Starting a new shooter out right?

Sorry for the long question but you guys have been so friendly. Here it is, my Wife has a deposit on new 9mm, probably will not have permit for 6-8 months. We will be able to be outside practicing in about 6 weeks. If I don't get Tracey's pistol on my permit what does she shoot? Should I get some light .38 ammo for my .357 or break down and buy maybe a .380? I really don't think she will enjoy the revolver. I think the practice with the small pistol may be beneficial, not that I am looking for an excuse to buy one, but I really want her to start out right not only so she enjoys it but also to help her become proficient asap. Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

Youre on the right track.Sometimes the heavier rounds can frighten the sig other away from being comfortable

I am new to handgun ownership (just recently bought my first) and I had the same issues you bring up. My wife and I do everything together. She has shot my rifles and shotguns every time I have gone to the range to play. When purchasing my handgun, I wanted a gun she would feel comfortable holding and firing. Sure I could have gone with a large gun that fired large rounds, but as palmcoaster said, I didn't want to frighten her away. I enjoy her company and want to make range shooting a family event. That said, I elected a Bersa Thunder 380. I also wanted something that if/when I carry, I have a nice compact pistol to carry. Being the cheapskate I am, I wanted everything in one gun. :smile:

Recently, she shot my friends 1911 9mm Taurus and his S&W Shield. She liked both guns, but prefers my Bersa. But she could fire a 9mm and handle the recoil (not that there is that much different). More importantly, she felt the fit in her hands of my .380 was better than both the Shield and Taurus.

Good luck!

Steve E.

You're on the right track. If you do get a 380 don't make it something like an LCP or P3AT. I love my LCP and like to carry it but they are not good guns to start new shooters with because though it is a 380, in such a small package they are a handful.

I recommend some light 38s in your revolver to start her with. Don't let her be intimidated first time out with racking a slide and all the other controls that go with a semi auto.

I've found that new shooters benefit greatly from shooting small caliber pistols, and then warming up to the larger stuff. If you can find one, the Ruger MII pistol in .22LR is a ton of fun to shoot, by shooters at all skill levels. The magazine release is in the wrong location for developing muscle memory on reload drills, but you can shoot it all day for just a few bucks, and really fine tune her marksmanship and gun handling abilities. Another fun .22LR is the little Walther (forget the model right now).

You'll probably find these pistols to be cheaper than just about any .380 you'll find, and again, the ammo cost makes it all much better.

Enjoy your journey & be safe.

I start everybody off with a 22 once they learn the fundamentals and they are ready we move up,and then we shoot 9mm in full size guns,once they get good then they can try other calibers and even smaller guns

I'd get a good .22LR pistol like a Browning Buckmark or a Ruger MII for training in the fundamentals like trigger control, sight alignment, etc. With cheap ammo and minimal recoil, the .22 is an ideal beginner's gun.

I'd be concerned that with the .380 subcompact pistols, the recoil would be intimidating. Plus the short sight radius makes aiming at anything beyond 7 yards more difficult. If someone is already an excellent shot, aiming isn't the problem. But for a beginner, building confidence is very important. Get a pistol that fits HER, not you, if you want HER to really enjoy the sport and support your future firearm acquisitions. THEN you can get what YOU want without home drama.

Make sure you start the firing line training at a very short distance, like 3-5 yards. When all of the rounds are going through the same hole, move the target back incrementally. It makes me so angry when "friends and family" start a new shooter out at 25 yards. That's like the Wright brothers's first plane going transcontinental the first time out. Just stupid!