Choosing a Beginner Handgun

[C4IGrant]

Looking for easy to shoot reasonably well, keeping it fun so they build confidence and interest in continuing shooting.

Grant, just the kind of details I needed, thank you. If I don't have to give up Glock are the Gen 4/5 without backstrap small enough for most women? I'm only up to Gen3.

I believe in the ease of learning a single trigger pull of a striker. Is anyone challenging that idea?

Any advances in DAO worth looking at?

Being a range gun with no expectation of carry, is a DA/SA just run SA worth considering?

The GEN 4/5 is going to be slightly smaller with the GEN 5 being the most accurate Glock made. So you will need to see how well their hand size fits.

IMHO, if a shooter can run a DA/SA gun, they can shoot ANYTHING well. The worst thing I ever did was start training with a WC CQB. The trigger pull set me up for failure when I transitioned to any other gun (Beretta, Glock, SIG, M&P, etc).


C4

[C4IGrant]

I find people these days only think of a handgun as a purely defensive instrument and if it is not in a service caliber or capable of being used as a carry gun is not to be considered.
Widen horizons a bit !
Some will disagree I know but nothing is better at teaching the fundamentals of sights grip stance and trigger than a target grade .22. Picking up something like a ruger standard auto ( not my personal choice but probably the most common these days) cheap to buy accurate and reliable and cheap to feed.
Some will say the fundamentals won’t transfer to service weapons- hogwash. Find a club running steel challenge matches. Start with the .22 ( focusing on hitting first speed second) then graduate to a larger caliber when skills are attained and maintained.

Agree. A .22 pistol should be the starting point and then moved off of this when they show profeciency.


C4

[kremtok]

The first handgun that I shot was an M9 at boot camp. Instructional methods were effective and I already had some rifle experience, so I shot it extremely well. I gave my 92FS Brigadier to my sister a few years ago but it’ll always be one of my favorites.

[.XL]

Sig P225-A1 9mm

[26 Inf]

I regularly work with a lot of beginners of all ages. My new shooter guns are G19s and K frames. I'll use the occasional rimfire, but found the "start-with-a-22 shtick" to be far less valid than we think. Instructional method matters enormously. If not a fan of the G, pick your 9mm mid to full size favorite.

Why? When are they no longer a "new shooter" for purposes of that safety usage?

The bolded is a gem and completely true.

[26 Inf]

Away from the LE training ranges, I start new shooters on .22. It is fairly inexpensive, but most importantly reduces the likelihood on developing recoil/muzzle blast aversion.

As a newly married 19 year-old Marine, I taught my wife to shoot with a borrowed .22 pistol and a Marlin 39 lever action. When I finally got enough money to buy a 1911 (IIRC $159.00 at the PX) her remarks upon shooting it was 'it's loud' as she went about hitting the bullseye. As I had kids with my first wife, and then 20 years later with wife #2, they started with that same Marlin M39 and a Ruger Mark I. I have four kids, with a 20 year gap between sets. Plus grandkids, Those 22's have seen a lot of use. They are all shooters.

I like the Ruger Mark I to start with. I have 22 conversions for Glock and 1911, as well as a GSG 1911 .22, and an M&P 22.

When I go to the range with family, we shoot a lot more .22 than anything else. In addition to the pistols I have a dedicated 22 service rifle trainer, and a couple of 22 conversions for ARs as well as a couple of Marlin semiautos set up for Appleseed's

Aside from my experiences, Bill Rogers advocates starting new shooters on .22.

For range plinking you'll have a heck of a lot of fun with family and friends - if that is what you are aiming for.

JMO - I'd get a Ruger Mark IV and go shooting. Build a good foundation and moving on will be easy.

[Huski9201]

I like the 1911. It has a great trigger over all. Which will help learning sight picture, trigger control, follow up, etc. And, with enough practice, you get use to sweeping the safety off. Which could be useful for other types of guns . You could go 9mm, but with enough rounds through the gun, you can get use to the 45acp. Everything else after that won’t be so bad.


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[Slugger]

Another M&P 2.0 compact vote here. I've shot a lot of different pistols and this package does a lot and does it well.

[Adrenaline_6]

Away from the LE training ranges, I start new shooters on .22. It is fairly inexpensive, but most importantly reduces the likelihood on developing recoil/muzzle blast aversion.

As a newly married 19 year-old Marine, I taught my wife to shoot with a borrowed .22 pistol and a Marlin 39 lever action. When I finally got enough money to buy a 1911 (IIRC $159.00 at the PX) her remarks upon shooting it was 'it's loud' as she went about hitting the bullseye. As I had kids with my first wife, and then 20 years later with wife #2, they started with that same Marlin M39 and a Ruger Mark I. I have four kids, with a 20 year gap between sets. Plus grandkids, Those 22's have seen a lot of use. They are all shooters.

I like the Ruger Mark I to start with. I have 22 conversions for Glock and 1911, as well as a GSG 1911 .22, and an M&P 22.

When I go to the range with family, we shoot a lot more .22 than anything else. In addition to the pistols I have a dedicated 22 service rifle trainer, and a couple of 22 conversions for ARs as well as a couple of Marlin semiautos set up for Appleseed's

Aside from my experiences, Bill Rogers advocates starting new shooters on .22.

For range plinking you'll have a heck of a lot of fun with family and friends - if that is what you are aiming for.

JMO - I'd get a Ruger Mark IV and go shooting. Build a good foundation and moving on will be easy.

I agree. The Ruger SR22 is another option. Fun little pistol that eats everything.

[EzGoingKev]

Flat triggers seem address a lot of the issues with people pushing Glock triggers (instead of pulling them).

Funny, I tried a flat trigger to fix that and I shot just as bad with the flat trigger as I did with a standard trigger.

Regarding the OP's question I would say know your audience. Different tools for different people.

Ruger MK series pistols shoot pretty well. My mother just got her LTC and I had her get a Ruger SR22 to learn on. It shoots pretty good.