A girls first revolver??

K

kcglocker

Inactive
I am looking to buy a new gun for my girlfriend. After a year of convincing we went to the range and she actually liked shooting a rented buckmark. I want to buy a 22 for us to use (me when I am alone, or when together I will use my Glock or other) so a revolver makes sense because she has trouble racking slides and a revolver has a simple manual of arms. So far the only one I have found that is reasonable is the Taurus which makes me think twice about quality. Does anyone know what a used smith .22 ought to go for in great condition and what model designation smith 22 revolvers are?

What was your first 22? also I have seen a few off brand 22 revolvers very cheap. Since this is a plinker and not for self defense what do you think> I tend to want to spend more to get something that lasts...

Kc
 
Plinker? How about a Single Six or Bearcat? (Especially the Bearcat, those are just the coolest, cutest little wheelguns):)
 
Taurus Quality is far better than it was twenty years ago. In addition, Taurus has a Life of the Gun Repair Warranty, if it ain't right, send it back until they make it right.

If you young lady is big enough to handle a K-frame pistol, the K-22 Masterpiece is the perfect teaching sixgun. I can't give you a good idea of cost because it has been a while since I saw a K-22 for sale.

Doc Hudson
 
a 3" model 60 .38 is the ticket. This is fairly heavy and makes shooting with wadcutters pleasant.
 
Stick with the .22 idea, they are so cheap and fun to shoot.

Smith Model 17 (aka K-22)(aka 617) ~ $300 plus.

Taurus Model 96 (copy of above) ~$250 or less used no longer in production

Taurus 94 (i think) 9 shot smaller framed revolver. Good choice for smaller hands. Still in production. Current Taurus quality is good.

Ruger MKII (not a revolver, but they are great guns)

Ruger Single-Six - single action. Loading them is kind of a pain. Fun to shoot though.

H&R 999 Sportsman - top break 9 shot revolver. No longer in production, but still around used ~$200 or less depending on condition.

Dan Wesson. Never owned one but they are supposed to be good too.

I really like .22's and you really can't go wrong with any of the quality brands. If you don't like it they hold their value if you want to sell or trade it off.
 
Taurus seems up to par as far as quality goes. As mentioned, their warranty is nice also. If you plan on your girlfriend using this for self defense at all, you may want to consider the Taurus chambered in 22WMR instead of 22LR. The ammo will be a little more expensive, but still not terrible. You lose one off of your capacity by going to 22WMR so you can hold eight instead of nine. I really think I am going to end up getting my girlfriend one of them.
 
How about .....

... a S&W model 15? A "K" frame .38 Special. With wadcutters, it has very little recoil (make sure you muffle her ears very well. Noise is much more objectionable than recoil.)

Once she is comfortable with that, move the ammunition up to 158 grain RNL to the various +P types... gradually.

Used M15s go for varying prices. Used police trade-ins are as low as $175, up to about what you'll pay for a good 22. Plus the 38 is not nearly as limited as the 22 on the upper end.
 
I second the .38 idea, maybe even look for a .357. That way you get two nice calibers to choose from one gun. My gf started out on a .22, didn't like it. Complained that it didn't feel like a gun, more like a pellet gun. She's so used to .357 now that when we tried .38s she didn't like them and gave them to me.

Tamara that's a beautiful comment about the 10mm.

UltimaSE
 
Geez, can't a guy buy a .22 plinker for his girlfriend without being told that she really needs a more powerful, more expensive to shoot gun for killing paper and tin cans? Kcglocker, I commend you for not immediately trying to buy a howitzer for your girlfriend because she likes a .22. I admit, I am not an experienced handgunner by any means, but I just don't see the point in this.

I recently went to a range with my wife where she shot for the first time ever, and she shot two Smith .22 revolvers, a 4" and a 6" (switched to the second one because the first one misfired a bunch). I'm not sure of the model number but from pictures I've seen on the web since then I think these were kit guns: short lug barrel, fairly skinny wood grip (they seemed to be identical except for bbl. length). We both found the grips uncomfortable and the guns unnatural overall, but obviously others like these guns. I want to get her to shoot a .38 and see if she likes it, but this is only because one of the main reasons for us getting our first handgun is protection. If it was for target shooting only I would buy a .22 because the ammo is so cheap and I have neither the time nor the space in our apartment to devote to reloading.

My wife's first experience at the range may be interesting to you given that your girlfriend is also a first time shooter:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=61249
 
For smaller hands consider the S&W J-Frames, the 22/32 "kit" guns (models 34/43/63) are great guns for learning to shoot. The 34 is the standard blued model, 43 is the aluminum framed airweight, the 63 is the stainless steel model. They came in a variety of barrel lengths (2" - 6") over the years, with the 4" being the most general purpose. The original wood grips are an amazingly bad design, I don't think they fit anyone comfortably. The later rubber? grips, or aftermarket grips from Hogue etc are a considerable improvement. Unfortunately S&W doesn't make any of these models anymore, all were dropped in favor of the model 317 with the aluminum frame and titanium cylinder.

Stick with the 22 LR for beginners, what everyone always needs most is practice, and the 22LR ammo is still the cheapest.
 
I have a question: She had trouble working the slide on the Buckmark?

If that is the case, I bet if she continues to shoot with you, even on a minimal level, she will make great leaps quickly. It take very little strength to cycle a Buckmark. She sounds like she is really unfamiliar with guns.

