This One's for the Girls

This one is for the women who carry a firearm, or want to, or already have their concealed carry license, but still feel unsure about the gun itself.

We’ve had women come to us who are legally licensed to carry, yet when asked whether their firearm is loaded, they honestly don’t know.

Why?

“Because my husband loads it for me.”

Okay. Have you checked to see if it’s loaded?

“No. I was never taught how. It’s always just been loaded for me.”

This is not a rare situation. It’s actually a large-scale issue for many women, and it has nothing to do with fear or inability. Most of the time, it comes down to a lack of hands-on knowledge.

Many women are taken shooting by their husbands, boyfriends, fathers, brothers, or other male figures in their lives. And while the intention is usually good, what often happens is that the man does almost everything. He loads the magazine, chambers a round, tells her where to aim, and once the ammo is gone, he takes the gun back and clears it himself. If there’s a malfunction or jam, he takes the firearm, fixes it, and hands it

back without explaining what happened or how to fix it next time.

On the surface, this can look helpful. In reality, it creates a dangerous knowledge gap.

Shooting is not just about pulling the trigger. If you don’t know how to load your firearm, unload it, check to see if it’s clear, clear a malfunction, or safely store it on your own, then you are relying on someone else for control of your weapon. That’s not empowerment, and it’s not safe.

It’s also often harder to truly learn from a spouse. Many women feel like they have something to prove, and many husbands naturally want to encourage rather than correct. That dynamic can unintentionally prevent real instruction from happening. Important details get skipped, mistakes go unaddressed, and confidence is built without a solid foundation.

This doesn’t mean the men in your life are doing something wrong or that you can’t learn from them. It simply means that professional instruction matters, especially when it comes to safety and responsibility.

As a woman, you deserve to fully understand the tool you’re carrying. You should be able to pick up your firearm and know, without guessing, whether it’s loaded. You should know how to safely load and unload it, how to clear a jam, how to aim and fire responsibly, how to verify it’s clear, how to clean it, and how to store it safely. You should be able to do all of this by yourself, without needing someone else to step in.

If you can’t do those things yet, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means you haven’t been given the opportunity to truly learn.

Education can come from many places. Watching reputable instructional videos, reading trusted resources, asking questions, or taking a firearms safety class are all valid steps. What matters is that you take ownership of your knowledge.

This isn’t about being tough or proving anything. It’s about being responsible, confident, and safe. Your firearm is your responsibility, and you deserve the skills and understanding to handle it properly.

Do yourself the right thing. Learn your firearm. Learn how to control it. Learn how to keep yourself and the people around you safe.

This one’s for the girls.

A woman learning basic firearms at Shepherds Tactical