The Date Gun

kontiki

kontiki

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Kontiki
I started this thread after mentioning my date gun it in another thread. Folks asked me about it.

I have a concealed carry permit. Usually, I have a S&W 642 on me. Hey, it's Memphis!

This is a very small, lightweight, hammerless, 38 cal, double action revolver with a barrel that's slightly over 1 inch long.

I also go to the range regularly for practice. They actually have a date night at the range. I believe that a first time lady shooter might not find it comfortable and rewarding to shoot my carry weapon.

I knew a lady that told me she wanted to try shooting. I thought shooting might be something I could do with people, and most non-shooter women didn't already own a gun, so I bought one.

Very pretty, small, wood handle S&W 357, 5" barrel, single or double action.

My reasoning, load with 38 cal, all the mass absorbs the recoil. Long barrel for accuracy, to make it rewarding, single action, easiest trigger pull possible. And it's beautiful, I believed women would enjoy a nice looking weapon.

I mentioned what I had done to a friend and he gave it the handle "Date gun."
I asked a lot of women after buying the gun, finally one went.

She worked for the apartment complex I live in. She shook like a leaf. I never saw anything like it. A month later she went crazy and stabbed her father to death in the parking lot a couple buildings over. Now she's in jail. I'll never make the pistol range my first date with anyone again. You just don't know who's really crazy.

After that, when it's time to train, I just go by myself. It's simpler and faster and ultimately more rewarding.
 
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I also carry a 642, but not very frequently. I can't carry it at work (company policy), and I can't carry it at school (state law).

My 'date gun' is a Ruger 10/22. Somewhere I've got a picture of our 'date'. I figure since I've been married to her for 24 years, I can probably trust her with a gun.
 
I took Mrs. Steingar to the shooting range with another couple once. It was fun. First time either of us had help a firearm, let alone shot it. Expensive too.

I suspect the range is as bad a first date as a flight in the airplane. Dinner works loads better. But if you are into guns, its not a bad idea eventually. Your girlfriend should either share your passion or at least put up with it in an informed fashion. Same for the airplane.

I'm lucky, Mrs. Steingar will try many things at least once to see if she like it. She loves taking trips in the airplane, so lucky me.
 
Between the charge for the range and the number of bullets we shot, I could have gone to a 3D movie and had a pretty good dinner. Expensive.
 
steingar said:
Between the charge for the range and the number of bullets we shot, I could have gone to a 3D movie and had a pretty good dinner. Expensive.
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Sounds like the most expensive range I've ever heard of. The place up the road from me, I'm outa there for $10 and the price of ammo, and he sells bags of quality reloads cheap.
 
This story just gets better and better. :D

I think you dodged a bullet, so to speak, and got out of that one for the price of a nice S&W revolver that will give you years of shooting enjoyment. Nice choice, and I like the ideas of shooting light .38 Spl throught the .357. No reason to batter yourself for practice with full house .357 mag loads.

I agree, the best training pistol to start people with is a .22 semi-auto or revolver. I prefer a Ruger MKII, and that 's pretty much what my wife shoots when we go to the range. Although she does shoot some of my others, and really likes my HK P7M8, and P7 PSP, both 9MM, both employing the unique squeeze cocking mechanism, and gas retarded, blowback design.

Yeah, you might want to "screen" someone before taking them to the range for the first date. Maybe have lunch first, without firearms? :D
 
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Steve Foley said:
Yet another reason to use a 22. A brick of 500 22s cost the same as 50 38s.
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Walmart has good Federal and Winchester bulk .22 ammo for around $18 for 500 or 550 rounds. That's another reason to like .22

The other thing people do, including myself to lower the cost of shooting centerfire is to reload, which allows tailoring the loads for your gun and target practice as well as lowering the cost to a fraction of what factory ammo costs. Its really easy to do also.
 
