Need Advice - Pocket/Wife Starter Pistol

[particle]

Okay - my wife has fired one shot (yes, one shot) with a firearm. This coming weekend our church is putting on a BBQ at a local shooting range, and I'm taking several of my guns for her to shoot. She'll have a chance to shoot my heavy .308 target rifle, my XD .40 service model, a .22 revolver, marlin .22 semi-auto rifle, and maybe my Marlin 1894c .357mag lever gun in single-shot mode (it keeps jambing when pulling rounds from the tube).

I'm really trying to get her interested in shooting with me, but realize she needs to start small (the .22 variety). What I'm thinking about doing is buying her a small pocket pistol for Christmas. The gun will probably double as a CC piece (I'm also working on buying a 1911, and will also have my XD 40), but it also needs to double as a plinker/learning pistol for my wife. She doesn't like the look of revolvers, and likes the small "shiny" ones (stainless, nickel, etc.).

I've been debating the Beretta Bobcat/Tomcat, NAA Guardian, Bersa Thunder, and of course the Ruger LCP and Kel-tec P3AT (though they don't meet the shiny requirement set forth by my wife...).

Anyway, I'd appreciate your comments on good starter pistols for my wife that can double as a concealed carry piece, that are also fairly economical to shoot/practice with.

Why has she only fired one shot...? Well, we had my XD with us on a road trip for protection. We weren't expecting to shoot with it, but randomly saw a free public shooting range on the side of the road. We decided to pull over and let her shoot for the first time. I went over the basics, safety, etc. As she fired her first (and last) shot, it quickly became obvious I'd left out one very important lesson... always wear hearing protection!!! We had glasses, but forgot about the ears. I know, shame on me.

Definitely something we'll remember forever though!!

[mr.72]

I don't think I'd go the route you are going, having dealt with a similar situation with my wife.

First of all, a P3AT/LCP has a ton of hard-to-control recoil for that small caliber. It is no fun to shoot. I think it would quickly turn off a new shooter.

Secondly, a plinker like a .22 or .32 is not going to make a good CC gun due to the small caliber.

I would suggest maybe taking your wife to a range that has rentals and renting a bunch of different guns to see what she likes. I was surprised to find that my wife really digs .38 snub nose revolvers, and she loved a Kahr PM9 the first time she fired it. But she hates my Sigma because she can't pull the trigger more than about 10 times before she's too tired to get it to break. One local range has Monday night "Ladies Night" with free gun rentals (but not ammo) and free range fee for women. I'd look for this kind of thing.

I think your wife is more likely to enjoy shooting a larger-frame gun and you may want to separate the purchases into two ... one for her to learn on, and one to carry eventually.

[seamusTX]

I don't know where you live, but I advise you to go to the CHL Forum day at PSC range even if you have to fly. Your wife can meet with women shooters and she can shoot a variety of handguns with guidance (while you blow ammo at the Texas Star).

Those mini pistols are not going to work out the way you might think.

You might also be able to find a women's group or a considerate trainer near where you live.

- Jim
[Edited after the second cup of coffee]

[flintknapper]

Of course, everyone is different...some "new shooters" take to it like a "duck to water"...noise and recoil don't bother them at all. MOST...however, will need to get used to experiencing recoil, noise, etc...

IMO, it always best to start someone on a .22 and keep first outings short and fun. Their confidence will build quickly...and vices (such as flinching) are kept to a minimum when the firearm is easy to handle and pleasant to shoot. Make certain she has her own ear and eye protection.

I like to use reactive targets for first time shooters (if you have a range facility that allows). Balloons blown up to 6"-8" diameter make good targets at 10-12 yds. Next, you can move your new shooter down to clay birds, then to paper targets (boring but necessary).

Watch closely for signs of fatigue or waning interest. Stop when SHE wants to stop...and chances are good you'll have a new shooting partner. Except for purposes of instruction...you shouldn't shoot at all (at first), let her do the shooting, be patient...and reward her afterward (maybe dinner or a movie).

Good luck Sir,

Flint.

[particle]

Thanks for the comments thus far fellas! What do you guys find that your wive's enjoy shooting the most for the first year or two? Rifles, or pistols? I have an AR-15 complete lower, but haven't purchased the upper yet. Would that perhaps be a better direction for my wife, that would also double as a good a problem arises rifle? Or should I just get her something like a Browning Buckmark, or Walther P22, etc.? Handgun, or rifle?

[mr.72]

The best advice is let her pick.

Take your wife gun shopping.

Borrow or rent guns for her to shoot and try out.

Don't make suggestions, just answer questions.

IMHO anyway. I think a sense of ownership is important. You picked out your own gun didn't you? Why assume your wife is not qualified to do the same?

[particle]

You picked out your own gun didn't you? Why assume your wife is not qualified to do the same?

I fully believe she is qualified to pick out her own gun. Having a few good models for ladies (and new shooters) in mind would certainly make the testing process easier, and less stressful on my wife.

The Ladies Night is a great idea - I'll definitely keep an eye out for that.

[mr.72]

The ladies' night thing is at Red's in Austin.

I know a lot of the folks on this forum are not from Austin :)

Maybe they have a similar thing at a Houston or DFW range.

[LarryH]

Maybe they have a similar thing at a Houston or DFW range.

