Okay, first of all, I know I've already made some rookie mistakes here. I admit it up front. But here's where I am. I'm beginning to get more active with prepping, but one place where I have been severely lacking is in the area of firearms. My wife and I are working to rectify that shortcoming. I ran into an opportunity to get a gen4 Glock17 (a PG17502) for $400, and jumped at it. It's a "friend of a friend" situation, and I trust the people involved. But the purchase required that I send the money to him across the state, and I have to wait until he gets into town next month to actually receive the Glock. ITMT, I ran into a Sig SP2022 for $350. On impulse, I bought it on the spot. Yes, I know I probably shouldn't have bought either of them without getting a chance to fire them first. I'll claim extenuating circumstances and let's leave it at that. I do have my reasons. So now, I am the owner of two new 9mm handguns (even though I only have one at the moment) that I still haven't fired a single round through. My wife has never fired a firearm in her life, and I haven't done so for so long that I might as well be starting from scratch as well. My questions to you all are as follows: 1. Do any of you have experience with either (or preferably both) of these handguns? 2. If you have used either of the two, what are your thoughts regarding these weapons for a beginner (pros, cons, general observations...) 3. If you have used both, and can offer comparison points, which would you consider the better firearm for a woman, and why? Thanks in advance for any input.
Never had either of those Specific Weapons in my Paws, but I have shot hundreds of thousands of 9mm down the range in my time. I would suggest that you find a GOOD HandGun Instructor, at your nearest Range, and have him teach Momma, rather than doing it yourself. He can start her out with a .22LR and get her slowly worked up to the 9mm, while giving her correct Grip and Sighting, procedures. I have found that Women Folk, do much better, when instructed by a Third Party, than by a Lover/Husband. Just my Opinion.... YMMV....
Am approaching this as a beginner. Already planning classes, but was planning to take them with her. My whole approach is to be there with her as support, but I will NOT be her instructor. As far as she is concerned, I am there to learn with her.
Man O Man... Someone in Texas whom has never fired a gun... I am Speechless...Carry on... You other Texas guy's need to step-up and help a Brother.!!!
They are both very good guns, however neither have thumb safeties which for me is a must. If you can live without the safety those two are some of the best handguns money can buy. Take it easy and take the classes. If you never used guns I worry that if the semi-autos jam you might have a rough time. You should have a back up weapon for each one of you and I suggest you would get 2 revolvers. Revolvers don't jam, so if you lose use of your semi-autos due to technical difficulties you know you have a reliable gun. Lastly, I dunno if you intend to buy many more weapons but my rule is (due to above mentioned jams) that I only buy semi-autos NEW. Revolvers are harder to go wrong with so I would buy a used one with confidence. Hope this helps Sent from my IPhone 4s
LOL. Yeah, I'm giving the state a bad name. In my defense, I have fired both handguns and rifles. Then I got married to a fantastic woman whose only real fault was that she believed all the hype she saw on the tube about how many kids were being killed in accidental shootings, and how it was irresponsible for parents to have a gun in the house with children. When she agreed to marry me, she asked me to sell my guns. A man will do a lot of things for love, and I had already been practicing martial arts for ten years at that point, and had a ton of "toys" for home defense that didn't involve cordite and brass. But now the kids are grown, and even my left-of-center, trusting wife has begun to realize that Uncle Sam & MSM aren't beyond stretching the truth to keep themselves in power. Now that she has expressed an interest in my prepping, I'm "guiding" her progress and don't want to do anything that may discourage her. I like to think of it as "nurturing" her growth into survival mode.
Back to your first question about thinking on a 9mm as a first gun for a newb. I'm not too sure that's a good choice as a starter. Certainly adequate for the purposes intended after training, but I might try to find something a bit more benign initially. Spend the money on a 22 cal clone to go to school with, and bring the 9 along for intermittent exposure (a remarkable demonstration of why grip is important.) Reasoning goes more or less as follows: -Less disruption to concentration while getting the basics of handling safety, grip, and sighting down pat -Less chance of developing a flinch that can't be fixed -Cheaper practice -Better odds of converting a hesitant, budding gunny into a mature enthusiastic gunny Thus spake me, and maybe me only.
