We had such a good time hanging out with the awesome chicks of Women’s Tactical Association and Alpha Girls on this shoot.  Kim Heath is one of their bright shining stars up there in Chicago. This girl is the quintessential badass with a sense of humor as quick as those cat-like reflexes she uses to serve and protect as a police officer in Illinois. I have also personally seen this chick walk a high-fashion runway with ease and style. Expect much more from her at NRA Women’s Network.

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NIkki Turpeaux in action at the first national conference for A Girl & A Gun.

Turpeaux as an Ambassador for their Tactical Training Program. This marks the first time 5.11 has hired a civilian and the first time they have hired a female for this position. I told you it was huge.

If you are not yet familiar with Nikki, you will definitely want to keep an eye on this one. The girl has a sense of humor as quick as the bullets she slings and heart the size of Texas, which just happens to be her home state. Turpeaux, the proprietor of Archangel Tactical, now calls Atlanta home, but she is often on the move teaching defense classes around the country. She also recently joined the team over at Women’s Outdoor News as a contributor. This chick is a rising star in the gun community and we can’t wait to see more of her and her leadership in the very near future. Congrats, Nikki, and keep up the good work! You represent us well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out this press release detailing Nikki’s new role with 5.11:

ARCHANGEL TACTICAL, LLC – Alpharetta, Ga. – March 22, 2013 – Nikki Turpeaux, lead
instructor and CEO of Archangel Tactical, LLC, recently spent time on the range training employees of
the 5.11 Tactical Development Center in Irvine, Calif. At the invitation of 5.11 Tactical, Turpeaux taught
personal defense tactics in firearms, edged weapons and unarmed maneuvers.

At the culmination of the training, 5.11 invited Turpeaux to join forces and represent the company as its
Ambassador for Tactical Training Program.

“For the past two years, I have imagined what it would be like to visit 5.11 Tactical and have an
opportunity to train with their team. I am very excited about the opportunity to be their Ambassador for
the Tactical Training Alliance Program,” said Turpeaux.

She continued, “I have always been fond of 5.11 and its helpful and supportive staff. I feel so blessed that
this opportunity has finally come along and I am honored. Thank you to CEO, Tom Davin, and to his
amazing staff for welcoming me onboard!”

Bill Berry, 5.11 Tactical Director of Global Training and Development, remarked, “As a retired law
enforcement trainer in both firearms and defensive tactics, I was very interested in seeing Nikki’s program
and how she related the key elements to civilian students. It was clear to me that she has developed a very
comprehensive and accurate curriculum. I was also impressed with the way she related the curriculum to
the women in the group. She provided an atmosphere that made them feel comfortable, which is critical
to learning. I would recommend her program to any of our new civilian employees as a way to become
familiar and competent with the use of a handgun for self defense.”

Berry added, “Nikki should be proud of what she has accomplished in the development of her program. I
welcome her to our 5.11 team.”
Archangel Tactical provides high quality tactical and defensive training throughout the United States.
Based in Alpharetta, Ga., and Houston, Texas, Turpeaux and her mobile-training unit offers a wide range
of tactical courses in handgun, shotgun, rifle disciplines, along with its popular Get A G.R.I.P.™ Ladies
program.

Nikki Turpeaux at the 5.11 Headquarters in California.

Check out more from Nikki and the WON here:

https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2013/03/nikki-turpeaux-brings-personal-defense-training-to-a-girl-a-gun-national-conference/

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Jessie and Natalie at NRA Annual Meeting 2012.

Not only is she a champion shooter and a super cool chick, but it turns out Jessie Duff is a fantastic gun rights ambassador to the media. Below are a couple of clips from some of Jessie’s recent appearances on FOX News. Be sure to check out her Facebook page and Twitter feed as well (@Jessie_Duff) for updates on what she is up to and her commentary on current events. If you are not familiar with Jessie yet, check out the bio from her website and then head over there to learn more.

Jessie’s demonstration of several common firearms on the Hannity show:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jessie’s interview with Judge Jeanine:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Keep up the wonderful work, Jessie! You make us proud.

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Kel-Tec P-11 9mm

Each gun, just like any other tool, has a specific implementation and as I am sure you know by now, there is a vast variety of them out there for your shooting pleasure. If you are like me, though, all of those choices can start to get a little overwhelming. But fear not! I have some advice that will aid you in finding the right gun. I will also list a few of my favorite female friendly firearms as well as a few recommended by the readers.

