Jay
Gotta watch us old guys.....cause if you don't....
Thoughts about……..”What firearm should I buy for my wife/significant other… OR FOR ME??”
I regularly post to buy a firearm like you buy shoes. I use that analogy because everyone’s feet are different, re shoes…. as are their hands different, re firearms. I happen to like Merrell shoes, but I’m not about to suggest that everyone looking for shoes go buy Merrell shoes. Everyone has to decide for themselves how a particular shoe fits. I know generally what kind of shoes my wife likes, but I’d not stretch that knowledge so far as to guess at what handgun is comfortable for her hands. There are some here who say it doesn’t matter how a gun feels in your hands, that you can learn to shoot anything. Perhaps that’s true, but over the years, I’ve seen that not to be true with the majority of new shooters. A good shooter, can usually do well with an “uncomfortable” firearm, but new shooters tend to do better with one that “feels right” in their hands. Besides, if you buy a pair of shoes for someone, and they don’t like the fit, you can usually return ‘em. Firearms don’t normally work that way. If you guess wrong, you’ll usually lose money on the re-sale, or trade-in. I think we would do well not to use a physical description ( “my wife is a tiny thing and couldn’t handle a large caliber…..”) as a basis for suggesting which firearm someone else should buy for their wife/girl friend. Many folks here got irate when a gun shop owner suggested that a 1911 was too much gun for a woman…… yet those same folks here rush to suggest a “wheel gun for a lady”, or “she’ll love the light weight of this airweight.” Probably 60% of the ladies I’ve taught to shoot, and keep a firearm in their home, have chosen a 1911 variant. The key point here is, THEY CHOSE IT, after shooting it…. And they’re very happy with it. There are trade-offs to any handgun purchase….. less weight = more perceived recoil….. longer barrel = longer sight radius = potentially better accuracy….. more weight = less perceived recoil = more weight to carry….. and on, and on, and on….. Many of those trade-offs are important to some, and unimportant to others, but it’s not my place to assume who those trade-offs apply to. Touchy point…… I don’t believe that caliber is all that important to a new shooter. Too much caliber, too soon, may scare a new shooter away. I teach basics with .22 LR firearms. If a shooter’s given choice of technique allows them to place their shots on their selected target, proper technique will lend itself to effective recoil management, and allow the proficient use of virtually any caliber.
Sure, it’s nice to be able to shoot a particular firearm before you buy it, but not always possible. Many times, however, it is possible to handle many firearms and be able to get some idea whether or not one likes the way a given firearm feels in their hands, and I think that’s the best way to start. I’ve offered many times on INGO to let folks shoot what firearms I have, and have access to….in order to enable them to make a more enlightened choice when it’s time to lay down the money. Everyone who has taken me up on my offer has benefited from the outing, and has either solidified their choice, or they’ve changed their minds and chosen a different firearm. I’d like to see all of us make a similar offer to all new shooters. It would bring our shooting community closer together, and tend to retain shooters by helping them to be pleased with their first purchase.
Just my two cents, as always….. thanks to INGO for the opportunity to shoot my mouth off.
I regularly post to buy a firearm like you buy shoes. I use that analogy because everyone’s feet are different, re shoes…. as are their hands different, re firearms. I happen to like Merrell shoes, but I’m not about to suggest that everyone looking for shoes go buy Merrell shoes. Everyone has to decide for themselves how a particular shoe fits. I know generally what kind of shoes my wife likes, but I’d not stretch that knowledge so far as to guess at what handgun is comfortable for her hands. There are some here who say it doesn’t matter how a gun feels in your hands, that you can learn to shoot anything. Perhaps that’s true, but over the years, I’ve seen that not to be true with the majority of new shooters. A good shooter, can usually do well with an “uncomfortable” firearm, but new shooters tend to do better with one that “feels right” in their hands. Besides, if you buy a pair of shoes for someone, and they don’t like the fit, you can usually return ‘em. Firearms don’t normally work that way. If you guess wrong, you’ll usually lose money on the re-sale, or trade-in. I think we would do well not to use a physical description ( “my wife is a tiny thing and couldn’t handle a large caliber…..”) as a basis for suggesting which firearm someone else should buy for their wife/girl friend. Many folks here got irate when a gun shop owner suggested that a 1911 was too much gun for a woman…… yet those same folks here rush to suggest a “wheel gun for a lady”, or “she’ll love the light weight of this airweight.” Probably 60% of the ladies I’ve taught to shoot, and keep a firearm in their home, have chosen a 1911 variant. The key point here is, THEY CHOSE IT, after shooting it…. And they’re very happy with it. There are trade-offs to any handgun purchase….. less weight = more perceived recoil….. longer barrel = longer sight radius = potentially better accuracy….. more weight = less perceived recoil = more weight to carry….. and on, and on, and on….. Many of those trade-offs are important to some, and unimportant to others, but it’s not my place to assume who those trade-offs apply to. Touchy point…… I don’t believe that caliber is all that important to a new shooter. Too much caliber, too soon, may scare a new shooter away. I teach basics with .22 LR firearms. If a shooter’s given choice of technique allows them to place their shots on their selected target, proper technique will lend itself to effective recoil management, and allow the proficient use of virtually any caliber.
Sure, it’s nice to be able to shoot a particular firearm before you buy it, but not always possible. Many times, however, it is possible to handle many firearms and be able to get some idea whether or not one likes the way a given firearm feels in their hands, and I think that’s the best way to start. I’ve offered many times on INGO to let folks shoot what firearms I have, and have access to….in order to enable them to make a more enlightened choice when it’s time to lay down the money. Everyone who has taken me up on my offer has benefited from the outing, and has either solidified their choice, or they’ve changed their minds and chosen a different firearm. I’d like to see all of us make a similar offer to all new shooters. It would bring our shooting community closer together, and tend to retain shooters by helping them to be pleased with their first purchase.
Just my two cents, as always….. thanks to INGO for the opportunity to shoot my mouth off.
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