Handgun Advice
- Thread starter oifcombatvet
- Start date
mrgoodwrench76
New member
The Walther P22 is a great 'trainer' gun. Mine seems to be a little picky on ammuniton but reliable with good stuff. A very light slide pull, fairly accurate for a short barrell, and easy to function. My wife and daughter (5) love it. A good way to get them started.
Scooter The Shooter
Inactive
My wife and I recently purchased a Walther P22 for her, and she absolutely loves it! She was previously shooting my Smith 622 (a full size framed .22 auto). This pistol is too large for her small hands. The Walther "fits my hand perfectly" she says. I am going to try to move her into a larger caliber (possibly a Walther PK380) as her skill level improves.
Pax's remarks, posts, uses...
To reply to PAX's remarks;
Ive re-read the postings. If the intended use of the "cheap starter gun" is for training/range use ONLY then maybe a .22LR target semi auto pistol or a small caliber DA revolver would be a good start.
My concerns are that is she can't fully work a semi auto slide or properly hold/fire a handgun that could be a serious safety issue on the range or on the street.
A decent Ruger Browning or S&W .22LR target pistol can help a new handgun shooter(male or female) learn the basics of marksmanship, skill building, cleaning-service, etc. Some target models have CT lasers too.
Another route to consider is the .22LR kits that are on the market for the Glock 17/22 or 1911A1 or SIG Sauer P226/P229. If she can build her hand strength or use traning she could advance from the .22LR up to the 9mmNATO .40, .357SIG, and/or .45acp.
That makes more sense than buying a cheap gun that could misfire or break causing a major injury to her or someone else.
To reply to PAX's remarks;
Ive re-read the postings. If the intended use of the "cheap starter gun" is for training/range use ONLY then maybe a .22LR target semi auto pistol or a small caliber DA revolver would be a good start.
My concerns are that is she can't fully work a semi auto slide or properly hold/fire a handgun that could be a serious safety issue on the range or on the street.
A decent Ruger Browning or S&W .22LR target pistol can help a new handgun shooter(male or female) learn the basics of marksmanship, skill building, cleaning-service, etc. Some target models have CT lasers too.
Another route to consider is the .22LR kits that are on the market for the Glock 17/22 or 1911A1 or SIG Sauer P226/P229. If she can build her hand strength or use traning she could advance from the .22LR up to the 9mmNATO .40, .357SIG, and/or .45acp.
That makes more sense than buying a cheap gun that could misfire or break causing a major injury to her or someone else.
aarondhgraham
New member
"easy to take down & clean"
That would be a Beretta NEOS,,,
They are a bit Buck Rogers looking but very good shooters,,,
And they disassemble and go back together with no problems at all.
I own one and it is a very user friendly handgun,,,
With the 4.5" barrel it is lightweight and agile,,,
It has very slender grips for small hands,,,
Very "pointable" and accurate.
It's certainly not the only decent .22 out there,,,
But it is at least worth checking out.
Hope this helps,,,
.
That would be a Beretta NEOS,,,
They are a bit Buck Rogers looking but very good shooters,,,
And they disassemble and go back together with no problems at all.
I own one and it is a very user friendly handgun,,,
With the 4.5" barrel it is lightweight and agile,,,
It has very slender grips for small hands,,,
Very "pointable" and accurate.
It's certainly not the only decent .22 out there,,,
But it is at least worth checking out.
Hope this helps,,,
.
overkill0084
New member
.22 of some form. I would let her sample the wares at a gun shop or show. Even better find a range that rents guns an take some for a test drive. I currently have a Ruger MK3. If I could get past the sticker price, I would love to get a S&W model 17.
Get one she likes and it will be a solid investment.