To clarify, she was the one that was really enthusiastic asked about shooting. I had talked to her before, but we actually made the date connection at one of the complex Crime Watch meetings. When she found out I had a handgun, she really seemed interested. Like she just wanted to meet a guy not involved in crime, drugs etc.

I was flattered, she was skinny, cute, in her mid 30s, and I'm a middle aged kind of square frame guy. Usually the skinny hotties have shields up, unless they are unemployed or something. The way this started, I thought this would all be normal, stuff. How wrong I was.
 
Some years back I was shooting with my own spouse and a friend and his wife. He let her shoot his new .357. I wasn't watching when she let fly, so I don't know how she was holding the revolver. The gun flew up and back from the recoil and the thumb piece of the hammer made a divot in her forehead that went all the way to bone.

I doubt if she was a shooting fan after that.

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
 
I'm a firm believer in letting a new shooter start out with a .22, then work up to hotter loads. I have a Webley chambered for .38 S&W - VERY mild. Then the N-frame Model 28 with light .357 loads, THEN the 4" Model 29 if they want to get a little more adventurous. I won't hand the M&P to someone unless they're already a pretty experienced shooter... it's not the recoil, it's the lack of either a firm DA pull or a thumb safety.
 
pmanton said:
Some years back I was shooting with my own spouse and a friend and his wife. He let her shoot his new .357. I wasn't watching when she let fly, so I don't know how she was holding the revolver. The gun flew up and back from the recoil and the thumb piece of the hammer made a divot in her forehead that went all the way to bone.

I doubt if she was a shooting fan after that.

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
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That's why you have them shoot light .38 Spl loads. Full house .357 mags are just plain unpleasant for most. Plus you want to give them some training on proper grip, what to expect, etc. You wouldn't have someone start their flight training on power on stalls either.
 
A 22 cal date gun sounds like an excellent idea. I'll keep that in mind going forward. I just train with what I carry.
 
I have seriously considered buying a date gun. I shoot skeet, trap and sporting clays frequently (and whatever birds may be in season) My shotguns are all 12 guages. I'd really like to get a 20 ga. youth model for girls to shoot.
 
My daughter got to the range for the first time earlier this year at age 31. She started out with my Ruger 10/22 off a bench. Demonstrated very quickly that she is her mother's daughter. Look out, target! Your center is going away very quickly. My wife grew up on a farm and learned to shoot and hunt early. She's quite competent with a firearm. And our daughter picked right up on it. Our son has gotten back into shooting, as well. And got me back into it after a number of years off.

Think flying is expensive? I can go through money faster shooting my 1911. Doesn't take any time at all to go through $80 worth of ammo. That's only 200 rounds of .45 ACP bought at WalMart. $80 won't get you anywhere near that at Cabela's. :D And my son is buying 9mm for his competitions 2000 rounds at a time. Mail order places are less expensive and 9mm is much less expensive than .45 ACP. Still, .22LR beats them all on price. I've found, however, that my Browning Nomad is picky about what type will feed well and even the 10/22 has its preferences, as well. At least my Bersa BT380cc will feed just about any .380 auto ammo I've tried.

And we though airplanes were picky? :D
 
I have to agree that a 22 is a good start e.g. Browning Buckmark. A 38spl is okay if the gun isn't too small. Otherwise the woman, if she has small hands, is going to feel the recoil. You can also try 9mm in a gun that looks big enough to handle 45ACP e.g. HK USP. The recoil isn't as bad. Browning Hi Power in 9mm is also a good intro gun.
 
Walmart has good Federal and Winchester bulk .22 ammo for around $18 for 500 or 550 rounds. That's another reason to like .22
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The only reason I don't like .22 for anything other than plinking rats or hunting squirrels is because I'm not going to rely on it to stop someone unless you're at "Say 'Auf wiedersehen' to your Nazi balls" range. If I'm that up close and personal, I'm going for my knife.