I point all this out because I went through the same situation with my girl friend. I actually started with the .38 revolver (S&W 66), but it was too much. She said she could hardly pull the double action trigger. I went to a Buckmark and that lasted about two to three range sessions. Suddenly she got familiar with the guns and wasn't afraid to use her hand strength to manipulate them. Then it was back to the .38 and then quickly to the Sig 229 in .40 which is now her pistol.

Don't get me wrong, a .22 revolver is great to have, but I would take her to the range a few more times to figure out if that is what she really wants and can really handle.

A lot of time if people are unfamiliar with guns, it seems, people are afraid to use a determined force on a hangun's controls because they are unsure and are afraid of discharging the weapon unitentionally.
 
G/f's first gun

I have much the same problem here. My wife has never fired a gun. I am not about to push the issue either. She used to make fun of me for belonging to the NRA, but after the Rosie thing with Selleck, and the MMM tripe, she volunteered to help with the SAS rally in DC last year. Quite a reversal, I must say. She also became a life member of the NRA. She is more concerned about protecting her right to own a gun than actually using one. I can live with that! I have taught her the basic safety rules, and the functioning of the various types of both handguns and long arms. Safety First!!!

The point of the story is that I bought a Taurus Mod 96 (not really sure of the model number, but it is the six-shot six-inch .22 target gun they used to have) just in case she wanted to learn to shoot. It makes for a great plinking gun. I have also used it for 'pest control' using CB shorts. I figured a DA .22 revolver would be the easiest gun to learn to shoot -- just to learn the basics. IF she wanted to 'up-size', she could try out the Dan Wesson .357 with mild .38 wadcutters. I bought her a Taurus stainless 3" Mod 85 for a nightstand gun just in case TSHTF. Like I said, she hasn't shot the gun, but she knows how to use it (she has a 'Mama Grizzly' attitude about defending her loved ones!)

I applaud your thinking about starting with a .22 DA revolver. I have had good luck with both my Tauruses (Taurii?) Whatever you decide, start slowly and work your (and her) way up. The worst thing you can do is try to show your machismo like a dork I once saw at a range. The doufus was trying to teach his girlfriend with a .44Mag! Neither one of them could hit a 8-1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper at ten yards.

Enjoy your good fortune in finding a girlfriend with whom you can share your 'affliction'. ;)
 
I have a 9 shot model 94 taurus 4" and also a model 43 airweight kit gun 3.5" thay are both nice .22 revolvers.
old s&w kit guns are hard to find and can be expensive.
I have put a couple thousand rounds through the Taurus and it is a good shooter. I would only go with the .22 magnum if you plan to hunt with it. on the range a.22lr does everything a .22 WMR can and the ammo is 1/10 the cost $7.50 for 50 wmr, and $.75 for .22 lr. My experience with .22 lr ammo in revolvers is that the match grade ammo is much less reliable. Cheap remmington thunderbolt and cci blazer is OK. My revos really like the remmington subsonic at about $15 per 500. The subsonic ammo also cuts down on leading big time and makes the revos easier to clean.
A model 36 S&W used is a good choice for self defense and practice with light wadcutters. I would recommend an old all steel 36 chiefs special/ lady smith (funny how the designation changed over the years huh?) because it will soak up recoil better Uncle mikes boot grips fill the area under the trigger guard so it does not rap your knuckle when you fire heavy loads.
 
You stated

>>What was your first 22? also I have seen a few off brand 22 revolvers very cheap. Since this is a plinker and not for self defense what do you think> I tend to want to spend more to get something that lasts... <<

Thats a good thing that it isn't for self defense. If it took you a year to get her to the range then she is not particularily enamored with the thought of guns and therefore not very defense minded. Thats understandable. I would hate for her to have to use a .22 for defense and be severely traumatized when the perp didn't stop and she would have to repeatedly shoot him. But we aren't talking defense here..so that's not a worry.

My first .22 revolver was a Ruger Bisley single action. You can get one fitted like the single six with another cylinder to shoot 22 WMR's if you choose. A fun gun to shoot, but rather tedious to load. My second was a Browning Buckmark. Really fun because you can shoot more without reloading.
I would suggest to you that if she has problems with racking a semi auto slide, that she try a different technique. Instead of the traditional pull from the rear method of racking the slide, have her try another method.

1. Hold the weapon in the firing hand normally.
2. With the non firing hand place the hand over the slide with the fingers pointed towards the firing hand, grasping the cocking serrations in a comfortable manner. Her palm should almost directly over the ejection port on a standard auto.
3. Push the firing hand and the non firing hand towards each other, racking the slide. Just make sure she releases the slide and lets it slide forward on its own power instead of riding it back.

With this method my wife has been able to use all of my auto pistols with no problems. She cannot rack the slide in the traditional manner.

I know you are looking for a revolver, but with .22's, and auto is a heck of a lot more fun. Teaching a new person to love to shoot is something like taking a kid fishing. The first few times you take him/her to your favorite Bluegill spot and let em catch them by the hundreds till they have the fever for fishing. Then move them up to bigger fish. She will catch on. Mine did. She now shoots a Hi Power 9mm with no problems.

Good Shooting
REd
 
I'll only buy a Taurus if it's used and inexpensive. The engineering on a Taurus is inferior to the S&W (see my prior posts about the omission of the rebound slide in the Taurus design). While I like S&W, I can't buy one of those either unless it's used or until S&W renounces those agreements with the Federal Govt.
 
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