Advise me oh wise ones... gun for wifey

[Deano]

Today I set my wife up with an NRA instructor to teach her how to shoot, and show her a few different guns, just to see what her comfort level was, and what she could shoot well.

After learning some basics he had her shoot a sig mosquito .22. She felt pretty comfortable after awhile, shot 50 rounds, and hit the 6" center circle about half the time from 7 or 8 yards. By the end of the 50 rounds she felt pretty comfortable.

Next came a walther ppk .380 Her first two shots were bullseye, but she went on to spray a few and started jerking because the recoil was bugging her arm a little bit. He didn't bother bringing out the 9 or 40.

At the end of the session, he suggested that she get a .22 like the new Ruger sr22 or mosquito. Part of me thinks I should do that and just let her get really comfortable with it. Another part of me says get a nice .32 (not a mouser, but something with a decent length barrel) and she'll probably get used to that just as fast, and then have a larger caliber gun to have around the house. Then after awhile, if she wants something bigger, we can do that.

Another part of me thinks that the sr22 would be a blast to just take to the range and sling lead for an hour or two, just for practice.

Wise ones advise me. 22 or 32. In terms of self defense, I think probably neither one is adequate, but something is better than nothing, right?

[Gtfan]

My wife did not like the recoil of my ruger lcp or cm9.so she tried the taurus 941 22 magnum 8 shot with 2 inch barrel and likes it a lot better.I like the simplicity of a revolver because she is new to shooting.just another option to consider.

[Bawanna]

Between those choices I would say 22 for sure. Let her shoot regular. She'll get more comfy and be able to handle a 38 or a 9.

32 is expensive, not a great round and she'd be near as well off with a 22.

Give her time, don't push, just steady regular practice.

[SpecK]

Where's Tinman?

I think you said it best when you said "after awhile, if she wants something bigger, we can do that"

One has penetration, the other has expansion. The key, especially in smaller calibers is to shoot them effectively. With the price of .22 ammo, she will probably get bored or hungry before your $20 runs out and be able to shoot it very well in the process. I would also say to carry a hyper-velocity hollow point like a CCI Stinger or a Remington Yellow Jacket.

Plus how cool does that SR22 look? And its a Roog? Yup, thats my vote

[Deano]

Thanks for the input. The cheap ammo is a big plus. Never mind that I'm salivating over getting my grubby little hands on the sr22. I really like going to the range, but it gets expensive slinging 9mm all day.

Speck you are so right. That ruger just looks cool.

[Deano]

My wife did not like the recoil of my ruger lcp or cm9.so she tried the taurus 941 22 magnum 8 shot with 2 inch barrel and likes it a lot better.I like the simplicity of a revolver because she is new to shooting.just another option to consider.

I'll check that one out too. Thanks for the idea. I agree. I don't think the lcp is a fun gun to shoot, and I don't know anyone who does. It's downright painful.

[chrish]

I'll check that one out too. Thanks for the idea. I agree. I don't think the lcp is a fun gun to shoot, and I don't know anyone who does. It's downright painful.

Maybe let her try a S&W 340PD instead, that should be pretty tame

Have you considered a larger polymer 9mm, but w/ a decent ergonomic grip? Walther PPQ, Sig P2022, Ruger SR9 or the less ergo but tame Ruger P95. It would tame the recoil down quite a bit.

Kinda a more pricey route to go, I'd still have a .22 in the mix. You can't go wrong w/ that new Ruger SR22 mentioned above...but if you think it'll serve double-duty as a self defense gun, I'd go w/ the suggestion on the Taurus .22 magnum revolver and get the reliability and extra umph. I would not rely on any semi-auto .22 as a carry weapon. They are all goofy with feeding, etc. Just my opinion though.

[Deano]

Maybe let her try a S&W 340PD instead, that should be pretty tame

Have you considered a larger polymer 9mm, but w/ a decent ergonomic grip? Walther PPQ, Sig P2022, Ruger SR9 or the less ergo but tame Ruger P95. It would tame the recoil down quite a bit.

Kinda a more pricey route to go, I'd still have a .22 in the mix. You can't go wrong w/ that new Ruger SR22 mentioned above...but if you think it'll serve double-duty as a self defense gun, I'd go w/ the suggestion on the Taurus .22 magnum revolver and get the reliability and extra umph. I would not rely on any semi-auto .22 as a carry weapon. They are all goofy with feeding, etc. Just my opinion though.

Thanks. Those are all good suggestions, and I'm going to take a look at them. Like I said earlier, I don't think 22 or 32 is adequate for SD, so we agree there. I think right now the goal is to get her shooting something she enjoys shooting, and can shoot well, so she'll want to practice. She doesn't have a carry license, and won't for quite awhile, if ever, so she's got time to practice with whatever we decide to get. Heck, I've got an old CZ 7.65 I might let her try out. Who knows, she might like that for now. My Glock 19 may be something she'll eventually like to shoot too. The recoil on that is not bad at all.

