And yes. It's a Ruger .44. It belonged to my Brother who would have been 41 today.
Posted on 04/27/2009 6:41:14 AM PDT by Thane_Banquo
My wife and I are planning to buy our first handguns.
My wife seems to want either one of the several S&W revolvers chambered in 357, so she can shoot 38SPL, or possibly the Walther PPK semi-auto.
My dilemma is more complicated. I want a semi-auto, but have yet to pick one, but I like the Beretta PX4 Storm, the IWI Jericho/Baby Eagle (hate the Baby Eagle moniker), the S&W Sigma, or the Glock 17. Glock 17 is probably my least favorite. I've also been told by one friend to stay away from the Baby Eagle, but I've seen good reviews for it.
What are your opinions on these?
I have been told that, as a beginner, I should shoot 9mm to start. Is this true, or is it okay to try 40S&W instead?
I can say that I have never had a revolver jam. I have had semi-auto shotguns jam, an MP-5 jam, AR-15 Jam, and almost EVERY auto pistol jam. It isn’t often, but it is inevitable.
>> I have seen many accidental table shootings at the range with beginners with autos and to a lesser degree double actions. <<
I don’t doubt or dispute your word.
But for me, the danger of an accidental shooting with a DA revolver seems less than the danger that with a SA revolver, a live round might accidentally be left in the cylinder.
So I suppose it’s just a matter of subjectively weighing the relative risks.
Some of the best advice I have read here concerning a new pistol purchase is buy 500 rounds of ammo, then buy a pistol to shoot it.
The pistols seem to be much more plentiful than the ammunition needed to make those pistols more than funny shaped rocks.
Considerations: Who is the pistol really for, you or her? What purpose — home defense (get a shotgun), plinking, carry defense? CDBear and I just went through this very process the last 2 weekends. I had my own ideas of what I wanted — for her. Some of the absolute best information I found concerning fit and suitability was on www.corneredcat.com. The site is written primarily to the viewpoint of a woman and is excellent.
We spent last Saturday at the range where she petted many pistols in many shapes and sizes. She spent most of a box of 9mm ammo through a couple of them. In the end, it came down to how the pistol felt in her hand. Her hands aren’t as big as mine. She didn’t feel like she had full control of any of the hi-cap pistols. She liked how the Kahr-9 felt but that became her second choice when we went back to the shop and range this past Saturday and she got to shoot the Walther P22.
Yall, anybody who sneaks in our house needs to fear her and her Walther more than me with my Saiga-12. This girl has kept and plans to frame her first target. We had discussed the fact that most self-defense shootings take place within 10 feet so we setup at about 10 yards for her to get a feel for these pistols. She put 20 of her first 30 rounds in a 3 inch circle with this thing.
We spent about 3 hours yesterday shooting from 25 feet to 50 yards. The girl is steady and accurate. I would have preferred a large caliber weapon for the knock down power but her comfort and accuracy were far more important.
And since we are talking about power, let me tell you about the .22 cal hyper velocity round. One of our targets was attached to a primary backstop of 2 2x12 oak planks padded with a half-inch of cardboard in front and another half-inch between the two planks. Fired from the Walther’s 3 inch barrel, this hollow-point was blasting chunks out both of these wood planks and scattering dirt behind them — at 50 YARDS. And you should have seen what it did to that apple!!
Add her ability to consistently hit a target the size of the human heart, or center of a face, to that kind of penetration. This in a weapon that she is actually willing to use — I like my chances with her backing me up because it’s hard to miss with my new Saiga too.
You may find yourself in a situation some day when taking the risk of getting arrested is the lesser evil than being unarmed when the excrement has just hit the fan. Being prepared for the possibility may be a good idea. Just sayin'
If it's just going to stay in the house, you may do better with a shotgun.
I have a S&W Sigma chambered in .40, and love it. Sure it might get looked down on by the gun snobs here, but has worked flawlessly. I really like the gun.
