What "type" of gun do you use to introduce newbies?

I like the idea of BBQ briquettes as a fun reactive target,,,
I'm gonna have to try those out.

I usually use one of the human-like targets to start with,,,
They are large enough to see every shot,,,
Even if it's way off center.

Something like this,,,
18-x-24-Silhouette-Splatter-Target-shot-site.jpg


I've only had one person (a guy),,,
Who was uncomfortable shooting at a human silhouette.

Aarond

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As far as shooting at a silhouette target goes my only objection is that it gives such a large, fairly cluttered target to shoot. I prefer round shoot and see’s of various sizes or a simple outlined white circle or square. This lets me get shooters to focus on a very defined point and size and or range can be adjusted as necessary. Aim small, miss small as cliche as it is really does pay some dividends in my experience.
 
Yes, I have never owned a 22LR revolver. A 38/357 loaded with wadcutters is a good substitute. Since semi automatics seem to more prevalent these days in instructing a new shooter I emphathize that the safety is engaged after EVERY shot and they get a good sight picture THEN they release the safety.
 
Many years ago when actually helping some friends start a handgun training course, for beginners weighted plastic guns.
 
For a formal training course,,,
Especially with a roomful of newbies,,,
I could certainly see some value in using plastic guns.

But for a less formal one-on-one range trip,,,
That would be BORING!

But then again,,,
I grew up with some form of toy gun in my hand.

I have often wondered if that gave me and all my contemporaries,,,
Some type of familiarity/insight in basic gun handling.

I did not grow up with a parent who taught me proper gun handling,,,
I was simply given access to guns and warned not to do anything stupid.

It's a wonder I only have one BB gun scar on my body.

The first formal training I ever received was when I was in the US Air Force,,,
I made friends with the base range-master while stationed in Germany,,,
He taught me a lot of good behavior that I lacked beforehand.

With a SA/DA .38 revolver,,,
Thus starting my love affair with the S&W Model 15.

Aarond

.
 
Was at the range today and a few lanes away was a guy & woman (maybe his mom) getting ready to shoot. Just by the her look I was pretty sure it was her 1st time. He was shooting a 9mm , not sure which brand. I noticed that after her 1st shots she was bandaging her hand. I asked her if the slide bit her and she replied that it did. Luckily it wasn't too bad. I asked her if it was her 1st time shooting and she confirmed that it was. At that point I convinced the male to let her try my Ruger SR22. After the 1st mag fired she had a big smile on her face, after the second mag she said it was time to go gun shopping. Kinda made my day to see her actually enjoying herself.
 
It depends on who the person is and what I believe there interests might be, I always default to a Smith 317 D/A 22lr revolver with CCI quiet 22 ammunition though.
If it's a young sports minded type of person especially a girl a couple of rounds of skeet with a 410 O/U is a great choice, we start off by shooting singles at stations 1 and 6 until they can hit the targets then shoot the other stations.
My son was dating a young girl when he was a teenager, 3 rounds of skeet one afternoon turned her into a shotgunning fanatic. She ended up buying a gun and shooting league's as a lifetime passion. She had never touched a gun before I handed her my Citori that afternoon. My kid didn't marry her.:rolleyes:
 
Since we're talking handguns here, there are some additional things to keep in mind, some already mentioned.

There are two "groups" of newbies to handgun shooting, those who have never shot anything before, and those who have, but are new to handguns.

Obviously, the person with rifle/shotgun experience can start at a more advanced level than the complete beginner.

Like a number of folks of my generation, I was taught how to shoot, as a youth, by my family. And, while toy guns were allowed, my parents, unlike many, strictly forbid BB guns. They felt that a BB gun, combined with other neighborhood kids with BB guns would teach irresponsible behavior. I believe they were right.

I learned to shoot with my mother's .22 rifle. JC Higgens, single shot bolt action which had to be manually cocked for each shot. My Dad was an NRA Hunter Safety instructor. I was involved with set up and pack up of the class material (including several guns) and having to sit through the class time from the time I was big enough to carry a box of papers.

My 14th birthday present was my own Winchester .22 rifle. And, it was about that time I began to shoot my Dad's pistols.

