Pistol for practice

[hb2u]

Hi everybody. I am a newbie when it come to handguns. My wife and I just completed the NRA pistol safety class (good class!) and now we're getting started with gun shopping.

We both think that revolvers are the way to go for the sake of simplicity. I am leaning towArd the ruger sp 101 chambered in .357 with a 3 " barrel.

She is thinking a .22 is more her speed. I tried to get her to consider a larger caliber but she's not ready for that, having never handled a gun prior to our class.

Here's the question - Ruger makes an sp 101 chambered with a .22 - the only difference between that gun and the .357 I want is that the .22 has a 4" barrel.

Would practice with the .22 translate to any kind of proficiency with the .357? I like the cost effectiveness of practicing with the .22 ammo,but I really like the idea of her developing the skills necessary to work with the .357 if necessary.

Am I right with this line of thought?

What does everyone else think ?

Thanks for your input.

[Hawk]

You're right on the money. The only differences between a .22 and a .357, when it comes to practice, is the cost of ammo and the recoil. It's not uncommon for people to save money by practicing with a .22 in the same platform. The skill set is pretty much the same and what you learn on the .22 will translate to the .357 (except for recoil management ).

[wakefield724]

Welcome to pafoa!!! You should stay away from rugers and revolvers. All the cool guys and expert shooters shoot hi point.

[R L Suehr]

Welcome to pafoa!!! You should stay away from rugers and revolvers. All the cool guys and expert shooters shoot hi point.

[R L Suehr]

As was said above .22 practice will help develop good shooting skills. New shooters starting out with something like the sp101 in .357 can develop bad habbits like flinching quickly. I would always recommend someone new to shooting start out with a .22.

The sp101 is a nice gun, however with full .357 loads it will have considerable recoil. If this is what you have gravitated to try starting out with some .38 specials. They are cheaper and have less recoil and muzzle flash. Move up to the .357's when you get comfortable with the .38's IMHO.

I feed my .357's a steady diet of .38's because they are more cost effective to plink with at the range. I only shoot .357's every so often for practice to stay proficient with them. I always carry the .357's though when I carry my revolvers.

[Xringshooter]

Starting with the .22 is a good idea, it allows you to work on trigger control and since the recoil isn't as bad it will help you develop without flinching. Once you are shooting the .22 very good then you can transition to the .357 but shoot mild .38's at first, again to get used to the recoil without developing a flinch. Them jump up to the hot .38 +P's and see how you do. Then shoot some .357's and see if you want to shoot them a lot or just shoot them enough to know what will happen if you are carrying with them and have to use the gun.

Starting with a .22 is best way to get the fundamentals down pat without worrying about the recoil. This will help you in the long run. You can also carry it if you feel the need. You'll get some people that will make fun of you carrying a .22 as a defensive weapon. Don't let them get to you. Just ask them if that if the .22 is so weak, would they like to get shot with it? I'll bet they say NO. So then ask them if they wouldn't like to get shot with it then it must be able to serve as some sort of defensive deterrent wouldn't it?

I think starting with the SP101 in .22 and then going to the .38+P or .357 Mag SP 101 is a great idea. The SP101 in.22 is a great little plinking gun to have around.

[God's Country]

I recently picked up a sp101 in .22

I had no idea they were making them again.
IMO it needs a trigger job (typical sp series trigger)

Have you ever shot .357 from a sp?
It's doable, but not much fun. You can save a lot of weight by going with a .38 lcr or airweight.



edit:
someone ding wakefield...he deserves it.

[FLICK]

Ruger and S&W make a 22WMR pocket sized revolvers if wifey is recoil shy. It can be a decent round for SD, if the shots are where they need to be.

Just sayin'

[kimtyson]

I was going to start off with a 22 also, and get my wife involved. Then I went looking for ammo. What a joke. I decided to go with a Smith and Wesson SD9VE. Very nice 9mm. Very reasonable cost, $320. I think I made the right decision.

[gator39]

You are on the right track.

The sp101 is a great, well made, tank of a revolver.

Practice with the .22 will translate to the .357, especially the drawing and reloading of the gun.

Also, you might want to carry the gun with.38 +p instead of .357, especially in summer months when any potential perp will be wearing less clothes.

And light non +ps will help your wife get used to it.

But if she will carry the .22 that is light years ahead of going unarmed.

You are definitely on the right track and are making good decisions so just keep practicing.