Buying a new Pistol

[TWAL]

As for me, I lost all my guns in a tragic boating accident.

What is it w/ boats and guns...
My boat capsized about 6 years ago and lost everything too !

 

[Mirilis]

we ended up going to a range and renting/shotting 7 different pistols.. She really liked the shield and the SR9c.. so it will be either one of those that she wants. I was going to get her to shoot the Walther PPS but she didnt like the mag release.

She liked the way the glock shot but it was too fat for her. i liked the thickness of the glock and shot really well with it.. My uncle and I may order a custom one from Head Down Products.

 

[Kwitty]

Awesome! You guys are doing it right! A CC gun is only useful if you carry it and are not scared to fire it. I personally would love to carry a Shield 9mm. Love that gun, But's a little too big for everyday with my way of dressing and lifestyle. I just wouldn't carry as often. I carry an lcp because its better than nothing at all. However I'm a big guy with working hands so I can handle it. It's not the most accurate and it does sting a bit. All I can say is I rather have it on me when me or my family is in danger than nothing at all. But I applaud you for doing it right!

 

[Mirilis]

Awesome! You guys are doing it right! A CC gun is only useful if you carry it and are not scared to fire it. I personally would love to carry a Shield 9mm. Love that gun, But's a little too big for everyday with my way of dressing and lifestyle. I just wouldn't carry as often. I carry an lcp because its better than nothing at all. However I'm a big guy with working hands so I can handle it. It's not the most accurate and it does sting a bit. All I can say is I rather have it on me when me or my family is in danger than nothing at all. But I applaud you for doing it right!

so you can look at it like a condom... you would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

I love my Glock 42 (.380). Some would call it under powered but it has almost no kick and is accurate as hell. I just carry a second mag on me to make up for the single stack. The concealability has coerced me to carry it every day, ad opposed to my m&p 9mm which I love but can't carry every day due to my build.

 

[mongoose33]

we ended up going to a range and renting/shotting 7 different pistols.. She really liked the shield and the SR9c.. so it will be either one of those that she wants. I was going to get her to shoot the Walther PPS but she didnt like the mag release.

She liked the way the glock shot but it was too fat for her. i liked the thickness of the glock and shot really well with it.. My uncle and I may order a custom one from Head Down Products.

That's perfect. Interesting how it all works out, isn't it? Now you know, and can make a choice from a position of knowledge, not supposition.

Just remember to keep shooting--pistol marksmanship is a perishable skill, and now the two of you will have an excuse to go do something else together.

And FWIW: you might consider a lesson or two from a skilled instructor. Learn it correctly at the get-go and you won't have to unlearn bad habits.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I didn't read the whole thread but early on someone mentioned the Walther P22 ,aside from the lack of any stopping power this pistol is notorious for loading failures,jamming,etc..I get it to cycle about a 3rd of the time,it does slightly better w/ a hotter load but still is less reliable than a stick w/ a nail in it.

RE: the P22, you're correct that a hotter load is the key with this one. My wife has one and loves it (it's pink! What's not to love?). We've always run CCI mini mags thru it and have never had any jamming issues. I think it's a cool little gun.

No Sig love in here?

I'm a big fan of Sig. For compact concealed carry, I have a P938. I'm a 1911 guy, so the P938 was a no-brainer for me, as it's SAO with a thumb safety (basically a 1911 w/o the grip safety). It comes out of the box with really nice night sights, which is a plus. I also don't care much for double action pistols, though I do own a couple. Well, at least I did before the boating accident that took my entire collection some time back.

Here's the P938 with its full size 1911 big brother...

 

[zac]

I've always been curious how a .22 would perform as a defensive weapon. Most of the idea of "stopping power" is outdated(when it comes to hitting vital/semi-vital areas). Mostly I'd just curious about the effect of follow up shots vs. first shot kill. I would think in a frantic situation having higher magazine capacity, lower recoild and faster follow up shots would be more important than having higher caliber stopping power.