SO, when teaching a handgun beginner, adjustment for existing skill, if any, can be made. A light recoiling pistol with no moving parts that can bite is a good choice. This usually means a revolver (unless you have a single shot). The more complex semi auto should wait, though it may not need to wait long.

The revolver, and particularly the single action tend to curb the young shooter's desire to just blaze away they way TV has taught them for years.

It also re-enforces awareness of the difference between TV & movies and real guns in the real world. You certainly can teach a beginner with a semi auto, if that's all there is, but if you can use a single shot or a revolver, I think that's a better place to take their first steps on the path.
 
The good old, learning curve !!!

There are two "groups" of newbies to handgun shooting, those who have never shot anything before, and those who have, but are new to handguns.
Click to expand...
I know it's hard to believe but last week at one of my local GS's, A man, in his 50's came in that and told the owner that he wanted to get a handgun for he and his wife. The dealer was happy to obliged and asked the customer; What he know about firearms. With no second thought, the customer said; "absolutely nothing" but wanted to know enough on what to buy for he and his wife. The dealer was surprised and started into an introduction lesson right then and there. still can't figure out how a man in his 50's is totally uninformed. You have to start from the beginning. …. ;)

For a formal training course,,,
Especially with a roomful of newbies,,,
I could certainly see some value in using plastic guns.
Click to expand...

I totally agree and frequently use a plastic/laser pistol and long-gun for group classes. …… ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
I think an air gun with open sights or a 22 rifle is the best first gun. Teach sight alinement and trigger squeeze from a bench. Then worry about offhand shooting with a rifle before moving to something like a pistol or revolver. Bad habits developed early are persistent!
 
Single shot, bolt action rifle in 22LR. Always. Even a quick half hour or 45 minutes is all it takes to get them going on the basics.

After that, a 22LR pistol or revolver, depending on how they did with the rifle. If that works well, then a heavy 9mm pistol. I have a P89DC that works very well for that.

Sometimes, a 38 spl works well after the 22LR pistol but it always depends on the person and how they're doing at the early stages. Regardless, we are always able to adjust as needed to the circumstances.

Anyhoo, it seems to work well for men or women and even children.

--Wag--
 
aarondhgraham said:
What "type" of gun do you use to introduce newbies?

What type of guns do you prefer to use when introducing a newbie?

Aarond

.
Click to expand...
Simple. I don’t think the type matters. The kind of hand gun that can be loaded with 1 round per shot for the first few shots is my recommendation.
I’ve attempted to teach many but had two literally freak out (Millennials ask a Boomer) on pulling the trigger the first time.
The first young man fired the shot, the .380 went straight up in the air and he started yelling “get it off me” and was dancing / shaking / gyrating as if a pit bull had latched him.
The second was less dramatic but clearly an uncomfortable shooter who froze and said “take it” with some authority after bouncing out 2 shots.
Hard to predict such a reaction but either could have turned out bad.
 
Ruger MK II, 5” stainless bull barrel target model. I feel it teaches how a safety works. How to load and shoot a semi auto pistol. How to load a magazine. How to respect a light trigger, in other words finger on the trigger only when ready to shoot. How to acquire a good sight picture. And very important for a beginner, how to shoot accurately. Since this is a very easy gun to shoot relatively accurately, it’s very encouraging for beginners when they have good results from the start.
 
For me it depends: If the newbie is an adult who has never shot a firearm, but they want to buy a self defense handgun, and they want it ASAP, then I recommend a polymer 9mm like a Glock or a S&W M&P or something similar.

I started out as kid with BB/pellet guns, then a 410 single-shot shotgun, then .22 rifles, and then .22 and .38 revolvers.
My father was a revolver fan (probably from watching John Wayne, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, etc...but these days, I just don't care for revolvers.
 
I think it's interesting that so many of you would put a DA revolver into the hands of a newbie. In my experience, revolvers are about 10x more difficult for people to shoot than semi auto pistols... especially younger folks or women with weaker hands.

I always start folks on a striker fired 22 semi pistol of some sort. They are far and away (in my experience) the simplest and most intuitive type of handgun (since this is the handgun forum) for someone to learn on. There's no cocking/decocking, long triggers, etc. It's just point and click.

Then we build from there.
 
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