The other thing people do, including myself to lower the cost of shooting centerfire is to reload, which allows tailoring the loads for your gun and target practice as well as lowering the cost to a fraction of what factory ammo costs. Its really easy to do also.
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I have a friend reload my ammo for me to max out the muzzle velocity but to make the rounds softer so they are less likely to exit my target and penetrate the walls (I live in an apartment). I am in the market for another Sig chambered for .40 S&W and eventually a 1911. Either of those used in a Mozambique drill will definitely stop anyone not on PCP. Then again, for home defense, my first choice would be a 12 gauge. The sound alone of it being racked alone is enough to make most rational people rethink their decision of being in your home uninvited.

The only two reasons I use guns are for protection and hunting. I don't really enjoy shooting all that much but then again I tend to have a rather unusual method for getting myself "prepared" for pistol target shooting. I run a lap around my parent's property (which is really hilly) to get my heart rate up and the adrenaline flowing and then I proceed to practice hitting a target. I figure it's more accurate to a personal protection scenario (adrenaline and all) than standing calmly shooting at the range. Even with that, I can put three shot clusters into a target the size of a Coke can with some semblance of regularity.
 
Ghery said:
Think flying is expensive? I can go through money faster shooting my 1911. Doesn't take any time at all to go through $80 worth of ammo. That's only 200 rounds of .45 ACP bought at WalMart. $80 won't get you anywhere near that at Cabela's. :D And my son is buying 9mm for his competitions 2000 rounds at a time.
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If you're shooting that much, I cannot imagine why you wouldn't reload. I shoot less than a thousand rounds a year, and none of it's factory ammo -- unless we buy something in a new caliber (like Wifey's .380). Then it's a couple boxes of factory stuff until we decide to reload for it.

If I did any more shooting I'd invest in a progressive press, but for now I'm still using the same press (and some of the dies) Dad bought in the early 70s. Still works just as well as it did new.

And for SteveinIndy: A .22 is a great plinking gun, and even better for getting newbies acquainted with shooting. It may not fend off the zombie hordes, but it will scare the bejeezus out of tin cans and water bottles.
 
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tlglenn said:
I have to agree that a 22 is a good start e.g. Browning Buckmark. A 38spl is okay if the gun isn't too small. Otherwise the woman, if she has small hands, is going to feel the recoil. You can also try 9mm in a gun that looks big enough to handle 45ACP e.g. HK USP. The recoil isn't as bad. Browning Hi Power in 9mm is also a good intro gun.
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I carried a Browning for a while, it is a great weapon, but with the double stack clip, it requires a pretty good sized hand to comfortably work it.
 
Henning said:
I carried a Browning for a while, it is a great weapon, but with the double stack clip, it requires a pretty good sized hand to comfortably work it.
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I have a Browning Hi Power. Yes, it has a double stack magazine like many 9MM's, .40's and .45's today. You can fit more rounds into the gun that way. The Hi Power is one of the slimmer double stacks, but you may have small hands. The trigger reach is actually a bit short for me, but I have long fingers. It is my most accurate centerfire handgun, and a joy to shoot.
 
I have big hands and go back and forth between Para double stack 45 1911s and a Glock 20 depending on how the mood (and dress) strikes me.

I also tend to keep a little 380 in my pocket but tiny gun is tiny.
 
DaleB said:
If you're shooting that much, I cannot imagine why you wouldn't reload. I shoot less than a thousand rounds a year, and none of it's factory ammo -- unless we buy something in a new caliber (like Wifey's .380). Then it's a couple boxes of factory stuff until we decide to reload for it.
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Actually the 9mm stuff on line is competitive with handloading. Now, if I were competing with the 1911 I'd have to consider the progressive loader. But, I'm not. Just blowing big holes in a target and backer. :D
 
Mary and I go out on "shooting dates" from time to time. Converting money to noise and blown-up beer cans is fun!

She loves her little Walther P22. I love my S&W 9MM, but it's too big to carry -- so my latest toy is a KelTec PF9. It's a great carry weapon, not much larger than Mary's .22. With a good pocket holster, you can carry it while wearing khaki shorts, and no one will ever know.
 
