Firearms Safety Training for Women & Minors
Increasing skills, confidence & safety
Capacity to Deliver - LP010-009
The issue
Firearms operators must by law, be capable, qualified, safe and licensed. Firearms are common in rural settings for pest animal control and the humane destruction of injured livestock. Indeed, many men involved in farming and grazing enterprises possess a firearms license.
While women and minors are often 'around' when firearms are being used, they are less often familiar with the safe handling, operation and storage of firearms. And sometimes, the woman involved in the enterprise can find herself confronted with an injured or trapped animal that is in need of euthanizing swiftly and humanely.
The solution
We contracted approved instructor, Stuart Boyd-Law of Pest Animal Control and Training, to run two workshops on 1 April 2022, one for women only, and the other for minors only.
'Girls with Guns', was conducted in the morning, over coffee and cake, while 'Young Guns' was conducted after school hours, with pies and sausage rolls to fill hungry tummies and keep the brain cells firing. Stuart covered lots of theory with lots of time for questions, clarifications and stories, along with lots of safe handling practice.
The impact
Ten women and ten minors completed the program and most participants opted to complete the pre-licence safety test, which is accredited with the NSW Firearms Registry and prepares you for ownership and usage of a firearm.
The women appreciated the women-only training, which enabled them to ask 'silly' questions without feeling judged by their male counterparts.
- When asked to what extent the training increased their knowledge and understanding of firearms safety, 83% of respondents from the women's workshop said 'a great deal' while 17% said 'a lot'. One participant said 'I feel a whole lot safer and more confident in handling and using firearms'.
- When asked how likely they were to implement what they learnt in the workshop in their own situation, 83% of respondents said 'very likely' while 17% of respondents said 'likely', showing comitment to their new skills. One respondent said 'I am reassured that I can safely handle and use our firearms, and also that I know what procedure and ammunition I need to put down stock if needed'.
- When asked if the program could be further improved, one respondent noted that 'By the end of the session we were all champing at the bit to actually fire a gun, and it would have been great to have a chance to immediately put into practice what we had learned under the supervision of our presenter!'
Key facts
- Your insurance company must be aware of and ok with this type of course.
- Few venues permit firearms on site, despite there being no ammunition. Rural halls are a good option.
- Next time, we will include some supervised practice at a shooting range.