Shopping for a gun, as my friend Gracie from Packing Pretty says, is like shopping for a pair of jeans, new shoes or a new bra. You have to try several to be able to find the right one. Guns are very personal pieces of machinery and you need to be feel comfortable shooting the one you ultimately choose. The primary factors that play in to choosing a firearm to purchase are the following: Purpose, Comfort and Cost.

Purpose

What will your gun be doing? Do you want to use it for concealed carry, home defense, hunting, or just for fun? Many guns can be used for more than one purpose (ie, home defense + hunting, concealed carry + etc), but most of them have a specifically designated purpose.  The more involved you become in the shooting sports, you will inevitably find that you need more than one gun to satisfy all your firearm needs. But dont let that overwhelm you. Start here:

Below is a list of some of the best guns for women as recommended by readers.

Concealed Carry

.380 Caliber:Ruger LCP**, Sig Sauer P238**, Walther PPK, Bersa Thunder, Diamondback DB380, S&W Bodyguard, Sig Sauer P232

Smith & Wesson 642 Revolver

9mm: Kahr CM9 or PM9, Smith & Wesson Shield**, Beretta Nano**, Kel-Tec P-11, Ruger LC9, Ruger SR9C,

.45 Caliber: Springfield XDs**, Glock 21,

Revolver: Smith & Wesson 642**, Taurus M327,

**Voted among the best concealed carry for women in an informal Girl’s Guide Poll

Click here for a more extensive list of common concealed carry firearms for women from the makers of the Flashbang Bra Holster (fyi: there is a photo of the bra holster in use on a live female on this page.)

Home Defense

Many people choose a shotgun for home defense, though others prefer rifles or handguns.

Shotguns: Mossberg 500, Remington 870, Browning Citori 725, Winchester SX3

Hunting

This area is pretty technical and I will let the hunters weigh in on this in the comments below.

Fun/Target shooting (paper, steel, skeet and trap)

All of the above!

Comfort

Grip- This is a major factor that I cannot emphasize strongly enough. The gun should feel comfortable in your hand and equally as important, you need to feel comfortable shooting it. If you aren’t comfortable shooting it, you won’t practice and practice is imperative.

Weight- Train with your prospective gun. Shoot and handle it for at least an hour or two to know whether you like the weight of it.

Control/Snapiness- Can you control the gun effectively when firing it? Can you keep the muzzle from popping upward?

Ruger LCP with a Hogue grip

Training will help quite a bit in this area, but be observant of this factor with every gun you try.

Hogue Grips is a fantastic company that can help you with any issues you may find with the grip of the gun you choose. For instance, many people find the Ruger LCP to be perfect for their conceal carry needs, but a difficult gun to grip.  Hogue has created a customized rubber grip to solve that problem.

Cost

The financial piece is a big one for most of us these days. You want to stay within your budget, of course, but the last thing you want to do is compromise safety by buying an inadequate gun. There are a couple of ways to find a reasonably-priced firearm without putting your safety at risk. Namely, I would check out the USED selection at gun stores, look online, hit up gun shows, auctions, estate and yard sales. Any time you are buying a previously owned firearm, I suggest that you have a friend or relative who is knowledgeable about guns check out the used firearm you are eyeing before you buy.

Here is a short list of reputable online firearm dealers:  GunBroker.com, BudsGunShop.com, GunUp.com

Do not forget to include the price of ammo in your decision. For instance, .22 is a wonderful, inexpensive caliber. I love to practice on paper with a .22, but it does not pack the punch that a .380, 9mm or .45  will. Many people like the 9mm because the ammo is plentiful and less expensive than, say, the .45.

There is so much to know about this subject and we are really just scratching the surface here. Talk to your friends, send me a message here or on facebook or twitter, and definitely ask the people behind the counter at the gun store if you have additional questions. And if the people behind the counter are not cool, find another gun store. There is no need to put up with prejudice or bad customer service.

Now go practice!! Shooting is a perishable skill and it is key that you maintain your ability. I like to take a class at least every 6 months to keep my skills sharp. If you need a group to go shoot with in your area, check out A Girl & A Gun Shooting Clubs around the country.  And if you can’t find one, start your own! Also, find a list of ranges and class providers here.

NOTE: This article is a work in progress. If you would like to see a firearm or section added, please comment below.

