Give me some ideas for a beginner's pistol please

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Always like to start out with a .22, be it revolver or semi-auto. Have a S&W Model 34, a Beretta Model 70S, and a Ruger Mk.II for this stage of shooting. Once they've become accustomed to that and are comfortable with it's use, I move them up to a centerfire revolver (typically a .38 Special S&W K frame), or a 9mm. (use to have a Star Model B but nowadays I let them shoot my Browning Hi-Power).
 
12 or so participants I would guess. Don't have a final count yet. Something like that, lots of people say they want to do it, then have something else to do that weekend, change mind, whatever.

Will have a couple assistants/safety people but wasn't planning to have more than 2 at a time on firing line at once. My pistol area is 32' wide, 8' tall berm so accommodates more than 2 shooters at once easily, but figured reducing the "scare factor" of having someone else shooting when you are would be easier for them. Probably a lot safer only worrying about 1-2 novices at a time with a hot weapon in their hands.....

Definitely get the Sig Mosquito, that way you can teach remedial action malfunction drills.

GSG Firefly/Sig Mosquito was a consideration. Are they iffy? Never had one....

Asked my FFL to look into PPQ M2 22 - that looked like best option for what i could find. That to 9mm PPQ sounds like 100% of what I wanted to do. No idea what they cost so hopefully within budget.

The boredom/distraction factor waiting for your turn to shoot.....hmmm....hadn't thought of that. Good point though. I just kind of assumed they would be engaged watching their friends and it would hold their interest. But that could be time much better spent having someone else working on grip and stance before their turn. Not sure how many others I will have helping. mrs CMV for sure, but just as a safety - she would be poor at instructing anyone else. I'm sure a couple guys are bringing their wives and will prefer to teach them vs me doing it (or vice versa - they want nothing to do with teaching their own wife, but will gladly help someone else's).

But I do have others I can engage to come assist.
 
GSG Firefly/Sig Mosquito was a consideration. Are they iffy? Never had one....

Stop. No. You are headed down a silly path. Do not get a tacticool little .22 that looks like a 2/3 scale model of a service pistol. Just get a standard full-sized .22lr with nice sights and a nice trigger. A Ruger Mk___ or a Browning Buckmark or the S&W thing... do that.
 
^^^Agree. My suggestion is the same. I use a Ruger Mk3 target or S&W Victory. New shooters really like shooting them, they are accurate and fun.
 
I love my mosquito. It's no more tacticool than any other service type gun. At least it's not one of the guns I see that have a fake silencer mounted. It feels great and is accurate
They are one of the last guns I'd trust though. They feel great and other than the slide mounted safety share their operation with the 22x series. The odds of getting one that will run is slim. Ive dealt with 5 so far. One will run with most any ammo. Three will work with mini mags but nothing cheap. And 1 wouldn't function at all with anything. Other than the old jennings it's the worst odds ive personally seen actually. I have woodsman/ buck mark/ ruger autos and revolvers/ smith revolvers/ a few berettas etc. In 22. I like using the mosquito the best and shooting steel I usually use it. That said.... It's the sorriest built of them all
 
At least it's not one of the guns I see that have a fake silencer mounted. It feels great and is accurate

I think you are referring to a compensator. On a rimfire their purpose is to actually make the shot louder, this makes it easier for the shot timer to pick it up.
 
I love my mosquito. It's no more tacticool than any other service type gun. At least it's not one of the guns I see that have a fake silencer mounted. It feels great and is accurate
They are one of the last guns I'd trust though. They feel great and other than the slide mounted safety share their operation with the 22x series. The odds of getting one that will run is slim. Ive dealt with 5 so far. One will run with most any ammo. Three will work with mini mags but nothing cheap. And 1 wouldn't function at all with anything. Other than the old jennings it's the worst odds ive personally seen actually. I have woodsman/ buck mark/ ruger autos and revolvers/ smith revolvers/ a few berettas etc. In 22. I like using the mosquito the best and shooting steel I usually use it. That said.... It's the sorriest built of them all

OK....Mosquito/Firefly off list.

I guess I could just go with the 22/45LITE I have & not worry about it. It fits @thomas15 description of accurate, fun, & people enjoy shooting it. Plus it's the blue anodized one so looks more like a toy....probably less intimidating....

For bold part....what steel do you shoot with .22? Most of my pistol area is set up with 3/8" AR500 steel, but I don't think I should be shooting rimfire at that.... I have regular paper/cardboard stands at one end just for rimfire....
 
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The falling steel targets, dualing trees and spinning targets are what I use. Why not shoot at ar500? They are angled down to send splatter to the ground. Wear safety glasses. Ive never seen an issue
 
If she is coming from revolvers she might be a good candidate for a DASA pistol. Let her try and see for herself.