Anthony said:
I have a Browning Hi Power. Yes, it has a double stack magazine like many 9MM's, .40's and .45's today. You can fit more rounds into the gun that way. The Hi Power is one of the slimmer double stacks, but you may have small hands. The trigger reach is actually a bit short for me, but I have long fingers. It is my most accurate centerfire handgun, and a joy to shoot.
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I like it just fine, I'm talking about as a "Date Gun" something with a smaller frame maybe more suitable and comfortable for your date. But then, you may date big gals....
 
Off duty I carry either a Glock 27 (.40) or a Para Carry 6 (.45). When I met my wife she was, to put it politely, liberal, with most liberal thoughts (anti-gun, anti-hunting). She about wet her pants when she saw my modest collection. The first time I took her shooting, she had a change of heart. Now she is a card carrying member of the NRA, owns 2 rifles and a shotgun, got her hunting license last year, and can't wait for WI concealed carry law to take into effect so she can get a new pistol. Thinking of the Ruger LCP (.380) for her. Small, easy recoil, and not too expensive to purchase/buy ammo for.
 
JB1842 said:
Thinking of the Ruger LCP (.380) for her. Small, easy recoil, and not too expensive to purchase/buy ammo for.
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They are not very pleasant to shoot, because of their light weight and small grip. However, they are designed as a self defense tool, not a range toy. If you want her to practice, you may want to consider something else, but everyone's different. Let her pick. :)

My wife likes my HK P7, 9MM, and Ruger MKII .22.
 
We've both shot the LCP. Both of us liked the recoil, but it does fit her hand better. She's not recoil sensitive, to either long guns or handguns, so that helps. And from personal experience, you don't notice the recoil when you are using a gun to protect yourself.
 
JB1842 said:
We've both shot the LCP. Both of us liked the recoil, but it does fit her hand better. She's not recoil sensitive, to either long guns or handguns, so that helps. And from personal experience, you don't notice the recoil when you are using a gun to protect yourself.
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I assume you've seen the laserlyte laser for the LCP?

I've seen breathless gosh wow bits on it, but do you have any thoughts regarding it?
 
JB1842 said:
We've both shot the LCP. Both of us liked the recoil, but it does fit her hand better. She's not recoil sensitive, to either long guns or handguns, so that helps. And from personal experience, you don't notice the recoil when you are using a gun to protect yourself.
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All true. I was thinking more of practicing, not carrying. Its a great carry piece. If she shot it and was OK, then no worries.
 
SteveinIndy said:
I have a friend reload my ammo for me to max out the muzzle velocity but to make the rounds softer so they are less likely to exit my target and penetrate the walls (I live in an apartment). I am in the market for another Sig chambered for .40 S&W and eventually a 1911. Either of those used in a Mozambique drill will definitely stop anyone not on PCP. Then again, for home defense, my first choice would be a 12 gauge. The sound alone of it being racked alone is enough to make most rational people rethink their decision of being in your home uninvited.

The only two reasons I use guns are for protection and hunting. I don't really enjoy shooting all that much but then again I tend to have a rather unusual method for getting myself "prepared" for pistol target shooting. I run a lap around my parent's property (which is really hilly) to get my heart rate up and the adrenaline flowing and then I proceed to practice hitting a target. I figure it's more accurate to a personal protection scenario (adrenaline and all) than standing calmly shooting at the range. Even with that, I can put three shot clusters into a target the size of a Coke can with some semblance of regularity.
Click to expand...

The whole idea of a "date gun" is quite amusing... I have been on many dates when I wished I had a date gun... to either use on myself, to put me out of my misery, or to use on her! (joking!) :D:D:D

But most decent indoor ranges usually have a good selection of weapons which can be rented by the hr, so often there is no need to make the investment in a gun you'll hardly shoot.

