How do I choose the best handgun for my teen daughter to learn and practice with?

[WhyElKay]

She was showing interest in guns, so I sent her out with her dad. I thought he had more experience, and she came back a little less excited, he had her fire a shot gun without teaching her how to properly hold it, she ended up with a nice bruise on her shoulder and it scared her a bit. I have a friend in law enforcemnent that has offered to teach her about gun safety. I have a Glock 42 .380. should I start her with that, or should I consider a different caliber? Any recommendations on a particular pistol?

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[Diamondback]

First: ANY time somebody goes straight to the heavies for a beginner they should be slapped silly.

For basics start with a .22, say a Ruger 10/22 rifle or Mk. II/III/IV pistol to learn the basics. It takes a lot of rounds fired to build muscle memory and good habits, and 1000rds of .22LR is a helluva lot easier to pay for and schlep than the same of .223 Rem or .45 Auto. OTOH, young ladies at my college got a kick out of having their first times on my 5" Government Model putting almost-half-inch holes in the paper... so it really depends on what she feels ready for.

 

[gryghin]

Bi-mart has the Heritage Rough Rider for $129.99, it's a 22LR Revolver modelled after the Single Action Army.

I'm planning on teaching my 18 year old daughter how to shoot using that.

Basically, it forces the student to only have to worry about trigger control and muzzle discipline.

Starting off with a semi-automatic would also require learning to rack the slide, deal with a magazine, any firing issues.

Keep it simple.

 

[Flopsweat]

First: ANY time somebody goes straight to the heavies for a beginner they should be slapped silly.

For basics start with a .22, say a Ruger 10/22 rifle or Mk. II/III/IV pistol to learn the basics. It takes a lot of rounds fired to build muscle memory and good habits, and 1000rds of .22LR is a helluva lot easier to pay for and schlep than the same of .223 Rem or .45 Auto. OTOH, young ladies at my college got a kick out of having their first times on my 5" Government Model putting almost-half-inch holes in the paper... so it really depends on what she feels ready for.

This is great advice. When I do informal training with friends or relatives I start them with a .22 rifle on a bench. It's all but impossible to point it in an unsafe direction because I don't let them pick it up. Once they've got that down and want to move on (I ask them), we shoot the .22 standing, then maybe go to a .223, but I double up their ear protection (plugs and muffs) and I shoot the rifle first so they can get used to the noise. Then they shoot it if they want to. No 308 and no 12 gauge unless they specifically ask for it. Next I go to pistols, starting with a big, heavy .22 LR. No pocket guns as they are harder to control and easier to point in an unsafe direction. Next a medium or large frame .380, then a big 9mm. That's usually enough for one day for a beginner (not always though) and they are usually pretty happy by then.

This is just generally what I do because everyone is different and will want to try different things. We shoot whatever they want to shoot.

OP, what about asking your LEO friend to take both of you shooting? Ask him to bring something with low recoil in addition to his regular gun.

 

[Diamondback]

For starting with .45, I also had another trick I used...

First set was just me holding and shooting, two handed, while they watched.
Second (I'm left handed) would be me still holding the weapon in my strong hand and firing, their hand supporting.
Third, they held and fired, me supporting.
Fourth was all them.

To do this it needs to be something that you're comfortable shooting one-handed though, because in those second and third strings you're still doing a huge portion of the work.

 

[User 1234]

Are we talking 13, or 18? Has she been taught to fire a 22 rifle and demonstrated basic safety skills? Some minors can safely shoot handguns, but many are not sufficiently mature. Once you decide she can safely operate a handgun, I recommend a target pistol rather than a smaller, more difficult to control, CCW piece. Even in 380 a small pistol is more difficult to control and handle.

 

[Flymph]

For a kid? A .22 pistol... revolver, pistol...
My dad taught me on a High Standard Model B and a Webley MKIV in .22lr
They're still some of the most fun, and if you don't have one yet, you need one anyway.
Ruger and Browning make the best/most popular .22 pistols in current production.

Otherwise I like 9mm and .45acp for plinking and practicality.

After reading your post, .380 would be fine too.

 

[WoodsPlinker]

+1 on a 22lr pistol, Ruger mark IV comes to mind

But, having had a severe case of black rifle envy, offer the poor kid something bigger afterwards.

Otherwise she might end up a troubled adult constantly searching for something with more blowback but worried about recoil.

The struggle is real

 

[SnapShot]

+1 on a 22 ... cheapest bang, and lots of learning. if rifle 10/22 hard to beat. For pistols...(id still stick with 22) but. why don't you ask her... take her to a shop.. .have her hold a few... decide which fits her hands the best, and talk about what she wants?

you can take her to a range... that rents them too... try out. a few. (i think Threat dynamics has rentals)

.. cant you teach her a bit about gun safety?

 

[titsonritz]

She was showing interest in guns, so I sent her out with her dad. I thought he had more experience, and she came back a little less excited, he had her fire a shot gun without teaching her how to properly hold it, she ended up with a nice bruise on her shoulder and it scared her a bit.

He should be slapped.

How old is your daughter?

 

[titsonritz]

I have a Glock 42 .380. should I start her with that, or should I consider a different caliber?

Sub Compact pistols are not good beginner guns.

 

[JadeFox]

Am currently working with 8 yo grandson. He has to recite the first 3 rules of gun safety before he can pick up his BB gun. When he is a bit older (9 or 10) we will move on to a .22 rifle benched and prone. When he has trigger and sight management under visible and repeatable control, we will work on the .22 pistols. Semi and revolver. This how we started all 6 of our own. Our Marine shot "Expert" at his first qualification at Pendleton. The girls liked the .380's and 9mm's. The boys wanted to shoot anything they could get their hands on. None moved to higher caliber until we were real comfortable with safety skills. Your hubby used poor judgement. Why not learn with your daughter? There are some great women trainers around.

