So, I've already shot rifles with friends without too much issue, mostly yugoslav and soviet surplus (yugo mauser, mosin-nagant, yugo sks). I'm a tall, but not particularly strong, woman, supposedly average. I can handle the mosin-nagant recoil, and the bolt. I'd like to get a handgun, and would rather not spend that much on it.
Through this site, I found a place offering the Bulgarian Pistolet Makarova for relatively cheap. Which is appealing both for the price (I run on a student budget) and the theme above. I know it's often recommended to start with a .22, but the only 22 I know, the Ruger, is well above my budget if I'm going to buy ammo on top - I probably wouldn't mind if people had advice. The alternative I had in mind was a Bersa Thunder 380 which would be a bit costlier than the Makarov and the ammo itself would run pricier (iirc 9mm short runs almost twice the price of 9mm Makarov).
I'm also unsure from a recoil point of view. I know the Makarov is about half a pound heavier than the Thunder, although it's actually physically smaller (less long, less tall, less thick, but with a longer barrel). I'm unsure which of the two options is actually better for handgun recoil. I specified blowback because I prefer the simplicity of design involved in these semiautos while not going all the way to the revolver in terms of ”minimalism”.
Through this site, I found a place offering the Bulgarian Pistolet Makarova for relatively cheap. Which is appealing both for the price (I run on a student budget) and the theme above. I know it's often recommended to start with a .22, but the only 22 I know, the Ruger, is well above my budget if I'm going to buy ammo on top - I probably wouldn't mind if people had advice. The alternative I had in mind was a Bersa Thunder 380 which would be a bit costlier than the Makarov and the ammo itself would run pricier (iirc 9mm short runs almost twice the price of 9mm Makarov).
I'm also unsure from a recoil point of view. I know the Makarov is about half a pound heavier than the Thunder, although it's actually physically smaller (less long, less tall, less thick, but with a longer barrel). I'm unsure which of the two options is actually better for handgun recoil. I specified blowback because I prefer the simplicity of design involved in these semiautos while not going all the way to the revolver in terms of ”minimalism”.