M were already on their range taking turns putting holes in their targets.  M purchased her first handgun three weeks ago, an XDM in 9mm.  She's only been shooting a couple of times, yet when I went with her to help her buy her gun, she hit the nail on the head...I asked if she was sure the gun she wanted was the right one and she said, "it feels like home". 

I think that far too many women get pressured into buying or shooting a gun that someone else, with more so-called "knowledge", thinks is a good gun.  M was absolutely correct in her statement.  She had the opportunity to shoot several different handguns before buying hers, but when she picked it up, she knew it was the right one.

I think it's safe to say, not only does it feel like "home" to her, she can shoot it like nobody's business...

There are a whole lot of holes in that target.
This was M's fourth time shooting - first shooting HER gun.

Ash and I quickly set up on our lane and took turns.  We did okay, not fabulous, for our first few targets.

Ashinator's first target:
Not bad,
not spectacular

My first target:
Not bad,
not spectacular

Ash wasn't thrilled with her groups and developed a bad flinch.  We adjusted her grip and her finger position on the trigger and her groups came along nicely.  The flinch, I couldn't do anything about.  I thought it was anticipation causing the flinch, but when I watched her closely, she was flinching when the guy in the lane next to us fired off his long-gun.  The sound and the resulting air disturbance was causing all of us to flinch.  I just didn't realize it until I watched her closely.  Only then did I realize I was flinching, too.  When you're used to shooting outdoors and suddenly you're enclosed, it's a whole different feeling.  With practice, she was able to overcome the flinch.

I'd say she overcame it pretty well,
wouldn't you?

Ashinator's a bad-ass.
Yup, that's my daughter :)

An hour at the range and six targets only cost us $36.  I'm not counting ammo costs, because that would just be a downer and I want to end the day on a happy note.

I love that I can spend the day at the range with my daughter and I'm proud of the shooter she's becoming.

Ashinator and CJ's Shooting Tutorial

Wardrobe malfunction aside, there are a couple of things she and CJ did right...

Visually inspect the chamber.  Also, notice the eye and ear protection.  Sunglasses are not the best eye protection on the planet, but they are better than nothing.

Firm grip on the gun, snugged up into her shoulder. Though I'd like to see a bit more of the buttstock supported, considering the gun doesn't fit her at all, she should still be able to handle it.  I'd also like to see a bit wider, more stable stance and I'd like to see her lean into the shotgun a little more.

CJ's demostrating good form while waiting for his target to be released.  His gun's in the low ready position, finger (or booger hook, if you prefer) is not on the trigger, rather it's on the over-sized VangComp safety, which tells me he's engaging the safety after each round.  His eyes are forward and he's focused on the horizon where his clay pigeon will be released.

GunDiva Juniorette

I started my kids off pretty young with the shooting thing.  My thought at the time was that if I was going to carry 24/7, then they should be educated about guns and gun safety.  They've never been afraid of guns, because I've never given them any reason to be afraid.  They have a healthy respect for them, but no fear.

I started them with a Browning Buckmark .22 plinking cans.  They loved it.  But I didn't realize until Ashinator went shooting with her Uncle Deejo yesterday that I'd overlooked long guns with her and Monster.  I love long guns.  However, I never carried a long gun, always a pistol, so that's what I wanted them to know.

I had to do some serious un-teaching to get Digger to shoot a shotgun.  His father and his father's friends thought it would be a good idea to hand him a 12 guage shotgun and have him shoot it without any instruction as to how to hold the gun.  I knew that I had to address that issue, so Digger's the only one who's shot a shotgun (and the kid can't miss a clay pigeon).

Deejo changed that yesterday for Ashinator and she had a blast.  Not sure you'll be able to tell how much she had from the photo, though.

Oh yeah, she obviously didn't read the post on Proper Range Attire.  Lucky for her, it's a pump action shotgun that ejects out the side and not a semi-automatic pistol :)