Best rimfire handgun for a beginner with really small hands. G44?

I’m liking the idea of the M&P 22 C. Unless someone talks me out of it that will likely be the one.
Replying to my own post. I see the M&P 22 is not a 2.0 model. Hmmmm.
I’ve had an M&P “1.0", and shot several M&P 2.0’s.
wish they did the 22lr in 2.0 series.
 
See how a Ruger MK fits. My Hunter is my favorite gun to shoot. a 10" plate at 175 yards is a hoot.
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Or that. My wife has little hands & poor grip strength & she "adopted" my tricked out Mk II the first time she shot it.
 
I'd get a decent target pistol like a Ruger mark 2/3/4.
Great SA trigger, slim grip, longer sight radius, and will always be a quality and accurate firearm. Welcome to borrow one of mine to try Fieldgrade.
 
+1 on the M & P 22C. I taught my wife to shoot on one and she loves shooting it. She also has small hands and not much upper arm strength but can rack the slide on it.
 
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Replying to my own post. I see the M&P 22 is not a 2.0 model. Hmmmm.
I’ve had an M&P “1.0", and shot several M&P 2.0’s.
wish they did the 22lr in 2.0 series.
The 22 is an entirely different hammer-fired design and S&W probably saw no need to update it in tandem with the changes to the striker-fired centerfire pistols.
 
@fieldgrade any decent 22 semi-auto is going to cost you $250+. You might consider a Heritage 22 revolver at $100+ as an alternative to introduce your son's girlfriend to shooting. At the very worst, you wouldn't lose a lot reselling one.
 
Another for Smith&Wesson M&P22. I introduced my son’s girlfriend and now wife to guns with a Smith&Wesson Victory22. She was all of 108lbs but after the 22 she did fairly well with the Glock17.
 
I do appreciate these fine offers y’all.
 
Y’all are being very generous and I appreciate it. I was telling @Button Pusher...
My son (the one attached to the girlfriend) is studying about 12 hours a day in his last semester of grad school at home here, and his girlfriend's parents are demanding extreme social distancing so he has seen her once in the past six weeks. Hopefully this crap will start to wind down in the coming weeks, and I’ll see if my tenants pay May rent, so I'm a few weeks off.
 
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Ash...
I have a Charter snubby and a Taurus 6” that have ZERO recoil if you’re just starting to teach someone. Both are fairly small grip size. You are welcome to borrow either/both to get the basics down and not worry about recoil.


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Another vote for the M&P 22.
A plus is that they are already threaded from the factory for your favorite 22 suppressor.

MP22-Compact-barrel.jpg
 
The SIG Mosquito is a 3/4 scale version of a full size SIG. If you can find one that will fire reliably.
That’s the trouble, I’ve had 3 of them and wouldn’t walk across the street for a truckload of the things. After 2 that were anything but worthless, I was looking for a suppressor host and thought ...well...maybe...and ended up with another POS! The problem with them is that as a Sig guy, they feel so damn good in your hand. But they perform so lousy in action. I’ve got one laying in my safe that I would’nt wish on an enemy! Just my .02.
 
That’s the trouble, I’ve had 3 of them and wouldn’t walk across the street for a truckload of the things. After 2 that were anything but worthless, I was looking for a suppressor host and thought ...well...maybe...and ended up with another POS! The problem with them is that as a Sig guy, they feel so damn good in your hand. But they perform so lousy in action. I’ve got one laying in my safe that I would’nt wish on an enemy! Just my .02.

I had one that was excellent for malfunction drills. Shame was, when it ran it was a shooter.

Sold it to a guy who claims he replaced the extractor and it was good to go.

I might take one if you gave it to me free but that's about it.
 
@fieldgrade ....I'm not far from you and have a Walther P22 you are more than welcome to borrow and test it out. Have been thinking about selling it for awhile. Only shot it a few times with no problems with it. Bought it for the wife because it was the only pistol I could find that the wife could rack the slide.
 
Ash...
I have a Charter snubby and a Taurus 6” that have ZERO recoil if you’re just starting to teach someone. Both are fairly small grip size. You are welcome to borrow either/both to get the basics down and not worry about recoil.


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@fieldgrade ....I'm not far from you and have a Walther P22 you are more than welcome to borrow and test it out. Have been thinking about selling it for awhile. Only shot it a few times with no problems with it. Bought it for the wife because it was the only pistol I could find that the wife could rack the slide.
I appreciate these offers fellas. And to you others who have offered as well, @Red Marley @Miss Lily @Mike V @Button Pusher and others. I am probably going to handle an M&P 22C when I can at the LGS where one of my boys works. I’m fairly set on something single action only at this point, if for no other reason than it’s my own personal preference.
 
Ash, y’all can come by and shoot both of the MK’s I have, they’re SA. I’m between Woody’s and Deep River. You’d probably prefer the 22/45 style since a 1911 is your go to.
Thanks, and don’t forget I owe you some ammo.
 
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But my Ruger ate all the ammo. Anything that ammo picky you can keep. I prefer things that work. I’m lazy like that. I don’t need to have notes on which 22 will shoot which ammo.

My Ruger MK II does well with most ammo if kept fairly clean, but there is some 22 ammo that even my revolvers will not fire. I do not buy Remington 22 ammo any more.
 
I had a Ruger 22/45. It was a great shooter but I would not recommend it for someone with very small hands (which I think was among your criteria). I wear men’s gloves size small, and the 22/45 grip was too big for me. It was do-able, but not ideal. I had to use my non-shooting hand to work the mag release and safety. I spent some time carving and filing the grips to give me a better chance at getting my short fingers around it, and made some improvement, but not enough. I really liked the pistol, but ultimately had to accept that I was never going to be able to grip it correctly. If you’re determined to have a SA semi, trust me and at least hold a Browning 1911-22 before you commit to something else. Better yet - let the intended user hold it.
 
I had a Ruger 22/45. It was a great shooter but I would not recommend it for someone with very small hands (which I think was among your criteria). I wear men’s gloves size small, and the 22/45 grip was too big for me. It was do-able, but not ideal. I had to use my non-shooting hand to work the mag release and safety. I spent some time carving and filing the grips to give me a better chance at getting my short fingers around it, and made some improvement, but not enough. I really liked the pistol, but ultimately had to accept that I was never going to be able to grip it correctly. If you’re determined to have a SA semi, trust me and at least hold a Browning 1911-22 before you commit to something else. Better yet - let the intended user hold it.
This is all good to know. Her hands are REALLY small.

And I am pretty set on SA only.
 
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