Need Opinions Please

[Mike1959]

Hello All,

Took my wife to range for a beginners handgun class and she really enjoyed it which surprised us both as she had never shot a gun before. however in talking afterwards she did make mention of the fact that the gun was uncomforable in her hands, she does have smallish hands and short fingers. the gun provided for the class was a S&W M & P 22.

can anyone offer suggestions for a quality 22 pistol which would be a more comfortable fit for her. She has expressed a desire to shoot more and practice.

Thanks for any feedback

[jack404]

the ladies here who have small hands we normally recommend they try a walther P-22 and the ruger Mk1's and mk II's

some of the earlier S&W targets are great for ladies too sorry for not knowing the model numbers

i'm not a wheelgun fan especially for beginners so cant help you their

[carver]

Take her down to the gun store, and let her handle all the guns they have. Try several stores to get her hands on as many guns as possible. Don't be in a hurry, and buy the first one you find. Shop around.

[jack404]

better idea from carver

[Mike1959]

Thanks guys,

I will certainly take her to several gun stores prior to purchase, thanks carver. Her biggest problem was reaching the slide release and mag release with her right thumb as she is right handed. weight wasnt really an issue.

thanks for the input.

[tom357]

[QUOTE=jack404;936622]the ladies here who have small hands we normally recommend they try a walther P-22 and the ruger Mk1's and mk II's


Amen on the Walther P-22. Not my first choice for a carry gun, but a great gun for small hands.

[ozo]

Welcome mike1959 and wife......
I AM a wheelgun [revolver] fan[atic].
While you are out and about, have her hold a
Smith & Wesson Model 317 kit gun [.22lr] which
should be readily available,
and a S&W model 63 [.22lr] IF they have one.
Same gun, different weight/materials.
M63 is stainless steel, M317 is aircraft aluminum.
Many places will most likely have a Taurus model 94
9-shot .22lr revolver.....but they put such a stout hammer spring
in them making them uncomfortable for many people [to cock/de-cock].
If it's a semi-auto you/she wants, your best/most reliable
is a Ruger Mark III or Ruger 22/45 and has several configurations
to fit almost any taste.
In any event, have her hold beaucoup[many] guns before deciding.

[JLA]

Originally Posted by carver

Take her down to the gun store, and let her handle all the guns they have. Try several stores to get her hands on as many guns as possible. Don't be in a hurry, and buy the first one you find. Shop around.

solid gold advice myles.

[ozo]

Welcome tom357 to TFF

[ozo]

Hey Jack......long time no.......
can you still have .22 handguns down there???

[ozo]

Oh mike1959 and wife.......
duh, skipped my mind...........
a super reliable .22lr semi-auto, fits small/large hands,
not very $$$$$ is a Bersa Thunder, and excellent to start
with....then progress to a larger caliber [.380] and even a 9mm
and keep the same familiarity.

[Mike1959]

Well, went to the gun store and wife tried many different pistols. All of the ruger marks we tried were still uncomfortable to her. The one she liked and that fit best was the Walther P22. Did not see a Bersa.

Any thoughts or opinions on the P22?

[mr.t7024]

When I worked at Bass Pro in MA, too many guys would come in and buy a gun for their wives,next day they would come in with their wives Return the pistol and then have them pick one that fits. LISTEN TO Carver,he is right! Cliff

[carver]

Originally Posted by Mike1959

Well, went to the gun store and wife tried many different pistols. All of the ruger marks we tried were still uncomfortable to her. The one she liked and that fit best was the Walther P22. Did not see a Bersa.

Any thoughts or opinions on the P22?

Nothing wrong with the Walther, they are a quality Co. Ask youself what the gun is intended for? Is it just to have something to shoot, or will it serve another purpose? The .22 round is deadly, there is no doubt about that! But it is not a good choice for self defence! The small bullet is not a fight stopper, and the rim fire cartridges are not as dependable as center fire cartridges.

[Mike1959]

Thanks Carver,

This pistol is intended for training purposes only. My wife is new to shooting sports having fired a total of 20 rounds in her life. I wanted a good reliable 22 to start her off with then we can graduate to a .380 or 9mm as she gains confidence. When this happens I would then have a fun little plinker.

Thanks for all replies, keep em coming.

[Curlyjoe_99]

Mike... if you have the time, look for a gun show in your area. that way you are almost assured to ge able tolet her handle the majority of what is available.

Also, since you mentioned possibly moving her up to a 380 or 9mm later on, have you considered (should you find 9mm that she likes) getting a pistol that has a big brother?

for example there are 1911's in 22lr that are almost idenitcal in size & weight as the .45
or maybe a glock? like the 26 or something.

Anyway if this even remotely interests the two of you, lookup 22 conversions, see what models that are offered and then have her test out the full size model that the conversion fits on. I did this with a GF that had a mental block on shooting a full size glock. She liked the size weight and feel but was deathly afraid of shooting it. i purchased a 22lr conversion for one of mine and let her shoot it at the range for about a year worth of trips. then i asked her to try it with the 9mm slide. she bought one the next payday and we shot the 9mm's together until the time she moved because of her work.

It may be worth a try.

[carver]

That's a good idea, Curlyjoe.

[TheGunClinger]

My wife hated her Walther P-22 as it would stovepipe and fail to eject every other shot or so. When I fired it it always worked great. I found that she wasnt holding it tight,(limp wristing). Now she holds it tight and no problems, works perfectly. There isnt enough oomph in a .22 round to cycle when you hold it loose.

[BlackEagle]

Tom357 welcome to the forum. You've found a great place to be. Glad to have you on board.

[BETH]

i would also go to gun store i like Walther p22 and the Mark 111

[vaskeet]

check out the ruger single six. It has small grips.

[Hammerslagger]

I have very limited experience with Walther's recent design .22 LR pistols. I cannot and do not recommend them; especially the P22 family.

The Bersa .22 LR close copy of a Walther PP is a good pistol for cheap practical pistol (aka self-defense) practice. I have not evaluated the new Ruger pistol designed for this market.

The Ruger 22/45 remains likely the most gun for the least money in a target/utility pistol catergory.

[tbspeed1]

You should have her try the sig Mosquito or the walther p22. I wanted either one of them but they were way too small for my hands.

[Mike1959]

Thanks to all who have replied. I think we have narrowed our search down to the P22 and the bersa. Just doing some research now on function and reliability. Gunclinger a loose grip with my wife is definately not going to be an issue, its more a case of getting her to ease up a bit lol.

[HammondShooter]

When she wants to move up to a 9mm get her to try a Ruger SR9. I have short, stubby hands for a guy and it fits me well. You can flip the curved back of the grip insert for even more room. It is a double-stack (16+1, I think), yet it fits smaller hands well due to its design.

Shane