22 for ccw

B

Blindstitch

New member
Ok yeah it sounds silly but it's my problem and i'm trying to find a solution.

My wife is small and has small hands. I took her to the range this weekend and let her shoot my SD9VE. Sure she got off some shots but accuracy was out the window due to trigger pull and recoil causing her not to want to make follow up shots.

A few weeks ago we were in Vegas at a range and she shot a Glock 19 and did fine but I think it's because she had a 30 round magazine and the instructor made her hold the bottom half of the magazine under her main hand.

So this leads to my question. I need some suggestions on a good 22lr pistol for small hands and maybe something with a 380 sister. 22 would be for practice and if it catches on for her she'll get something bigger. We looked at the Bersa thunder which looks fine and was ok in her hands but i'm sure there are other options. Some of the 380's she held were fine but the slide releases were almost impossible to move. She liked the smith and wesson bodyguard and Ruger LCP.

In the long run I don't mind buying 1 gun or 8 if it makes her happy and feel safer.
 
I like the idea of having a compact .380 ACP with a matching compact .22 LR for cheap practice or plinking. I looked for such a pair once. As I recall the Bersa thunder and Beretta Cheetah are candidates.

Backing down to .32 ACP, the Beretta Tomcat can be paired with a Beretta Bobcat.

A Ruger SR22 could make an okay CCW. I can't think of a less-than-service caliber gun that Ruger makes that pairs well with it.

Does Walther have a .22 similar to its PK380?
 
Browning 1911-22........and its twin...Browning 1911-380....we have both and they do exactly what you are looking for......Practice with the 22...carry the 380.....
 
Change your ammo frequently and seal the bullet to case with finger nail polish. It could get oil in the powder and kill the 22 lr bullet.
 
the Brownings we have are identical twins....the "Black Label" version..except of course the cal....the 22 is a ten shot the 380 is an 8,,,,,,,go to Browning.com
 
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Too bad ya'll didn't get a chance to let her fire a Sig 238. It's a .380 in a small package- but it's the easiest handling and softest recoiling .380 I've ever fired. One thing she may not be hip to though, is it's set up like a 1911. That means she'd have to eithe not have a round in the chamber, or she'd have to carry cocked and locked (one in tube with safety on).
 
I know it's the SA Forum; but, if she's going to carry a .22, make it a .22Mag revolver. It hits way above its weight class, and .22Mag bullets are better constructed. Ruger & S&W both make excellent small-frame revolvers in this caliber.
 
Yeah ruger has the poly framed revolvers available in 22 mag, and that is a definite step up for power. They even make defense ammo for 22 mag... I have seen gold dot, and there may be more. A hunting round designed for larger varmints would work as well. Good thing about 22 mag is that most ammo is of good quality and reliable... Bulk 22lr is not something to rely on even in a revolver.

Ruger makes the SR22, and S&W has the m&p 22 compact which would work well. Both have reputations for reliability. Use quality rounds and you will not need to worry about reliable ignition and function. Cci velocitors are the best choice, followed by Cci stingers and Cci mini mag 40gr round nose, in a even ranking of #2 choice.


Remember that the smaller the pistol the more recoil will be felt by the shooter, so the bersa 380s would be better than the small pocket 380s.


I don't recommend single action only pistols for new shooters and ccw. They require more training and safety mindedness.


As far as releasing the slide stop... It's simple...

Use it as a slide stop... Not as a slide release. Teach her to release the slide on a fresh mag reload by pulling the slide back and letting go... It works for every pistol, as some small pistols do not have slide stops that you can thumb actuate.


And make sure she learns proper grip... Double fishing an extended mag is no good...
 
I don't recommend single action only pistols for new shooters and ccw. They require more training and safety mindedness.
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Exactly the reasons I suggest a SA pistol for new shooters, they need to learn that extra safety and to respect their handgun. Too many complacent gun owners who aren't safety minded at all.
 
There is a difference between a SA for the range and learning... And using one for ccw.

The former is more forgiving of mistakes...

The latter puts much more demand on the user, and has more chance for mistakes for the new shooter. More so when faced with the realities of carry. The training requirements are higher... And you can never be sure of the person's dedication to training, not just safety but proper use for when the need arises. Disengaging the safety on the draw being one.


You suggest a SA for new shooters in the hopes they learn safety... But that us an idealistic goal. A commendable one... But idealistic. Given some people's tendencies.

I'm not saying a striker is a good first choice either.

DA/SA with decocker can be a good one. But it has its drawbacks as well.


In the end, there is no right or wrong, as it depends too much on the individual.


But for the range, a SA can be a very good first choice, I just don't think SA is good for a ccw by a new shooter, or one adverse to frequent training.
 
You have it all with the Bersa Thunder,,,

I'm a strong proponent of having a rimfire/centerfire pair,,,
I own several pairs in revolver and semi-auto.

You have it all with the Bersa Thunder,,,
And it won't break the bank to buy them.

bersas-lr.jpg


DA/SA with a safety-decocker,,,
In my mind it's the perfect action to carry,,,
And the controls are identical for each of the two guns

For the price matched with superb performance,,,
I can vouch for the Bersa Thunders.

The Beretta Cheetah is another fine pair,,,
But the price point is somewhat high.

berettas.jpg


You will pay more just for the Model 87 in .22,,,
Than you will for the pair of Bersa pistols.

They are DA/SA with a safety,,,
But have no decocker.

I take a lot of people shooting,,,
The Bersa's are favorites among the newbies.

I believe it's because of the DA/SA action with decocker,,,
In my (not so) humble opinion it's optimal.

I should get a commission from Bersa. :p

Aarond

.
 
I know recoil feels different with different people, but I personally feel like the small .380's actually have quite a bit more felt recoil than a midsize 9mm like a Glock 19. The only one that I have shot that the recoil felt lighter on was a Walther PK380. Recoil is a subjective thing though, so something like an LCP could feel much better to her than a midsize 9mm simply due to how it fits her hand.

Regarding 22's, I taught my wife to shoot with a Smith & Wesson M&P 22 full size. She is a small woman, but she still said that the gun's grip fit her just fine. She liked the feel of the gun so much she actually moved up to an M&P 40c to carry.
 
No matter what pistol you use it comes down to what round is in it. Smaller pistols would be better suited with the proper round built up for it. Also with a small pistol aim for the face. It will make "the skum attacker" pause and give you time to finish them off. :eek:
 
Betcha' anything that if she goes to a genuine, real instructor, by the end of even a one day session, she'll be shooting anything and everything.
Little guns, big guns, 22s, 380s, 9mm, 45s, it just won't matter.
The gun is the least of it and skill is everything.
 
Walther has a P22. I was looking at it yesterday.
Click to expand...

FYI - The P22 is made by Umarex, not Walther, and it is a cheaply-made potmetal pistol that has a reputation for being unreliable. It would generally be a terrible choice for a CCW.
 
I missed the p22 thing...

Definitely stay away from it for ccw. I don't even recommend them for range use.

If you want a small semi in 22lr, the ruger sr22 and S&W m&p 22 compact are said to be reliable.

But if it has to be a 22... A 22 mag revolver would be a better choice.

A glock 19 or 26 are pretty soft shooters.

And training and practice go a long way. Good techniques help with recoil management.
 
I have both a Beretta 84FS and a Browning BDA. They're excellent pistols, but for a .380, have far more recoil than my Kimber SOLO 9mm; a much smaller gun. They're both difficult to draw the slide back, but not as hard as the SOLO.

I carried a SIG p232, which is a .380, very soft recoil and easy to draw slide back. I'm not convinced one can say one caliber has more or less recoil than another caliber especially when comparing a 9mm (.355X19mm) to a .380X17mm. A lot depends on the gun and on the shooter when talking about recoil.

With that said, I'd look for a 9mm that she could handle with a matching .22 for practice. I've fired my shooting buddy's S&W MP 9mm quite a bit. Haven't tried the .22 version, but the combination bears looking into.
 
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