Recommendations you would make to first time shooters on a firearm

[spdfrk70]

I know what my recommendations have been and my reasoning for it to people unfamiliar with firearms first time shooters etc 

I'm wondering what everyone else thinks on this subject

I've got to talk to a lot of people lately first time shooters people with just a little experience looking for something to conceal carry

Me personally I tell just about every one of them a 38 revolver is a really good place to start

[Garufa]

Big difference between first time shooters and first time gun owners.

If I introduce someone to shooting then they are going to have a sit down to go over the basic safety rules and basic operation of the firearm(s) involved including some dry-firing.  Then I will still be standing right behind them when they start popping off shots.

For new gun owners I don’t get asked too much, but if I did it would probably be a single shot .22 considering how people are these days.  

[Alleycat72]

I have someone that 100% will not carry a 38 revolver because that's what women carry. I explained all the pitfalls and she practiced. She's cleared 100s of stovepipes and dead rounds to the point she expects evary round to fail. It was a PITA. Be careful how you word things. I'm 100% at fault for that one. She however is an absolute beast with a firearm now. I would not want to be someone she feels is a threat. 

[monkeylizard]

After the safety stuff is covered -

For someone looking to carry:

1. Understand the legal burden they're taking on by carrying a firearm. They need to understand the laws, where they can and can't carry, when they can and can't use their weapon, and what they're likely going to face if they ever do need to. Be honest with themselves. Are they willing to take the life of another human being? Are they a hothead who's likely to escalate situations? If they can't come to terms with reality, do not proceed down this path.
2. Try several. Go to the range with a friend who has a variety, or rent them if they must.
   • Single stacks
   • Double stacks
   • Strikers
   • Hammers
   • Revolvers
3. Choose something they'll actually carry. A steel frame full size with cushy Hogue grips is more comfortable to shoot, but that doesn't make it a great carry gun for most people.
4. Invest in a quality holster. Borrow some to try different brands and configurations if possible. Depending on the weight of the gun, probably a quality belt too.
5. Practice. A lot.

For someone who just wants to shoot at a range or plink on a farm:

1. .22LR pistol like a Sig Mosquito, Walther P-22, etc. Great beginner gun.
   • Lower cost than comparable guns
   • Similar operation as larger caliber pistols.
   • Cheaper to feed
   • Easy to shoot and learn the proper way to shoot without developing bad habits like anticipating recoil and flinching.

Edited March 15 by monkeylizard

[spdfrk70]

The range that I shoot at also sells firearms I understand they can't follow people down to the range with each sale but I sure wish they could provide 30 minutes to an hour of instruction complimentary with every fire arm purchase

There are an awful lot of people buying firearms that don't know how to operate them let alone the ramifications with concealed carry

A Ruger LCP is a great extra or concealed carry for someone familiar with firearms but I don't think it's a good recommendation for someone that's never owned a pistol

 Yet there was  a woman at the range with one and unfortunately no training whatsoever

 They are snappy and can be hard to hold but it was their recommendation to her 

 I'm not trying to knock the place I know they're just trying to sell firearms and well not the worst thing they could have sold her definitely not the best in my opinion

 

[Garufa]

29 minutes ago, spdfrk70 said:

The range that I shoot at also sells firearms I understand they can't follow people down to the range with each sale but I sure wish they could provide 30 minutes to an hour of instruction complimentary with every fire arm purchase

There are an awful lot of people buying firearms that don't know how to operate them let alone the ramifications with concealed carry

A Ruger LCP is a great extra or concealed carry for someone familiar with firearms but I don't think it's a good recommendation for someone that's never owned a pistol

 Yet there was  a woman at the range with one and unfortunately no training whatsoever

 They are snappy and can be hard to hold but it was their recommendation to her 

 I'm not trying to knock the place I know they're just trying to sell firearms and well not the worst thing they could have sold her definitely not the best in my opinion

 

I wish people that sold cars would teach people how to drive but there is no requirement to do so.

In an ideal world gun stores would recommend or offer training.

[Jpoc700]

It depends on the person trying as many as you can is a good thing, and how they plan on carrying makes a difference too.  I tell everyone I will teach you the basics but you have to take a class with another instructor.  Learning from more then one person is a great thing.  If new I don't recommend a subcompact, just need sometime to get used to handling the that type of firearm. Still a ton of good instructors around Tennessee. I try to take a class once a year with a new instructor, or someone that has something to teach me.  

[Scotty]

When new or newish shooters come over I break out the single action Ruger wrangler. Obviously go over safety and all that jazz, I feel that having them pull the hammer and then have no recoil even though they anticipate it is a good start to get them comfortable behind a firearm. 
 

From there, bolt action single shot older Winchester .22. 
 

