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empress360
New MemberPosts: 1 New Member
Best pistol or revolver for novice
empress360
New MemberPosts: 1 New Member
interested in learning how to use a firearm for self-defense. applying for a license, would like to know the best firearm for learning and using.
Replies
I wish there was a simple answer to your question, but there are a lot of variables that need to be determined.
Carrying a revolver concealed would normally mean you want a smaller gun. However , this is not ideal for a first time learner, because they aren't as accurate as a longer barreled gun, and they typically have more recoil.
Your budget is also a factor. You can buy a used revolver for $250 to $1000 and more for more advanced units.
Hand size, ability, prior experience are all important factors.
So fill us in and maybe we can help.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
I know lots of people say to start with a .22 but you can quickly learn to handle a larger caliber and it's probably better to put your money into a decent self defense caliber at the start. If you buy a .44 Magnum or .45acp, of course you'll have a huge handful (ha ha) but calibers like 9mm or .38 special, .357 Mag are not that much to learn with.
So I suggest you look at a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver w. 4" or 6" barrel. These aren't small enough for a female to carry concealed but they're great for home defense.
Rugers are rock solid revolvers and reasonably priced, even brand new. A .357 will also handle the .38 caliber, so you use the .38 (cheaper and less recoil) for most practice, then use the .357 caliber for maybe 10%-15% of your shooting.
A good quality revolver is easy to clean, easy to use, and comparatively inexpensive. Rugers are among the best, and cheaper than, say, Colt or Smith & Wesson but of equal quality.
For a pistol, take a look at the Kahr, maybe in 9mm. Kahr has gained an excellent reputation as a good quality, reasonably priced pistol. I bought my girlfriend a Kahr P9 (in 9mm) for Valentine's Day a couple years ago. It's easy to shoot, accurate, and the recoil is not at all harsh. The Kahr P9 (and other models they make of a similar size) is also reasonably sized and can be carried concealed. My girlfriend is petite but she can shoot a 9mm without strain.
You might also look at the Springfield Armory XD models for autos. Good stuff.
There are many other choices. But for a pistol (auto), you'll probably like the 9mm best. Take your time and look for something that's "right" for you.
As far as ammo, use standard full metal jacket (FMJ) ammo for practice, brands like Remington, S&B, Winchester. This is called "whitebox" ammo -- a regular modest price ammo for practice. I would recommend against Wolf brand because it's too smoky.
For self defense ammo, any good gun store will have several choices here. You want hollow point ammo that's specially engineered for that purpose. It will be about 2x the price of practice ammo.
Keep in touch -- the folks in this forum are the best! and their advice is excellent.
The reason to get a pistol in .22 caliber, such as the Ruger 22/45 is so you can get huge amounts of practice most people never get at a reasonable price, while a .22 is not good for personal defense, it is ideal for cheap practice that will apply to larger calibers.
I also recommend classes with a qualified Instructor.
Otherwise, however, assuming the next step up isn't a 1911, the 22/45 is still just a .22. Yes they're fun to shoot and economical, but imo, the value gained for having a step-wise weapon where the next might be, oh, a 9mm, is really not such a biggie. Yes, I have a Ruger .22 and yes I shoot it. My point is this: a "first gun" can just as easily be a 9mm or .38, saving money by allowing the buyer to put all the gun funds into one better quality firearm. If there's plenty of budget money, sure, go with the .22 first.
And yes, having a proper instructor is essential. Good luck with your gun selection!
Not to beat the horse - but - .22. Easy & cheap to shoot & get resonably proficient at. If you are looking to have only one gun - still .22,because once you start shooting it won't take you long to up grade/caliber. One is none etc,,etc,,.
Welcome to the forum.
I'm definitely not dissing the .22 as a first handgun. My point is that it's not really necessary because even the beginner can quickly learn to handle say, a 9mm without every having shot a smaller caliber. This is a choice for the new gun owner and thankfully you have plenty of sizes, calibers, and styles to choose from. So read some of our advice, then instantly toss all of it (ha ha) and go for professional advice next..... ha ha.
