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Over the weekend my daughter had the opportunity to shoot her first pistol courtesy of her uncle, and surprise surprise, she liked it! She did say that didn't like the recoil too much, therefore I'd like to get her a .22 semi auto in hopes that she'll maybe-possibly become a little more interested in shooting with her old man.

Models I'm looking at are the Smith & Wesson M&P .22, Ruger SR22, and Ruger 22/45. I'm leaning toward the S&W just because I'm such a fan of their full size pistols, and it would give her the experience of practicing with a pistol that's a good representation of most modern striker fired pistols. I own a Ruger Mark III Hunter, but I believe the weight of that pistol would be a big turn-off for her.

Anyone want to weigh in on this or recommend any other .22 pistols I should consider? Thanks!
 
I think the MkIII is too heavy. My 9 year old can't comfortably handle one. However he wants to marry our SR22. Not the most accurate gun ever, but it is amazing to shoot. Highly recommended. I think in general I would never go outside Ruger for a .22 semi-auto for pistol or rifle.
 
Good but big for the hand. Girls with smaller hands might not love it. I have big hands and don't love them compared to the MkIII. YMMV of course. If you can get her to try everything you're best off.
when i was 14 i was perfectly content with a 22 revolver. i know guys with the sr22 or the near identical walther version... both have issues with feeding and are sensitive to lead;particularly thunderblanks(thunderbolts). not bashing them just saying. i wouldnt want one to get discouraged or lose interest. i do like the buckmarks,MKI,II,III or the 22/45 though. you have a good point though that it may be too large for small hands. A gun is meant to last a lifetime and when their hands grow it may fit perfect??
 
The M&P and Ruger are both great choices. The Walther PPQ in .22lr is also excellent in that it gives the feel of a full size gun with out any recoil. Can't go wrong with any of them.
 
I think the MkIII is too heavy. My 9 year old can't comfortably handle one. However he wants to marry our SR22. Not the most accurate gun ever, but it is amazing to shoot. Highly recommended. I think in general I would never go outside Ruger for a .22 semi-auto for pistol or rifle.
I think every teenage girl in the country has become an archer since seeing The Hunger Games. I think shooting a bow of any draw weight is more difficult than plinking with a very fine three pound .22 pistol.
 
+1 for the 22/45. But lots of valid points are being made. Let her handle a few of your favorites and choose the one she's most comfortable with. If she doesn't like it, it won't matter how good it is.
And good for you, taking her shooting.
 
when i was 14 i was perfectly content with a 22 revolver. i know guys with the sr22 or the near identical walther version... both have issues with feeding and are sensitive to lead;particularly thunderblanks(thunderbolts). not bashing them just saying. i wouldnt want one to get discouraged or lose interest. i do like the buckmarks,MKI,II,III or the 22/45 though. you have a good point though that it may be too large for small hands. A gun is meant to last a lifetime and when their hands grow it may fit perfect??

I'd vote for the mk 3 he already has, I learned on the original at age 4.

My reason for responding though is that I have put thousands of rounds thru a p22 (maybe 6-8k ish) of a variety of bullet make and models and I have found that as long as I keep it squeaky clean and barely lubed, it is reliable to the point that I have carried it as my concieled piece many many times with confidence.

I've also used it in the local .22 speed compititions multiple times and it ran like a tuned glock.

Could be I just got a really good one but the Germans rarely produce garbage.
 
Mark III is a great choice if the weight doesn't bother her (she'll love the mild recoil). My next choice would be the M&P 22, which would be nicely paired with an M&P 15-22 when the time comes ;)
 
Won't try to steer you to a particular brand or model since all the recommendations above are sound. You'll have a blast together. Since I shoot a variety of .22 pistols (semi-autos and revolvers made from 1952 to present), I see a couple other things you may want to consider:

- Some pistols have adjustable sights and some do not. Might be overly complicated/picky right now, or maybe not (she's not eight).

- Depending on where you shoot, if you think she'll see someone competing with any kind of mounted optic (maybe next year) and suddenly want one of her own, perhaps consider that eventual possibility now. Some pistols accommodate (birthday and Christmas present) add-ons, and some simply don't.

22 target.jpg

22 target.jpg
 
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