I agree, a .22LR is the best gun to learn on. For that matter, I would recommend starting with a .22LR rifle - it will allow you (and your wife) to develop your safety and shooting skills, and will make the learning process both fun and easy - which will in turn help to keep her from getting discouraged. What many would call the only drawback of a .22 is, IMO, one of it's greatest strengths. The 9mm is not the biggest round out there, but it does have quite a kick if you're not used to recoil. The .22, on the other hand, is easily manageable - so you can focus your attention on safe handling, proper shooting technique, hitting your target, etc. instead of the loud "bang" and recoil that comes with a larger gun. I can't stress enough how significant an impact this will have on your wife's skills development. Also, .22LR ammo is affordable. $25 will get you 100 rds of 9mm, or 500 rds of .22 - and that translates to a lot more time at the range for the same amount of money. Since you're going to love your .22 rifle so much, you're going to need a lot of ammo. (Good thing it's not expensive, right?) You can get a good .22 rifle for a couple hundred bucks, and like I said, you're gonna love it. Finally, consider the benefits of a .22 rifle for prepping purposes - the .22 rifle is the most popular gun for small game hunting, great for rabbits and squirrels. It can be used for self-defense if necessary. (It's small, but it's still a lethal weapon.) Ammo is everywhere, and since it's cheap, you can easily stock up on it. (Just don't call it stockpiling, unless you have liberal neighbors and want them to worry...) And don't forget spare magazines - remember, your gun is only as reliable as the mag that's feeding it. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best.
Thanks all. I appreciate the advice. That makes a lot of sense, and I'm glad you see where I'm coming from. I went with 9mm thinking it would be a small enough calibre, but you make good points re: .22. Gonna have to see if I can find an inexpensive .22 out there now. Hmmmm..... Academy, maybe?
You mean giving them up when we got married? Not really. I'm not the kind to dwell too much on the past, though - and I'm a VERY patient man. Although I did have an old Argentine Arms 1911 that I still miss on occassion. Nothing fancy, but it packed a punch... (sigh)
Where good hearing protection, focus on the front sight (not the target), and practice. 9mm is a fine caliber from beginner to advance and "even for women".
Am I the only one that learned to shoot handguns starting with a .45acp? Granted I'm self taught as there was no one to teach me, but I had shot a lot of .22 rifles over a decade before I got my first handgun. Am I more odd than I thought I was for having taught myself to shoot handguns with a Glock .45acp? Not even a Glock 21 or Glock 30 but a Glock 36 aka: the only Singlestack Glock!!!
No, you are not alone... My first handgun was a Colt Pocket Semi-Auto in 38ACP.... I taught myself to shot it, and carried it as my Pack Gun, all over Alaska, for a decade. Then I got my first FFL, and bought a New Browning HiPower in 9mm. Started my wife out with a Lamma .380 Auto. I still belive it is best to start NEW Handgun Shooters with a .22LR, and then work up to their carry weapon, as they improve their accuracy, and comfortability. .... YMMV....
You will be happy with them. 9mm is an acceptable self defense round, and very common. I learned a long time ago to never be instructor to a significant other. They will listen to the golf pro, the ski instructor or the firearms instructor so much better and if they get ticked off it isn't at me. Do not be surprised if she ends up being a better shot than you. I have seen many women become excellent shots very fast. And as I often point out: The handgun is the ONE gun that you can have with you most of the time and the most likely that will be there when you absolutely need it. By mastering it you achieve a peace of mind that will allow you to walk away from confrontations, and to remain calm as things fall apart around you, it will extend to other parts of your mind set and make you a better planned and prepared individual, even if you are (may it please be so for you) never forced to draw and fire in a real situation. There is a old story about the kid asking his granpa why he carries the old .45 on his belt, does he wanna shoot someone, or is he scared? NO granson, I'm not scared, I carry this because I don't want to have to be scared. IT allows me to protect myself against younger and stronger people and groups of people who want to harm me. It is a means of maintaining peace, not creating conflict. I carry it because I don't want to have to explain to your mom why I let someone hurt you. Having it allows me to be equal to those who would make me do things. They cannot force me so they have to meet me with reason. IT prevents trouble and provides that final line of dissent against those who would do us harm. it is the most civilized thing I can do. Without one then it is law of the jungle where the strongest can dominate the weak and the weak must beg mercy or rely on others to protect them. I carry a gun to be free and so you can be free. *** Just some interesting thinking I wanted to share. YMMV