Get one she likes and it will be a solid investment.
mrgoodwrench76
New member
I dont think anyone suggested buying a 'cheap' (High Point, Lorson, .....) gun so I'm not sure where the concerns of failure or breakage are coming from. Why would buying a full size semi-auto with a .22 conversion installed be a better idea than buying a small .22 like the Walther? Especially for someone who has trouble racking the slide? I have a Glock and Sig with .22 conversions and both are harder to rack than the Walther which is why I suggested it in the first place. I think that some peoples bitter attitude often leads to poor advice.
as others have said, don't pick her gun out for her, take her to a gun range where they let you test different guns and let her try out a bunch. The only help I would give it I would steer her away from the huge bores (if she has never shot a hand gun you want to start small) and how to use the gun
When my wife picker out her first hand gun we tested out 17 guns that day. finally settled on a Bersa 380. It is now being refinished in pink because she wants it that way and I want her to like it enough to carry it.
When my wife picker out her first hand gun we tested out 17 guns that day. finally settled on a Bersa 380. It is now being refinished in pink because she wants it that way and I want her to like it enough to carry it.
chris in va
New member
Yup, each person is different.
My GF tried all my various semiautos and revolvers, but simply adores my new Glock 21SF. She's really enjoying it at the IDPA shoots we started attending.
It's simple to operate, boringly reliable, uncomplicated. Plus she likes 45 as "it puts a BIG hole in the target".
My GF tried all my various semiautos and revolvers, but simply adores my new Glock 21SF. She's really enjoying it at the IDPA shoots we started attending.
It's simple to operate, boringly reliable, uncomplicated. Plus she likes 45 as "it puts a BIG hole in the target".
The bitter truth...
I'm at a loss for the intent of some of the member posts.
The member asking the questions about "cheap guns" stated he wanted a handgun his wife could build up or move on with.
A Glock, SIG Sauer, Beretta pistol etc with a .22LR kit DOES make sense.
Now, I agree that a handgun shooter(male or female) who has issues working a pistol trigger/slide/controls may also have the same issues with a .22LR add-on but with conditioning-skill training the handgunner could move from the .22LR on to the .357sig/.40S&W/9mm.
As for the "bitter" advice, I think that's a tad off base. I seriously doubt the OP has the time/$$$ or resources to shop for piles of handguns.
I'm at a loss for the intent of some of the member posts.
The member asking the questions about "cheap guns" stated he wanted a handgun his wife could build up or move on with.
A Glock, SIG Sauer, Beretta pistol etc with a .22LR kit DOES make sense.
Now, I agree that a handgun shooter(male or female) who has issues working a pistol trigger/slide/controls may also have the same issues with a .22LR add-on but with conditioning-skill training the handgunner could move from the .22LR on to the .357sig/.40S&W/9mm.
As for the "bitter" advice, I think that's a tad off base. I seriously doubt the OP has the time/$$$ or resources to shop for piles of handguns.
I'm with Deja Vu. but, make sure she does try a small .38. Auto's tend to make women (and some men) uncomfortable. And as a new hand gunner, for good reason. Keep it simple, she can try auto's later if she likes. Start too powerful, and you may slam the door for ever.
Ps. have a .22 for her to start with? cheap, and great for confidence building.
Ps. have a .22 for her to start with? cheap, and great for confidence building.
SadistAssassin
New member
have her pick out 2 0r 3 then go with the most powerful.
I made sure I read Cornered Cat (thanks pax) before taking my wife out to purchase a pistol for her. My role boiled down to
It also helped that the Shooter's Depot, the local gun shop and range, has a friendly attitude toward women - the owner's daughter works there, and my wife's experiences with all the staff were very pleasant.
I'll be quite interested to see what your wife selects; please keep us posted.
- being the wallet
- don't settle for something you don't like just because you think it's cheaper
- making sure her decision was informed
- the Judge looks cool, but if you are not fully comfortable with a .38 revolver's recoil, you may want to start somewhere else first
- otherwise leaving her alone
It also helped that the Shooter's Depot, the local gun shop and range, has a friendly attitude toward women - the owner's daughter works there, and my wife's experiences with all the staff were very pleasant.
I'll be quite interested to see what your wife selects; please keep us posted.