22 for ccw

If you're going as BIG as the Beretta 84, you might consider the Kel-Tec PMR-30. It's a surprisingly potent round, if you buy the stuff made for handguns, and the gun shoots like a LASER, has virtually no recoil, and is a real hoot to shoot. It's light -- but about the same size as a Glock 19. Except it can hold up to 30 rounds (although 25 rounds seems to be a better bet for reliability.)

I got one for my wife -- who has problems with racking slides on most guns, and can't really do well with a revolver.

It would fit a purse or handbag... and holsters are available.

With the right ammo, .22 WMR is comparable (in ballistic gel) to the .380 round.
 
Self Defense related practice is fine with a normal .22RF. A Ruger SR22, 22/45, MKIII or Browning Buckmark is fine. Once she has some good training (unless handicapped by injury or severe arthritis) she will be able to shoot most any auto-pistol of medium size. The small ones take more practice and skill to shoot well.
 
marine6680
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.
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Thanks for the tip. I never thought about that but it makes sense if I can do it to a semi rifle why not a pistol.

I have to admit i'm new to handguns. Always liked them but my go to guns are rifles then shotguns.

My intentions are if she can find something she likes in her hand to get her proper classes. I thought we were going to learn something in Vegas from our time with the instructor but it was more like show and tell burning through a few mags and moving to the next gun. Wasn't worth the money or time.
 
Lots of choices for a two gun battery. 22 to learn, and gain confidence, 380 later for CCW.
But if it's not an excuse to buy two guns:D (I like that one!), take a look at a Kel Tec P32. Small, easy shooting, low recoil, and more powerful than a 22 rimfire with centerfire reliability.
For the two gun battery, I have found my Taurus 22 Poly to be quite similar in shooting to my Ruger LCP. The biggest difference other than clambering is the tip barrel design of the Taurus. Possibly another advantage if your wife has difficulty racking the slide of a semi-auto.
In fact if I were to suggest only a 22 rimfire for CCW, the Taurus 22 Poly, or the similar Beretta model would be top on my list.
 
jasmith85
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.
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That's good but every time Melody holds a full size she has trouble gripping it and reaching the trigger. Here size is a bit hard to explain hand wise. Imagine teaching a 12-13 year old girl to shoot. She's 4 foot 11 and 1/2 and maybe 110 pounds. And wears size small womens gloves.

A variety of the guns she handled and said she liked the size were so small I had trouble getting my fingers in the trigger guard.
 
Hmm... Then some striker fired pistols would work, as well as some SA.


The small 380s and the bersa may be out due to the distance to the trigger.

My niece liked shooting my sr22, she just turned 13.
 
Imagine teaching a 12-13 year old girl to shoot. She's 4 foot 11 and 1/2 and maybe 110 pounds. And wears size small womens gloves.
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There's no reason why she shouldn't be able to handle a J Frame S&W 38 Spcl. with minimal training and practice

A variety of the guns she handled and said she liked the size were so small I had trouble getting my fingers in the trigger guard.
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There's little reason for you to be shooting HER gun, so how it fits your hand should make no difference

One of the biggest problems with women choosing guns is men trying to help with the decision when it should all be left up to her

Get her a gun in a big enough cartridge to actually be worth carrying rather than a poor compromise
 
Blindstitch said:
Some of the 380's she held were fine but the slide releases were almost impossible to move.
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Were you trying to press the slide release with the empty magazine in the gun? Many gun shops clear the gun and then hand it to the customer with the empty mag in it, so when the customer racks the slide it ends up locking to the rear. At that point it's really hard to push the slide release down because you're fighting against the magazine spring.

Keep in mind that the follower on an empty mag pushes up on the slide stop after the mag is emptied; it wasn't designed to be pressed down with the empty mag still in the gun. With no magazine or a magazine with rounds in it, the slide stop is much easier to depress.

That said, I agree that for many people it's often better to use the slide stop as a slide lock only, and instead use the slide itself while reloading.
 
Snyper,
There's little reason for you to be shooting HER gun, so how it fits your hand should make no difference
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You missed the point it wasn't an oh no I won't be able to use this gun thing. It was an explanation of how small her hands are.

She also doesn't want a revolver. I have an H and R 22 revolver and she doesn't like it at all.


Theohazard,
That's exactly what was happening.
 
Is that revolver a single action in the "cowboy" style?

Because there is a big difference between that and the new DA revolvers designed for carry.

