Paul Harrell’s Top 5 (6) Handguns for Beginners

We were all beginners once. I was introduced to guns so long ago and at such a young age that I have a tough time remembering how it was for me. But many folks begin shooting as adults, and they need advice. What are the best handguns for beginner shooters?

YouTuber Paul Harrell has some thoughts and opinions on the subject, which he shares in the video below. He’s careful not to endorse any certain firearm, but he “can show you some handguns he would call ‘worthy of consideration.'”

Aside from discussing the individual guns, Paul also injects advice here & there, so you’ll want to watch the whole thing before drawing conclusions.

Ruger Bearcat Revolver

The Bearcat is a single-action 22 LR rimfire revolver. It has a nice small grip and 22 LR is a great round for practice shooting, with little recoil. The single action slows things down, which helps new shooters take a little more time to learn the basics.

Ruger Single-Six Revolver

This too is a single-action 22 LR rimfire revolver, but has a larger frame and grip than the Bearcat, and often includes a 22 magnum cylinder.

Smith & Wesson Model 63 Revolver

The 63 is another 22 rimfire revolver, but this one is double action. It can be fired single action or double, and it holds 8 shots instead of only 6. It’s also much easier to load & unload than the single-actions above.

Ruger 22 Pistol

The Ruger semi-auto pistol he shows here is a Mark III, which has a better magazine release than earlier versions (or ‘Marks’).

22 Pistols Which Resemble Larger Ones

Paul cheats a little here by including two guns instead of one; the reason being that both are quite similar to more-powerful pistols. The models: S&W M&P 22 and Beretta M922.

These can be good for training folks who will later transition to centerfire pistols of the same or similar model.

Enjoy the video and comment below to let us know what you think of his choices.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.