Good Introduction Gun

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MikePGS

Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2006
Messages
2,348
Location
Metro Detroit, Michigan
I'm going to the range tomorrow and taking my girlfriend, who has never shot a gun before. We're going to be using handguns, and since i don't yet own one, we're going to have to rent. I'm leaning towards something in .45 cal, possibly .40, but i'd like her to be able to fire it to. Thats why i'm thinking about renting a nine. Does anyone have any advice for what i should rent to help introduce a new shooter without scaring her off through excessive recoil or anything? I'm going to rent an autoloader, since i don't think i'm going to be getting a revolver at this point. Heres a list of the guns this particular range offers, if that helps. http://doubleactionshooting.com/rentals/rentals.htm Thanks a lot in advance.
 
---

Get the Sig P232 or the PPK/S if you want a first timer to be comfortable shooting. Even a 9mm can be startling if its your first time. Make it an enjoyable experience so that she will be willing to go to the range next time.
 
I would probably go with a 22 auto. If you do not think that a 22 is big enough, I would go with a 9. I do not think that anyone of these would scare someone off. A 45 or 40 might scare someone off, of course, I do not know the person in question, but that is what I would do.
 
Mike

Rent a 22. Seriously, if she has never shot before, start her out on a 22. I used to be a instructor in college, and I always started everyone on a 22. Male, female, big, or small. Trust me on this one. You want a new shooter to concentrate on the fundamentals of shooting, not the recoil. It is far easier to teach good habits than to unteach bad ones. Right now, she is a blank slate. Put the 22 in her hands and let her get comfortable with it first.

Also, with new shooters, it is a good idea to let them get used to the range and all the BOOMs around them before they shoot. Let her hang out and relax and become comfortable with her surroundings before you put a gun in her hand.
 
Rent a 22. Seriously, if she has never shot before, start her out on a 22. I used to be a instructor in college, and I always started everyone on a 22. Male, female, big, or small. Trust me on this one. You want a new shooter to concentrate on the fundamentals of shooting, not the recoil. It is far easier to teach good habits than to unteach bad ones. Right now, she is a blank slate. Put the 22 in her hands and let her get comfortable with it first.

Also, with new shooters, it is a good idea to let them get used to the range and all the BOOMs around them before they shoot. Let her hang out and relax and become comfortable with her surroundings before you put a gun in her hand.
Click to expand...

Great post!

Just this past weekend, I introduced my sister to the wonderful world of target shooting. She'd never fired a gun before, so I started her on my 22LR - a S&W K-22 Masterpiece. It really helped ease her in without being intimiated, for which she was thankful. Later, once she was comfortable she wanted to try my S&W 686. She started with 38s and then fired a few 357s. Turned out that she really enjoyed shooting the 38s.

Start her on a 22, then if she decides she is comfortable, she can try something with a bit more kick. Her choice of course. I saw a new shooter start out on an XD40 once, and she was miserable. Yikes. I offered my K-22 to her, and she enjoyed it much more.

And most important of all, go over the 4 Rules with her before hand if you have not already.
 
Rent a 22 first, get comfortable w/ shooting first, have your GF learn some basics & then start moving up to a 9mm or whatever she feels comfortable moving up to but the 22 would be my first choice for newbies ;)
 
I wouldn't suggest anything over a .380 for a first time shooter. A .22 would be the best because there is no recoil to speak of. You want her to really enjoy shooting so she will want to go again. Nothing like hitting the bullseye to generate excitement in a new shooter and she will be able to do that with a .22 and a little range time.
 
I agree with the .22 idea.

Just a few weeks ago I took my next to youngest son to the range for the first time. I took a Beretta .22 semiauto for him to shoot and a Taurus 92 in 9mm just in case he wanted to try something more powerful. He shot 100 rds through the .22 and decided to try the 9mm...said it was okay but made him nervous and went back to shooting the .22 again. I had to almost pry his hands off the thing because he enjoyed shooting it so much...:)
 
I would choose the Ruger MK512 22 to start with for both of you. Next visit to the range, consider renting the 22 again along with something consistant with what you hope to purchase in the future and go easy.
 
Caution

A lot of 380's will fell as though they kick harder than most 9mm. This is due to the fact that most 380s are smaller and use a direct blow back, where most 9mm will be larger and use a delayed blowback operating system.
 
My girlgun is a Ruger 22/45. IME it has been an excellent training pistol.

I start with footwork and stances. Girls want to hold the gun and then lean away [cantalever] from the weapon from their hips. Or, females will put their shooting side forward and lean away. [I have yet to figure this one out].

I find that this stance training must come first. I then give them an "unloaded" weapon to esnure that they do not hold it with their finger on the trigger. Once we program in Rule #3 I talk about what to look at (frontsight) and how to press the trigger.

I then shoot a mag for them and make them watch how little the weapon moves and how I am pushing and pulling.

I then make them load and unload the weapon. Most accidents transpire when the weapon is being handled. Watch their trigger fingers! Thanks to television, movies and gun rags most people think that firearms are to be handled with fingers on triggers.:uhoh:

After I do all of this, we start to shoot. I give them a mag with 1 round and then we progress from there.
 
