While I would think it odd in such a low recoiling caliber, it sounds like limp wrist to me.

 

Sounds about right, it appears that she was limp wristing the gun. Because they are blow back operated, almost all .22 semi auto handguns are grip sensitive.

If you got her calmed down and then got her gripping the gun correctly, You did your job well.

 

limp wristing. yup.

 

Not to hijack, but wonder the pros vs cons of a suppressed 22 when teaching really nervous individuals.

 

Seems like I see this more with .22's than any other caliber semi-auto hadgun

 

Yup, loose grip was the culprit.

A suggestion from my experience: For women who are nervous, I start shooting exercise by having them load 1 round at a time. With each round, I have them practice each of the fundamentals individually. When they are more comfortable, I will have them load 5 rounds and practice all fundamentals together with each round. It does take some time, but results are generally very good.

 

Yup, loose grip was the culprit.

A suggestion from my experience: For women who are nervous, I start shooting exercise by having them load 1 round at a time. With each round, I have them practice each of the fundamentals individually. When they are more comfortable, I will have them load 5 rounds and practice all fundamentals together with each round. It does take some time, but results are generally very good.

good plan!

 

I've just got to ask this question cause I'm confused by the terminology;

Was she experiencing a misfire; where the gun doesn't go bang ..... or a malfunction; where the gun doesn't complete its cycle of operation?

 

I've just got to ask this question cause I'm confused by the terminology;

Was she experiencing a misfire; where the gun doesn't go bang ..... or a malfunction; where the gun doesn't complete its cycle of operation?

This is the question that will lead to the issue.

Was the first round ejecting, or was she having FTEs?

 

I was teaching a ladies class in Sparta yesterday....

Holding it too loose as everyone has pointed out already, are you teaching them to push forward with the shooting hand and pull back against it with the support hand?

 

I was just trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

A misfire is when the gun doesn't go BANG when you pull the trigger. A malfunction is when the gun doesn't complete its cycle of operation, i.e. it "jams".

A "misfire" is NOT a shooter induced stoppage, that's why I'm a bit confused about the question and the responses.

 

The SR 22 may be more sensitive to a loose grip than other guns. My wife and daughter can both pick up any gun I own and shoot it just as well as I can. Everything from 22 cal to 45 ACP but not the SR 22. Nether one of them can run a full magazine thru it without ether a failure to feed or failure to eject. For me it has been flawless.

 

My 2 ¢ is limp wrist. I had that problem with a student with a CZ 82 ( 9x18). Stove pipe issues. She countered the recoil (blowback). Grip and practice solved the issue. I shot one magazine with no stovepipe. A little training on stance, grip and trigger work resolved the issue. I teach, and like any performer, you have to know your audience. Demonstrate a action correctly, and allow success to happen.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

Grip. I stove piped several times per mag the first time I shot my FNS-9. I guess I was trying too hard to relax
Now I can through 100 rounds with no stove piping. Not prfect yet. But it definitely is grip related.

 

As noted above, the important question hasn't been answered: are we talking about misfire or malfunction? Terminology may be the real problem, here.

A loose grip can't really cause a misfire (in which the gun functions properly in most respects, but the primer of the round in the chamber isn't ignited), but it certainly CAN cause a malfunction -- such as a feeding problem with the next round.

The fact that the gun fired once, and then stopped suggests malfunction...

 

Sounds like a grip problem to me. I like to start new shooters with a revolver. I use a SA, then move to a DA before going to an auto. I think that the very deliberate actions required to shoot a SA are safer for a new shooter. The principles of grip, sight alignment and trigger control don't change from one to another.

 

I don't have an SR22, but can it drop the hammer without being completely in battery? Like 99% in battery? If it was looking like a misfire I'm assuming it looked like the gun was working fine. Limp wristing USUALLY leads to failures, eject, feed, stove pipe, etc. Just wondering if it did everything but complete go into battery and it could not strike the primer?

Or possibly engaging the safety and decocting it instead of firing it? My Walther P22 will drop the hammer with the safety engaged but the block stops it from firing. Just a thought. If she was shaking that bad could she have moved enough to engage the safety?

 

Recommend double hearing protection for first time and/or nervous shooters. If she was wearing ear muffs, her safety glasses may have "broken the seal" around her ears, giving her more noise than she expected.

Heck, I'm more comfortable shooting with double hearing protection, and I've shot for years.

 

Honestly,

I would of taken her off the firing line and informed her to act like a grown woman that she is. If she can not control her fear even after being a witness to the rest of the class shooting I have a refund for her and she can leave.

The time invested to teach a person to cope with fear is not in my job title. She / he needs to think and observe when witnessing the group. If that can not calm a person down then I need to remove them from a fireing line and firearms.

Lastly, the pistol only works when its respected not feared.

John

 

One more thing, a healthy level respect is always welcome but a real visual level of fear is a danger to the person and all around them.

That's my take on it.