Thanks, Johnny.
I can’t help but to feel just a little disappointed.
That’s alright.
Peace,
mangeorge
Time for my heartfelt admonition:
The short answer that I would give for your concerns, and basically what the others are telling you too, is that knowledge is power. Once you understand how the gun works you will be able to tell when it is dangerous, when it’s safe, and how to handle it safely. It’s intimidating because it is unknown.
Have your dad start you with the .22 pistol. But girls/women shoot the AR-15 type weapons all the time. Any female joining the military qualifies on this weapon as part of the training.
Are you an actual girl, as in teenager, or a woman, as in “girl”? Girl seems awfully young to have carpal tunnel. Good luck with it anyway. Most times it can be fixed.
Anyway, just go to the range with your dad without any plan to actually shoot the thing. You can watch others and hear the bang, (wear hearing protection) smell the smoke, and maybe even safely handle the gun. It’s all actually pretty exciting, at least at first. You’ll probably want to join in! 
If he has a .22 rifle, try that. It’s a lot easier to handle and aim than a pistol, and there’ll be almost no recoil on your wrists.
But if not, you’ll come away with a new experience and a much diminished fear of it all. And you’ll feel much braver over all.
Most of all, be safe.
Peace,
mangeorge
Just IMO, when I take people to the range who have never shot a weapon before, I introduce them to my Savage .22 bolt-action rifle. It has about the same recoil as a high-powered BB gun, is very quiet and non-startling, and a beginner can be fairly accurate with it.
There you go, meenie7. Hook up with Una Persson and go to the range. Sometimes things like this are easier without know-it-all dad along. And that’s from a know-it-all dad with two adult daughters (me). 
The bottom line is, of course, if you’re not interested, your not. No bad.
Bingo. It’s not like the .223 has no recoil at all. It does.
(I’m rather suprised about people saying that the AR-15 has nearly no recoil. It’s not a 30-30 or .356 it sure isn’t a .22LR)
I have a .22 single shot Winchester rifle that is perfect for this. I wonder if meenie7’s dad also has a .22 rifle?
In any case, a rifle is the way to go for a new shooter. A pistol will just show you what a lousy shot you are.
Well, maybe it’s because I’m pretty well accustomed to shooting the Mosin-Nagant (or the 12-gauge 18" Remington 870), but whenever I fire my AR-15 I barely notice anything. There’s definitely a gentle pushing sensation that is perhaps a fair bit stronger than the recoil from a .22LR pistol, but that’s about it. The weight of the rifle combined with the motion of the bolt carrier and the generous return spring soaks up most of the .223’s energy.
It definitely has some recoil, but it’s just not very noticeable compared to other weapons. This is especially true when I pick up the AR-15 after putting 40 rounds through the M44. 
I fired a M-16 (USMC version) aboard ship while I was in the Navy (Vietnam). It certainly had little recoil. I held it pistol like and had no trouble with three-round bursts. In fact, it was pretty easy to place all three rounds in almost the same splash.
The Thompson was a lot more fun. 
I don’t think we want to start meenie7 on that one. Of course she might surprise us all.
Here’s something special just for you, meenie7. Show it to Pops.
Seriously. I mean, what am I going to get the agita about if people go all reasonable on us?
…in light of zeriel’s offer, I’ll reissue my offer to take anyone in/around the St. Louis area out to the range.
Anheuser Busch sponsors an awesome, safe range out in the middle of their wildlife conservation area, with separate skeet and trap ranges, and pistol and rifle lanes.
I don’t shoot skeet or trap, which limits my shotgun shooting to a “pattern board” (they don’t allow shotguns over on the rifle range as it has a tendency to rip the foam target backing to shreds).
I have several “beginner” guns suitable for the first time handgun or rifle shooter, as well as extra “ears” and “eyes” for a couple of people.
And I make the same offer for anyone in the central Iowa area.
Cool.
I may be misremembering. I’ve only shot the Colt AR-15 .223 on two different occasions. But it had a little more kick than I thought it would.
I bring this up because my dear Wife was once invited to shoot a .44 mag many years ago. Before I met her.
The um…. Friend gave her a Ruger Blackhawk and cocked it. Built up what it was going to take to shoot it and let her fire it. It was the biggest handgun ever!
Suspense, suspense. Click.
It was unloaded.
She has been afraid of pistols ever since.
I wasn’t sure if he did, but I asked him and I guess he does. I wrote down the guns he told me he had, to share with the people here who know what the heck these things are:
Walther .22 pistol
Glock 9mm pistol
Kel-Tec 9mm pistol
Colt .38 revolver
Sig Sauer .380 pistol
Sig Sauer .40 cal pistol
Springfield Arms .45 (not sure if this is another pistol or a bigger gun)
Mossberg semi-auto shotgun
GSG .22 semi-auto rifle
Bushmaster .223 cal semi-auto rifle
Remington .308 rifle
So I guess he has 11 guns now. Heh, I guess he’s where I got my collector’s urge from, except I collect dolls and postcards. 
You’ll have a ball with the GSG. My 8 year old can handle it just fine.
The GSG is a .22-caliber carbine based upon the German MP5 submachine gun. Here’s a picture.
The Springfield Armory pistol is probably a 1911 like this one, though it may also be an XD which is a different sort of pistol entirely.
Do I hear anyone for Central Florida?
I’ve never owned a gun, but there is a real chance I might feel the need to get one in the next year. The more guidance I can get the better.
Not central Florida but if you’re ever in the Tampa area I wouldn’t mind taking you shooting. I’ll provide the guns, ammo and protective gear, all you’ll need to do is pay for your range time which between is $10 to $15 depending on where we go shoot.
Thank you to all the people in the thread who have said reassuring things and offered information for my little hijack. I will be going to the indoor shooting range with my dad tomorrow, and I’ll report back if I ran away like a sissy girl or if I had fun killing some paper guys.
Sending you a PM.
East Coast reporting. Anyone want to try Skeet, I’ll blow a weekend at Thunder Mountain. It’s in Jersey. Havn’t been there in a while, but my normal club has insurance issues that say no guests. (without long annoying complication)
Have fun, Meenie!