Best Gun for Non-Dedicated Shooters.

[Olim9]

I think the P250 could be a good candidate for a "casual gun owner" gun.

[blues]

Given the untrained folks shoot themselves way more often than a bad guy, the DA revolver. Easier admin handling, easier to not shoot, more tolerant of lack of maintenance in granny's sock drawer.

For a 'sock drawer' gun? K framed S&W .38. Easy to use, easier to unload totally, and if one decides to actually get serious about shooting, you have a good platform to do it with.

Along these lines and for the same reasoning I assigned my 686+, (L Frame, .38/.357), as my wife's go-to firearm in our emergency plan.
I have given her basic instruction with it and leave it in the assigned space she is to head for in case of a break-in in our home. She also has access to phone, (cellular and landline), flashlight and powered ear pro.

I didn't want to chance her "limping" one of my Glocks and the simpler, more instinctive employment of the revolver makes much better sense for her usage in a high stress situation.

[JCS]

Good timing on this thread because my sister just asked my advice on what gun she should get. She's about to graduate from school and be out on her own and wants to get a cc license and a gun for protection. I will certainly encourage her to practice and train but I don't think that's happening right away.

Would talks recommendation change for a female or male?

[ranger]

Over the last two years, multiple family friends have asked me to give them basic gun safety training as they wanted to buy guns. In all cases, mix of father - mother - teenage son - teenage daughter combinations. In my very limited experience, I am not a professional instructor, and so on - all struggled with a revolver - especially the snubnose revolver that most had bought based on gunstore recommendations. Best results by far in teaching was the Glock 42 in 380 - ergonomic, low recoil, minimal controls. Based on my experience, one could start G42 and quickly move up to G43. Tam had a previous thread mentioning the SIG250 too.

[RJ]

Good timing on this thread because my sister just asked my advice on what gun she should get. She's about to graduate from school and be out on her own and wants to get a cc license and a gun for protection. I will certainly encourage her to practice and train but I don't think that's happening right away.

Would talks recommendation change for a female or male?

Related question for y'all also:

Reference this image:



I'll look this up further, but does someone know which J frame (I assume?) this is?

Asking for a friend.

[APS-PF]

It's an older 38 spec model 60. Pre shrouded barrel and 38/357 chambering.

[Stephanie B]

Related question for y'all also:

Reference this image:



I'll look this up further, but does someone know which J frame (I assume?) this is?

Asking for a friend.

60 or 637, I'd guess. AFAIK, those are the stainless ones with an exposed hammer.

[Cory]

I think semi auto. They need to learn basic handling regardless of platform. Clearing, loading, safeties, shooting, basic malfunction, unloading. That goes for revolver or auto in my opinion. Assuming that they will learn how to run it before they set it asside... A 12 gauge shotgun. Possibly an 870, 500, or maybe a 1301?

For hand guns i think a Browning hi power. Decent size, safety, consistent trigger, decent capacity, fairly cheap used. A DA pull takes time to learn. It is no good if they cant hit a target with it. Otherwise a Beretta 92 is a good place to start.

-Cory

[jetfire]

I've come full circle on the whole "wheelgun for people who won't practice topic."

When I first started doing this gun thing, I was like "yeah, j-frames and k-frames are great because they're tolerant of minimal maintenance and simple!" Then I shot 30,000 rounds through revolvers and learned that they're really hard to shoot well, reload quickly, and if something does go wrong you need tools to fix it. So I stopped recommending revolvers because I got it in my head that people wanted to get good at shooting.

People don't want to get good at shooting. People want to have something in a drawer that will go bang when scary stuff happens, and if we're lucky they'll go to the range once a year and shoot through a box of 158 grain LRN.

So yeah, a k-frame or an old security six.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JohnO]

We enthusiasts here all realize the path the better performance begins with effective practice.

The catch is one must first practice to do that, and for many folks that might not even be practical financially or logistically. Yet these folks still face the same population of jagoffs we do.

What's the best equipment to start with for the "once a year" shooter? DA revolver? Sig DAK? HK LEM? Striker fired ?

Tough to give a one size fits all recommendation to the circumstances described. There are numerous factors to be considered such as hand size, mechanical aptitude, level of dedication, intended use (home defense only or will it be carried) and is there a dedicated mentor available.

Financial practicality was mentioned yet Sig and HK were questioned. There are plenty of reliable lower cost options available.

If the owner is thought to be competent and understanding with the manual of arms for a DA/SA semi auto pistol a CZ (something like a P07) would be an outstanding starting point. There is an argument for a DA revolver but I'm not a revolver guy and I tend not to go there since I have never owned one.

I believe the real key is to get the individual started out correctly. If an experienced shooter can spend time with them initially the benefits would be great. There is plenty that can be taught without firing a shot.