My apologies for reading "all" instead of "most", however, I would still have to disagree. I don't think I should be chastized, nor am I "ashamed of myself" for stating that women certainly can and do shoot semi-autos without difficulty. Yes, a revolver is an easier firearm to shoot due to the simplicity of the gun, and I have one that I enjoy shooting. I use that one as a carry gun if I have to carry in my purse. I figure I can reach in, and shoot thru the purse without problems if need be and there is no slide to get caught on anything.
However, I rather carry a semi-auto on my person when I can. With some practice, I can see any woman be able to shoot a semi-auto. We even have junior shooters at our range that do just fine. Some of those kids have "Olive Oyl" wrists. The trick is technique, not always brawn.
I would also inform any female shooter who is intimidated by the semi-auto to look towards a Springfield XD or a Glock. Neither have "variables" described above. You put a round in the chamber, get a good grip (for the grip safety on the XD), point it at your target, and gently squeeze the trigger. There are no other external safeties to mess with. Having said that, I did start shooting with a gun with an external safety, it really wasn't an issue for me either. Just another step to do prior to BANG!
I am not trying to fuel the fire, but I do get frustrated and upset when I hear men talking about generalizations of female shooters. I have encountered the situation too many times of the husband/boyfriend telling the wife/girlfriend that she is too weak, the gun has too many parts, etc for her to shoot the semi-autos or larger guns. This does not instill confidence in the female.
When I (and my husband) have female shooters who want to learn to shoot, we take a variety of guns and calibers with us to the range and have them try many different ones. If she has never fired a gun before, we will start with a .22 so that she gets used to the thought of firing a gun prior to shooting anything larger. (Incidentally, we do this with male shooters too). Usually it only takes a magazine or two before she decides to try a "real gun"
. We then have her grip several different models of 9's to see what fits her hand the best. When she finds one that is comfortable, we tell her about the gun, give her a few rounds, and help her with her shooting. I have yet to encounter a female that can not handle a 9mm semi-auto. Even my friend's 11 year old petite daughter shot a 9mm Glock without problems. I truly believe that it is all in the preparation, confidence, and education.