(not an argument, if you have read articles about this I'd be all about reading them too, heck my carry weapon once I get my conceal liscense will be a 1911 .45acp)

Ive always told the wife, if she's going to pull the trigger, keep pulling till it clicks. .22 is enough with a full magazine in a walther. I won't confirm or deny, but their might be a few rat shot rounds in the magazine. I like a higher magazine count, but I also might have a .380 as a back up.

 

[z-bob]

Ive always told the wife, if she's going to pull the trigger, keep pulling till it clicks. .22 is enough with a full magazine in a walther. I won't confirm or deny, but their might be a few rat shot rounds in the magazine. I like a higher magazine count, but I also might have a .380 as a back up.

My main concern with .22LR is reliability. (One of the two loudest noises in the world is a "click" when you were expecting a "BANG!") The other concern is availability of ammo -- I haven't seen any .22 ammo for sale in over 2 years.

If you want a .22 for self defense, get a .25. The .25 ACP is actually a weaker round than .22LR, but it's a center-fire cartridge (reliable ignition) and it's designed for a short barrel.

 

[NickTheGreat]

My main concern with .22LR is reliability. (One of the two loudest noises in the world is a "click" when you were expecting a "BANG!") The other concern is availability of ammo -- I haven't seen any .22 ammo for sale in over 2 years.

If you want a .22 for self defense, get a .25. The .25 ACP is actually a weaker round than .22LR, but it's a center-fire cartridge (reliable ignition) and it's designed for a short barrel.

I love my MKIII but I get a lot of FTE or other gremlins. I haven't shot it enough to know if it's crappy ammo (shouldn't be) or what.

 

[Natdavis777]

If I conceal, I usually stick with my Glock 27. But most of the time I let my wife keep it on her, so I usually have my 226 on me. I like the Shields a lot, especially being a single stack. With that said though, my next purchase may be a Glock 43. My buddy picked one up a while back as a backup weapon, and I may have fallen in love with it.

 

[TWAL]

My main concern with .22LR is reliability. (One of the two loudest noises in the world is a "click" when you were expecting a "BANG!") The other concern is availability of ammo -- I haven't seen any .22 ammo for sale in over 2 years.

If you want a .22 for self defense, get a .25. The .25 ACP is actually a weaker round than .22LR, but it's a center-fire cartridge (reliable ignition) and it's designed for a short barrel.

I've always read the .25 acp is the least reliable round imaginable.
There's multiple stories out there of shots bouncing off denim jackets or glancing of targets rather than penetration.

 

[mongoose33]

I really can't imagine why a .22 would be preferable over anything.

I've taught a lot of women to shoot, from 9mm to .45. Once they get the basics down with the 9mm, I usually ask them if they'd like to try the .45. Of course, they think they can't, but that's not the case. I tell them to be fundamentally sound, good grip, good trigger control, and guess what? They can handle it!

For other reasons it may not be the ideal weapon (ability to CC without printing, cost of ammo, and so on), but the whole idea that one has to shy away from recoil is wrong from the get-go. Only in a case where someone has an injury where they cannot handle a higher recoil gun would I ever suggest a .22.

If you're taught properly how to shoot, you can shoot anything up to a .45 effectively. And if you run scared of recoil (recoil is something to be treasured, enjoyed, and embraced!), then you're likely to never be a good shooter in any case. My 2 cents.

 

[Natdavis777]

My wife carries usually a Glock27 (.040). Ive got her accustomed to the to recoil, but have also prefaced her that she isnt taking out a target 20 yds away. If she is using the weapon, its more likely going to be close and personal, and precise aiming isnt required. On the other hand, she loves shooting my 1911 R1. Mostly because it is a heavy weapon able to absorb a lot of the recoil. Round aside, the weapon you use also affects the shooter's ability to control the weapon.