 

[dcfranzen]

I believe what you are doing is great!

Your Glock 42 may be a good choice after she gains some positive experience with handguns. The .22 is the best pistol choice for beginners for many reasons. Some .22s are meant for the competition shooters while others, less costly, are a good choice for the beginner.

Thinking ahead, you might opt for a pistol that makes a good transition from a starter pistol to her favorite practice or eventual carry piece. For example, I bought a tungsten gray Walther PPQ that I knew my adult daughter would love. I was right. After the first magazine was emptied into an impressive target, she gushed, "Oh daddy, this would make a perfect early birthday present." Four months early!

I then bought a Walther P22 Target for her 3 sons (ages 12-4), so my grandkids would have the best choice for a starter pistol if they were to eventually move up to the 9mm PPQ or her small Walther PPS m2 in 9mm. The function and grip are the same which makes moving up easier.

Another big consideration is disassembly and reassembly of the pistol, which takes away much of the mystique about the handgun and it becomes less intimidating. Furthermore, it helps the beginner to become better acquainted with the handgun and learn how to properly clean their firearm.

Lastly, get her some professional instruction - not mom or dad - so she can gain the confidence and competence needed to move forward. There are plenty of YT videos to help her get a good head start. Kathy Jackson at Cornered Cat is another source of wisdom for both the beginner and experienced shooter.

 

[turq]

New shooters with a semi auto anything need to learn the dangers of dropping the mag and clearing the gun. Accidents have happened when after the mag drop the new shooter thought the gun was empty, points and shoots friend with the remaining round in the chamber.
10/22 is hard to visually check for a chambered round turn rifle over pull back bolt and lock it, then check while maintaining muzzle control. Lots to learn.
Teach them well.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I don't mean to pile-on, but the shotgun thing is a d*ck move we've all seen... probably way too many times. Chalk it up to maturity and experience.

'Nuff said about that.

A .22 rifle or pistol is no doubt the best starter gun. You're probably not looking to start a collection, and .22s aren't free, but they're a great investment. Why? Nobody ever outgrows a .22... they're fun and practical for all ages. If you get a good one (Ruger, Browning, etc) it stands a good chance of becoming an heirloom piece. A cheaper one (Heritage) will give you your money's worth at about half (or less) the cost.

That said, the first guns I ever fired (11 or 12 years old) were my Dad's duty guns... a S&W .38, a .38 Chief's Special, and later a 4" 686. None left me traumatized or turned-off on the sport. I was in my 20s before I bought my first .22. Ya shoot what you got or can get ahold of. If your LEO friend has a full sized 9 or two, they'd be perfectly suitable for a teenager to start with, IMO. Same goes for the .380.

When teaching, I like to start w safety (I also end with safety, and preach it all the way through) and get right into some live-fire. Once the fire and fury (and initial adrenaline shot) are out of the way we can settle down and learn the fundamentals of sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, etc etc.

As for recommendations? My all-time favorite "beginner" gun is a 5" 1911 9mm. Mines from Para Ordinance, but they're pretty popular now so lots of manufacturers are putting them out in all price ranges. A softer shooting "real" gun in a "real" caliber cannot be had, IMO. A 5" PPQ 9mm and a 5" Canik TP9SFX round out the top 3... see a pattern? A "vintage" S&W Model 10 .38 also gets most of its exercise during these "teaching" moments.... "Hey, neat. An old fashioned wheelgun".

Best of luck. Have some fun and bring her back into the fold. Guns do NOT equal violence, they don't need to be scary or intimidating. Just respected, understood, and enjoyed.

 

[Baseacegoku]

Serious D!ck move to give a newbie a shotgat straight outta the gate. Now there is gonna be some extra work to train out the flinching that I am sure she has thanks to the pain from the shotgun.

But seriously. Get something like a Ruger Mark 3 or Mark 4 and learn with those. They are great shooters, good for training, ammo is cheap, and there is pretty much no recoil. Best thing to start with IMO and they are fun to shoot.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

As stated above a .22 of some sort is a good choice.

Regarding shotguns and beginning shooters...
I have a friend that is just now getting into guns...one of the first guns she shot was one of my 12 gauge 870 Wingmasters.

I did have her shoulder it and made sure it was in place , before she shot it....also we were shooting some 7 1/2 lite field loads...
Not starting out with a hard kicking loading and going with a gun that fits is key here....

She enjoyed that so much , that she is looking to buy her own shotgun.
Andy

 

[The Heretic]

Like others - I recommend .22 rimfire.

Almost everyone likes shooting 22s no matter how experienced they are. My daughter, an adult, likes to shoot 22s because she gets good results without the noise or recoil. I use them to warm up and for practice.

Eventually, if somebody wants to have a handgun for self defense, there are .22 RF versions of defensive handguns, and conversions. I have a .22 conversion for my SIG 226s and 229s, and although at first I thought they weren't needed, I found them useful for technique practice.

 

[44s rock]

With today's pistol clones you could start out with a realistic BB pistol in your back yard then move to a 22.

Amazon.com : bbgun pistol

 

[Member 34319]

Ruger brand 22lr pistol is never a bad thing.

Ruger 10-22 is the go to in my eyes. I started on one.

I'd say a good sit down with unloaded guns and a basic safety coarse should always be the very first thing a new shooter should do. Teach them how the gun works and how to 100% ensure it is unloaded. Muzzle discipline is always good learning as is finger discipline.