GF can't shoot auto's

[NSP64]

My GF cannot shoot an auto worth a hoot. She can shoot a revolver fine and a rifle fine, but for some reason she cannot get the auto. Anybody else run into this problem? I bought her a Taurus TCP .380 and even downloaded it with cast, and she can't shoot my .40 S&W either. Several trips to the range has left her upset, even though I tell her to just stick with a revolver. She has a .38spl, and has even shot by SBH .44 mag with 310gr hunting load.
I can shoot both good, but favor Auto's , they just feel better in my hand.

[docone31]

Give her time.
It is an whole physical concept that conflicts with what she has learned.
As long as she can tell if it is loaded when she handles it, she will pick it up. It might not be her turn to pistol, but she will get the knack of it down the road.
My wife was the same.

[Wayne Smith]

My wife has the same problem. It has something to do with hand/wrist strength and limp wristing for her, as well as a smaller hand. Revolver grips are easier for her.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

My wife has the same problem. It has something to do with hand/wrist strength and limp wristing for her, as well as a smaller hand. Revolver grips are easier for her.

+1, Katie does better than me with a revolver.

Sam :D

[cajun shooter]

As a former Firearms instructor for a 600 man Dept. allow me to give you some advice. When our dept. went to the 10 mm auto I advised that we keep our female's with the S&W 65 3 in bbl's until they could show an ability to use the weapon by requesting further training. This does not apply to all but most of our female's had weak strength in the wrist area which made the proper grip and control of the gun hard for them. One big point is that if she shows disinterest in shooting the auto don't force it on her. The last and biggest tip is that you step aside and let someone who is trained help her. When it came to our wives the instructors would always allow her to be trained by another. She will be attentive towards him and not you. I'm sure you have already had a but I'm already doing that in a less than normal tone of voice. Later David

[HeavyMetal]

Get her a Ruger 22 target auto.

With this she can learn the basic differences between the two types of pistols and not have to fight other distractions like recoil and hot brass flying at her.

Then bump her back up to a larger caliber as she feels comfortable. I will also suggest you stay away from the double action auto pistol's.

It's a rare exception that has a decent trigger, The CZ 75 come to mind, in these guns.

Try to stick with some type of 1911 clone, or platform, and she will do better with auto's.

[runfiverun]

not seeing a problem here, get her a s&w performance 8 shot if she need more rounds.
at least she shoots with you.
alice won't shoot my springfield m-14 but likes the armalite m-15, so i load her more 223's.
oddly she really likes her savage 0-6 but won't shoot my custom 7x57 ackleys.
guess she is built slightly differently...or sumthin.

[mike in co]

heavy has it right.

gotta get a gun that fits her hands....not easy to do with typical smaller hands.

both 380 and a 40 want to twist out of your hand. the 380 while low pressure is a blow back and acts just like a nine.

start with a 22.....and then go to a 45acp...230 rn at 800 fps....
in a 1911 or similar...this gun is easy to shoot...it rolls , no snap..if it fits her hands.....dont do this in a light weight plastic gun.

if you can find a nine that is close to full size( some mass to deal with recoil), then try some 115/124's at 1000 fps....build up from there.
( take her into a gun store and let her try them on, for fit, comfort and what she likes)..it has to have some natural point of aim...or she will always be fighing it.

bottom line she has to be able to hold the gun well to begin with, and then not have it trying to twist out of her grip.

mike in co

[Larry Gibson]

Concur with cajun shooter, been there and done that.

Larry Gibson

[danski26]

Maybe a little more information would help. What exactly is she doing? is she having malfunctions or just poor accuracy? If its just accuracy, where is it on the target? High, low, left or right? is she used to shooting the revolver in single action or double? Or maybe both? Fit is important when just starting out. As said earlier a Ruger 22 might be a good place to start.

[MtGun44]

+1 on Ruger std auto and have someone else start her from scratch.

The social interaction between relatives very often makes for a poor student-
teacher interaction. Husbands and wives can sometimes make this work, but
often not. Nobody's fault, it just is that way. Find an instructor that she can
get along with and let him or her "give it a shot" with a .22 RF semiauto of
a large size, not a pocket gun and nothing with any significant recoil or blast,
they are just distractions. I have instructed many women and also was an
assistant instructor in a Paxton Quigley course. I have watched a few poor
student-instuctor relationships and it is painful to watch, yet neither can see
what is really happening.

Again, I want to emphasize that it is nobody's fault, it is just the nature of the
relationship that makes it difficult for each person to do their best.

Bill

[Gee_Wizz01]

My wife can shoot a revolver just fine and she does ok with an auto. The problem is that she is tiny and she does not have the grip strength to rack the slide on most autos. I told her to just stay with the revolvers, as she cant carry an auto if she cant unload and reload. The only other option would be one of the tip barrel Berettas or a Taurus. I just want her to carry something a little more effective.

