[ikarus1]

After years of suggestion and Jedi-style mind tricks, I have finally succeeded in convincing my wife she needs her concealed carry permit. SO she found a GROUPON a while ago, and for $59 she got a pretty good deal. So we've been shopping around and she's been watching some internet reviews etc.
First idea was a Ruger LCR in .357 magnum, I figure I can start her out with .38 plinking ammo and work her way up. Then I priced ammo and
it's the same price as ammo for the AR (which is more important in the scheme of things). I have several rimfires and I'm a member of rimfirecentral,
so I guess I have been selling it short as far as a first handgun. Well my first mistake was showing her the SR22 in a gun shop. It fits her hand perfectly.
I'm a big Ruger fan and I guess secretly I want one too

Well it's going to be a pretty easy sell to me, but for her I want her to be comfortable and happy with it. Sunday we're going to go shoot the mess out of
a Walther P22, and see if she still feels like a .22LR will be okay for her first (and probably hand-me down to my son's first Handgun training).

Anybody have any thoughts on the SR22 pistol? Most reviews and my hands-on impression of it is that $300 buys alot of rimfire handgun for the money.
I am still kicking the idea of a M&P22 and then moving up to the M&P series pistols for her actual carry piece. Dunno it really depends on her.

 

[Wahoo95]

M&P9c or Shield for carry and M&P22 for practice

 

[tilefish]

My girlfriend recently bought an SR22 and I can tell you that it is barrels of fun. Well made, has functioned flawlessly with all kinds of different .22 ammo and its quite accurate. It is by far the most fun to shoot out of all our pistols. I would say its a solid value at the $300 price point.
The SR22 is very similar in feel to the Walther P22. We rented the Walther but she liked the SR22 a little mostly due to the mag release.

I have not fired an M&P .22 but I am sure its a great pistol.

 

[dukeguy]

We just recently went through the same decision making process and ended up with the M&P 22. My wife, who is very petite and has small hands, actually liked the full sized feel of the M&P over the SR 22. Low recoil, easy-to-rack slide (she has some arthritis in her hands so this is a big deal), and it's a very accurate gun. Overall, it's a fun gun to shoot.

I think the most important thing you can do, though, is to get her to a range where she can shoot both guns.

P.S. I have read some reviews on other forums saying the SR 22 still has some problems. Not sure of the accuracy of that, but it's worth checking out.

 

[tilefish]

P.S. I have read some reviews on other forums saying the SR 22 still has some problems. Not sure of the accuracy of that, but it's worth checking out.

Yeah, we were reading the same things and it was a concern. However, a lot of the issues seemed to be related to early production. If it says "SR 22 PISTOL" on the slide, it is an early model. If it just says "SR22", you are good to go.

 

[ilivas]

I will say that .357 mag out of an LCR is kinda painful. .38 sp isn't bad though.

I used to own a .50 AE desert eagle, and it was softer shooting than my LCR with .357 mag.

 

[ikarus1]

The LCR was the first gun that was suggest by the guy at Eagle in concord, and she liked it. But he suggested the .38 with +p ammo. I was like uh, it's 13oz. No +p just yet.
I thought about it, and since it's very likely she will go through a few until figuring out what she wants - it's something that I would have no problems carrying myself.
The extra 4oz of weight helps with recoil, even with .38 target ammo and it weighs about the same as the SR22 (17 oz empty) vs the feathery 38 LCR.

However, I was shortchanging her ability to learn how to operate a semiauto. She's a quick learner - in fact this year she killed her first deer after hunting w/ me for just 2 years.

So I like the interoperability of the M&P platform, I dislike the safety operation of the SR22, but I do like the grips, style and construction of the Ruger. Maybe we'll just get both

 

[ikarus1]

My girlfriend recently bought an SR22 and I can tell you that it is barrels of fun. Well made, has functioned flawlessly with all kinds of different .22 ammo and its quite accurate. It is by far the most fun to shoot out of all our pistols. I would say its a solid value at the $300 price point.
The SR22 is very similar in feel to the Walther P22. We rented the Walther but she liked the SR22 a little mostly due to the mag release.

I have not fired an M&P .22 but I am sure its a great pistol.

Ya that Walther trigger guard mag release design is about as stupid as pushing UP for fire on the SR22 safety 8)
But I figure polish the feed ramps, use good ammo like CCI minimags, and it'll go bang most every time. I have a Ruger 10/22 and I have lots of experience with crap ammo, FTFs, and when it's time to clean your extractor!

