Ok, so this week I purchased a couple of plinking pistols (Sig Mosquito and Ruger 10/22TB). I broke them down (stripped them) to check for readiness and yesterday grabbed some ammo and the wife and went to the nearest indoor range.
First, I put the Ruger in the wife's hands and let her have a try at it. She's smiling (good sign) and runs through two magazines loaded with Remington CPHP. She put the Ruger down and picked up the Sig and also did two magazines loaded with the same ammo.
Her initial thoughts were, these are easy to play with. Not loud, barely any recoil, and much akin to the pellet gun she entertained herself with in college years ago. She had a little trouble with the slide release on the Ruger, and the magazine ejection seemed a bit stiff. The Ruger was easier on these two points, but slide required "more effort" to ready the firearm.
Ok, taking these points I then loaded the four magazines with CCI Standard Velocity 40 grain lead and she repeated her fun--first the Ruger. Same experience for her and no concerns, or rather indifferent in experience with change in ammo. On the other hand, the Mosquito either mis-fed or improperly ejected every third round.
I have to say, trying to build confidence in someone isn't going to come in the form of constantly having to clear the weapon for them. We switched back to the Remington and fired a ~150 rounds per hand gun with no problems. Went to try the CCI again, and the same results took place (Ruger, no problems; Sig, constant problems).
Not wishing to spoil her experience I decided to pause and went out into the store front of the range and rented a .45ACP in traditional 1911 framing. House rules is that you use their ammo in their rentals. Got a box of 50 rounds of Atlanta Ammo and loaded it up for her.
She fired off 2-3 rounds and looked over her shoulder smiling saying she like the caliber, but not "this gun". Asked why and she pointed out what was the grip safety biting into her palm (between thumb and index finger). I let her finish a couple of clips and went back out into the store.
I can say that one of the things I like about this range's rentals is that it is buffet style (one fee, any gun, mix and match). I cannot honestly remember who made this 1911 (want to say Colt or Kimber), but I switched out for a Springfield XDM in the same caliber.
Loaded it up for her and on the first shot the magazine came out. After I stopped laughing (this is a scene from a movie, right?), I discovered the thumb seat on the polymer frame allowed for very short movement to either release the slide, or eject the magazine. Someone familiar with the XDM frame will not have this problem, but first-timers may make this experience.
After explaining this to her she went about shooting off the rest of the box and got another box. She fell in love with this gun. I feared the caliber/recoil would scare her off, but boy was I wrong. She now wants a .45 ACP in a modern frame (e.g. not 1911). Great! But what about the 22's?
BTW, unlike the 22's, which had a trigger-pull experience of having tension on the trigger to a point, and then more tension (2nd stage) to release, the first .45 gave no warning and I swear you could have blown on the trigger to set it firing. The XDM, while similar initially, you knew when you were about to release the hammer.
So, after about three hours of gun play we called it a day and left with her being surprised at not being discouraged on such a large caliber. I will probably let go one of the 22's (whichever one she likes less; both have threaded barrels), and go research a .45 for her for Xmas.
Thoughts, ideas?
First, I put the Ruger in the wife's hands and let her have a try at it. She's smiling (good sign) and runs through two magazines loaded with Remington CPHP. She put the Ruger down and picked up the Sig and also did two magazines loaded with the same ammo.
Her initial thoughts were, these are easy to play with. Not loud, barely any recoil, and much akin to the pellet gun she entertained herself with in college years ago. She had a little trouble with the slide release on the Ruger, and the magazine ejection seemed a bit stiff. The Ruger was easier on these two points, but slide required "more effort" to ready the firearm.
Ok, taking these points I then loaded the four magazines with CCI Standard Velocity 40 grain lead and she repeated her fun--first the Ruger. Same experience for her and no concerns, or rather indifferent in experience with change in ammo. On the other hand, the Mosquito either mis-fed or improperly ejected every third round.
I have to say, trying to build confidence in someone isn't going to come in the form of constantly having to clear the weapon for them. We switched back to the Remington and fired a ~150 rounds per hand gun with no problems. Went to try the CCI again, and the same results took place (Ruger, no problems; Sig, constant problems).
Not wishing to spoil her experience I decided to pause and went out into the store front of the range and rented a .45ACP in traditional 1911 framing. House rules is that you use their ammo in their rentals. Got a box of 50 rounds of Atlanta Ammo and loaded it up for her.
She fired off 2-3 rounds and looked over her shoulder smiling saying she like the caliber, but not "this gun". Asked why and she pointed out what was the grip safety biting into her palm (between thumb and index finger). I let her finish a couple of clips and went back out into the store.
I can say that one of the things I like about this range's rentals is that it is buffet style (one fee, any gun, mix and match). I cannot honestly remember who made this 1911 (want to say Colt or Kimber), but I switched out for a Springfield XDM in the same caliber.
Loaded it up for her and on the first shot the magazine came out. After I stopped laughing (this is a scene from a movie, right?), I discovered the thumb seat on the polymer frame allowed for very short movement to either release the slide, or eject the magazine. Someone familiar with the XDM frame will not have this problem, but first-timers may make this experience.
After explaining this to her she went about shooting off the rest of the box and got another box. She fell in love with this gun. I feared the caliber/recoil would scare her off, but boy was I wrong. She now wants a .45 ACP in a modern frame (e.g. not 1911). Great! But what about the 22's?
BTW, unlike the 22's, which had a trigger-pull experience of having tension on the trigger to a point, and then more tension (2nd stage) to release, the first .45 gave no warning and I swear you could have blown on the trigger to set it firing. The XDM, while similar initially, you knew when you were about to release the hammer.
So, after about three hours of gun play we called it a day and left with her being surprised at not being discouraged on such a large caliber. I will probably let go one of the 22's (whichever one she likes less; both have threaded barrels), and go research a .45 for her for Xmas.
Thoughts, ideas?
