In order to prevent the obvious response, I want to start this thread by saying I did use the Search function, I went through four pages of threads last night and I didn’t find a topic relevant to what I want to ask… So I am starting a new one.
Last week I commented on a thread by a guy in the AR section who was asking about buying a .22 AR or a .556 for the purpose of learning the platform. The member had prior large caliber rifle experience so I advocated not going with a .22lr simply to “learn”. Fast forward one week and I have decided to go through the process of getting my pistol permit in NY state, and am looking to start educating myself about pistol marksmanship. In short I have about 30 rounds (durring the course of my life) through various pistols. About 5 of those rounds have hit on target. I suck with pistols because, well I just have almost no experience. The people I was shooting with were not good trainers, and I’m literally worse off then “shooting in the dark” in regards to how to proceed.
So what are everyone’s thought about how to proceed with learning how to shoot a pistol? Is it worthwhile going against my own advice to the fellow with that AR question, and buying a .22lr in order to learn the basics, or should I just start with the caliber I am interested in?
Plenty of people with zero handgun experience join the military and law enforcement where they shoot 9mm, 40, and 45 for the first time ever and can handle it just fine. I’d say unless recoil is an issue, 9mm is a perfectly fine training platform for an adult.
The first handgun my son shot in his life at around age 11 was a Glock 22 .40 caliber. He did pretty good at 7 yards. You should be perfectly fine with a good 9mm. I recommend the G19.
My experience was that my first handgun was a Colt Series 70 .45 ACP 1911, followed by a US Firearms SAA in .45 Colt and a Smith and Wesson 29-2 in .44 Magnum followed by so many more I hesitate to even remember.
I saw more improvement in my handgun shooting after I purchased a Smith and Wesson 17-3 in .22 LR. The reason being is two fold. With my large caliber handguns my tendency to anticipate was greater. This is going to vary for each person though.
Second with the price of a box of .22 LR ammo being around $12 for 550(at the time) rounds I found myself shooting ALOT more than I did with my 1911 with .45 ACP costing $20 for 100 rounds(at the time). Also fatigue was much less shooting a .22 revolver than a .45 ACP pistol. Again both these factors: economic and endurance will vary depending on the shooters physical prowess and how much money they have to blow on shooting.
One possible choice is finding a pistol in 9mm that also offers a .22 conversion kit. That way you can essentially practice with the same set up just a different caliber. I don’t know if anything like that is available for a Glock. I know that the Beretta 92FS has such a conversion as does the CZ-75B(which is not M4C approved).
In my mind there is absolutely no doubt that you should start with a .22.
The basics of sight alignment and trigger control are vitally important in handgun shooting. It is easier to shoot a rifle accurately as it is a much more stable platform. In my opinion the only way one can learn the skills necessary to shoot a handgun accurately is to practice, practice, and practice. The lower cost of the .22 rimfire ammunition is a major factor here.
I suggest a self loader vs a revolver, as you will probably graduate to a center fire autoloader rather than a revolver. The trigger pull is likely to be more similar, as revolver triggers are often significantly lighter than autos. Also a quality .22 auto is usually less expensive than a quality revolver.
I recently picked up a Walther P22 for the range I could not be happier. It’s great to be able to go to the range once or twice a week and shoot 200 rounds for only $15. It works out to be about a quarter of the price, if not less, than any other larger caliber. This is great because it allows me to spend a lot of time working on my grip, trigger technique, target acquisition, reflex shooting, holster draws, etc. on a regular basis without having to blow a ton of money every week. For $300 the P22 was a great deal. I’d highly recommend it if you are looking to get some real range-time under your belt and don’t want to spend too much.
As far as what caliber to “begin” with, I don’t think there is really a right answer. Each caliber will be different to shoot and in the end, you’d be best served by getting experience with all of them at some point. I started out on a Colt 1911 .45 ACP when I was about 14 or 15 and it was a great learning experience. Starting off with a larger caliber got me instantly accustomed to a more dramatic recoil right from the beginning. This alleviated any apprehension from that point forward, since I already knew what to expect.
My only recommendation might be to stay away from .40 until you have a little bit of experience. In my opinion, .40 is a very “snappy” round, and requires a much better grip and trigger technique in order to shoot it accurately and with consistent follow-through. I wouldn’t recommend buying one as your first pistol, but I would highly recommend renting one at your local range just so that you can see what kind of differences there are.
In general, it would be a good idea to stop by your local range (if they have rentals) for a day and shoot a box through each type of pistol. It might cost you a little bit more, but that way you will be able to see what you’re most comfortable with and then go from there.
Great advice here. I’d pick up a G19 buy lots of ammo and take some shooting instruction. You can also buy a .22 conversion for your G19 and shoot .22 as well to mitigate some of the cost of shooting 9mm.