The Wedding Dress Moment

When a gal tries on wedding dresses, they’re ALL pretty, and white, and they make you look like a princess. But there’s ONE that causes light to shine down from Heaven and the angels start singing and you know that its THE ONE.
Same thing happens with guns! They’re all kinda cool looking…they go *bang* when you pull the trigger, but every now and then you’ll run across one that makes you shoot straighter and gives you that feeling of an angelic choir in full “Laaaaaa!” When that happens…..GET THAT GUN!!!  - Lisa Looper, creator of the Flashbang Bra Holster

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The perfect Pacific Northwest location, Clatskanie, OR, nestled between Seattle and Portland served as our staging ground for our first Packing Pretty/Girl’s Guide to Guns NRA Basic Pistol event.

No trip to the Pacific Northwest would be complete without a coffee run. I confess, there were several, but this was one of my faves: The Albina Press in Portland is a coffee snob’s paradise.

Another Portland must-see for me was the celebrated and epically huge Powell’s City of Books. In addition to an incalculable number of books, I found (drum roll, please) bacon bandages there.  @CamEdwards of Cam and Company on NRA radio and I have had extensive conversations about Tactical Bacon so I simply had to tweet it to him.

Time to get down to business and start the class hosted by the Clatskanie Gun Club. Gotta love a range with the Second Amendment painted on the wall!

Gracie and I tag teamed the lesson, with Gracie teaching the bulk of the material. That girl is a fantastic instructor.

Enough of the class room, let’s do some shooting!

The ladies’ firearm experience ranged from first timer to fairly proficient. My favorite thing to watch is a female shooter make that leap from feeling insecure with her firearm to feeling confident and competent. We saw several ladies experience just that and it was glorious!

One of the ladies brought her pink Kimber. I always love to see pink on the firing line! It just makes everything a little more fun.

After we finished up our time in the range, we headed back to the classroom to demonstrate how to keep your firearm clean. The innovative products donated by OTIS made the gun cleaning section of the class super easy. Check out our interview with Doreen Garrett, founder of OTIS gun cleaning systems.

Gracie and I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to our sponsors (see list below) and all the ladies who participated in our NRA class and shooting event.  We hope to see *you* at the next one!

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Check it out:

The City Dwelling Gunner

In the hostile spaces between concrete monoliths resides one unlikely species with an unflinching determination to survive. Possessing skillful training and weaponry, while employing the full scope of its cunning, this creature moves undetected through the perilous byways of its natural habitat. Its cautious demeanor and keen senses help it navigate undetected as it forages for food and performs complex mating rituals, which are still largely a mystery to science. With the help of some dedicated organizations like the National Rifle Association however, these reclusive beasts are finally being lured out of hiding in order to receive the study and research they deserve.

Now go read the rest of it here:

https://gunnuts.net/2012/08/27/the-city-dwelling-gunner/

Rebecca showing off the first gun she chose for herself. The Kimber Raptor.

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I’m a girl, and I hunt

By Georgia Pellegrini

Published March 10, 2012

Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/03/10/im-girl-and-hunt/?cmpid=cmty_email_Gigya_I%E2%80%99m_a_girl%2C_and_I_hunt#ixzz1ovYlUbgB

Georgia Pellegrini is a chef, hunter and author. Her most recent book is “Girl Hunter.” Visit her website at GeorgiaPellegrini.com.

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Girls, with dads in tow, bridge gender gap in hunting

Hannah Morse, 14, poses with her rifle as she prepares to begin learning about deer hunting during a young hunt sponsored by the Missouri Conservation Department on Saturday. As part of the program, youth spend the night and hunt with their parents on conservation land outside of Columbia.   ¦  Dak Dillon

COLUMBIA — With everything but her glasses covered in camouflage, 11-year-old Taylor Kemp hopped up and down in anticipation of her first time hunting.

Her dad, Don Kemp, helped her put an orange hunter’s vest over her puffy camouflage coat and positioned her backpack filled with the essentials: Double Stuf Oreos, Cheez-its and Nutter Butters.

A few yards away, 14-year-old Hannah Morse chatted on her cellphone with her mom, who called to wish her good luck before she went hunting with her dad for the first time. Her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and stuck out of the side of her hunter’s orange stocking cap.

“My mom says that she just doesn’t want to see the deer,” Hannah said.

In a sport traditionally dominated by men, two out of the five participants in a managed youth deer hunt on Saturday and Sunday at the Charles Green Conservation Area near Ashland were girls.

“I think it’s good that we can show boys that we can do it, too,” Hannah said.

“Yeah, that we’re not afraid to get dirty or anything,” Taylor said.

