Setting Newbs off on the Right Foot.....

N

Nathan

New member
So, what is your go to handgun to start Newbs off on the right foot?

I used to think a s&w 19 was about a perfect newb gun, but of late, I find they struggle with the DA and get disappointed.

My next step was the Glock 17/19, but that too has proven to have some grip complaint.

I let several choose their own based purely on newb impressions, and they flew M&P. It was all about the grip.

The last few really bought into some kind of XD.:D even without me directing at all. Tells me XD is doing something right. I like it because we work through basic shooting to CCW, the XD grows with them well.

This is a tough decision for a newb because they really have no idea. When you are focused on front sight focus, basic grip and stance, you just have no idea which gun. Any gun, training and 1000 ends of ammo will get you close.
 
To me, I think one of the best guns to give to new shooters are metal frame 9mms. They tend to have very comfortable grips, point fairly naturally, and handle recoil very well.

If not that, a single action 22 pistol/ revolver tends to help develop good trigger habbits.
 
I start newbies with a DA/SA semi-auto in .22 LR

I usually start newbies with a DA/SA semi-auto in .22 LR,,,
Usually a Bersa thunder 22 or a Ruger SR-22.

It is the type of gun that gives them good general knowledge of guns,,,
Meaning they get to see/use/manipulate an external hammer,,,
And they get to learn the difference between DA and SA.

.22 because it's cheap and has low recoil,,,
I've seen too many beginners get off to a bad start,,,
By trying to handle too much gun when first starting out.

But lately I've been thinking maybe a 9mm wouldn't be too bad,,,
The problem is picking a suitable pistol with which to start.

My CZ-75B is simply too large for many hands,,,
My LC9 has too much of a snappy recoil,,,
Something between the two is needed.

I have a Bersa Thunder 9 UC that has a smaller grip,,,
But enough weight to the gun to lessen the recoil.

But, I still like starting them with a DA/SA style .22,,,
In my not-so-humble opinion it's the proper introductory handgun.

Aarond

.
 
So, what is your go to handgun to start Newbs off on the right foot?
Click to expand...

Depends what the purpose is. But if they say...

home defense - revolver. revolver are easier to use overall and more than likely this will be a gun that gets used 2-3x then sits in a safe for years because the person will lose interest. I would rather them rely on a revolver in this situation. If they get into guns then they will get a pistol when they are ready.

ccw - probably a double stack 9mm or maybe a sw shield. i wouldnt recommend a small micro 380 or small single stack to a newbie. I think the sw shield is ok though because of the longer grip.
 
I started my grandson with my S&W Model 586, 6" barrel. Why? Using .38 Special target ammo, recoil is negligible. Hole in target plainly visible. And gun is not ready to fire the next shot inadvertantly. Small K-frame sized grip is fine for youth's hands.

In time gradually worked up to hotter .38 Specials and then full house .357 Magnums.

Ten, twewnty years from now, he'll be as good as I am.

Bob Wright
 
Yes, start with a 22. I really learned to shoot practicing Bullseye with my High Standard Victor. Nowadays I recommend a full size steel frame auto with a 22 conversion unit. The CZ for a factory unit, I also have the Ciener units for my Browning HP and Colt Mark IV.
 
Revolver, something like a S&W 66 4". Generally they have no interest in sport which means no range time and training is a maybe.
 
Prefer to start 'em with a .22lr :)
.22WMR like a Grendel or Keltec otherwise...
9mm if also a great starter if a rimfire isn't available.
 
Bob in the upper posts has got it right. However, I use a 686 4" revolver because it is lighter than the 6". Very easy for a newbie to visualize single action/double action. 38 special rounds offer very little recoil but the holes are big enough to view. I reload so the rounds are not very expensive and I can load real cream puff 38 special loads all the way to stout 357 magnum loads. Anyone can operate a revolver in single action, even weak arthritic hands. Not everyone can rack a slide. The 38 special is still an effective SD round.
 
DA revolvers go a long way in teaching the fundamentals. Bob has that right. Also 22s are great starter guns. But honestly 95% of newbies end up buying a polymer duty type firearm like a Glock or S&w m&p or XD. All decent guns but won't teach great fundamentals.
I've found a good middle ground are the all steel nines. Many newbies want something 'tacticool'. (Not my thing but whatever.) If you encounter that, pointing them to a CZ or a sig 226 can help with getting them the style they want while still getting a good starter gun in their hands.
This is just my approach, ymmv.
 
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Any new shooter that asks what they should buy to learn how to shoot gets two referrals, either a Ruger mk 22 pistol or a browning buckmark 22 pistol .

At first they are hesitant but when I invite them to shoot with me I tell them that I will supply 1000 rds of 22 and if they want to shoot any other caliber I will supply the guns and they supply the ammo for each specific caliber.

They soon realize that a hundred rds of any calibers is expensive and it does not last long and that 1000 rds of 22 lr is not and lasts longer. I believe that 22 is the way to learn good habits when learning to shoot because it requires the same type of discipline as shooting any other caliber at a fraction of the cost.
 
There will be hundreds of "Expert Opinions" on this topic. None of them wrong or right. My opinion is a .357 Magnum with a 4" barrel. Simple to use, low maintenance, easy to shoot and they can start with .38 Specials, work up to .38 Special +P loads then to .357 Mags as their experience and confidence grows. My favorite is a Ruger GP100. They are quality guns that are indestructible.
 
"home defense - revolver. revolver are easier to use overall and more than likely this will be a gun that gets used 2-3x then sits in a safe for years because the person will lose interest. I would rather them rely on a revolver in this situation. If they get into guns then they will get a pistol when they are ready."

What he said. The part about sitting in the safe for years is not often mentioned, but often exactly what happens.

