First Handgun Experience!

[rdtompki]

My wife and I have owned HD shotguns for a few years and decided to complement our range time with "a" handgun. We tool our S&W M&P22 to an NRA Basic Pistol class last weekend. Wife shot the 22 and I used the instructor's 9mm Glock. Since the class was very small we benefited from a good bit of range time, approximately 100 rounds each. It was a very positive first experience even including the mandatory class time. My wife had a bit of difficulty with the Glock slide due to an old wrist injury, but the Glock's seem to be known for a stiff recoil spring.

We pick up wife's M&P 9mm on April 8 and my M&P 40 on the 12th and the following Monday will hit the range. My wife had never even touched a firearm and I hadn't done so since doing indoor 22lr target shooting in my teens (50 years ago). So, other than the cost of ammo this is going to be both a great retirement activity and an excellent addition to our HD capability.

It's going to take instruction and practice to get even decent, but I'm looking forward to getting into some sort of competitive aspect of shooting. Meanwhile, we'll get some additional instruction; you can only get so much out of youtube.

[Pistolgrip Pump]

Great to start off with some instructions. I should have done that and still should! That's good that you and your wife can share that hobby. Im working on that with mine lol.

[leok20]

Excellent enjoy keep us up on your, progress sounds like fun with your wife in retirement


"I said good day!"

[hks95134]

My wife and I have owned HD shotguns for a few years and decided to complement our range time with "a" handgun. We tool our S&W M&P22 to an NRA Basic Pistol class last weekend. Wife shot the 22 and I used the instructor's 9mm Glock. Since the class was very small we benefited from a good bit of range time, approximately 100 rounds each. It was a very positive first experience even including the mandatory class time. My wife had a bit of difficulty with the Glock slide due to an old wrist injury, but the Glock's seem to be known for a stiff recoil spring.

We pick up wife's M&P 9mm on April 8 and my M&P 40 on the 12th and the following Monday will hit the range. My wife had never even touched a firearm and I hadn't done so since doing indoor 22lr target shooting in my teens (50 years ago). So, other than the cost of ammo this is going to be both a great retirement activity and an excellent addition to our HD capability.

It's going to take instruction and practice to get even decent, but I'm looking forward to getting into some sort of competitive aspect of shooting. Meanwhile, we'll get some additional instruction; you can only get so much out of youtube.

Great to hear whenever folks take instruction from professionals.

That's really the only way to learn to do anything right the first time.

Trying to learn on your own just develops bad habits that later need to be broken first.

For women or anyone who cannot handle a slide on a pistol, a medium revolver is a good bet -- the 38 special comes to mind.

You could also defend yourself with a 22LR, but you would need to practice emptying the magazine into someone's face. And the face is a relatively small target and harder to hit compared with the chest.

All around, the 9mm pistol with JHP's is probably the best self defense choice.

So you are probably going to be looking at a 9mm as well as a 38 very soon.

And the 22 will always be fun gun at the range.

[JDay]

If ammo costs are too much you should get into reloading. Much cheaper to make your own ammo once you have a supply of brass.

[Pistolgrip Pump]

Great to start off with some instructions. I should have done that and still should! That's good that you and your wife can share that hobby. Im working on that with mine lol.

[Virus55]

Cant go wrong with the m&p line.

[rdtompki]

If ammo costs are too much you should get into reloading. Much cheaper to make your own ammo once you have a supply of brass.

Once I figure out how much centerfire shooting we're doing I'm definitely going to consider reloading. The M&P 22's do provide us a less expensive means of getting some of the basics down, but there is essentially no recoil.

And my appreciation to all who responded to my thread

[Riffplayer88]

Enjoy it. Keep training. Remember, range shooting is just a small part of training for real-world scenarios.

[tacticalcity]

Once you and the wife feel up to it take one of the Defensive or Tactical Pistol courses advertised in the training section here on Calguns. The NRA courses teach you how to be safe on a shooting range. The Defensive courses help to prepare you for situations off the range that we all hope never to experience.

And welcome to the handgun owners club!

[trigger945]

Well, welcome!

Great job on getting instructions!

Enjoy and stay safe.

[BigPimping]

That is a good story. I wish my wife would shoot with me. All she wants to do is standard wife stuff. Malls, dining, movies etc. I think she would like it if she went to the range.

[Che762x39]

Once I figure out how much centerfire shooting we're doing I'm definitely going to consider reloading. The M&P 22's do provide us a less expensive means of getting some of the basics down, but there is essentially no recoil.

And my appreciation to all who responded to my thread

Since I get to order on the senior menu at most restaurants, my opinion is have fun with the 22 and once or twice a year take out the heavy artillery, i.e. the 9mm, 40 and the shotgun. My wife really dislikes my 12 ga shotgun but she really likes the AK-47.

Have fun !!

[bsg]

the journey is the worthier part, and a new chapter has begun.