first handgun for my wife

BigMBobbyOP · Oct 10, 2011

Ok heres the scoop... First gun my wife ever fired was my glock 17. The recoil made her cry. This sucked for a number of reasons. One of the main ones (personal matters aside) was that it turned her off to shooting.

However, it appears my persistantly talking about, research of, and interest in guns and trips to the range have piqued here interest again. Great news as I would love her to be a competent/safe shooter. That being said I think a .22 lr is a good choice here.

We managed to handle a ton of them at the Dulles show last weekend and here are the one she liked in order.

#1. Walther P22
#2. Sig Mosquito
#3. Ruger 22/55 (likely upon my insistence)

Now, were it me, there isnt a choice - 22/44 would be it. However, my wife is small - 5'2" @ 114lbs. Her hands fit the Walther the best followed by the sig which was a little bulkier.

My question: how important is the personal fit? I want her to enjoy shooting and would like her to select the gun herself so its "hers".

I'm sure many other of you have gone through helping or buying for your significant other. Just looking for some input here as to how it worked out for you..

Oh ya, one thing that threw a monkey wrench into the equation was that she *really* like the feel of the S&W 642.

The overall purpose would basically be for her to become comfortable with shooting & to have her own firearm. I'd think that this would mostly be a range gun.

Thanks,
BigMBobbyOP

montoya32 · Oct 10, 2011

Gun Connection has a cool looking metalic purple Sig Mosquito. Sounds weird, but it actuall looks good.

StantonCree · Oct 10, 2011

I'd say go with the ruger or a buckmark of some sort.

Then get her some type of optic. I say that because:
A) obviously the recoil is manageable
B) quality guns
C) once she gets the optic on there and she is constantly hitting what she is aiming at (with praise from you about how well she is shooting) it is going to be a more enjoyable experience which is only going to lead to her wanting to branch out and try more shooting things.

My G/F can't hit Sh%t and at 5-02 and 105lbs she really isn't a fan of all my AK's/FAL's but as soon as she hits a target with any gun I act like she has just won the freakin lottery. This is the most important things because she then thinks she is doing great and obviously that makes her more happy. Nobody wants to do something they aren't good at so make it easy for her and be sure to give tons of praise when she is doing great and positive feedback/help when she needs something corrected.

STAY PATIENT DON'T GET FRUSTRATED!!!!

rob · Oct 10, 2011

The best gun for her is the one she will shoot the most. That means whatever is most comfortable for her. If she likes the P22 the best. Go with that (Hell, get her a pink one if she likes it). Remember, you're getting it for her. It's not for you, so don't impose your preference on her.

Best of luck!

mikec · Oct 10, 2011

May I suggest a visit with a good instructor?? A full sized 9mm made her cry? Did she watch you shoot the gun first or did you hand her a 17 and let her go? Sorry for not babying your wife, but there are young girls who shoot and they aren't crying about a 9mm's recoil.

Of the three guns you mentioned, the Ruger should weigh the most, which would help minimize recoil more than a lighter gun.

BTW, why not start with a .22 rifle? Most people find shooting a rifle is easier than a handgun. A .22 bolt gun with standard velocity ammo should have almost no recoil and helps get her head into putting holes into a target.

Now if the wife has a physical issue that causes strength or her body, that is another story. Something like arthritis or an arm injured in an accident.

BigMBobbyOP · Oct 10, 2011

mikec said:
May I suggest a visit with a good instructor??

sure.. PM me the info if you can suggest one.

mikec said:
A full sized 9mm made her cry? Did she watch you shoot the gun first or did you hand her a 17 and let her go? Sorry for not babying your wife, but there are young girls who shoot and they aren't crying about a 9mm's recoil.

hey buddy i'm stuck with her.

BigMBobbyOP · Oct 10, 2011

rob said:
The best gun for her is the one she will shoot the most. That means whatever is most comfortable for her. If she likes the P22 the best. Go with that (Hell, get her a pink one if she likes it). Remember, you're getting it for her. It's not for you, so don't impose your preference on her.

Best of luck!

thanks, thats what im leaning towards...

Catch-10-22 · Oct 10, 2011

My wife does not like shooting but wanted to be able to defend herself at home. I wanted to find her the perfect gun - all she was attracted to in the gun cases were smaller mouse guns and all I could think of was something simple. I finally got her to try my 686 plus with 38 specials and +P. The gun is heavy so recoil is almost non-existent. And it looks and feels intimidating to her - in a good way. Now it is her gun. Let her find something she likes to shoot - it might surprise you in terms of what it ends up being.

RJP3579 · Oct 10, 2011

I would say the 642 is not an ideal first gun to learn on. If she likes the P22, go with that. The new ones look nice and still have the interchangeable backstrap to fit her hand a little better.