If anyone is worried about the scenario that SteveinIndy has described, of a round exiting the BG and going through a wall, then you should get your hands on a box of frangible ammo. Very light in weight(some where about 78gr, minimal recoil, increasing accuracy), and even if shot directly at a wall, will usually not penetrate 2 sheets of sheetrock.
Originally designed for military and police close quarter use, they might run $2-$3 per round, but I only keep a handful for HD/SD when I'm carrying. A hit anywhere on a BG will drop him with one of these rds! Otherwise I go plated or FMJ, about 250/255gr.

I shoot regularly, to keep in practice, and find myself shooting anywhere from 100 -200 rds per session of .45LC (Taurus Judge) and .44mag (Colt Anaconda). As both of those cartridges are somewhat pricey at the store, I have found reloading to be the best way to keep my costs under control... But in reality, I don't save any money... I just shoot more! In a quiet evening, I can reload 200-300 rds in just a couple of hrs.
When I'm shooting 9mm (FNX-9), I usually go through about 200-250 rds per session, since I'm not reloading as often (17+1). But as 9mm ammo is only slightly more expensive than 22, I haven't gotten into reloading it yet, (though I have the equipment).
 
colomtnflyer said:
The whole idea of a "date gun" is quite amusing... I have been on many dates when I wished I had a date gun... to either use on myself, to put me out of my misery, or to use on her! (joking!) :D:D:D

But most decent indoor ranges usually have a good selection of weapons which can be rented by the hr, so often there is no need to make the investment in a gun you'll hardly shoot.
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Yeahbut some people will use any excuse to buy a gun. :rofl:

The only person who has invited me shooting in recent memory is one of my flying buddies and I'm sure he has no intention of dating me. Shooting me, maybe <jk>.

No, it's not the guy you've met.
 
Very light in weight(some where about 78gr, minimal recoil, increasing accuracy), and even if shot directly at a wall, will usually not penetrate 2 sheets of sheetrock.
Originally designed for military and police close quarter use, they might run $2-$3 per round, but I only keep a handful for HD/SD when I'm carrying. A hit anywhere on a BG will drop him with one of these rds! Otherwise I go plated or FMJ, about 250/255gr.
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The rounds I'm using are pretty much standard weight for a .40 S&W round but I'm not sure what my friend did to make them so unlikely to go through the wall. He built a section of a simulated apartment wall and fired five or six shots into it from like six or eight feet and it didn't go all the way through. Normal load of powder. I think he just used a very soft lead of some sort because the bullets are absolutely mangled even just hitting ballistic gelatin. Then again, it might be something really weird. He does have a degree in materials science.....
 
JB1842 said:
Off duty I carry either a Glock 27 (.40) or a Para Carry 6 (.45). When I met my wife she was, to put it politely, liberal, with most liberal thoughts (anti-gun, anti-hunting). She about wet her pants when she saw my modest collection. The first time I took her shooting, she had a change of heart. Now she is a card carrying member of the NRA, owns 2 rifles and a shotgun, got her hunting license last year, and can't wait for WI concealed carry law to take into effect so she can get a new pistol. Thinking of the Ruger LCP (.380) for her. Small, easy recoil, and not too expensive to purchase/buy ammo for.
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I usually carried a Glock 27 when I had a CCW in North Carolina, but carried a Sig P226 in 9mm in the winter under a coat. I'm anxious to start practicing again in anticipation of getting my WI CCW permit this fall. Do you have any opinion as to safe ranges in SE Wisconsin?
 
Y'all like carry constantly? That's way too much hassle for me. I don't think I've body carried in years, maybe here or there going to a dock on the Miami river, some of those neighborhoods are rough.
 
I just want to know why Wisconsin doesn't have CCW reciprocity with Colorado. ;)
 
I carry a P3AT everywhere. It's like a Ruger LCP but cheaper and uglier. I also owned it for several years before the LCP came out. :D

For a range plinker, the GSG-5 always gets alot of attention. Mine is one of the original GSG-5's that were made before H&K sued German Sport Guns and forced them to alter the cosmetic features of the rifle.
 
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