After that it’s usually a Ruger mark iv with a dot to build there confidence. Then a 10/22 a little farther back. If they seem like they’re enjoying it and competent I’ll load a tx-22, and work up to putting one round in a 9mm striker. I feel like loading the single shot and talking to them while loading mags kind of builds their confidence a bit. Only reason I haven’t gifted my wrangler is that I use it as a confidence builder for novice shooters. 
 

Carrying I don’t have much advice. I think far more people carry and keep guns in their vehicles than should. I guess I’d say get a proper belt and walk around the house for a week. Eventually the thought that everyone knows you have a gun on you subsides. 

[eRay]

I think it depends on the shooter.

Someone who is really interested in guns might do well with a .380 or 9MM semi auto. On the other hand, someone like my wife who is not big on shooting and only fires a gun about twice a year is better off with a small frame 3 inch .38 revolver. She has no desire to learn about how a pistol functions and does not like having to chamber a round. She loves the simplicity of just opening the cylinder loading the rounds closing it and pulling the trigger.

[Darrell]

When I took my granddaughter out to shoot for the first time we took a single-action .22 revolver. One must be deliberate with the actions needed to fire it, and it's unintimidating. Naturally we did a safety brief first, and discussed sight-picture, and I stood behind her and talked her through each step. 

My father taught me with a single shot, break-action .22 rifle.

Edited January 14 by Darrell

[Grayfox54]

Start with all the items mentioned above. Safety, law and mind set.

Gun shops are bad about selling first timers, especially women, the wrong gun. They sell what needs to be sold instead of what the shooter actually needs. They're especially bad about selling women a small frame .38 revolver which is fine until they fire the first shot. 

But you never know about people. I had one lady who fired two shots out of a J-frame S&W .38 and declared "Hell NO! " Then another took to the 1911 .45 like a duck to water. Everybody is different. Remember that. 

I always start new folks with a .22. Revolver first and then move on to semi-autos. Then let them try as many types and sizes of guns as possible. They need to find what fits and works for them. Often that ain't what you or anybody else thinks they need. Remember that too. 

The general recommendation of starting newbies out with a .38 revolver is usually a good one. Simple is always better.  

Edited January 14 by Grayfox54

[spdfrk70]

The reasons I steer people to a small revolver are 

It's easy to operate

Unless it's a rimfire they are usually easy to empty the spent casings from

It's generally point and pull the trigger in the event of an ammunition malfunction instead of a rack to clear you pull the trigger again and move on to the next round

 

I seem to run into most of these people when I am at the range and it's usually too late they have already made a purchase

Thankfully none of the inexperienced have shown up with a 500 Smith & Wesson yet

 

Most of these people are looking to carry what they have so when I see them show up with an LCP which is really snappy and tiny or a Glock 19 another one without a safety and they have no training I wonder if they're going to shoot themselves before they get to use it for defense

 

I'm not a fan of Glock in their safe action trigger for first-timers 

You never hear of anybody getting Smith & Wesson revolver leg or double single action Beretta leg but Glock leg is a big thing

Edited January 14 by spdfrk70

[Darrell]

6 minutes ago, spdfrk70 said:

Thankfully none of the inexperienced have shown up with a 500 Smith & Wesson yet

I have a friend who was in the Air Force and who owns a pistol, but who really isn't a "gun guy". He does understand gun safety, etc. The last time he came to visit I broke out my Marlin 45-70 and let him put a couple rounds down range. He was smart enough to watch me shoot it first, but the recoil was still a surprise to him. 

Mind, I would never think of giving a new shooter something with so much recoil, but I was happy to give Briant the experience.

[spdfrk70]

I took my 10-year-old with me to the range the other day let him shoot my Smith model 28 I had to explain to him that I had 38 special in it not 357 Magnum but I would not try to scare or harm him

Seems like once someone gets that flinch that takes forever to get over it if they ever do

Edited January 14 by spdfrk70

[Jeb48]

I have only been in the position a few of times and it was someone that was completely new to shooting or only long guns and wanted to get a hand gun.  After basic safety and handling I have them to my house range or a public range with an assortment of .22 hand guns from revolvers to semis and let them shoot for awhile giving pointers as needed. If I take anything bigger I only let them shoot above .22 after they have shown some competence. If they can afford it I recommend buying a .22, either revolver or semi depending on what they like after a range day or so and shoot that for awhile before getting a larger caliber. If they can't afford an extra gun I let them shoot with me as often as they want using my .22s.  Either way only after they are comfortable and show an interest in moving to something larger that I get an assortment of larger caliber for them to try and after they have shown a general interest try to recommend what they buy. 3 people I used this approach on stoped at a Ruger SR-22, one went on to a 9mm Ruger after shooting his SR-22 most of a Summer.  I was able to borrow the Ruger 9mm from a friend for him and his wife to compare to my Glock and they preferred the Ruger, the extra weight made it a little less snappy for the wife.  She ended up being slower but a better shot than her husband with the 9mm and he was better with the .22.

