First handgun a Ruger SR 22 ???

[1894]

For a totally new beginner to handguns .
She has no interest in a revolver at all.
Thinks a Glock 19 would be great , but price as well as ammo cost would be a limiting factor .
She seems to have realized that a .22 would give her a lot more trigger time to learn and practice with.
I've looked and looked for beginner Ladies classes where she could try a variety of handguns but they are like finding hens teeth.
So , her choice of getting some good beginner instruction seems to be a small class that requires the students to bring their own handgun.
Weight is a factor as she is pretty small , she already enjoys plinking with a .22 rifle , has no current desire for trying to get a CCW .
I want to see her get off on the right foot from the get-go , that is why the class (es ) . She's got that right handed / left eye dominance thing going , so I'd like her to have a good instructor work with her to find out what works best for her .
So , the sr22 a poor choice , or not ?

[1894]

Almost forgot to mention her ... " But, it's on sale Saturday at gander mtn . 329 $ vs 369 $ "

[pwl44m]

I'm not familiar with the Ruger but I would think any quality Pistol would fill the bill, stay away from low cost-low quality.
Perry

[AJMD429]

Seen 'em and shot 'em, and they are NICE. Can't think of a semiauto 22 LR I like better, other than my Mk-3/45, since it's threaded for a suppressor (I think you can get aftermarket barrels for the SR-22 that are threaded though - other than the 'minor detail' that it adds $500 to the cost of the gun, and entails NFA paperwork and waiting, they DO make for much more fun/quiet range sessions).

The SR-22 will likely fit petite hands very well. My first handgun was a Ruger Mk-I semiauto and I did well with it, but have fairly large hands, and my second a Super Blackhawk. Third was a 1911.

If she's never shot a gun at all, she should get some time off a bench with a 22 rifle and some subsonic ammo, just to get confident that she WILL hit what she aims at. She should follow that with rested use of a 22 pistol, if possible.

Otherwise the newness and noise and recoil (even a 22 LR, in a pistol) can make her first session pretty miserable.

[TheWoodCrafter]

I bought my daughter a Walther P22 for her first gun.
I think it was $399. MSRP

She shoots well with it, small hands.
It has been very reliable.

[AJMD429]

Just thinkin' another really good one is the Beretta 21 and/or Taurus 22 'tip-up' semiauto, if she would like something small (and I don't mean just 'cuz she's a girl - I have big hands and think 44 Magnums are fun to shoot, but really like my Beretta 'pocket-gun'). The tip-up feature is something some folks like vs. racking the slide, even with a 22 LR.

Like the Ruger SR-22, the Beretta 21 and Taurus 22 have exposed hammers, which I really prefer.

The Taurus and Beretta can accept seven round magazines (maybe eight for the Taurus, according to their website) in the magazine vs. the Ruger's ten, but weigh 12.3 or 11.5 vs. 17.5 ounces, respectively.

[Chuck 100 yd]

The earlier SR22`s had some issues. Like the screw that holds the barrel coming loose and some premature wear to the slide (aluminum). I imagine they have corrected those problems by now though.
That said, I would buy the Ruger 22/45 mark III. I have three of them,two with red dot sights mounted. They are a great and time tested platform that is used by many competition shooters and can be had for a little under $300 if you shop around. I got mine here.
http://www.kygunco.com/ruger-mark-iii-2 ... blue-23857
This particular one don`t have the replaceable grip panels and that makes it a little thinner and should be a great fit for a woman's hands. They are just super accurate.

[FatJackDurham]

Ruger Mk IIIs are actually pretting big, I think. Why not one of those nice trim .22s from Sig or Walther?

[1894]

Thanks for all the comments !
Yep , the Mark 3 is too big and heavy .
I wish she felt comfortable with a longer barrel , but if it feels too heavy / awkward / etc. .... kinda takes the fun out of it .
The lighter and smaller choices mentioned , may be too snappy and the shorter barrels / sight radius I feel may lead to accuracy frustration. Not that a 3.5 " barrel is a target shooter by any means , just a little more accurate as well as a little more length to help develop safe handling skills.
I think I'll try and encourage her to find a store with both the Walther P 22 and the Ruger SR 22 and see what feels best in her hands.
Both seem to be very straight forward for field stripping to clean . Weight seems to be very close as well.
Adjustable sights on each and the exposed hammer is a big plus

Any other insight / advice / suggestions are more than welcome !

[3leggedturtle]

Have heard a lot of good about the SR22 such as it will feed any ammo SV or HV. GF bought a Browning Buckmark with the Rose grips. She likes it alot and fits her smaller hands comfortably.

[Ji in Hawaii]

Here's a great review by Jeff Quinn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsDwOAeQqGw
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SR22P.htm

[FatJackDurham]

How about a PPK S22, she can be Jane Bond...

[wolfdog]

I have started out dozens of new shooters, about 1/2 women, on a MarkII 4 inch.

[MrMurphy]

SR22 or S&W M&P-22 would work fine.

Sig .22s have issues. Taurus as a brand, period, has issues. I would avoid them.

The tip up guns are fine if it's the only thing she'll ever shoot, the SR22 and M&P22 work like regular full size autos with all the same controls, if she plans to get a 9mm, this is a good thing.

[tom deinek]

How about a PPK S22, she can be Jane Bond...

My daughter is petite, 25, dresses her age and carries a PPKs in the small of her back at work (she's a financial broker).

Seems like it'd be heavy to me buy you can't beat a Walther for reliability.

[piller]

Ruger makes a bunch of good firearms, and the SR22 seems fine to me. I grew up with guns and the first gun I got to shoot was an old Ruger Mark I with a red eagle. I shot it first at age 5. There are a bunch of good .22lr semi autos on the market. I would just be careful and not get a cheap junk one.

[RSY]

The SR22, the M&P22, and the Walther are all good ideas because there is a 9mm just like them in their respective lines that she could move up to seamlessly when the time comes.