BigMBobbyOP · Oct 10, 2011

RJP3579 said:
I would say the 642 is not an ideal first gun to learn on. If she likes the P22, go with that. The new ones look nice and still have the interchangeable backstrap to fit her hand a little better.

thanks...

whats deal with the 642?

joppaj · Oct 10, 2011

mikec said:
BTW, why not start with a .22 rifle? Most people find shooting a rifle is easier than a handgun. A .22 bolt gun with standard velocity ammo should have almost no recoil and helps get her head into putting holes into a target.

I'd have suggested a 10/22 or a Marlin 60, but this was my thought too. If she's set on a handgun, have her try a Ruger Single-Six or one of the new Sp-101's in .22. Revolvers are simpler to learn in my experience.

LeadPumper · Oct 10, 2011

<flashback>

Good for you staying positive- that's important for her.

I recall having a female student once who had that very same reaction- had fired a Glock before (so she said) but one round out of a G17 had her dang near breaking down. (she ended up finishing the course with a S&W 586)

Usually I start off with a G17 using an Advantage Arms .22 kit, a Kimber .45 with .22 upper and a S&W 617. Makes for a wide range of capability for teaching out of three frames (moving up in caliber as the student progresses).

Bottom line, figure out how she needs to learn- then teach her that way.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you get frustrated. Some times a different instructor can say the same thing, but the student hears it different (I swear if I hadn't been there I wouldn't have belived it...)

-Jeff

BlueHeeler · Oct 10, 2011

Are there any local ranges that rent those handguns? Can you borrow them? You can only learn so much from the gun by holding it. The sights, weight, trigger, and balance (the important factors for success) are much more apparent after firing a few rounds.

As far as her crying, some people are more recoil sensitive. I have had n00bs that with no problem went from .22 to .45 to 12 gauge in 30 minutes and some that try the .22 and are completely content shooting for hours. It takes time. It helps to try a range during the week or at off peak hours when there is not have some dude in the next lane shooting a hand cannon.

Good luck!

Enzo_Guy · Oct 11, 2011

A&D Pawn in Glen Burnie has a used P22 with a long barrel.

On Target rents the P22 and a few Rugers (watch out for the stainless one, it doesn't like the HP range ammo), as well as a S&W 617.

First gun my girlfriend ever shot was that Ruger at On Target and it was having all sorts of failures toe fire, eject, and feed with that ammo. She said the .22 was boring and she wanted something bigger. I dropped a Walther PPK/S in her hand, now I think she likes shooting more than me (she's a keeper) and she is the same height as your girl. Recoil is different for people, but I myself am only 5'5" 125lbs and I have never had a problem shooting big calibers ever since I worked my way up (I started with a .22 both for handguns and rifles).

ProShooter · Oct 11, 2011

BigMBobbyOP said:
My question: how important is the personal fit? I want her to enjoy shooting and would like her to select the gun herself so its "hers".

The personal fit is crucial. The very first thing to decide upon when choosing a handgun is whether or not it fits your hand correctly. Then you can look at caliber, cost, etc.

If you are looking for something with low recoil and some level of defense, I'd suggest taking a look at the Bersa .380. Its a great little gun.

Minuteman · Oct 12, 2011

Great question, important issue for everyone.

Best advice already being discussed so I'll stretch a little further...

I recommend you encourage her to shoot with gloves, usually it doesn't really matter, but in my experience it seems to make new shooters a little more comfortable. Maybe it's just psychological, maybe it reduces perceived recoil, or perhaps eliminating that very rare, hardly perceivable, touch of still burning powder that might sting the hand... In any case, it seems to help a lot of new shooters, nothing to lose by trying it.

My other tip, people like to shoot something with 'cool-factor'. I know, most of us shooters may want to snark at this, but in the beginning, anything to get them interested helps. Caution- recoil. As cool as a Desert Eagle may seem to some, it's recoil isn't.

So, my preferred first handgun shooting experience for most new shooters... a large (call it dirty harry gun) .22LR revolver. Nothing is more frustrating to a new shooter than a bunch of malfunctions.

Keep up the good work.

BigMBobbyOP · Oct 12, 2011

Thanks for all the replies. Great advice. I'll drop an update here when we're all settled up.

wilcam47 · Oct 12, 2011

BigMBobbyOP said:
Thanks for all the replies. Great advice. I'll drop an update here when we're all settled up.

I would also try renting or getting some friends that have the pistols you are looking to buy and test them out before you buy...that way your wife isnt dissappointed after you buy it. or decides it isnt as accurate as she was thinking it would be. also i agree with the gloves, get some weight lifting gloves or something real thin. it may only be psychological in helping but after she gets used to shooting she may not even think about gloves. or she may just want to use them all the time as a securtiy blanket of sorts (not that its a bad thing)

A. Wayne · Oct 12, 2011

whatever she likes would be the best. Get her to try a revolver of some sort before you make the plunge and spend money though.

Zombie_013 · Oct 12, 2011

I would get her something with a bit more kick - perhaps a 9mm.

first handgun for my wife

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