The Bersa TPR9C is a good size for a female and she’ll be able to get a good hold on it. It also has noticeably light recoil for a 9mm in its size. Less than the shield. It’s affordable. And if she thumbs the hammer back it makes it fairly easy to rack.
 
For bold part....what steel do you shoot with .22? Most of my pistol area is set up with 3/8" AR500 steel, but I don't think I should be shooting rimfire at that.... I have regular paper/cardboard stands at one end just for rimfire....

All shooting of steel carries some risk in terms of splatter/frags coming back, but most .22lr ammo is quite soft and splats very thoroughly against steel... no hard jacket pieces to come whipping back at you.

If you're shooting steel with anything, though, make sure all those new shooters have eye protection that wraps around. Normal prescription glasses may be adequate for some shooting, but you don't want someone catching a piece of splash with the corner of their eyeball because they were talking to the person next to them with their head turned sideways.
 
It's always eyes & ears on my range. I don't let guests get closer than 10 yds, I don't get closer than 7 yds for steel.

Never had an issue with spatter. I get a lot coming back, but so small & slow it's not harmful. Kind of like someone tossed a little speck of jacket or lead at you with an underhand throw. But all my targets are angled pretty well, most are also hanging.

I *thought* the issue with .22 was it doesn't hit a heavy AR500 plate well enough to spatter nor with enough energy to deflect a larger plate any. So there is a greater chance an entire bullet (not just little fragments) can come back. & since it isn't losing energy fragmenting/spattering, it can come back with some velocity on it. Not sure - I know lots of people will shoot same steel with a .22 they do with a centerfire & from same distances. What I think could happen sounds plausible, so I don't use rimfire on those same targets.

A lot of places I buy targets sell 1/4" AR400 for .22, and/or different paddle inserts for rimfire. I figured I would screw that up somehow & eventually be shooting AR500 with rimfire or tearing up the softer steel with centerfire. I assume they sell the 1/4" AR400 for rimfire because you aren't supposed to be shooting it at the harder, heavier ones. But could just be that's all you need for rimfire so why spend more. Again, don't know, so err toward being more cautious. Would like to incorporate steel for rimfire too, just haven't really done anything about it yet.

Regardless, these folks will be starting on paper with .22, then paper with 9mm. Most likely not do any steel - no reason to scare anyone who does get some harmless spatter coming their way.

Interesting, what I notice at 7 or 10 yds, the shooter rarely ever encounters spatter. But people hanging out behind firing line at say 15 yds, get some falling down on them. Seems to leave target at an arc. 99% just straight down, but that 1% arcs back and ends up behind the shooter, not on him.....
 
How in the world would an AR400 plate induce rimfire rounds to splatter where a harder AR500 doesn't? This makes no sense.

I can tell you that when I have shot steel with a .22lr pistol (standard power stuff, not "Quiet"), it throws the same kind of splatter line into the ground as pistol rounds do. .22lr bullets are generally quite soft and splatter well. Bounce-back issues seem far more likely with tough jacketed rounds (the scariest ones to me are the 45 ACP hardball rounds - heavy jacket, heavy bullet, modest velocity) or huge blobs of lead that splatter into still-big chunks (cowboy SASS shooters).

I'm not trying to tell you that anything related to shooting generally, or shooting steel in particular, is truly without risk. But lots of people shoot steel challenge with rimfire pistols and rifles every weekend.

Of course, anyone who shoots Steel Challenge or USPSA has been "zinged" with jacket frags coming back hard enough to nick you and draw blood. But it's nearly always from people shooting jacketed (not plated or coated) rounds.

As for the "eyes and ears," I'm just emphasizing that, particularly with steel, it needs to be the right kind of "eyes."
 
Asked my FFL to look into PPQ M2 22 - that looked like best option for what i could find. That to 9mm PPQ sounds like 100% of what I wanted to do. No idea what they cost so hopefully within budget.
This is a great gun! I highly recommend it. Will run just a little north of $300.
 
The Ruger SR 22 is what I use. My buddy has a M&P 22 and it's great also. I always have new shooters on the .22 first but I have shoot the .380 and 9mm on this first day also. At least as mag of each. Usually more than one mag though.:)
 
I would look for a good used Ruger Single Six revolver at your price range, and also a .22 target pistol of your choice.
For absolute beginners, a revolver is safer. It's simpler to understand, and only fires one shot unless you deliberately cock the hammer again.
In the hands of an absolute beginner, an auto loader can be negligently discharged easily, since they only need to pull the trigger again.
Once they gain confidence and understanding and good habits, then switch them over to a .22 semi-automatic pistol.
It's the same strategy as training a kid to shoot with a .22 single shot rifle, before allowing him to use a repeater.
Once their habits are ingrained, then move them up to a center fire 9 mm, but not a lightweight one, as the heavier recoil might put them off.
Police and military have always trained raw recruits with .22 rifles, revolvers, and pistols first, before moving them up to the service arms.
 
