Smith & Wesson Women’s Range Jacket
Candace McAuliff 10.29.12
Smith & Wesson is no longer just handguns, rifles and knives. In response to the increased demand for versatile outdoor apparel, S&W released its first line of outerwear, including a dedicated collection for women. Why not, when an estimated 15-20 million American women own a gun and even more are giving hunting and sport shooting a try?
I recently acquired the Smith & Wesson Women’s Range Jacket just in time for the Outdoor Hub company trap shooting event. As an avid shooter who also happens to be a petite female, I was immediately happy to see that there was not much difference between the women’s jacket and the men’s equivalent. I get enough funny looks and joking jabs about my presence at the male-dominated shooting ranges! But it did include once nice feminine touch: a subtle floral print on the inside of the jacket S&W calls “Garden Camo.”
Although this jacket had the durable look and feel of the Carhartt jackets my husband and male friends wear, it was clearly designed to fit a woman. It tailors in at the waist while leaving enough room in the shoulders for a good range of motion.
As I loaded myself up with two boxes of ammunition before heading out to the trap field, I utilized the variety of pockets located throughout the jacket, including a two-compartment pocket at each hip, arm pad pockets, two internal pistol concealment pockets, two front zip closure outer pockets, and lower front hand warmer pockets. I easily retrieved ammo for each shot from the snap and zipper pockets. While I occasionally had a difficult time zipping up the main double zipper at the front of the jacket, the zipper itself is strong and secure.
I felt comfortable and unrestricted while lifting my shotgun to take aim at the clay pigeons in the air. Although I did find myself fumbling a bit with the jacket’s collar while holding the shotgun in the crook of my arm, I either got used to it or forgot about it pretty quickly. It was a warmer October day at the Michigan outdoor range and I actually felt a little too warm in the jacket at times, which makes me think it would be great in chillier temperatures.
