Starting Caliber ?

A .22 LR handgun is a great learning and practice tool. Mine is a Beretta Neos - funny looking, but reliable, accurate, and easy to clean.

But if someone is going to own only one gun - and lots of people do, even if it is unusual on TFL - it probably should not be a .22. A 9 mm or a .38 with some mass (i.e., not an AirWeight, maybe a K frame rather than a J frame) gives a shooter a handgun with reasonable ease of shooting that still has decent stopping power should a defensive situation arise. I would think that self defense in the home is the most common reason for the average person to buy their first handgun. IMO, a .22 is the best choice for a second handgun, but not a great first one.

I suppose the OP's choice of a .380 is a reasonable compromise, but not many people find the recoil of a 9 mm to be that objectionable.
 
A friend of mine wants to get into shooting and he’s looking to me for advice on where to start – you think a full size .380 would be a better place to start than a .22? I kind of do!
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Nothing wrong with the .380 in a full size gun except it would cost
a lot to train with due to ammo costs.

I would get a p22 since he can learn autos and have cheap ammo
costs :D
 
If you do go 380 as 1st gun stay with full size. compacts and sub compacts typically have more recoil than 9mm ones do because of the blowback designs.
 
But if someone is going to own only one gun - and lots of people do, even if it is unusual on TFL - it probably should not be a .22. A 9 mm or a .38 with some mass (i.e., not an AirWeight, maybe a K frame rather than a J frame) gives a shooter a handgun with reasonable ease of shooting that still has decent stopping power should a defensive situation arise. I would think that self defense in the home is the most common reason for the average person to buy their first handgun. IMO, a .22 is the best choice for a second handgun, but not a great first one.
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I agree.

If a person wants a good self defense handgun , but has limited funds, then a 9mm pistol is a fine place to start.
 
Shooting .357’s no less – no doubt because I learned good habbits from my little .380.
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No you did not learn good habits from your .380. You learned good habits from whoever taught you how to shoot even if you taught yourself. You are giving way to much credit to the size of the pistol and the amount of recoil. I could train anyone to shoot properly even with a 38 snubnose and they could wind up becoming great shots just as easily had I started them with a .380 semi-auto. Myself, I learned pistol shooting with a .357 Colt Border Patrol with a horrendous trigger. I am a pretty good pistol shot with any pistols I have shot over the past 31 or so years since I had those first lessons. it was not the gun, it was the training, the trainer and the student.

All the best,
GB
 
Old School, here, says a 4" K, L, or N-frame 38 special revolver. Recoil is easy, the mechanics are easy, and trigger technique will be learned. Teach to shoot in DA.

Mike
 
Krezyhorse said ...

"From a cost stand point, either .22lr or a 9mm are your two best choices. The .22lr really wins hands down but for those who want to start with some thing bigger, the 9mm is the cheapest way to go."
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and I agree with him ....

the cost of ammo on .380 in my area makes it something that most guys won't shoot much ....when a 9mm will give them a lot of practice for less money.

Don't forget there are a lot of very good used guns out there in 9mm ....and don't make the mistake of picking a gun for him ....there are a lot of issues ...what controls he or she likes, the size of the grip, the sights, the way the trigger breaks and resets... and yes, cost is always a factor ...but a lot of guys jump in based on price ....and then go thru 4 or 5 guns that they hate ...and waste $ 2,000 in the process ...or quit shooting...

Go to a range that lets him or her --- shoot as many different 9mm's as you can ....poly frame, steel frames, 1911's ....and let them pick ...
 
For starting caliber I would start with .117 and move up to .22, however if someone calls you a girlie-man then you have no other option but to purchase a 600 Nitro Express, I mean there's really no other way out of that situation.

Bonus manly man points if you carry it concealed.
 
.22

Yep....a .22. All of the relevant points have been mentioned. Cost, availability, quality of the ammo. Also....the same for the gun. One can find a very accurate and reliable .22 for less than $400, maybe less than $300.
And, yes, .22s are about one fifth the price of even the least expensive of the CFs.
There is no substitute for rounds downrange and a .22 allows for a lot more of that for the same money.
Frequently, when I am going to practice with my 1911 or shoot a match, I practice first with a .22.
It makes a difference. A good difference.
Pete
 
I was one that never went for the recoil hype(IMHO). I started with a 45 ACP and still have it as of today. I can also put rounds in place very easy. The 22 is much cheaper to work with but the recoil thing to me is hype. practice with what you shoot and anyone can become a good shooter. Recoil is just a thing you get used to.
 
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