Wife wants to learn to shoot.

[TBH]

I would stick with revolvers. There is a lot to learn on autos. Not just the controls, but clearing a jam, ect. How about a SP101 in 22lr? Once she gets good with that, the next one would be in 38/357 mag. 22lr for most of the practice and when she is ready, 38 wad cutters. Sounds so good, I might do just that!

 

[iwilc2]

Thanks for the suggestions, there is a gun show coming up at the end of the month that will be a good excuse to take her out so she can try out a lot of different types to see what feels comfortable to her. Len

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

LCR in .22lr, .22 Mag, or .38 Special would be good for a new shooter.

 

[Teachu2]

After being together for 40 yrs she finally wants to learn to shoot. While watching the news and hearing about all these home invasions, she said she wants to learn to protect herself. She is a small woman with very little hand strength (she has MS), she can pull the trigger double action on my Ruger Security Six but she can't rack the slide on any of my semi-auto's. I am sure she will be very recoil sensitive to start so I will start out with a .22, I was thinking maybe a Ruger SR.22, she will also be using it for home protection while I am at work (we also have a very big dog) until she graduates to something a little larger. I was wondering what any of you forum members (especially you ladies) would recommend to start her out with. Len

I'm going to part from the conventional wisdom here and suggest that you focus on her goal - she wants to be able to protect herself with a gun. To that goal, I would get her some basic instruction on the 4 rules of gun safety, and get her to the range to fire every gun you already own. "She can't rack the slide" doesn't mean she can't SHOOT a semi. Maybe you'll have to help her - bet you have to open the pickles, too, but she can still eat 'em!

Let her handle and shoot everything she wants to try. She'll find what works for her. Then you see what proceedures will work for her. If she likes a semi, get her one. Keep it loaded and she can shoot it.

We tend to lock ourselves into thinking that everybody has to be able to do everything with a gun to be able to shoot it. To defend herself, she only has to be able to hold it, point it, and make it go bang. Given her condition, that's the goal. If she can handle a 9mm compact work, she'll have 7 to 11 rounds available before she even needs to change mags - and she'll probably be out of time long before she's out of ammo.

IF she wants to shoot a lot - which isn't likely, after 40 years - then you may want to get a .22 for her to practice with and help her prep it. Heck, you may find that a .22 is all she can handle. Ten rounds of MiniMags can persuade a BG to go away.

She doesn't have to load mags, or cylinders, or strip and clean the gun, or rack slides. She has to be able to pick up the gun, hold it steady on target, and fire it - and the more she can do that, the better. If that turns out to be two rounds from a SxS 20ga coach gun, it's better than nothing.

 

[captmoto]

I missed the MS part. Like has been suggested, a trip to your LGS too see what type of weapon she can physically manipulate. Good luck.

 

[HexHead]

Why do so many people insist on starting a woman out on a revolver? That's about the quickest way to turn someone off to the idea of shooting. My wife despises revolvers and would never go shooting if that's all she could shoot.

That depends on the revolver. I completely agree that starting any shooter, much less a woman, off with an Airweight J-frame snubby is a fools errand. It's not a beginner's gun. Start them off with one that has a steel frame and a little weight to it, and the outcome can be very different.
Start with something like a Model 10, .38s are a pleasure to shoot in one. My wife hated the 442 I had, but doesn't mind the Model 36 I got her.

She also likes shooting my Python with .38s in it.

 

[skoro]

Wish I could get mine interested.

She's gone shooting with me a couple of times and handles a 38 revolver pretty darn well.

But it's been 5 years since the last time and she just flat refuses to go again. I know better than to push it.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I hear this quite often, and for an individual with less than average hand strength it is likely true. However, when the individual in question also has arthritis, calcinosis, or some form of scleroderma in her fingers or joints (OP specifically mentioned 'she has MS') saying "it's all a matter of technique" is a hollow statement.

It's usually true, but since she has MS, that's why I made the second recommendation, which would be even easier than the DA revolver. Multiple high-capacity semiautos that are already loaded, since she seems to be concerned solely with home defense. Recoil will be equally mild, but triple the ammo capacity and a trigger half as heavy.

 

[No4Mk1*]

Rifles are much easier to chamber rounds with in my opinion. From .22LR from a 10/22 to an M1 carbine. Both simple to operate with minimal strength.

 

[Hawaiian]

My friend said that the best thing he ever did when his wife wanted to learn to shoot was to enroll her in some classes and let the instructors teach her. He said she listened to the instructors, which is a good thing as she never listens to him. He saved himself a lot of :banghead: