The phobia of guns is a rational one. Guns were designed to inflict damage, and if you don’t use one correctly, you might just end up hurting yourself.
However, guns are selling more and more since the unrest of 2020. People are realizing that even though they live in a country where law and order prevails, there are sometimes cracks in the veneer. You need to be able to defend yourself and your family in the case of a worst-case scenario.
It’s possible to be trapped between these two realities. If you’re someone who understands the times of unrest we live in and wants to learn how to shoot a gun, yet has always had a fear of firearms, you’ve come to the right place. This article will walk you through all you need to know to become confident when handling a gun.
Understand What You’re Afraid Of
Most likely, you’re not afraid of the gun as a thing-in-itself. Wild animals are famously easy to scare, but if one of them comes upon a gun in the forest, it won’t run away from it at all. The shape of a gun is hardly intimidating, but your brain has most likely thrown together a bunch of associations you have about guns, and endowed the gun with all of them.
So figure out what you’re afraid of exactly.
- Do you fear just how loud guns are?
- Are you perhaps thrown off by the idea of recoil?
- Does their deadliness scare you?
- Are you afraid of accidents/accidental discharge?
- Was one of your loved ones wounded by a gun?
- Did you or a loved one serve in the military?
All of these things can add together to lead to a fear of guns. Figuring out exactly what’s causing your phobia will help you learn where to proceed forward.
Go Down to the Range
If your phobia of guns isn’t major, you can probably overcome it by facing it head-on. The gun range may be loud and intimidating, but it’s the perfect place to go to encounter firearms in a safe, trustworthy, and friendly environment.
Let’s take a look at some of the great contexts you can choose to go to the firing range under.
Go With a Buddy
If you have a buddy who loves guns, ask them to take you out to the range. If they’re a good friend, they’ll understand your fear (they might tease you a bit, but hey, they care), and go easy on you. They may even give you some free lessons.
When you go with a buddy, you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with his guns. This is one of the only chances you have to familiarize yourself with a gun’s sound, feel, and look without spending money. Guns are a significant financial investment, and you may not be ready for that if you have a phobia.
Take Lessons
Taking lessons at your local range will teach you the ins and outs of operating a gun and teach you that there’s nothing to fear. While your teacher won’t offer the same level of emotional support that a friend will, they’ll provide you with an expert level of knowledge, so you can stomp out fear with information?
Are you afraid of accidentally discharging a gun? your teacher will teach you gun safety so that your expertise can defeat incompetence. Are you afraid of the gun’s recoil? your teacher will show you how to hold your gun, so the recoil never catches you.
Make New Friends
As you go down to the range more and more, you’ll find yourself making new friends with people who are also concerned with their safety. Even if you’re a lone wolf, it’s undeniable that community is extremely important to human beings. Meeting a community will enforce in your brain the idea that your new gun adventure is the right path; this will, in turn, help you overcome your fear.
Buy a Gun You Love
While you might be afraid of guns, if you’ve gotten this far, you surely know how useful they can be. The look and feel of a gun may be repellent to you right now, but if you find a gun that’s comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, durable, accurate, and just fits with your style, you’re more likely to fall in love with the gun. After you fall in love with that one gun, you’re well on your way to developing an appreciation for guns on the hole.
There’s just one question you have to ask yourself: what do you like?
If you want something quick, concealable, clean, and easy to maneuver, consider buying yourself a handgun. Handguns can be accessed quickly in worst-case scenarios, and if you become great at drawing fast, you can wind up untouchable.
If you want something with more stopping power, consider buying a shotgun. Shotguns give you the choice between firing a powerful slug, or scattered buckshot, which both provide high power at close range. When it comes to home defense, there’s hardly a better option.
If you have a large bit of property and want a gun you can use from afar, consider buying a rifle. Rifles are built for long-range and accuracy, rather than speed. Rifles are often preferred by the intellectual bunch, such as chess players, puzzle solvers, and book-reader, since operating them is much more focused on nuance and patience than quickness of hand.
Overcome Your Phobia of Guns
If you have a phobia of guns, you can give yourself a pat on the back for having one of the most rational phobias out there. Guns are scary for the same reason why they’re efficient. However, if you master their power, nothing’s stopping you from defending yourself and your loved ones.
Figure out what your fear of guns stems from, head down to the range, and buy yourself a gun you love, and you’re well on your way to kissing your fear goodbye.
For more information, contact us today.
