Well, when I first started practicing with a holster, I would practice with the gun unloaded and go through drills in my living room/house. I feel that dry firing was a great way to transition from standing in a port at the range to shooting with a holster/moving/etc.

 

Now my gf wants to get involved in IDPA/USPSA, as well as being able to carry while at the range and practice with it.

 

She is an avid shooter, and she shoots great, but I am weary of this because I want to make sure she takes things slow.

 

I plan on getting her a holster for her P22 and letting her dry fire that. Practice practice practice. I also just ordered a P22 airsoft pistol with a bunch of bb's as I feel that that will be perfect practice for her to shoot in the backyard, work on holstering and unholstering, shooting, keeping finger off the trigger, etc, all while just shooing plastic bb's YET still having the [almost] exact feel of her P22. After practice with that, and I feel, as well as she does, that she is confident and safe enough to try using her real P22 with holster shooting, will we then move on to that.

 

She is mature and wants to take her time with it, she knows I am a good teacher and I shoot a lot so she feels very comfortable in me teaching her. But she wants to make sure she practices enough before in order to move on to a real pistol.

 

And no, she will not use her P22 for carrying. Just range shooting.

 

What do you guys think? Are these good steps to take? What did you do to teach your gf/wife/whoever with holster work?

Sounds like you have it planned out well.

My only suggestion would be that if she is dry firing the p22 use one of these.

 

http://www.larrysguns.com/Products/Chamber-Plugs__LGI.aspx

 

its a rubbery chamber plug and flag that you can dry fire on. The bullseye guys at my club use them for their 2k+ bullseye guns without damage

My only suggestion would be that if she is dry firing the p22 use one of these.

 

http://www.larrysgun...Plugs__LGI.aspx

 

its a rubbery chamber plug and flag that you can dry fire on. The bullseye guys at my club use them for their 2k+ bullseye guns without damage

 

 

Good choice to use that on a rimfire gun, but with the P22 you should be able to pull the trigger with the safety on and it has the same DA feel but without moving the firing pin. Also for anyone using the P22 for practical shooting sports I would recommend doing a few mods on the gun, and the first on being the magazine safety so you can pull the trigger and drop the hammer like a normal gun and not have to insert a mag to do that.

 

Harry

Well, it seems like not many NJGF girlfriends shoot! I thought I would get some more opinions but that's ok. I think the direction we're going with practicing seems right.

 

In regards to the dry firing, I've heard that many people use spent .22 brass as snap caps for .22's and the weirdest was dry wall anchors. Either way, I'm going to pick up a couple chamber plugs.

 

The mag safety is the only thing I don't like about the P22, and also the fact that the safety is on the slide.

 

 

The mag safety is the only thing I don't like about the P22, and also the fact that the safety is on the slide.

 

 

Thats real easy to fix, let me know if you want the directions to do this, I also got rid of the BS Walther lock while I was in there. There are a few other mods that can help also.

 

Harry

I think you have the right approach.

 

I would also add that you should ping our member Col Mortimer, who set up an excellent introductory class for new USPSA/IDPA shooters last year. Hopefully he is doing this again some time soon. He really did a great service to those of us in class and it really went a long way to learning proper safety and protocol at the match. And it was awesome fun too.

 

http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20981-uspsa-introduction-class-at-shongum/

All well and good, but please remember that if you alter the gun in any way, don't ever use it defensively...

 

G

Thats real easy to fix, let me know if you want the directions to do this, I also got rid of the BS Walther lock while I was in there. There are a few other mods that can help also. Harry

 

Right now it is only a range gun so the mag disconnect isn't too bad. But if I ever decide to do it, I will take you up on that offer! Thanks.

 

I think you have the right approach.I would also add that you should ping our member Col Mortimer, who set up an excellent introductory class for new USPSA/IDPA shooters last year. Hopefully he is doing this again some time soon. He really did a great service to those of us in class and it really went a long way to learning proper safety and protocol at the match. And it was awesome fun too.http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20981-uspsa-introduction-class-at-shongum/

 

I actually took this class and loved it! Mike is the man and I used that class as my intro to competitive shooting, and I feel that it REALLY helped a lot. I guess I haven't thought of informing her about the class yet because she will be so new to using a holster, and I would like for her to get pretty good with a holster before trying comp shooting, nonetheless Mikes USPSA class. But thanks for the reminder! That is definitely something to think about. Plus I could attend with her and that would probably make her even more comfortable and knowing there isn't much pressure on her.

 

All well and good, but please remember that if you alter the gun in any way, don't ever use it defensively...G

 

Thanks for the heads up. As I said before, it's just a range plinker (mostly for my gf) so we don't really have to worry about that.

I somehow doubt he'd be using a .22 for self defense.

 

..... Except against zombies.