Here is what I advise. Get what fits your hand. I would lean more towards one of the more main stream 9mm pistols or a 357 revolver. Cheaper to feed than anything more exotic, .380, .45acp, .40 S&W. Which means you can afford to train more.
Then practice with it until using it becomes second nature.
Winston Churchill
Very true.
Taking several women to gun shows....and this is anecdotal...but 9 outa 10.....the Bersa was a good fit for size 7-8 hands...with the Glock 19 and S&W tying for second place.
Also, the Bersa is a pretty hefty pistol for a .380.....its not a pocket-rocket like some of these newer Kel-Tecs and Rugers.
Yes you could start with the 357 magnum and shoot 38 special out of it. BUT the ammo for the 22 starts at about $3 per box of 50 compared to around $20 per box of 50 for 38 special, thus you could shoot far more with the 22 for the same amount of money. Also I specified the Ruger SP101 for both the 22 and the 357 because the weight and operation is nearly identical, whereas if you got the Ruger 22/45 and then got something like the Kahr CW9 there are differences.
My wifes SP101. Stabilized Maple Burl grip panels.
Perhaps with all the differenciation(?) she was overwhelmed. Let me add my 2¢. Springfield 9m sub- compact. Conceals easily, good fit for smallish hands, little recoil, very reliable.
Pointed like a finger, deadly accurate at 10 yards with HP rounds. Sighted in with laser, same results to 40 yards. For someone who doesn't panic. That's my CCW. For unconcealed I have other options.
Even have a 22mag as last resort. Very small and surprising stopping power.
Rootbrain
So what? Even if the first poster may not have returned (she still may), we had some good discussion and listed some excellent handgun choices among us. Someone will come along and find the info valuable.
Recoil is how you know primer ignition is complete.
It's a "gut" feeling Sam.....the shared info is good, I'll give you that....but there's something wonky here....like we're being felt out by the antis'.....Woodsrunner has had the same feeling about some people...I could just be wrong though. This years polling had led to much suspicion as to the other side's agenda...I want us to be open and forgiving.....ever to right a wrong situation and to teach....but don't like being used for a flash-dance....granted you don't need to join a forum to get a question answered.....and hope our forum is inviting enough so someone can walk in outa the blue and ask away to get their itch scratched. Just a feeling of paranoia I guess.....my bad!
I've seen lots of people who have no handgun experience shoot a semi-auto well. They learn the malfunction drills (rarely needed in a good semi-auto these days) and are quite happy with their "wrong" first handgun. On the other hand, if a revolver - which has way more moving parts, longer and heavier trigger pull, more complex reloading, and a more complex mechanism overall - has a malfunction, you're in deep stuff. My advice: get quality training, and see about getting a Glock, XD, or the like.
:guns:
Jerry
A pretty good choice would be a 9mm pistol from Kahr. They are of good quality, reliable, and fairly inexpensive. I bought my girlfriend one and she really likes it. The model I got her is the P9.
The Kahr 9mm pistols fit nicely in the hand, are easy to shoot, and the 9mm recoil is easily manageable for new shooters. The 9mm cartridges are relatively inexpensive and self defense 9mm is quite effective.
Although a .22 is much lighter recoil, it's really not applicable to self defense and you'd soon be moving up to a larger caliber anyway. Sure, the 9mm is heavier recoil but it's not at all difficult to manage. My girlfriend is quite petite and she easily handled her Kahr P9 9mm.
Er, how to prevent this? Newcomers learn to not do this because they've been instructed such. My girlfriend was quite inexperienced in shooting but she learned fast. I simply cautioned her to not put her thumb around the rear action and she didn't. We went through basic stances and grips prior to loading the weapon. It's not hard to learn: "Keep both your thumbs together, pointed forward."
This thread dates back to 2012...
NRA Endowment Member
Eventually.