Can’t go wrong with a Ruger. The .357 is a good idea.
I see you haven't shopped for ammo in some time..
there is nothing like a good 1911, but .45 is a big round. i carry 9mm's and i like them a lot.
Kimber makes a couple of nice M1911's chambered in 9mm – They're a bit on the expensive side, but then how much is your life worth?
Just my $.02
Yeah. I love mine. I want to buy all the diff kinds. But alas, no money.
When I introduce someone to shooting clays, I give them a 20 gauge single shot. It is too easy to fire an accidental round with a semi-auto, and I, even after many years of exoerience, once fired a .410 pump by accident by having my finger on the trigger when chambering the next shell. Luckilly all it did was kick up dust.
thanks, this is info I need.
I can attest to the quality of the Bersa Thunder 380, it is my standard carry piece. It has been very reliable and accurate, and looks/feels just like a PPK, only much cheaper.
If it going to be your first, buy a .22 semi auto, like a Ruger or Browning Buckmark. Then buy a Glock 19.
if it's going to be your only handgun, buy a Glock 19. For a .22, you can get a conversion slide for the Glock.
People might not like this comment: I don’t like Glocks. There I said it. I am a woman and my hands are average sized and all of the Glocks feel awkward. And I think that there are more economical choices. I just bought a Taurus Millenium 9mm. It feels wonderful in my hand and most importantly it is very ballanced. When I take a shot, the gun falls right back on target. Glocks seem to be less ballanced and recoil at odd angles. That’s just my 2 cents.
Some advice from a shooter who has owned a couple of semi autos.
The major attribute you should look for is how well the handle fits your hand. The thin 1911 styles seem to fit nearly everyone, the fatter variations can be difficult to shoot ( I had a Ruger P97D that I loved but I had difficulty shooting as the handle was too fat for my hand). Cleaning of an auto, which is critical, can be difficult.
Revolvers do not jam and their handles seem to fit everyone well. Since you and your wife have very different sized hands, a revolver is a definite alternative for you. Easy to clean too.
Snubnose barrel length is fine as the length of the barrel doesn’t matter much at 7 yards.
Buy centerfire ammunition as you may have to start reloading at some point as ammo may become very expensive.You can also load training rounds with lower recoil if you wish. If you wish to reload, buy the Lee Classic Loader for about 25.00 and start there. Before you start, give me a yell privately and I’ll walk you through it the first time. I know the outfit looks unlikely but it makes the best rounds a loader can create.
My own tastes go towards the .45 but anything in a .38 or larger will be just fine. The .357/38 is a good possibility.
Taurus has some fine revolvers, very reliable and those who own them won’t part with them.
When you learn to shoot, find a friend who is a Marine ( I would call them ex-Marine, but I have been down that road before..LOL) and ask them to teach you the Marine method. I believe that there is also the Marine manual on line and it is really good.
Don’t spend a lot of money on your first pistol as your needs will change as you learn to shoot it. After you have put a good number of rounds through it, you will have a better idea of what you want.
I am currenlty looking at a Bond Arms derringer in .45/410 and an American Derringer in .45-70.
I too have the 92FS, but if your wife has small hands she will HATE it. The grip is rather large and is hard to shoot as accurately as my XD9 and Dad’s 686.
I like the idea of the .22, I wanted to get one because the cost of ammo, your wife will NOT be afraid to shoot it and will help her to become accurate without flinching due to noise and recoil.however, I’m sure you’ll want a .22 and a 9MM or larger to compliment each other. Guns are one of the few items where I would say “the more the better”.
Also, after you get your gun dry shoot as much as possible....with one eye then both eyes open. This will help with muscle memory, aim in both situations, not flinching, etc....it will save a lot on ammo and frustration of accuracy.
Something to consider is the possibility that your wife and your equipment might need to be compatable.
She seems very smart to want a .357 revolver. Very smart.
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