PSC gun range, between Friendswood and Alvin, about 25 miles south of Houston, has a ladies' day on the first Saturday of every month. My wife is a frequent participant.

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[The Annoyed Man]

My recommendation is DO NOT ask her to try the heavy barreled .308 target rifles until she is reasonably acclimated to handguns and lighter, softer recoiling rifles, and when she expresses an interest in trying them. Don't put her in the position of trying them just to please you. It might blow up in your face. I have two heavy barreled .308s in the family, and my wife, who is finally getting kinda sorta comfortable with handguns, doesn't want to try them yet; but, she does want to try shooting one of our ARs. So that's what we'll do. Maybe some day she'll want to try the .308s. She knows she can do it anytime she wants to. She just doesn't want to, and I don't push it.

I know... .308 is not the hardest hitting centerfire rifle caliber, but the recoil is still somewhat substantial - even in a heavy rifle - and it is definitely not a caliber for novices who are not comfortable with firearms yet. My son (18 years old) and I took a friend of his to a rifle range for his first time the other day and we brought two bull barreled ARs and two heavy barreled .308 bolt rifles. His friend liked the ARs and enjoyed them. He fired a few rounds through my son's Savage 10FP-HS Precision, which is a fairly heavy rifle with a heavy stock and heavy barrel, and he didn't enjoy it. He said it scared him. Be prepared for you to do that to your wife if you try her on those .308 rifles too soon.

Just my 2¢.

[seamusTX]

Thanks for the comments thus far fellas! What do you guys find that your wive's enjoy shooting the most for the first year or two? Rifles, or pistols?

One day, completely out of the blue, my wife said, "I want to learn to shoot skeet." We both had a lot of fun with that, though, like golf, very few people are going to get past the "duffer" stage.

So don't discount shotgun, and don't believe the cliches about women not being able to handle the recoil of a shotgun.

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

Thanks for the comments thus far fellas! What do you guys find that your wive's enjoy shooting the most for the first year or two? Rifles, or pistols?

One day, completely out of the blue, my wife said, "I want to learn to shoot skeet." We both had a lot of fun with that, though, like golf, very few people are going to get past the "duffer" stage.

So don't discount shotgun, and don't believe the cliches about women not being able to handle the recoil of a shotgun.

- Jim

I absolutely believe that women can handle it - witness the woman who won gold (her name escapes me at the moment) in the shotgunning events a few Olympics ago.

My point is not that women (or my son's 18 yr old friend) can't handle rifle recoil. It's that heavy recoiling weapons should never be foisted off on someone unless it is their decision to try it without feeling pressured, or feeling like they are doing it just to please you.

[seamusTX]

My point is not that women (or my son's 18 yr old friend) can't handle rifle recoil. It's that heavy recoiling weapons should never be foisted off on someone unless it is their decision to try it without feeling pressured, or feeling like they are doing it just to please you.

I agree completely. Giving a high-recoil firearm to a newbie is cruel to the point of being immoral, because it could turn him or her off to shooting for life.

I also agree that the .22 is the way to go with both handguns and rifles. I was at the range Saturday. A man and woman had a tiny girl, maybe 5 or 6, shooting a .22 rifle, and she was doing as well as I could (probably because she could see the sights, which ability is starting to escape me).

Intermediate calibers like .25 and .380 are a waste of time and money, IMHO. When someone is comfortable with shooting a .22 handgun, it's time to move to 9 mm or .45, depending upon your religion.

- Jim

[aggie70]

Good advice from the above posters.

Therefore, I'll restrict my comments somewhat.

I have, and carry, a Beretta Tomcat & like it. I do not start new shooters out on it for the following reasons:

• Relatively sharp recoil (IMNSHO)
  Very LO-ONG double action trigger pull
  Very STRO-ONG double action trigger pull
  and so on!

In addition, I start new shooters out with one of my .22s - either a Ruger 22/48 or a semi-auto rifle. Depending on my judgement of the person's character, I may start them out on a YOUTH single shoth .22. That's the one my children learned on at about age 10.

[OverEasy]

Start her out with a .22, to learn to shoot and handle a gun.
Let her try out different guns!!! Rentals at the range, Ladie's day PSC, friends firearms, the more the better.
Then, let her choose "Her Gun"!
FYI: (1) Semi auto hand guns soak up some of the recoil compared to a revolver. (2) Light weight guns recoil more heavy ones.
My wife can shoot a 9mm semi auto that weights 28 oz (empty) all day, no complaints. However the Kel-Tec P11 9mm that weights 14.4 oz, she only wants to shoot 1 magazine full and she's ready to move on. The 'cute little' P32, 32acp, that weights 6.6 oz is another one with a low 'fun rating'.
We both have P32s for backup, but I have to coax her to shoot 25 rounds a couple of times a year just to stay familiar.
She chose a Sig P239 in .40 S&W, after shooting Glocks, Kahrs, S&W etc. She didn't like the grip safety on the XD.
She still has the 1st gun I gave her to carry, a S&W 36 airweight .38 spl. She preferes the P239 eventhough it is heavier to carry.
Bottom line, If she picks it out after trying out several alternatives, she'll carry it. If YOU give her 'the right gun' it may not turn out that way.
Regards, OE