Wasz Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Hello. Ive been reading this forum for a while. I'm very interested in learning about the USPSA, IDPA etc type sports. Its something down the road for when I finish school though so for now I'm simply absorbing all I can, but this isn't about that. I introduced my girlfriend to shooting around 6 months ago. She was brand new to guns and decided that she wanted to try shooting. We started out with .22 and worked with that for a few months. Turns out she loves to shoot and graduated to bigger things, like my GP 100. Now she sees people's toys and wants one of her own. By Xmas she has decided she will buy herself a handgun. She is having trouble determining what she wants to buy. She likes shooting .22 and the cost is nice and its a good way to keep working on fundamentals. On the other hand she really wants something bigger like a revolver or a 9mm. I don't want to have her buy something she does not really want, but I also don't want her to buy something that she will have a hard time being successful with. She picked up a full size M&P at the store recently and loved how it felt in her hands, where as the glocks and the XDs didn't really do as much for her. She also considers getting a revolver similar to mine. I don't want to stunt her growth I just want her to be happy with her purchase. So should she think more about a .22 or if she really falls in love with something bigger should I not deter her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Welcome to the forum Let her have what she wants....find some folks who will let her shoot several different guns..she will find the one she likes. some proper instruction would be nice also...anyone can shoot, not everyone is safe. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 A good 22 is ALWAYS a great place to start. Everyone should have one--or two--or more. Ruger, Browning, S&W all make fine 22 auto's. If she has really small hands take a look at the Beretta Neos. That's what my wife ended up buying for herself. If she wants to compete, get her started in speed steel. She can use the 22, fire from low ready. It's basically stand-and-shoot, but it WILL get the adrenaline pumping! When she wants to move up to a centerfire what she wants to do with it kind of shapes the decision. Auto or revolver? Plinking or possibly competition? In revolvers, something in a 4" double action 357 or 38 with adjustable sights is a good all around gun. In autos she doesn't like Glock or XD, likes M&P? Have her try a CZ-75 style pistol. Heck---go gun shopping, have her try them ALL. Is there a range near you where you can rent? Whatever you do, it needs to be HER decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 You can always find a range that rents guns and try out a few. I think an M&P 9mm would be just fine for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerba Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Find a range where they rent guns or borrow from friends. Let her try as many as possible before making the decision. It seems that if she does buy a .22, she will get tired of it quickly and want to buy another (which isn't too bad). I do recommend she buys a 9mm. That caliber will and can take her a long way. There are also other considerations she might want to consider: - what is her primary purpose for the gun? - will she want to carry it? - will she compete with it? - which dicipline of competition if she is to compete with it? Answering these questions will help her decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 She picked up a full size M&P at the store recently and loved how it felt in her hands, where as the glocks and the XDs didn't really do as much for her. She also considers getting a revolver similar to mine. I don't want to stunt her growth I just want her to be happy with her purchase.So should she think more about a .22 or if she really falls in love with something bigger should I not deter her? Everybody who shoots probably should have a .22 as it does so many things well....cheap, accurate and promotes good habits. With that said, if she likes the feel of the M&P (I do too) that's probably a good choice for her first centerfire handgun if she's willing to learn the extra steps it takes to be safe with one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 You could maybe buy her a new custom Bedell Limited and also a Brazos Open gun but you may have to "borrow" them for awhile to make sure they are functioning ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newshooter Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 You could maybe buy her a new custom Bedell Limited and also a Brazos Open gun but you may have to "borrow" them for awhile to make sure they are functioning ok. Good idea!! haha better pull out 2 or 3 credit cards lol i was in the same position you were about 8 months ago. She ended up getting a Smith & Wesson 22A with a huge campbell soup can red dot scope on top. that gun was only shot for a month before she plunged and bought her self a svi open gun! so now i have to reload for 38super and 40 for me. o well its fun im glade she likes to shoot! Let her shoot all the guns she can get her hands on and let her choose what she likes best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasz Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Firstly thanks for all the input and the concerns about safety. Id like to say that safety is paramount with us and it was the first training she got. The rule is always safety first and she is very safe as am I. We discussed this some this evening and she broke down and told me she wants to learn to compete along with me. Granted us both being students and young this is a consideration for the future, but it is the goal that apparently we are both striving towards. I am working on getting someone to let her shoot their M&P. She wants a center fire and a .22 apparently. Cost being the constraint she can only really have one currently. If she wants to learn to eventually compete I don't see harm in her getting a 9mm. She'll get one eventually anyway I am sure. Basically it seems that she likes the idea that whatever one she really falls in love with should be what she gets. Be it .22 or center fire. Shes just going to wait until that one gun strikes her just right and go with that. Or so she says. Thanks again. When she makes her decision I'll let everyone know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leam Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 My personal "oddness" came in grip--some great guns just don't "fit" me, and when I found one that did it just felt very natural. So if you two compete, go to a lot of the different comeptitions and find the group and game that you both really enjoy. Some folks, like the CAS crew, habitually loan guns to new shooters. The Bullseye folks seem just as friendly as their game tends to encourage going through lots of guns. I have found more enjoyment in the people side of competitions than in the scores, even though I'm a serious introvert. Sometimes is't not the number on the paper but the number of people who smile when you show up that counts... Leam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Sometimes is't not the number on the paper but the number of people who smile when you show up that counts... I like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glk21C Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Get her the S&W 500 or 460 revolver. That should work our swell...