 

[jerz_subbie]

M&P9c or Shield for carry and M&P22 for practice

This is what my gf is doing. Getting my 9c once she gets her permit and practices on the cheap with the M&P22. We still have to check out a shield to see if she'll want that instead. But she really likes the 9c, as do many women shooters I know.

 

[tilefish]

Ya that Walther trigger guard mag release design is about as stupid as pushing UP for fire on the SR22 safety 8)
But I figure polish the feed ramps, use good ammo like CCI minimags, and it'll go bang most every time. I have a Ruger 10/22 and I have lots of experience with crap ammo, FTFs, and when it's time to clean your extractor!

Lol, I know. The upside was that neither of us have ever owned a pistol with a manual/external safety so I had we frame of reference. The trigger guard mag release is kinda sketchy...

 

[Adrn13]

I own both the sr22 and the m&p 22, I like my sr but I love my m&p. It fit perfectly in my hand, My carry gun is a m&p 40 so I get to practice alot and dont have to spend lots of cash on ammo.

 

[ikarus1]

We borrowed a Walther P22 for her CCP class, and she seemed to shoot it well. I hate any slide-mounted safety but the thing is built really well.The TG mag release kinda grows on you. It's smaller than the SR22, but it costs a bit more also. It only comes with 1 extended mag floorplate, and the Rugercomes with 2 of each kind. By the time she finishes her class next week, we should know what she wants.

FWIW tomorrow marks Week 3 of waiting on #$*&#%!! PISTOL PURCHASE PERMIT from the Cabarrus county sheriff. Good grief. I thought the 3 references w/ phone numbers was a bit invasive and excessive, but she was willing to do it ONCE before she gets her CCP. Didn't know they were going to take the full 30 days. She had to put me down as the first reference, and they haven't bother to call me yet.Straight up Jim Crow style.

 

[alaszlo73]

nutnfancy on youtube gave the MP22 a 9.5 out of 10. I'm looking to get the MP22 or SR22 myself for fun.

 

[ikarus1]

M&P 22 is most likely going to last place, behind Sr22 and the Walther. It's size is pretty much going to factor in. Also considering an EAA Witness poly carry in 9mm to be converted to 22, and the ISSC M22. Also considering the M&P Shield to be her actual carry gun.

 

[ikarus1]

nutnfancy on youtube gave the MP22 a 9.5 out of 10. I'm looking to get the MP22 or SR22 myself for fun.

That's mostly because he has a M&P 9 as his EDC. But I think the CZ75 has displaced it (for good reason) and that's why I am looking hard at EAA Witness since it's a CZ clone.

 

[JavaTee]

My wife chose the Ruger SR22. (She has fired my friends Walther P22, my dad's Buckmark, and a Ruger 22/45.) She walked through the Winston gun show looking & handling several different 9mm & .22lr pistols. She asked my advice, but I mentioned that I'd shoot about anything, so it was her choice. She's happy with it, and that's what counts.

Later, T.J.

 

[ikarus1]

She's handled several small semi's, but it's not just going to be her gun. Most likely just a trainer to step up to a defensive caliber likely 9mm. Most likely I'll be teaching the kids with it as well, otherwise I would let her pick whatever. FWIW The Walther is smaller but it's quirky and it's hard to teach someone proper technique on since the controls are different than just about every other normal handgun. I guess the Germans love the safety on the slide but I think it's very odd. I notice the ISSC M22 is the same thing, but it's got the glockalike cool going on it. As I understand it (from quite a few youtube reviews), the SIG Mosquito is completely incompatible with most HP ammo, and the Ruger eats anything and keeps on going. Polishing feed ramps will be the number one job of whatever semi ends up coming into the family

 

[Wahoo95]

M&P22 for practice and M&P9c/Shield for carry.

 

[ikarus1]

I'll let her shoot the shield after she finishes her CCP class, see what she thinks about shooting something a bit hotter than a 22LR minimag

 

[albatross497]

The m&p 22 is a LOT larger than the sr-22...So carrying would be a no brainer.My sr-22 Loves remington golden bullets.I shot lead nosed ammo through it and my shots were way off,I inspected the barrel and the lead had filled the riflings so i say only shoot copper washed ammo.The federal,and wichester both failed in mine..Heres a video link of me firing it..