G

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Lots of good advice posted above.
I have the same problem w/ semi auto pistols. Yes my hands are small, but I am only 5'5".
I can shoot better w/ a SA 45/70 than I can with a 9mm. This holds true w/ both SA & DA 22,357 &44mag. (my favorate).:bigsmyl2:

Of course I learned on revolvers, & have not shot S-A pistols much, as my focus is more hunting.
Biggest problem I see is the spray & pray mentality S-A encourage, closing the eyes, & pushing the gun.

[Doc Highwall]

I bought a Sig Mosquito in 22Lr because it duplicates my Sig 228 in 9mm and it works great for women and kids.

[Char-Gar]

Women make very good shooters. The top shooter in my local Saturday match is a woman. I agree with Heavy to start her with a good 22 autopistol.

I did very well teaching my daughter to shootl. She was used to taking instruction and correction from her father. I turned over teaching the wife to somebody else. She didn't like taking instruction and correction from me. There are to many hidden adgendas between a husband and wife for husbands or wives to be the best instructor.

Now..I am going to get many replys, from folks telling me how they taught their wife to shoot without any issues. That is fine, I am glad it worked for you. It didn't work for me and not for many other men as well.

[casterofboolits]

+1 Chargar. Wives and husbands are best instructed by others. :groner:

[docone31]

I agree with that.
Not because they are not able to, but because they are too close. Success matters, whereas someone else is more objective.
Conversely, I taught my wife. I taught her from Ground up. She was from the Left Coast, where a pistol chases a person and holds them up!
Now, when she does not go to the range, she has withdrawl symptoms.
Overall though, someone as close as an husband, or wife... better to get someone else to break through the wall. Then they can teach.

[jsizemore]

When I'm help kids and women to get control of an autoloader, I have them use the push-pull grip on the pistol to compensate for their weaker/smaller hands and wrists. If right handed, push away with the right and pull back with the left. Enough force to control the pistol but not so much that they can't keep the sights on the target.
Good Luck.

[lwknight]

I agree with using a ruger MKII/III 22 to get the feel for the difference.
She can shoot 100s or 1000s of rounds till it gets boring and is ready to step up.
I had a devil of a time changing over to an autolader myself. Everything is different.
Also I think its better to just make it hit the target and not worry about the dot.
Make the targets big and easy. Accuracy will come on its own in time.

[Heavy lead]

Here's my wifes deal, forget the auto, with her it's simple, she's not at all mechanically inclined, she simply likes to see the "bullets" as she calls them, hates single actions, give her a da all day so she can swing it open and see all six, I simply let it go at that. By the way, she's a wimp and hates recoil, BUT when I'm gone she wants my 5.5 inch Redhawk (not with the grips I use , but with the regular old school factory wood grips) on the nightstand loaded with a speed loader ready to go. Go figure, bought her a lady smith once and she laughed at it, said if I gotta shoot somebody I want a big hole.
Gotta watch pissing her off I guess.

[NSP64]

Thanks for the advice everyone. She is not small 5-11 160lbs. This is the pistol she went to a store and looked at and chose over others. She didn't know how to use a gun and I taught her to use a revolver and bolt action rifle(which she can shoot great). If anything, I think that the gun (Taurus TCP) is too small. When she squeezes the trigger it is so long and creepy that she misses the target. Then she gets mad at herself. Oh well I think I'll sell it and get her another revolver. Maybe a .22.

[Doby45]

I don't think the 22 is the way to go personally. I mean sure anyone and everyone can use a 22 to hone their skills with the trigger, but that isn't her problem. She also does not mind a bit of recoil because she deals with that when she shoots her revolver. I think more than anything the 22 would be seen as a "Here baby, here is your girlie gun". I do not recall the poster but I agree that she needs a full-size 9mm. She is still shooting a real "cartridge" and the recoil of a full-size 9mm will mimic more closely the recoil of her 38SPL, especially if you load her some "target/practice" loads.

Personally the 40cal is probably one of the worst cartridges to move into an auto with. It has sharp snappy recoil and if you aren't comfortable with the auto to begin with it sure doesn't help. The 380 is not much better, simply because the size of the weapon. MOST 380s are rather small framed and deliver sharp recoil also.

Basically if you see it as learning to drive a stock car. You might not do so good at first but that doesn't mean you have to go back to a go-cart to learn proper handling. Step back into a sporty retail sports car and get more comfortable.

[lwknight]

I was thinking of the 22 autoloder just to get acclimated to the different gun feel.
A 22 revolver would be a step in the wrong direction .
Creepy long triggers make any shooter have a bad day.
Its easy to get spoiled on a short crisp trigger.