One thing is for sure. Way too many choices.

[tv_racin_fan]

I'd go with a 22 myself for a first handgun. Either the Sig or a Ruger perhaps the Browning Buckmark. I suggest a 22 because they are tons of fun to plink with and ammo is really inexpensive compared to anything else.

IF you think you may to carry a 22 I suggest a revolver like the Ruger Sp101 since as some people have pointed out a semi auto 22 can be a bit finicky (tho to be honest my son carries his Sig Mosquito loaded with the CCI Mini Mag round nose round, this seems to be the most reliable round for him, a single 22 round probably wont stop anyone but I am willing to bet ten rounds in a hurry will make em think and he carries two spare mags).

[downtownv]

I agree a sloooow intro to reach a comfort level. The a graduation to a 9mm; no interim calibers. My wife was bored w a .22; went straight to the nine but LOVES my sig 229 .40 cal.
It's more expensive to shoot, go figure!

[Tinman507]

My wife loves to shoot the SR22 and has said several times that she'd like that as her personal weapon. I keep pointing out the downside of that idea (small round, finicky ammo, etc.)

She hates my CM9 but LOVED the CW9. Same piece, longer grip and barrel. That's the one she wants. As soon as Uncle Sam is done messing with us this year she wants to buy one. I am afraid to let her shoot my K9 for fear I'll lose it. She liked shooting a Tangfolio Wittness .45. But that's a whole lotta gun to haul around.

Shoot a whole bunch of guns and let her pick it out. Otherwise it's your decison and not hers and it won't be carried. If all else fails, remember: Baby Steps. If the .22 is her comfort level at first, so be it. Just means you have to try and buy more guns. Win-Win, right?

[BEARDOG]

Deano,
I think you should definitely get a .22. I bought mine as my second handgun purchased (over 20 yrs ago) after buying my 92F to save some $ on ammo. You both will enjoy it and benefit from it in many ways. Get whichever one floats your/her boat.The new Ruger looks neat, I have a SS Ruger mark II target w/bull barrel. Heavy, but a tack driver.

Now for a self defense handgun. I would let her shoot your G19. I bet she can handle it just fine as far as recoil goes, and it is a great gun. If she can rack the slide,clear a jam and fully understand how a auto pistol works/operates then great. I would think that G19 would be perfect.
I would also recommend a CW9 if she wants a thinner grip auto.

If she can't or doesn't want to learn how to rack slides, clear jams, load mags, and fully understand how to operate an auto safely on her own with no help. then I would suggest you consider a revolver for her. They are much more straight forward to learn, to know if its loaded, easy to reload easy to fire, and it doesn't jam. A medium sized Smith or Ruger in 38/357 is what I would look at.

If you only want something for home defense. I would think about getting a shotgun set up for that purpose. Look at Mossberg or Remington. Thats MHO.

[Deano]

I really appreciate all the input from ye experienced ones. I think I've pretty much decided to get her a 22 and let her practice a bunch. Beardog, I've already got 4 shotguns, so I'm set up there. My brother has a ruger 38 pistol, so I think I'll have her shoot that one too before I buy one.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Bersa Thunder 22 pistol. Most people seem to rave over how good they feel and shoot. Ruger's sr22 seems to be a bit hard to find at the moment.

[Deano]

My wife loves to shoot the SR22 and has said several times that she'd like that as her personal weapon. I keep pointing out the downside of that idea (small round, finicky ammo, etc.)

She hates my CM9 but LOVED the CW9. Same piece, longer grip and barrel. That's the one she wants. As soon as Uncle Sam is done messing with us this year she wants to buy one. I am afraid to let her shoot my K9 for fear I'll lose it. She liked shooting a Tangfolio Wittness .45. But that's a whole lotta gun to haul around.

Shoot a whole bunch of guns and let her pick it out. Otherwise it's your decison and not hers and it won't be carried. If all else fails, remember: Baby Steps. If the .22 is her comfort level at first, so be it. Just means you have to try and buy more guns. Win-Win, right?

Win, win for sure

[flieger67]

Deano - is your wife looking for a CC pistol or will it be used primarily around the house? A house gun could be bigger which would likely be more comfortable for her to shoot and to shoot more accurately than a smaller pistol. Also, she might have had some issue shooting the larger gun with the instructor due to fatigue. If she's not used to shooting and went through 50 rounds of .22, she might have felt a little tired. Also, there can be a psychological impact due to shooting a larger, more powerful cartridge and that might have caused her to flinch. And there's also the possibility that the PPK simply didn't fit her well.

My wife went through a similar journey as your wife. We started out with a Beretta Neos (.22LR) and then she went on to get a S&W Bodyguard .380. Last year, she picked up a Glock 26. She couldn't handle a Glock when she got the S&W but she kept at it and has been able to shoot Glocks comfortably, even in .45 ACP.