I would look for a good used Ruger Single Six revolver at your price range, and also a .22 target pistol of your choice.
For absolute beginners, a revolver is safer. It's simpler to understand, and only fires one shot unless you deliberately cock the hammer again.
In the hands of an absolute beginner, an auto loader can be negligently discharged easily, since they only need to pull the trigger again.
Once they gain confidence and understanding and good habits, then switch them over to a .22 semi-automatic pistol.
It's the same strategy as training a kid to shoot with a .22 single shot rifle, before allowing him to use a repeater.
Once their habits are ingrained, then move them up to a center fire 9 mm, but not a lightweight one, as the heavier recoil might put them off.
Police and military have always trained raw recruits with .22 rifles, revolvers, and pistols first, before moving them up to the service arms.
CMV, this is excellent advice and you need to seriously consider what Old Stumpy is saying!
 
Towards your question, yes I think you've chosen to good plinking models (SR22 and the P22) that would transition well to their 9mm versions.

<other thoughts>

-But I wouldn't limit it to that. People, who are interested, will figure out the differences. Start them on a good .22lr. The one you would recommend if they wanted to buy one, then the same with a 9mm. So what if you go 22/45 and P320?

-One advantage to the Neos is, I believe, it has a much smaller grip and might be really better for those students with small hands.

-Also, to twist a phrase from the old Data Processing days, you can't ever make a bad decision by going with Glock.

-.38/.357 revolvers have such variety of ammo that you can start gun-shy beginners on 148WC loads then move to IDPA loads (105pf) then to full bore 158gr ones. All available OTC and reasonably priced.
 
It is....but sadly a bit too late for this time around.

Ended up going with M&P 22 which will work well since I have an M&P 9 also. But will most likely use the 22/45LITE as well for initial familiarization so people can at least see how a couple different grips feel to them. Then will have an assortment of full size 9mm for them to move into - the M&P if that's easier, something else if they feel more comfortable after handling/dry firing.

Class is much smaller turnout than expected so will be a lot easier than when I was looking at a dozen plus. Probably 3-4 now so much simpler.
 
I’ve found this to be an interesting thread. At one time I would have recommended using a Rimfire and centerfire .38/.357 revolver of the same type (for example a Ruger Single Six and Blackhawk, or a Smith Model 17 and 14/15/19). That way there is one “manual of arms” to learn. You can tell that my interest in handgunning pre-dated the popularity of the “Wondernine”.

While I still appreciate a revolver, the semiauto, usually a polymer framed striker fired 9mm, is very popular these days. Plus the price of revolvers has really gone up.

My favorite “first time shooter” pistol is a Ruger 22/45 outfitted with a suppressor and a Red dot sight. It’s not heavy, has no recoil and with the can it’s hearing safe. It has never failed to bring a smile.
 
Asked my FFL to look into PPQ M2 22 - that looked like best option for what i could find. That to 9mm PPQ sounds like 100% of what I wanted to do. No idea what they cost so hopefully within budget.

Just make sure you get the PPQ 22 and NOT the P22. Totally different animals. My PPQ 22 runs awesome.
 
I have a few comments on the OP's questions. Don't make the mistake of starting a new shooter with an inaccurate pistol with a terrible trigger. They will quickly become frustrsted and give up. In the rimfires, the Ruger Mk's and the Browning Buckmark are both excellent choices. Many of the rimfire clones are pretty junky, IMO. My rimfire of choice is a Nelson conversion on a 1911 frame, match accuracy and excellent practice for my bigger pistols.
 
Are there conversion kits for any of your full-sized 9mm pistols? Maybe the Beretta or Sig?
Exactly what I was thinking, I’m nearly certain you can one for the Beretta 92. That’s definitely where I’d be headed.

Other than that my only advise is to avoid the Walter P22 like the plague.
 
i wouldn’t overthink it: either of o.p.’s 22lr beretta neos or ruger 22/45 is 100% perfectly fine as a newby learning tool. the quality of the instruction is more important than the handgun itself. if i had no 22lr handgun at all with which to teach newbies i would probably get a $150 heritage roughrider: a single action revolver would be slow enough to learn the fundamentals by the numbers.
 
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