What the new shooter wants
By MARJ LAW
“What do you think the mature new shooter expects of their first handgun?” I ask Joe. We help a lot of those who are middle-age and older at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range, so this is the age group I’m targeting when asking him this question.
“Well, what did you expect to find with your first gun?” he counters.
I have to think for a while. It has been a while. Okay. Quite a while.
“I wanted a gun to learn on. One to keep at my bedside, because I was alone at the time and was mostly afraid at night. And I wanted one small enough to keep in my purse. One to carry that would neutralize the threat of someone intending to harm me.”
“Is that all you wanted?” he asks. There might be a tiny bit of amusement in his voice.
“At the time, I wanted a gun with almost no recoil. I’ve always been small-boned and not particularly strong. I wanted one that was easy to use. One with a light trigger. One with a slide that was easy to rack. One that isn’t very loud when fired. One with big white dot sights so they would be easy to see. A lightweight gun.”
“What do you think of those wishes now?” he asks, smiling. “Sounds like a one-size-fits-all gun to me! Now that you’ve been shooting for years, what do you think of your original criteria?”
“Okay. You’re right. There’s probably not one gun made that does all that,” I agree, and continue.
“You do have to start somewhere. A .22 is a fine learner’s gun. With a .22, there’s very little recoil, especially if you shoot a full-size gun with some weight to it. Three that come to mind are the Smith & Wesson Victory, the Browning Buckmark, and the Ruger Mark IV. The mass of these guns absorbs recoil, so the mass and the low caliber keep the recoil low.”
“And,” I resume, “when there’s low recoil, there’s less likelihood that you’ll flinch when the gun fires. Otherwise, with a larger caliber, the recoil and the shooting noise may cause you to flinch, causing the muzzle to jerk off-target. Flinching is a bad habit which is hard to break.”
“True,” he says. “So, what’s the problem with buying a .22?”
“Well, it probably won’t be long before you’ll want another handgun. The .22 is super for target practice and learning, but then you’ll probably want a gun with more power to protect yourself from Mr. Bad. This is unfortunate, because even .22s are expensive. You don’t want to purchase a gun only to find out that you want another one fairly soon.”
“I’m a believer in taking a handgun class first,” he explains. “If you take a class, and then visit a range where you have rented a .22, then you’re well on your way to being able to handle a larger-caliber gun. If you don’t take a class, you might find that an experienced shooter friend has a .22 you could borrow. Even better, this experienced person could take you to the range and remind you of safety rules.”
“True,” I reply. “And I did take a class way back when. After that, you met me, and ended up buying me a Ruger Mark III .22. Soon though, it wasn’t long before I knew I could handle a larger-caliber gun. But if I’d have bought the .22 myself, and then wanted to buy a .380 or a 9mm handgun, I wouldn’t have been thrilled at the expense. Remember, the new shooter wants a one-size-fits-all gun.”
Joe knows that won’t work and starts humming: “You can’t always get what you want…”
“Now, Joe, be nice. First time shooters don’t realize that.”
“And,” I continue, “Way back when, the .380s and 9mm guns of today weren’t available. Take the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield .380 EZ, for example. That’s a very easy gun to handle. Now, like this S&W, some of the other .380s are almost as easy to shoot as the .22, but they are more powerful. You can buy target ammunition, and if you want defensive ammo, you can often find that, too. Of course, you have to make sure your particular gun can handle the heavier ammunition.
Also, many mature people might find the 9mm EZ to be something they can handle. Several of the newer 9mm guns are fairly soft shooting. The options of today are much more new-shooter-oriented than they were a couple decades ago. Once you’ve practiced with a .22, all the criteria you originally wished for might be found in the higher-caliber gun you purchase. It’s even possible you could find a gun to carry in a purse, on your body or to keep in the home.”
“Okay,” Joe agrees. “What else does newbie want in a gun?”
“Well, a woman wants to know what to wear. In the past, shooting at the range was a male-dominated field.”
“What to wear? Isn’t that superficial?” Joe scoffs. “She’ll have to have ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ because that’s required at the range. And a woman knows, for instance, not to wear high heels. Right? So, what’s the prob?”
“She needs to be comfortable. Most of the year, in Florida, that means shorts. You’ve got gun shooting residue and sand all around, so you should be able to toss your clothes in the washer. And wear something like a T-shirt.”
“Yes,” he agrees, “But not one with a scoopy low neckline. Hot brass casings could fly your way and get caught down your shirt.”
“True. And a woman might want to leave earrings and rings at home.”
“Why? She wants to appear guy-ish?” he grins.
“No, silly. Wearing rings, especially on both hands, is painful when you’re squeezing your hands together trying to get a firm hold on the grip. And, when you’re wearing the earmuff style of hearing protection, the muffs can press against your earrings, and these press into your head. Believe me, that’s not comfortable.”
“Shoes,” Joe suggests. “Closed-toe shoes will keep the brass off your feet.”
“I wear sandals all the time. Shoes are too hot for me. If brass hits my foot, it just bounces off. It never stays long enough to burn.”
“What about hair? You gals are always fiddling with your hair,” he grins.
“Hair is pretty much a lost cause, unless your hair is long enough to pull back into a ponytail. It’s so hot down here, you’re going to sweat. Those heavy earmuffs don’t help, either. Your hair will probably be mashed to your head and dripping with sweat. Your clothes will be damp, too. So, I’d suggest wearing comfortable, washable clothing, and don’t bother to pay much attention to how you look.
I wish someone had told me all this when I was new to shooting,” I added.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.