 

[UndeadFred]

I got in this late but the LCPs are too small for inexperienced shooters, the LC9s are a lot nicer and in that category there is the LC380 that is the same sized gun as the LC9. The LC9s are okay shooters. If you will get your wife to the range any of those plus the Shield you mentioned would be fine. If she isn't going to get to the range monthly, I would consider a revolver instead. No matter what best of luck and practice as much as you can. I don't like the safeties for a carry gun on the Glocks and clones, but that is me.

 

[Mirilis]

I got a good price on a Glock 19 Gen 3 Talo edition.. but im not really sure I understand what the Talo edition is. I haven't looked at it yet (its through a friend). But it looks like its just a coating and possibly some new sights?

 

[Homercidal]

I really can't imagine why a .22 would be preferable over anything.

I've taught a lot of women to shoot, from 9mm to .45. Once they get the basics down with the 9mm, I usually ask them if they'd like to try the .45. Of course, they think they can't, but that's not the case. I tell them to be fundamentally sound, good grip, good trigger control, and guess what? They can handle it!

For other reasons it may not be the ideal weapon (ability to CC without printing, cost of ammo, and so on), but the whole idea that one has to shy away from recoil is wrong from the get-go. Only in a case where someone has an injury where they cannot handle a higher recoil gun would I ever suggest a .22.

If you're taught properly how to shoot, you can shoot anything up to a .45 effectively. And if you run scared of recoil (recoil is something to be treasured, enjoyed, and embraced!), then you're likely to never be a good shooter in any case. My 2 cents.

.22s have their place. For young shooters they offer a properly sized weapon and recoil.

They also (used to) be a very inexpensive round to plink with, and offer their own challenges.

They can be used for extremely compact carry, which many people won't prefer, but in some cases is better than no carry.

Now I wouldn't choose one to carry, personally, but I'd entertain the idea of having one to take to the range for some cheap pinking, maybe once .22 ammo is readily available again.

I know my 15 yo daughter really enjoyed shooting my dad's old Ruger Super Blackhawk. She's smaller sized and the long barrel was difficult for her. I think she would really get a kick out of a more properly sized and balanced .22.

 

[mongoose33]

.22s have their place. For young shooters they offer a properly sized weapon and recoil.

They also (used to) be a very inexpensive round to plink with, and offer their own challenges.

They can be used for extremely compact carry, which many people won't prefer, but in some cases is better than no carry.

Now I wouldn't choose one to carry, personally, but I'd entertain the idea of having one to take to the range for some cheap pinking, maybe once .22 ammo is readily available again.

I know my 15 yo daughter really enjoyed shooting my dad's old Ruger Super Blackhawk. She's smaller sized and the long barrel was difficult for her. I think she would really get a kick out of a more properly sized and balanced .22.

I agree, shooting for fun is a different deal, and for cost and other reasons why not?

But for self-defense, no. Granted, a .22 is better than nothing, but so is a brick.

What follows is a teaching opinion, but it's one I think is reasonably well-grounded: when I see people want to start new shooters on .22 pistols, I just cringe. They think they're doing the new shooter a favor but in reality, IMO, they're teaching them to be afraid of recoil.

[I know sometimes this is to teach trigger control, but I think it can work as cross-purposes. I teach trigger control two ways: empty gun (double-check), balance a 9mm casing on the front sight, have them pull the trigger. When they can do that, proper grip and smooth trigger release, they have trigger control. No rounds expended, and it works. ]

With a proper grip, recoil in anything .45ACP or lower is more than manageable. When I teach new shooters who have never shot a gun, I start them on 9mm. I teach them proper grip, and when they're holding an empty gun (checked twice), I have them take a grip and try to pull the gun from their hand to show how hard they should be gripping it.

I have them watch me shoot 1-3 rounds, and I tell them to focus on the gun, not the target: watch what it does. It comes right back down after the muzzle flip, doesn't it? So if you have a good grip, recoil is managed.

I tell them recoil is something to be embraced and enjoyed; if the gun didn't move, neither would the bullet, and we should be focused on the target anyway, not the gun. Recoil is part of the fun, and if you are well-grounded in fundamentals, recoil won't matter to you.

