By Betty Hidalgo
Most women who already own a LadySmith handgun of serious caliber will readily tell you of their prized possession, "That's no lady, that's my lifesaver." While the women's line of Smith & Wesson revolvers and pistols carry the LadySmith name, they are serious tools for a serious job. They aren't the dainty little pink handled low caliber punks that guys thinks women should carry. The LadySmith line is a full-service, no BS series of handguns that offer designs, calibers and features worthy of women shooters, whether they're ladies or not! Try ripping off my handbag or assaulting me and see how much of a lady I become. And that goes for my LadySmith, too.
Smith & Wesson is carrying on with the LadySmith line in fine fashion with the introduction of the Model 60LS, small frame, 5-shot .357 Mag num revolver. This stainless steel handful has lots of features that make it an excellent choice for self-defense whether you're a man or woman (or even someone in between...)! The Model 60LS comes with a pinned black ramp front sight and fixed rear sight. As other people have men tioned many times before me, you don't need adjustable sights on a short barrelled defensive handgun. You'll find that out when you get to the range or attend a good firearms class on defensive shooting.
The Model 60LS is balanced with the help of a full lug 2-1/8" barrel and the smooth wood grips are easy to get your paws around to get a good, comfortable grip. Just as a point of interest, the Model 60LS is really an evolution of the famous S&W Chiefs Special, a revolver that cops have carried for years. But now it's a better gun than the old Chiefs Special and if it has been good enough to serve many generations of law en forcement guys and gals, it's more than good enough to serve civilians who expect the same life saving reliability.
Another advantage of buying a Smith & Wesson such as the 60LS is that it comes with a lifetime service policy. So, if you ever have any prob lems with the gun, S&W fixes it without charging you that much needed arm or leg.
Mentioning the law enforcement connection to the new LadySmith brings up another item you should know about. For years, the Smith & Wesson Academy has been teaching cops all about guns and law enforcement training. In fact, it's the oldest private law enforcement training facility in the country. Back in 1994, S&W opened the Academy doors to the civilian population. That certainly was a positive step forward and now they've really done the decent thing. They are now offering firearms classes taught by women. You don't have take a course taught by a woman if you're a woman, but the option is there for you if you should decide to exercise it.
According to Bob Hunt, S&W Academy Director, "Since opening up the Academy to civilians in 1994, the number of women attending the classes has continued to grow. However, it's been our experience in teaching self-protection and safe gun handling practices that women sometimes feel more comfortable when in the presence of other women. We feel these classes will satisfy our customers' requirements."
Some of the classes taught at the S&W Academy are "Concealed Handgun Carry," "Dynamics of Personal Protection," and "Comprehensive Defen sive Handgun." Lessons taught are basic, relevant and designed to make your life safer as a firearms owner. I see the world as split up between two different kinds of women. Those of the Sarah Brady ilk who want to keep firearms out of the hands of women (and everybody else) are re ally condemning thousands of women to death every year. Women who support schools like the S&W Academy, know that self-protection and family protection are inherent human rights and those individuals and institutions that support those rights care more about life and liberty than those who would disarm honest men and women.
You can get more information on the LadySmith line and the S&W Academy by call 1-800-331-0851, Extension 265. Or you can write to Smith & Wesson at 2100 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield, MA 01102 or online at www.smith-wesson.com