I started my wife on a 9mm, then she put a few rounds down a .45 Auto and liked it better than the 9mm. Now she owns a .357 Magnum and likes to fire .38 Spl. through it.

More important than the calibre is the introduction to proper safety, operation and grip. Educate her and she will amaze you.
 
Last edited:
$20.00 plus ammo to rent a gun:barf: Is that the going rate up there? :what:


I would look for the lightest caliber gun that still has as much weight as possible to reduce recoil.
 
I would avoid anything big like the .40 or .45. I just bought a .40 Glock and even after several .357s, including one snubby, I still found the snappy recoil of the .40 to be a bit of a suprise. It would probably put off a new shooter.
I would go with .22 or a large .357 loaded with .38 SPL ammo. Maybe a large 9mm.
 
The first handgun I ever shot was a 1911 when I was six. If I could handle a 45acp when I was six, She can handle any of the guns at the range. Some people talk about recoil like it's the end of the world, I find it exciting.

Get the CZ-75 or the Beretta 92 in 9mm or 40S&W theses are perfect beginner guns.

JD_LION
 
I've had good luck with newbies with a Glock 17. No one, male or female, has had trouble shooting that.

"I start with footwork and stances. Girls want to hold the gun and then lean away [cantalever] from the weapon from their hips. Or, females will put their shooting side forward and lean away. [I have yet to figure this one out]."

It's not just women, it's new shooters who are afraid of recoil. They figure if they lean away far enough, the recoil will just...go away. Your job is to say: Hey, lean into it, killa.
 
definetly the xd 9mm or .40 both the recoils are very managable, and easy to control for most everyone.

glock 19 and/or17 as well.

khar k-9 they are small but they are great firearms and the added weight will aid in managing recoil which isn't bad anyway in the first place.

those are my top picks form experience thise are the guns that i like the most out of the list but also do yourself and your lady a favor and try out the beretta's in 9mm and .40

and the cz's as well the 75's they are fine firearms and they will all be of great service to you.

try all of them out you can and get the feel for them, you and her both. i would start out with the bigger framed guns in 9mm then .40 and then work my way down in frame size, so you don't scare her off but with the above listed guns you should be good to go, and there should be no issues what so ever. good luck and be sure that you tell us all about it.
 
IMHO, you gotta start with a Ruger Mk series. I got the MkIII Target as my first handgun, sure a .40 is cooler, but I tried to teach a guy to shoot his handgun, which was a .40 and it didn't go too well. He could not hit to save his life, having never shot or owned a pistol he had awful technique, tons of fear and very little motivation to shoot much more than 20-30 rounds. I chose the .22 to learn to shoot handguns and teach my GF to shot also. I always shot my dads handguns, and all of them were a handful except the .22's. I learned on my dads MkII and bought a MkIII to perfect my skills. Also has cheap enough ammo to practice properly. In the past 7 weeks since I got it I have already put 2 1/2 bricks through it(1,250rds.) Now I feel ready to move up to a .357 or something, but I honestly think the .22 is one of the best learner guns on earth. I cant think of a better one, especially with women in the mix. Rent a few if possible to see what I mean. If you cant hit with a .40 you wont do as much good for yourself as a .22 that you can. Then you will have a his and hers gun when you get the bigger bore.
 
Wow! All those guns and not one is appropriate for a first time lady shooter. Sad.

If her hands are large enough and strong enough I suppose that the GP100 could work with target .38spl loads. The ideal would be a 4"-5" small to medium frame .22 revolver. Low recoil, low blast and you don't have slide and brass flying all over the place to distract or bite.

The 3" model 60 might work with light target loads. I would prefer a longer barrel but the short tube on small frame will be lighter and possibly easier to hold. But very light loads needed due to that light weight.

You might just have to try the Ruger .22 auto and see if she has a problem with all of the movement. She may not if you prepare her properly.

Good luck.

mike
 
brett30030 said:
$20.00 plus ammo to rent a gun Is that the going rate up there?


I would look for the lightest caliber gun that still has as much weight as possible to reduce recoil.
Click to expand...

It depends, really, but for her to go shooting with me right now cost her about $28.00CDN (about $24.00USD).

A non-member can expect to pay $33.00 CDN for the day membership, and $25.00CDN for a box of 50 9x19mm 124gr Frg. The pistol was free... :p
 
Oh yea...

$20.00 plus ammo to rent a gun Is that the going rate up there?
Click to expand...

It does depend on the range. Mine charges $10, but even at $20, it still cheaper than what it would cost to un-learn bad habits.
 
CZ-75 compact or TA-90 (Tangfolio) are easy, accurate and fun to shoot if you are new to autoloading handguns. Either in 9mm should work out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
What should I start my wife on???
Replies
18
Views
694
usnavymasterchief
U
JShirley
  • Locked
The continual question
2 3
Replies
51
Views
2K
Elmer
E
S
  • Locked
Looking for a good CCW/Home Defense Gun Combo
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
fxstchewy
F
F
  • Locked
Two friends want to discuss CCW
Replies
15
Views
952
RimfireChris
R
B
  • Locked
Big guns
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
boots
B
Back
Top