Thanks for the thoughts guys. I tend to lean more towards the side of just buying the caliber I am interested in, and learning the gun I am interested in, but since it is such a new skill I also see the argument of having the ability to just shoot hundreds of rounds without hurting the back pocket.
Are there any trainers out there with thoughts on the matter?
This. getting a .22 conversion kit for your carry gun provides a lot of bang for your training dollar, not to mention how much easier it is to ingrain good shooting habits with a lower recoil platform.
I don’t really think 22 offers much in pistols that dryfire doesn’t teach. ie-sight alignment and trigger control. The hardest thing to learn with pistols is recoil control and followup shots, and the only way i’ve found to learn it is with lots of shooting.
get a 9mm and shoot the crap out of it.
not to say you shouldn’t buy a 22 pistol (or conversion) as well, as they’re lots of fun to shoot. just that it’s possible to become to become proficient shooting only centerfire, in fact it’s probably the fastest and cheapest way.
Thank you for asking. I have shot multiple large caliber pistols (only a few shots with each, as I said I only have about 30 rounds through pistols). I am leaning towards 9mm because I am a true believer that shot placement trumps caliber size. I really don’t want this to become a caliber debate, but this is the caliber I am interested in.
That was me in Air Force JROTC. We got a chance to qualify with M9 pistols when all I had ever shot was rifles and BB guns. Managed to get expert anyway. Just listen to what your mentors and trainers have to say, and try not to psych yourself out.
That said, 22LR is still WAY cheaper than 9mm to shoot.
9mm is very popular, and the choices in guns and ammo in 9mm can be overwhelming. Since you have a lot of centerfire rifle experience, and have shot different calibers in handguns, you know what recoil is like. 9mm is probably the cheapest centerfire handgun cartridge out there, and the variety of different manufactures and loads is plentiful.
If you are in a place where you can rent the guns you are interested in, that is always a good idea. I did that recently with a Glock and a Sig. I thought I would get the Glock, but enjoyed shooting the Sig more, so that’s what I went with. Since it sounds like you are going for your CCW, you will need to take some basic training first. I wouldn’t hesitate to get some training. Trigger control is very important with handguns, not that it isn’t with rifles, but it’s a little more important with handguns. At least it’s true for this old fart.
This is some very sound advice. I have personally taught basic handgun instruction to quite a few new shooters and I always started them out with a .22 LR pistol or revolver.
There was a thread a while back where someone spoke of Travis Haley practicing extensively with a .22 pistol. I also remember the late Colonel Jeff Cooper writing that he also spent a lot of time shooting a rimfire pistol.
It has been a personal observation of mine that many of the best pistol shooters I have known shot .22 pistols very frequently.
SkiDevil
P.S. I like the older Smith and Wesson .22 revolvers (K22, 617), the Browning Buckmark, and the Ruger Mark II. Listed in order of preference.
Starting with a .22 gets you practice in the fundamentals without having to worry about the cost of ammunition (even 9mm – unless someone’s providing it to you free).
As you nail the fundamentals find a range where you can rent and try different guns without having to buy them first. A well-stocked range will usually have the universal Glock, and perhaps a Smith, FN, Beretta and SIG. A better range might even have a Browning or CZ. Try out each to see which fits best and which trigger you might prefer.
Much cheaper than buying one, trading it out for another, etc., until you find one you either settle for or are happy with.
This is something I am really worried about. I live in a far from free state, and there is no range anywhere near me that would even consider renting out guns. I noticed someone that replied to this forum gave the same advice as you, and is in the Philly area. I may look into traveling down there to get some trigger time in, and try out a few different guns.
Let me know if you’re interested in coming down to Philly. I’d be happy to meet up with you at my local range and let you work with my P22 to see how you like it. The range has a nice selection of rentals available in all calibers as well, including Rugers, Springfields, Berettas, Glocks, etc.
Shoot me a PM if you’re interested in setting something up.
I thought I posted a reply to this thread yesterday but I don’t see it. Maybe I dreamed it or something…
Anyhoo, the gist of it was that, as Sinister alluded to, I think there is real merit for developing sight management and trigger control with a .22 LR handgun that can translate to increased skill in running a centerfire. The extent to which you can do this is determined by how closely you can get your sight picture and trigger characteristics on the .22LR to match up with the centerfire handgun you’re using.
In that regard, I don’t think you can beat the Glock 9mm pistol with an Advantage Arms .22LR conversion kit. If you get the LE model you can mount the same sights to the kit as you have on your Glock’s slide…and you’re left with a package that feels and handles just like your carry/HD gun, only it shoots .22.
So I am starting a new one.