As for learning to shoot a handgun, 22 revolver. I have taught lots of people to shoot and never once scared anyone off.
 
Teaching someone how to shoot is one thing..( and I will usually start with a Browning Buckmark .22 semi-auto / or a S&W model 18 .22 revolver) ....but trying to help someone pick their first gun for defense is another issue...

Teaching them to shoot ( start with one of the .22's I suggested, then move them to a semi-auto in 9mm - something slim like a 1911 / or maybe a S&W model 19 or 66 (K frame revolves) shooing .38 spl in a .357 mag...

Helping them pick their first gun ...it depends on what fits their hands / all of the double stack guns are wide - and may not be the best option. Controls matter...and some prefer a SAO 1911, DA-SA, Stryker fired, etc...and grip angle is a big deal ( XD's, Glocks, etc are all different )..../ they need to shoot a variety of guns and then decide what works best for them ...and their budget. If I had to pick one polymer frame gun I'd suggest XD's...if I had to suggest one DA revolver it would be a model 66 S&W in a 4".

I have a teenage grandaughter visiting from out of town...and we'll work thru the .22's / then a couple of 1911's in 9mm (4" and a 5") / and a Sig 239 in 9mm...and a model 66 4" with .38's / and maybe a couple of .357 Mag's ( if she wants to try it - we'll go to a model 686 6" for a little more weight). MOst important thing - we stop when she says she's had enough (and no matter what, if I sense its not fun for her, I know I screwed up - and we stop !). Keep it simple and fun !! ( and lunch afterwards wherever she wants - so she can talk - and tell me what she thinks).
 
That's exactly how I do it with my daughter.

And the progression is almost identical to how I do it with any new shooter: First a 22 revolver, then 22 auto. til they want to move up. Then a 32 revolver, then a 32 automatic. When they want more, gentle 38 revolver, gentle 380... then 9mm, then whatever larger calibers they really want to try.

It is sort of a nuisance to drag ten handguns out to the range, but it seems to be a lot of fun for the newbie. I have created many handgun shooters and owners by starting with good 22's and letting them progress at their own rate.
 
My handgun collection is much more limited than that of many here. I have had both of my daughters to the range and some other newbies.

I usually bring the following: "Walther" (Umarex) P22 autoloader, Ruger GP100 4", Beretta 92 FS, and sometimes a Springfield Model 1911 or Stoeger Cougar 8045.

The P22 serves as an introduction to basic autoloader function in a recoil-friendly caliber. Actually, it also serves well for malfunction instruction since it can counted on to fail to feed fairly regularly.

My GP100 loaded with 38 Special serves as an introduction to basic double action revolver function and its weight and large size absorb recoil very well.

If the shooter's hands are large enough I usually then let them shoot some 9mm Para from my Beretta 92FS. Again, the large size and all metal construction soak up recoil very well.

If they do well with the 9mm Beretta I will usually let them shoot a few magazines of .45 ACP through either my SA 1911 or my Stoeger Cougar (or both) to get a feel for another popular handgun caliber. The Cougar actually absorbs recoil better than the 1911.
 
With most anybody; from kids to grown men, most all tend to be recoil and noise sensitive, so it's a .22 of some kind here on the farm. 'Tween son #2 and I, we have a .22 Woodsman, a Single-Six, and a Colt Diamondback as well as several top units in .22 for two Sigs and a Ruger SR1911 CMD.

Practice begins with the revolvers for safety reasons and progresses with the shooter's progression. This past week, my sister's entire family arrived for the holidays: two lawyers, a commercial photographer, a college journalist professor and one financial analyist...all died in the wool liberals.

I went through two bricks of .22's, and a cpl hundred .40-.45's as well as a hundred .223's and five clips of .30-06 for one of the Garands. They may be politically naïve but they do like to shoot, especially on the steel tie plates I have all the way out to 100 yds.

The winners? The two lawyers did the best, mastering everything...never shot before either, so no bad habits to overcome. Also had a nice discussion on the 2nd Amendment with them regarding the "militia" part of it and the Founders ultimate reason for making it the 2nd Amendment. (To protect the 1st from a tyrannical government.)

Rod and a Merry Christmas to you all...
 
I start them off with a S&W Model 63 .22 revolver, then graduate them to a Walther P22 for auto-loader exposure. I used to use an old High Standard for the auto-loader, but the P22 is closer to what they will probably choose for a higher caliber auto-loader later.

Starting them off with low-recoil 22 rimfire seems to prevent a lot of the flinch issues that those who start off with higher calibers tend to develop....and the ammo is cheaper.
 
I'm a big believer in starting off with a .22 (and in dry fire, but that's another thread ;)). Learn to do the fundamentals well, and the world's your oyster. :) Skip this step, though, and you'll struggle with everything you shoot.

When I started shooting, I started with a .22 rifle, followed by a .22 revolver. For my 1st 1.5 years, I did nothing but sight picture and trigger control with these. I collected all that brass and dumped it in a box (pic below). I don't know how much brass is in there, but the box in that photo weighs 35-40 pounds.

When I started competing, it was with a revolver, and I made Master in about a year, competing as a Master in the World Championships in my 2nd year. Last year, I took a little R&R to shoot High Power Rifle and made Master after my first few matches. I attribute a lot of this to the solid foundation I laid with my .22s (and to lots of dry fire).

Theoretically, one can gain proficiency going straight to a centerfire, but chances are the cost will keep them from shooting enough, and they're likely to develop bad habits in the process. OTOH, laying a good foundation with a .22 might bore a new shooter, so a lot depends on the attitude of the shooter and how serious they are about getting good.


rimfireBrass.jpg
 
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