Newest of newbies
By MARJ LAW
Recently I asked Maggie, who is a new person to the range, what she thinks new shooters might like to know.
Her response is: “What about suggesting which guns to try first, and later work upwards in difficulty?”
My first thought is: “Everybody knows a .22 is the easiest learner handgun.”
Well, no, that’s not necessarily true. “Everybody” isn’t really everybody. For those who do not know, the .22 is indeed a fine gun for a novice shooter. Is it a defensive weapon?
If the only gun you’ll ever have is a .22, then it is a defensive gun. However, as you become used to shooting, you may well move up to a higher caliber handgun. A higher caliber handgun will be more likely to stop the threat of someone who has broken into your house and/or is an immediate danger to your life. Once you have mastered a .22, you may well want to move towards a gun more useful to you as a defensive gun than the .22.
So, we’ll talk about the .22 first, and then a more defensive handgun: the .380 next.
The first question might be: “Well, which .22 should we talk about?”
Naturally, not all .22s are alike. However, three .22s stand out in my mind as excellent handguns for the novice shooter. They are the Ruger Mark III or IV, the Smith & Wesson Victory and the Browning Buckmark.
These three are not purse-size guns, or even guns you might carry when you become more proficient. They are too large and heavy. However, these qualities make them suitable for Newbie. The long length of the barrel and the mass of these guns help to keep recoil very low so that Newbie can hold the gun steady as she/he aims at the target.
Can you find a compact .22?
Yes, of course you can. Most beginners, though, are very concerned about the amount of recoil or kick. Lighter and shorter .22s don’t have the mass to absorb recoil, making it more difficult to hit the target. So, if you’re looking to learn or to just plain make holes at targets for sport, I’d go with a gun such as the ones mentioned above. They’re all excellent guns made by reputable companies.
You will need ammunition for your .22. Remember to look for the box labeled .22LR. That stands for long rifle. There is also a .22 short. Do not purchase the .22 short as it will not work in these 3 handguns.
Keep in mind that ammunition for .22s is dirty. Most .22 ammunition has cheap gun powder (keeping the price low) and leaves residue in the gun. This builds up and can foul the gun. It’s important to avoid using cheap ammunition which can dirty the gun more readily and lower performance. I prefer using CCI ammunition. Some other fairly clean rounds are Aguila, Remington, and Winchester. Don’t purchase big unnamed economy boxes.
Once you’ve mastered your .22, the .380 is the most common higher caliber handgun. Now that you’re confident in handling the .22, you can try out a gun that has a shorter barrel, less mass, and can be readily carried in a pocket or purse without imprinting. Imprinting means that the gun on your person does not show through your clothing.
Like the .22, you can find many fine .380s made by reputable well-known manufacturers. If your goal is to have a defensive handgun that you can hide on your person, the compact .380 may well be useful to you.
Three of these .380s are: the Smith & Wesson .380 Shield EZ, the Sig Sauer 365 .380 and the Ruger Security .380.
You’ll want your defensive gun to shoot well at about 20 feet. Few of us have a home with rooms or halls longer than 20 feet, so we want to be accurate at this distance should someone break into our house.
A rather big difference in these handguns is that this Sig 365 .380 has a much shorter grip and is smaller than the others. This makes it most concealable, but if your hand doesn’t get a nice firm hold because the grip is so short, you may not shoot as well as you’d like. The difference may be rectified with the longer 12-round magazine (my gun came with 2 10-round magazines), which does not come with the gun. You have to order the longer magazine separately.
This .380 is light in trigger, kick, and ease of racking the slide.
The Smith & Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ is very easy to use. From easy loading to easy trigger and light recoil to easy racking the slide, yes, this is an EZ handgun. Great for those with arthritis or other hand limitations.
The Ruger has the longest grip with its 15-round magazine. A person with big hands can usually get all four fingers in a secure grasp. (It also comes with a 10-round magazine.) I have small hands, and am able to have a secure hold as well. The slide racks easily, and recoil is light.
In summation, the Sig is a micro-compact very concealable handgun, while the Ruger is compact but has a larger grip and holds more rounds. The Smith & Wesson may be the most user friendly.
If you’re new to shooting, it’s always best to find a range that rents guns and try out the gun you think you’d like. Or, if you have a friend proficient in shooting who owns one, you might both visit the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range to see if the gun works for you.
Trying before buying will help you to be most satisfied with your gun. Working from the low recoil .22 to the concealable .380 is a good progression for a new shooter. In the next article, we’ll discuss the 9mm handgun: a logical step up from the .380.
Which 9mm do we think Maggie will choose?
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.