IMO, people who want to "ease" shooters into this with a low-recoil .22 are telling the shooter that the other guns are harder to shoot, that recoil is an issue--it's all a lot of negative karma, IMO.

When I introduce new shooters to pistols, I have them load one round, and we place the target about 3 yards away. I want that first round on paper, so they can see the results of what they just did. I usually also take down that first target with one hole in it, so they can keep it.

And most often, that first round is right at or very close to the bullseye. That in itself is a very nice confidence booster, along with me praising their grip, aiming, whatever.

Nothing against .22s in a small rifle, or even in a pistol--but IMO, using that as a beginning gun is using it as a crutch.

My 2 cents, YMMV, everyone's entitled to their opinion, and I respect yours even if I don't fully agree with it.

 

[Homercidal]

I agree, shooting for fun is a different deal, and for cost and other reasons why not?

But for self-defense, no. Granted, a .22 is better than nothing, but so is a brick.

What follows is a teaching opinion, but it's one I think is reasonably well-grounded: when I see people want to start new shooters on .22 pistols, I just cringe. They think they're doing the new shooter a favor but in reality, IMO, they're teaching them to be afraid of recoil.

[I know sometimes this is to teach trigger control, but I think it can work as cross-purposes. I teach trigger control two ways: empty gun (double-check), balance a 9mm casing on the front sight, have them pull the trigger. When they can do that, proper grip and smooth trigger release, they have trigger control. No rounds expended, and it works. ]

With a proper grip, recoil in anything .45ACP or lower is more than manageable. When I teach new shooters who have never shot a gun, I start them on 9mm. I teach them proper grip, and when they're holding an empty gun (checked twice), I have them take a grip and try to pull the gun from their hand to show how hard they should be gripping it.

I have them watch me shoot 1-3 rounds, and I tell them to focus on the gun, not the target: watch what it does. It comes right back down after the muzzle flip, doesn't it? So if you have a good grip, recoil is managed.

I tell them recoil is something to be embraced and enjoyed; if the gun didn't move, neither would the bullet, and we should be focused on the target anyway, not the gun. Recoil is part of the fun, and if you are well-grounded in fundamentals, recoil won't matter to you.

IMO, people who want to "ease" shooters into this with a low-recoil .22 are telling the shooter that the other guns are harder to shoot, that recoil is an issue--it's all a lot of negative karma, IMO.

When I introduce new shooters to pistols, I have them load one round, and we place the target about 3 yards away. I want that first round on paper, so they can see the results of what they just did. I usually also take down that first target with one hole in it, so they can keep it.

And most often, that first round is right at or very close to the bullseye. That in itself is a very nice confidence booster, along with me praising their grip, aiming, whatever.

Nothing against .22s in a small rifle, or even in a pistol--but IMO, using that as a beginning gun is using it as a crutch.

My 2 cents, YMMV, everyone's entitled to their opinion, and I respect yours even if I don't fully agree with it.

To be fair, I did say "For the YOUNG shooter..."

Also, I think that NOT shooting a .22 is a good way to not shoot a .22 very well. As with everything else, practice is key, along with a properly sized gun.

.22s also make a fun small game load with the right gun and reasonable hunting expectations. If you get bored with a long gun, try squirrels and rabbits with an 8" .22 revolver.

 

[JonW]

And FWIW: you might consider a lesson or two from a skilled instructor. Learn it correctly at the get-go and you won't have to unlearn bad habits.

^^^^ THIS! Just because you can shoot holes in a paper target doesn't mean you're ready to carry. Some proper classes will teach you a lot more than just how to aim and fire.

The NRA curriculum is pretty good. I'd recommend their "Personal Protection Outside the Home" and "Personal Protection in the Home" classes. These are 16 hour (2 day) classes that are done both in the classroom and at the range.

Also, not all instructors are the same. Make sure you either get recommendations or find reviews on the instructors.