Taylor said her parents were a little skeptical about how she would do field-dressing a deer, but she wasn’t worried, citing “disgusting things” she has done in the past such as sliding down a mound of mud after it rained and dissecting owl pellets in class.

“Most of my friends don’t believe I’m going hunting,” Hannah said. “They tell me I look more like a cheerleader than a hunter.”

Outdoor skills specialist Brian Flowers, who was in charge of the hunt, said in the past 10 years he has been involved in youth managed hunts he has noticed more girls participating.

In 2010, out of the 16.3 million hunters in U.S., 2.3 million were female, according to a National Sporting Goods Association survey. While participation in the sport continues to decline across the nation, in Missouri the total number of people buying hunting permits is “holding,” in part because of the increase of females in the sport. In Missouri, 74,833 women hunted in 2010, 2,755 more than in 2009.

In Missouri, for every hunter who goes out another comes in, Flowers said.

Kelsey Brandkamp, 18, has noticed an increase in women coming into her parents’ store, Powder Horn and Guns & Sporting Goods, where she works.

“Now every lady who comes in has hunted before, is planning on going hunting or at least goes out there and sits,” Brandkamp said.

She also said that a lot of the women she sees are young women who go hunting with their mom or dad.

“It’s a family thing, it really is,” she said. “I think it’s important for people to see what it’s all about. Usually you’ll sit for five or seven hours at a time and not see anything. But when you do, it gets pretty exciting.”

Read more about Hannah’s hut with her dad here: https://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/11/08/girls-go-deer-hunting-during-weekend-youth-hunt/

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Have you ever been caught in that awkward situation when someone is

talking to you about a particular subject you know next to nothing about? And, of course,  that person expects you to know as much as he does? And then you feel a bit sheepish and nod your head as if you understand but in reality you’ve totally spaced out and your thoughts are darting between whether to eat that two-day-old chocolate souffle in your fridge and if mimicking  a “Single Ladies” remix clip over and over qualifies as a work out video?

We have all been there, right?

And for the record, it doesn’t count. I’ve tried. It’s the heels. Can’t do a darn thing in them unless you’re Beyonce, apparently.

So if this ‘feeling silly’ thing is such a common occurrence, why do we let it get to us? Especially when we get that “you should know all about this” look and tone of voice on the subject of firearms? I mean what stiletto-savvy chick knows about retractable stocks and gas piston upper receivers off the top of her head? Come ON! It’s confusing and technical and just flat overwhelming…. particularly when you are brand new to the subject.

Here’s a little tip from a Girls’ Guide favorite, Champion Shooter Julie Goloski: “There is more information out there on guns than there is on cars!”

Whew! THANK YOU!!! What a relief! So nice to hear that from an expert!!

I’ve gotta be honest- that first paragraph describes most of my experience at the SHOT show. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the show. I met some truly amazing women and had a great time learning about the industry. That said, I felt like and IDIOT half the time! And for the record, I may not belong to Mensa, but I’m no idiot.

Sadly, I think many of us feel that way around firearms. We feel stupid (which we’re not) and a little embarrassed (which we shouldn’t), and all of that makes us want to throw our hands up (yes, that’s a Beyonce reference) and stay away from guns altogether.  That experience at SHOT solidified my goal of eliminating these obstacles through Girls’ Guide to Guns.

So in order to achieve said objective, I say screw embarrassment, I’m just gonna start asking. It’s the only way to learn, right?

So…Here goes nothin:

My friend Eric and I were talking shop in the office and he was explaining what he did to customize his hand-built AR-15. This is one intimidating gun, in my book. That fact, of course, only makes me want to shoot it more. He told me about the “Gas Piston Upper Receiver” that he added to the gun himself.

“Um… the what??”

Yeah, that was my first thought, too. And so I asked him. And then he answered. And I learned something. And it was awesome. Funny how that works, ain’t it? This ‘asking’ thing might work out after all.

Awesome Eric shared this link with me to help me better understand what a gas piston upper receiver does. Evidently this special part increases efficiency within the firearm and “eliminates Heat, Carbon build up and Gas Leaks which can have an adverse effect on the operating system. The biggest issue being HEAT. A weapon’s first priority, must be RELIABILITY.” (from the Ranier Arms website) All of these things are useful if you are, say, in a desert war zone.

And just to give a girl a visual, Awesome Eric sent over this video which explains not only the gas piston upper receiver, but SO much more about how semi-automatic weapons work. Take a gander for yourself:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Helpful, right?

See what a difference a question can make?!

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