Which gun to teach my girlfriend to shoot?

Auto or Revolver to teach new shooter?

  • Auto

    Votes: 26 38.8%

  • Revolver

    Votes: 41 61.2%
  • Total voters
    67
  • Poll closed .
M

microman

New member
Well, turns out my girlfriend wants me to teach her how
to shoot. Sounds great to me, hmm maybe I have had a
positive effect on her!? :D

Wondering if I should start her with a auto like the Glock
17? or maybe my 6in Rossi .357??

Thinking of a few cons with the auto.

1. Can or will she be able to rack the slide?

2. Will she limp wrist it?

Can't think of anything that could go wrong with the revolver
and with some light .38's specials there won't be much recoil.

"On a side note I do have a S&W .22a which is the smallest
caliber I own. I think she can handle more than that on her
first time though.
 
I help instruct a lot of new shooters / some of my grandkids, etc...

We do the preliminary safety / dry firing for maybe 20 min....and then I always go to a .22 both in a semi-auto and a revolver ( teach and illustrate trigger control, sight allignment, focus, trigger reset, etc ). Then for the shooters that show interest - we move up to a 9mm and a revolver in .38 spl ...and with light loads for each.

Size of hands and the weight of the gun are big factors / and all of the double stack guns are pretty difficult with smaller hands ...but if the Glock 17 is all you have ( and range doesn't rent guns ) then go with that ..and the revolver you have.

If the range rents guns ...look for a Sig 239 (single stack in 9mm) ...and/or a 1911 in 9mm ( its slimmer profile is a plus ) and something in a 4" barrel probably or whatever they have.

Make it fun ...challenge her a little / shoot your best 6 shot group at 15feet, 21 feet ...and move out to 30 feet is she can handle it. Work on the basics of grip, front sight, etc ... maybe do some drills .....shoot 2 rds - reload - shoot 2 if she's really confident. If she's not confident - give her mags with one round in them at a time / ....and just go slow. Develop confidence / and don't get into any heavy recoil ...
 
I would start with the .22. Blast & recoil won't be an issue. Cheaper too. Once she has a firm handle on the basics & safety rules, then progress to the centerfires.
 
The generally spoken of way to break someone into shooting is to start with something along the lines of a .22 and get the form down before moving into something hard kicking like a .357. It's not a case of if one can 'handle' it so much as learning the basics. Sort of like driving around in a parking lot before hitting the highway, so to speak :D It's also a hell of a lot cheaper to teach someone to shoot on a .22 :p
 
.22 revolver - she can start off in SA mode - low blast and noise, easy to make safe, easy to comprehend

DON'T start her off with a 357 if you really like her
 
I second starting with a .22. I started my wife out with a Ruger .22 and then the Walther P22. The lack of recoil made it fun for a first timer as this was her biggest concern. Not to mention being a much cheaper way to learn trigger controll, stance, and grip. Also, the autos seem to be more fun for beginners.
 
I would say .22 is a good place to start and then move up to standard .38 loads.

My brother took his thirteen year old daughter to a private outdoor range one day. He started her with the Browning .22 and before the day was over she was shooting consistent tight groups with the 9mm. The trick is to overcome the fear that some have of guns and replace it with knowledge and respect for firearms.
 
Revolver or semi auto to me would be her personal preference...with either tho I would use the. 22....like so many have said...she may be able to handle a smith and wesson 500 but being able to handle the recoil doesn't mean she can handle it and shoot properly, ,,,oh and the 22 are alot cheaper to shoot :)
 
It all boils down to what she likes. Try to work on grip, sight alignment, trigger control etc... at home before taking her shooting.
Grip video that explains clearly the how and why of the grip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9uG5bPubw

Here's one for revolver grips: http://www.myoutdoortv.com/shooting/shooting-usa/jerry-miculek-revolver-grip

These are just examples, and I'm sure there are many other ways to grip, but it's a good place to start and understand the science behind the grip. Try not to think of shooting as a mystical art, it's scientific and has methods just about anyone can break down and learn.

Sometimes it helps to have someone else teach your girlfriend/wife to shoot, so they don't feel weird about you teaching them. It helps remove some of the stress too.
 
Make Certin she dresses properly. Nothing worse than a hot casing in the cleavage. She will be mad. And your gun will be on the floor with a broken sight. Speaking from experience lol
 
I'd start with a .22 revolver, because I have one.

But if I swapped .22's with my mother, I'd feel just fine teaching a newbie with my mother's SIG Mosquito.

Each has its strengths and weaknesses (revolver vs semi-auto), but either way I like to start new shooters on the .22, then work up in caliber.
 
If she has never shot before I would start with a .22 rifle. This way you can safely teach correct firearm handling and safety procedures. It is easier for a new shooter to realize where they are pointing the muzzle of a long gun than a short pistol. Then move up to a .22 pistol and then to what ever she wants to shoot.
 
Rifle is not a bad idea.

One thing I do, that I didn't mention, is I start them out handling an empty weapon at my place or theirs, before ever heading to the range. Review safety, muzzle control, etc first; then go over loading/unloading; then sight picture, trigger control, breathing, stance.

When we get to the range, we review safety again. I re-emphasize muzzle control, and remind them if they have any problems with the weapon to put it down, muzzle downrange, and let me address the problem. (I don't normally like to go over stoppages on lesson 1, but then I don't have a lesson plan, per se.)

Edit: I'd bring the center-fire handguns along, too, as she may very well want to try them after she gets the hang of things. Stick with your .38 plan if you use the Rossi, at least at first; you don't want to induce a flinch by going high-recoil before she's ready.
 
Last edited:
If she has never shot before I would start with a .22 rifle.
Click to expand...

Her father took her plinking with an air rifle as a young girl so she
knows a little about sight picture. The .22 rifle doesn't sound like
a bad idea though. Should have never sold my 10/22 I guess..

Thanks all for the advice. We will start on the .22 and I will let
everyone know how it goes from there. Thank goodness she is
not an anti..
 
I am going to be teaching my oldest daughter to shoot in the next year and I am going to start out with air pistols / rifles. I have a bolt action Benjamin / Sheridan Blue Streak air rifle, and a Crossman air pistol.

I was seriously thinking of purchasing a S&W air pistol - these are not cheap plastic replicas or something these are high-quality steel revolvers chambered in .177

attachment.php


http://www.pyramydair.com/p/smith-wesson-586-pellet-gun.shtml

After several months of training on the .177 and demonstrating essenstials of firarms safety and basic marksmanship, we'll probably go from this to .22 I already have a Ruger Mark III and am thinking of picking up a S&W 617 4"

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57769_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

or possibly a model 63:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57767_757751_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

I don't plan on putting a 9mm in her hand at the range any time soon...
 

Attachments

  • yhst-41902112641410_2156_74348377.gif
    yhst-41902112641410_2156_74348377.gif
    23.9 KB · Views: 411
I guess I buck the trend here.

I've found that setting a new shooter up with very light .38 special rounds in a revolver works well to start teaching basics and then after a few rounds that way I will shift them "down" to a .22lr semi-auto.

You see what I have found is that after shooting even a light .38 round the new shooter sees the .22LR as basically a "pop gun" and they tend (almost universally) to ignore the sound and recoil and can concentrate on the fundamentals.

Since everything is relative, it gives them a sense of perspective and seems to be a good psychological trick that works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top