ALL "first handguns" should be .22lr

[sgtbill]

I decided to purchase a Ruger Mark III Hunter to start my girlfriend off shooting. Just the excuse I needed to buy another gun lol. I think the lack of recoil will allow her to hone her skills without the fear of recoil before stepping up to a bigger caliber

Good for you and your girlfriend. You and her will become shooting buddy's and she will learn to control the sighting and squeeze the trigger without recoil covering up any mistakes. You will be able to teach her correctly and transition into a larger caliber weapon without a problem.
Bill

[crowsnake]

Wow I just read the rest of this thread, You pulled your gun when a car backfired? OMG that is just scary. Perhaps if you were a cop in Chicago I could make since of that. WOW.

I was going to defend your post on .22's a little. as you can see below. you had some good points but you came off 2 aggressive. I suppose now you are getting defensive and really aggressive, but admitting to shooting a dog, and pulling your gun on a car that needs a tune up, is not going to make your point. I was raised on a farm and have put sick/old animals down, I have shot meat, beef as well as game. So I'm not squeamish, but just WOW. I hope to not draw my gun without thinking. Put my hand on it yes, draw no.

Not sure what the negative reaction to this post is? Perhaps its the fact that instead of saying its a good idea it is presented as a MUST DO. I agree that it would be best if we all could take our first handgun shot with a .22 when we were young. But that's not realistic. I also think if you want to learn to shoot getting someone to go to a range with you and renting a .22 for those first 100 rounds or so is also ideal, and cheap.

But not everyone can afford to buy a starter pistol, renting one to get the feel of shooting aiming etc, is a cheap way to go, Then renting several Carry type guns and practicing, We are get it now, no waiting type of animals, so most of us get the wrong gun for us the first time out and end up trading. or having several carry guns. I personally have several .22's but I got my first one when I was a kid. in Illinois, no carry to consider there.

Even tho I had guns all my life my first one I got to carry was so wrong, It was the first gun I ever sold. I hated it so much I sold it. The gun I carry most is my LCP, and I want an LC9 I also want to sell my Taurus PT 145 and get a 1911. I like my 145 but I have some reliability issues with the magazines.

I do agree that having a .22 for target shooting is a good thing, and is cheap to shoot. But when you go to the range you still need to shoot a box through your carry gun. You gotta practice with it. Draw and shoot. My .22 Ruger Mark III is long and draws so much different than my carry gun that drawing it & shooting is more likely to mess up your muscle memory more than teach it anything..