I forgot I did help one fellow going from airguns to long guns and I used a similar method.

I guess I use this approach because when I was ready to move up form .22 handguns, that is what was done for me to see what I might like best.  I didn't need the basics since I had been shooting since I was a kid and learned all that before, plus a couple of NRA handgun courses.

 

[Wheelgunner]

For someone who has learned the basics of firearm safety, I think a .22 or .38 revolver with a 3-4" barrel is a great first handgun to buy.  They're simple to operate, can be inexpensive to buy, and don't require complex maintenance.

The harder question is which gun is the last one to buy.  I still haven't figured that one out.

[monkeylizard]

17 minutes ago, Wheelgunner said:

The harder question is which gun is the last one to buy.  I still haven't figured that one out.

That's easy. It's "the next one".

[Thearmededucator]

On 1/13/2024 at 6:44 PM, spdfrk70 said:

I know what my recommendations have been and my reasoning for it to people unfamiliar with firearms first time shooters etc 

I'm wondering what everyone else thinks on this subject

I've got to talk to a lot of people lately first time shooters people with just a little experience looking for something to conceal carry

Me personally I tell just about every one of them a 38 revolver is a really good place to start

My Initial reaction to this as an instructor is: 

This is a personal pet peeve of mine. If you just want them to experience a Bang, this is fine; but this advice can just as often wind up instilling bad habits, particularly a flinch reaction, that have to be retrained out of them. Not always, but there are better paths. 
 

The combination of a heavy trigger pull and heavy recoil impulse, especially with J frames often mitigates the advantage of simplicity. This is especially true if the person has reduced hand strength or likely to have a high sensitivity to recoil. If you do want to use a revolver, a .22 like the LCR is generally a better option. 
 

Likewise, a .22 semi auto is a great first choice as well for learning the mechanics, but the majority of people can advance to 9mm quite quickly. 

[Darrell]

On 1/13/2024 at 8:20 PM, spdfrk70 said:

The range that I shoot at also sells firearms I understand they can't follow people down to the range with each sale but I sure wish they could provide 30 minutes to an hour of instruction complimentary with every fire arm purchase

Off-topic, but I've made the same comment about motorcycle dealerships. I worked for the Navy, and young sailors would come off a deployment with a sack full of money, go to the MC shop, and ride off on a bike that they had no business on.

[chances R]

Very few of us started shooting large caliber handguns initially.  Most started with .410s or .22 rifles.  We became accustomed to light recoil, the bang, and gained confidence and mover on to other calibers.  That is the same situation with today's new shooters.  A lifelong avoidance of firearms, tales of a gun knocking you on your butt.  Videos of people being pranked by shooting larger guns, etc.  IMO it is a must to start out with .22, either rifle or handguns.  Become accustomed to things going bang and no discomfort.  The .22 is an acceptable SD gun, especially for new shooters and even more so in experienced hands.  Once the new shooter has decent skills and comfort they can move to different calibers if they so choose, not because some 'experienced' old hand said this is what you need and in doing so causes more fear and hampers the progress of a new shooter.  All this said as the .38 revolver is a poor starter gun.

[pop pop]

A 22LR revolver to start, for sure if it is a lady or young child.  It simple and will introduce them to the noise and very slight recoil. Then head up the caliber range.  Usually stay with the revolver platform in 38 Spl then go to Pistols starting with 9MM. Thats the way I fly. 

Have a young family I intend to teach to shoot, for the first time, with 3 young kids, 14, 12, and 8. Wife may take part also. 

Edited to add; if the want to go to rifle, then I go with an AR 15. 

Edited March 16 by pop pop

[ArmyBrat61]

"Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until its GO time."  Best advice ever pounded into my brain. 

[Thearmededucator]

6 hours ago, pop pop said:

A 22LR revolver to start, for sure if it is a lady or young child.  It simple and will introduce them to the noise and very slight recoil. Then head up the caliber range.  Usually stay with the revolver platform in 38 Spl then go to Pistols starting with 9MM. Thats the way I fly. 

Have a young family I intend to teach to shoot, for the first time, with 3 young kids, 14, 12, and 8. Wife may take part also. 

Edited to add; if the want to go to rifle, then I go with an AR 15. 

I would suggest going to 9mm prior to the .38. 

[Jeb48]

I went back to see what I said in January and decided to add one more thing.  If they are shooting one of my revolvers, I carefully explain not to keep their fingers where the blow out from the side of the cylinder will not catch them.  To reenforce hand placement with a paper towel over the revolver and shoot a round or two to show them the stuff that blows out and point out what it would do to their fingers.  It is especially impressive with my Governor with 45 Long Colt.

[Tom B]

On 1/13/2024 at 9:53 PM, Garufa said:

I wish people that sold cars would teach people how to drive but there is no requirement to do so.

In an ideal world gun stores would recommend or offer training.

Thats some funny **** right there-lol