Gun choices for newbie
Whether at home alone, managing long drives alone, or shopping and returning to big parking lots alone, women are increasingly deciding to arm themselves for self-defense.
“What are you looking for in a handgun?” I ask a woman who joins us at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range on a Wednesday morning at 10. This is when Joe and I along with other long-term shooters come to practice. We also volunteer to assist others who are new to shooting.
She thinks for a moment.
“I want a gun that’s easy to shoot. One that has very little kick. One small enough to fit in my purse. One that takes no learning curve. One that will stop Mr. Bad from coming at me. One that is simple to clean. One that has a lifetime warranty. One with a grip that will fit my small hand,” she replies. “Oh, and my husband wants me to choose a .38 because he says it has great take-down power and it’s easy to use.”
“No!” I think. “Please don’t give a .38 to this delicate woman who is a complete novice to shooting! How can we help her? And, goodness! She has quite a list of wants! Is there such a thing as a one size fits all handgun?”
Out of so many available handguns, where should Newbie begin?
So, while visiting a local gun shop, I ask the owner for his suggestion.
“Have her begin with a .22 revolver,” he advises. “This gun will allow her to learn how to shoot without worrying about recoil and extremely loud noise.”
“But her husband will be annoyed that she doesn’t have much of that take-down power he wants for her,” I object.
“No, it won’t. But she has to begin somewhere. If she’s given a .38 to shoot, she’ll end up shooting once. Her hands will fly in the air as the .38 will be difficult for her to control. Then, she’ll sit down and watch others shoot. She won’t have learned anything, and she won’t be able to protect herself.
“She’ll learn a lot from shooting a .22 revolver. She will learn grip and stance. She’ll be able to load and clean it herself. Revolvers are easier to clean than semi-automatic handguns. That doesn’t mean you can avoid cleaning forever. The Gun Digest warns: ‘If you put 600 rounds through a rimfire handgun and don’t clean it, you don’t deserve to own a rimfire handgun.’
“The .22 is easy to operate. If for some reason, Newbie pulls the trigger and the gun doesn’t fire, she can just pull the trigger again, and the next round in the cylinder will fire.
“The .22 LR rounds don’t produce a lot of recoil and they don’t make a lot of noise. Once she becomes proficient and confident, she can graduate to a semi-automatic handgun.”
“But, until that time, what will she do for defense?” I wonder.
Joe grins. “If Mr. Bad pushes into her house, she’ll be gripping the .22. Do you think Mr. Bad is going to stop and wonder what kind of gun she’s pointing at him?” He continues: “Mr. Bad is only going to see there’s a gun. In most cases, this will deter him. He’ll leave and go rob someone else’s house where the owner doesn’t have any defense.”
“I bet that’s right,” I agree. “Although Newbie’s husband won’t be impressed with the firepower of the .22.”
“Certainly, the .22 LR is not usually considered a defensive round,” returns the store owner, “but Newbie can find specialized self-defense rounds, such as CCI Stingers. There are other rounds also, which, along with shot placement, can make for defensive shooting.”
I think about this for a moment. “Newbie’s husband still won’t be impressed. He’ll want her to have at very least, a .380 or a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.”
“Yes,” he returns. “And after she shoots and becomes familiar with grip, stance, recoil and noise, she’ll be able to handle a more defensive gun.”
“She’s already concerned about the cost of a gun. How will she and her husband react to learning that she really ought to purchase another gun? Even if she sells or trades her .22, she’s going to lose quite a bit of money.” (I know her husband is sort of a tightwad.)
“Yes, that’s true,” admits the store owner thoughtfully. “Perhaps she can go to a range that rents handguns. She can try several .22 revolvers. If she takes a few trips to this range, she may have learned enough to graduate to the more complicated semi-automatics.”
“OK. Now, Newbie wants to know exactly what .22s are available for sale should she decide to purchase one.”
“Well,” he begins, “I can think of three snub nose .22 revolvers that are highly rated and made by companies with good reputations. They are the: Taurus 942, Ruger LCR and the Charter Arms Pathfinder. All of these carry eight rounds in their cylinders, and all have great warranties. Perhaps at least one of these can be found where you rent handguns.”
Joe and I return home and begin looking up information on these three. The Charter Arms Pathfinder weighs 19 ounces and has a 2-inch barrel. Like the others, it holds eight rounds, but unlike the others, it is least expensive at around $415. Cheaper Than Dirt says: “…the .22 revolver is an American classic. There is little muzzle blast or recoil, and the revolver is useful for those who cannot tolerate heavier recoil.”
The Ruger LCR weighs less at 17.3 ounces. It has a shrouded hammer, and runs about $612.
According to The Gun Zone: “It’s hard to beat the Ruger LCR for daily concealed carry if one is looking for a .22LR revolver for self-defense. This is a beautiful little revolver with a trigger pull that’s smoother than an Exlax dump. This is a hammerless design as well, meaning one can draw this revolver from a pocket holster with as little fear as possible of anything getting hung up on clothing.”
The Taurus 942 comes with a lifetime warranty, which extends to even a second or third owner. It weighs more than the others at 23.6 ounces and also has a 2-inch barrel. A Gun Digest article by Michael Shea calls the 942 “An absolute Bull of a Snubbie Rimfire.”
Surprisingly, you can dryfire the 942. You should never dryfire a .22 handgun unless the manual says you can, but you can with this gun. I found a 942 in a store and found the grip to be very comfortable and the trigger to be very light. USCCA in Scott Wagner’s 2021 article priced the 942 at $369.52.
Prices of guns change by the month, day or year, so you always need to check the current price of the gun you have found you like the best.
Whether you prefer a shrouded hammer, a large grip, or are simply looking for an inexpensive price, the .22 snub nose revolver can be a great learner’s handgun.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.