If she is still animate about no revolver, that is unfortunate, as that would probably be the best route. 38spl is a good round for those how do not like much recoil. And 22 mag is better than 22lr if 38spl is out.


I think at this point a small 22 pistol to teach her on... Then look at some of the striker options in 9mm when she is ready. Experience goes a long way in helping control a pistol and know what does and does not work for you when firing.

Some good options for small hands is the m&p, and the PPQ... There are others with smallish grips as well.

Some single stacks may work, but she will need experience to help her learn to handle the recoil.

Some of the mid size 380s may work... The LC380, the glock 42. The bersa, if she can use the trigger in DA mode.

But experience us the biggest thing... Even if it's on a small 22, it helps a lot.


But if push came to shove, and it had to be a 22lr, and not a revolver... Then the ruger sr22 or m&p22c are the best bet for reliability in that size range.
 
A tiny pistol that tiny hands can easily grip with good power, low recoil impulse, very easy to rack slide and a decent DA trigger?
That's the description of the Boberg XR9-S
Unfortunately , at a cost.
 
Is that revolver a single action in the "cowboy" style?

Because there is a big difference between that and the new DA revolvers designed for carry.
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It's a DA revolver.

I think at this point a small 22 pistol to teach her on... Then look at some of the striker options in 9mm when she is ready. Experience goes a long way in helping control a pistol and know what does and does not work for you when firing.
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That's my thinking. If I can get her started and comfortable then the skys the limits.

I don't think she will ever carry on a daily basis but I want her to know that the option is there and all the stuff needed is provided. She works in an area right now that goes from good neighborhood to bad neighborhood every few blocks. When she stops her car at the traffic lights panhandlers have been going up and down the cars knocking on windows and getting aggressive about it.

It's a good job with good pay and I would prefer to spend the money on guns, training and whatever gets the job done.
 
If 22LR semi auto, then Ruger SR22. I do not like how the external safety is setup (opposite of 1911) but it is all just a matter of getting use to.

I like the Taurus .22LR with the tip up barrel but the one I had was unreliable (several years ago, trigger not resetting) and it ruined it for me. They may have worked out the issues with the later polymer version.
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When she starts to want a small semi-auto centerfire, include the Kahr K9 in your selection.
==
Good luck.
 
Pilpens gives good advice,,,

If 22LR semi auto, then Ruger SR22.
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Although there is no direct equal in centerfire like the Bersa or Beretta,,,
My SR-22 has been absolutely reliable with good or cheap ammo.

And it has that DA/SA with decocker action I like so much.

I work at a State University and take a lot of undergrads to the range,,,
The two pistols of mine that everyone seems to like are:
  • Bersa Thunder 22 & 380
  • Ruger SR-22 in .22

The Bersa Thunders because they fit the hands so well,,,
Both identical guns are very natural pointers,,,
They are just so easy to shoot accurately.

The Ruger because it's small and lightweight,,,
They also learn to be accurate with it very quickly.

If you want two identical guns in 22/380 I recommend the Bersa's,,,
If having an identical centerfire counterpart isn't an issue,,,
Then I say check out the Ruger SR-22.

Either gun will work just fine,,,
Get the one she likes best.

Aarond

.
 
Maybe check out Armscor's(Rock Island Armory) 22TCM round. They're 1911 style guns and come in FS, MS and CS sizes. A compact 22TCM might just work for you. With my FS I get hardly any recoil at all. They are combo guns and shooting 9MM Luger out the same gun has more recoil but the 22TCM bullet comes out at 2000 fps + :eek: It's a nasty little round that I personally quickly fell in love with :D
 
jasmith85
Quote:
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.
That's good but every time Melody holds a full size she has trouble gripping it and reaching the trigger. Here size is a bit hard to explain hand wise. Imagine teaching a 12-13 year old girl to shoot. She's 4 foot 11 and 1/2 and maybe 110 pounds. And wears size small womens gloves.

A variety of the guns she handled and said she liked the size were so small I had trouble getting my fingers in the trigger guard.
Click to expand...

Has she tried a S&W 9mm shield, or Walther PPS? They are quite thin. I've shot the Awalther and thought it was sweet.

A second on the .380. The kick is actually more as its lighter, but its a nice sized for small hands.
 
zincwarrior,
Has she tried a S&W 9mm shield, or Walther PPS? They are quite thin. I've shot the Awalther and thought it was sweet.
Click to expand...

I think she held both but they guy at the counter was pretty quick and finding every gun that might work in her hands that the names started blending together.
 
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