New Friend into Shooting

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94045

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A friend went to the range with me a few times (on my Guest Passes) and has now taken our range's 2.0 hour First Steps and Bishop 30 Solutions 4.5 hour Hangun 101 and Selection.

He decided it's time for his own handgun.
He had a $500 Budget. He is most comfortable with a DA Semi-Auto Pistol. He feels more comfortable being able to thumb the hammer during re-holstering and having the long relatively heavy pull as an extra layer against negligent discharge.
He really likes the Sig P229 he has tried during Handgun 101 as he shot it really well (Some time on my Dan Wesson M15 learning the smooth steady roll technique likely helped with that initial pull) but knew it was likely out of his range
He ended up picking out a Sig SP2022 9mm that a local LGS has on sale for $349. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the double and single action trigger pulls. As good out of the box as any P229 I've ever tried.

Would it have been my first choice? Likely not. But for him it's the right choice at this time.

We all need to remember that the guns that are perfect for us may not be right for someone else.
 
Glad your friend found a model they liked. And it's a reminder why I don't presume to know what someone might choose. When I take a newby to the range I try to have a variety of styles and calibers for them to try. I've been surprised when introducing young women to handguns. They were quite petit, barely a hundred pounds, but wanted to learn and asked my wife and I to help. I figured they might go for a Ruger Mk II (fairly light weight, easy to work the slide, no real recoil) or a SA revolver in 38 special. So much for predicting. One fell in love with a 3 inch barrel Taurus DA revolver in 44 special. The other ended up buying a 4 inch GP100 in 357. :what:
Jeff
 
Sounds like your friend found a gun he likes and that works for him. No critique on his choice from me. I am glad he has found a good deal on a nice gun. :cool:
Glad we have a new shooter in the world. :thumbup:
 
He should check the used market. The P series Rugers were very underrated but great pistols. Usually selling cheap when you find one. Easily in his budget.
 
That is actually a really good choice given his budget and DA requirement. My brother in law has one in .40SW and it's a great gun.
 
Glad your friend found a model they liked. And it's a reminder why I don't presume to know what someone might choose. When I take a newby to the range I try to have a variety of styles and calibers for them to try. I've been surprised when introducing young women to handguns. They were quite petit, barely a hundred pounds, but wanted to learn and asked my wife and I to help. I figured they might go for a Ruger Mk II (fairly light weight, easy to work the slide, no real recoil) or a SA revolver in 38 special. So much for predicting. One fell in love with a 3 inch barrel Taurus DA revolver in 44 special. The other ended up buying a 4 inch GP100 in 357. :what:
Jeff

Well.under mine and a couple of friends supervision he did get to try:

Ruger Single-Six
Ruger Mark III
Ruger SP101 3" w/.38 Special WC
Dan Wesson M15 6" w/ .38 Special WC & Midrange.357 Mag.
Beretta 92
Glock 17
Kimber 1911.45 ACP

Then he went to the two Instruction classes that included a lot more handguns to try.

On the other hand I've got a little sister that is a stereotype - After trying a bunch of guns she ended up with a Shield .380 EZ. It might not be what I would choose but she scored a perfect score on her states CCW and won her Ranges Shoot and Scoot for Amateur Class with very little training. If that is what she shoots well at this time that's what she needs to carry.
 
I'm glad the friend tried a lot and made their own choice.

One of my friends did things similarly. After trying a lot of handguns he chose a Ruger SP101 in 357 magnum.

I'm always happy to hear about someone checking out a lot of options and making their own well-informed choice.
 
Your friend made am excellent choice. For folks on a budget but still wanting a quality pistol, it is very hard to go wrong with the SIG SP2022...it is basically a polymer framed SIG 229

1. Out of the box, the 2022 has the best DA/SA trigger of any of the SIG Classic P-series. When they laid out the geometry of the trigger, they just got it right.
2. The 2022 is an excellent value as all development cost were covered when they won the French Police contract (hence the name change). The lack of later "updates and modifications" has allowed SIG to keep the cost very reasonable
 
A friend went to the range with me a few times (on my Guest Passes) and has now taken our range's 2.0 hour First Steps and Bishop 30 Solutions 4.5 hour Hangun 101 and Selection.....
Good for you for taking him to the range!
He decided it's time for his own handgun. He had a $500 Budget. . . . . . He ended up picking out a Sig SP2022 9mm that a local LGS has on sale for $349. . . . . . Would it have been my first choice? Likely not. But for him it's the right choice at this time. . . .
It probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but it probably wouldn't have been my last choice, either. To my mind, the important part of this story is that he enjoyed shooting enough that he's willing to spend his own money on it. Now he's got skin in the game. Whenever I've taken a new shooter to the range and they've enjoyed it, I've always felt a bit like a crack dealer. "Psst. C'mon. The first taste is free."

We live in an age of riches when it comes to guns. While I don't know a great deal about the SP2022, it's a Sig. Sig is a reputable company. 9mm is a serviceable caliber. The price was right and he came in under budget. (How often does that happen?!?) Nothing really to argue with there. If he likes it, it's a perfectly fine choice. And if you're lucky, maybe he'll let you put a mag or two through it.
 
94045

Your friend made a great choice with P2022! If I were on a tight budget that would be my choice in a DA/SA pistol.
 
I tried a 2022 in a gun store recently. It has as good a double action trigger as any I've ever tried and the reset was quick as well. Another plus is that it's hammer fired. If I didn't already have two 9mms the 2022 would be my next purchase, it may be anyway now that I'm thinking about it.
 
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