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gose Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 (edited) Had a similar "problem" with my gf and I ended up getting her a S&W 617. I have a couple of of 686s that she now knows how to shoot, should the "need" or will to shoot .38s arise. For now she's pretty happy with the .22 though and as long as she's happy with that, so am I (less reloading for me ). Recently I also bought two .22 conversion kits (one for my glocks and one for my SIG 210s), so she can start getting familiar with my other guns without leaving the "comfort zone" of .22s. Edited August 29, 2007 by gose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doublehaul Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 (edited) Beretta Model 85B or 84B. They are the best little guns for the money and workanmanship far exceeds anythings in .380 ACP currently manufactured. They will fit small hands, cocked and locked features, magazine disconnect and flawless reliability. Mags available still and holsters from Blade Tech. The cocked and locked feature will build her up to a 9mm 1911 pretty quick. Stay away from the newer ones (85F, 84F)... too much money and not near the gun and the single action is tricky to use and they are much bigger. Edited September 2, 2007 by Doublehaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay6 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 You guys are all so lucky. I am in the process of de-programming all of the hippie liberal out of my better half. She has been taking steps in the right direction but I can not wait for the day she tells me she wants her own gun. Then I figure I could then tell her about the two I purchased without her knowing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogmaDog Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 You're lucky your girlfriend wants to shoot and compete with you. I'm envious. I don't own a .22 pistol, but I do have a .22 conversion kit for my 1911. Just by switching out the magazine and top end, I can change between .45 and .22, and get the same grip, controls, and trigger. I don't think they make conversion kits for M&Ps yet...they do for 1911s, Glocks, and I think Berettas. So that's could be a way to get both guns. As far as caliber, 9mm is the cheapest centerfire ammo available, and it's the smallest caliber allowed in IPSC or IDPA matches. I don't think you can go wrong with a 9mm. I managed to compete while I was still a student. I lived off-campus, so keeping a gun in my residence wasn't a problem. I did have to drive pretty far on Saturday morning to get to the match (the closest was an hour, the next closest almost 3 hours away). But man, it really was worth it to get away from school, and relieve some stress! If you live in a dorm, you probably have to store your gun with the Kampus Police, or whatever, and talk to the school psychologist every time you want to check it out, or something (I'm kidding about the psych). Still might be worth it. DogmaDog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritinUSA Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 M&P seems to be a popular choice lately. CZ/EAA type guns may also be good as the grip design is better suited for smaller hands. If she's confidant that a large caliber is the way to go then M&P/CZ/EAA will all be good. She'll know when she's ready to move up to a bigger gun (and it sounds like she is) so I would say that you role as boyfriend is to be encouraging and come up the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncrighton Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I like the idea of getting a 9mm pistol like a CZ-75 and also get a .22 Kadet conversion kit - works great for my wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SV_shooter Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 (edited) I bought my girlfriend a few guns... Some for her, some for me inderectly... We broke up and she is giving me her guns back. If you are lookin for a ladylike 9, I have a couple now! lol! My x picked up a 9mm from the start and shoots my SV .40 but the stippling hurts her hands... Edited November 7, 2007 by SV_shooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter hornby Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 When my girlfriend started shooting i let her try a pile of guns. she kept coming back to my dear old klunky 45. she felt that the solid thud back into her hand felt better tehn the twist of a 9. she was looking at shooting IPSC and shot her first few matches with it then graduated to a single stack 38 super open gun. since then she has moved on to an SVI in 38super, open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I like the idea of getting a 9mm pistol like a CZ-75 and also get a .22 Kadet conversion kit - works great for my wife. +1 I was going ot suggest the same thing. Great setup. CZ75 is one of the nicest 9mm pistols ever built and you can play a lot of games with it. The Kadet Conversion Unit will let het shoot .22 all day for cheap shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I would say if you can get a centerfire pistol w/ a 22 conversion you'd have the best of both worlds and excellent knowledge of that platform. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I bought my girlfriend a few guns... Some for her, some for me inderectly... We broke up and she is giving me her guns back. If you are lookin for a ladylike 9, I have a couple now! lol! My x picked up a 9mm from the start and shoots my SV .40 but the stippling hurts her hands... I'm interested in buying a new gun - what type do you have, and how much are they? Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryP Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 A lot of great opinions but I agree mostly with "racerba". In addition I would consider how much effort it takes to rack the slide, reload, and take down to clean. I dont think you need to go beyond that for a first gun. If she continues to shoot the next gun will fulfill future needs, but the first gun will always be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gundry Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 I would say if you can get a centerfire pistol w/ a 22 conversion you'd have the best of both worlds and excellent knowledge of that platform.Rich That sounds like the best fit for their needs/desires. 22's are great for plinking and some practice, but I find I need the recoil of a centerfire to really work on my grip, which is my most important area in need of work at the moment. Popular choices (specific to USPSA): Glock 9mm for production, conversion kit for plinking CZ 75 9mm for production, Kadet conversion kit for plinking 1911 .45 for SS/L10, conversion kit for plinking Trying to shoot a 9mm in anything other than Production can be a PITA (that's what I'm doing right now ), so if she likes either the Glock or the CZ's, I'd try to go that route. Unfortunately, I have not seen any plans for a 22 conversion kit for the M&P's yet. But, they do seem to be great guns - I'm waiting to shoot one too. Keep in mind, you'll also need to pick up a belt, holster, mags (have ~5 total to start with) and mag pouches and mags for both of you. You can go cheap, but you may regret it. Nice Blade-Tech DOH holster ~$65, mag pouches (cheap doubles) ~$50, belt ~$60, mags - depends. IIRC, S&W is giving away 2 free mags with the purchase of a M&P or Sigma pistol until the end of the year. 1911's have the upper hand at cheap holsters, mags and pouches (and are a more versatile platform) but the guns tend to be much more expensive. Welcome to the addiction - and the frustration of those of us with rather shallow pockets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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