# Gun Suggestions



## Silat Student (Apr 6, 2005)

Well as I mentioned in another thread I'm getting ready to turn 18 soon and purchase my first Firearm. Due to a lack of interest in firearms the rest of my family has I have been to the range a grand total of once. I want to buy something in .22 and maybe another caliber (once I get a little better with the .22). Any suggestions?


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## modarnis (Apr 6, 2005)

.22 Caliber?  Pistol or Rifle would be my first question?  I would assume target shooting and developing firearm handling and safety experiences are your primary purposes.

I would suggest inquiring at your local gunshop about taking a NRA sponsored course in safe gun handling first.

.22 is a great caliber to learn with and practice because it is inexpensive to shoot.  For a pistol, I have a Walther P-22 with 5" Barrel.  It shoots well and feels good in the hand.  Browning Buck Mark, and Beretta U22 Neo are other options for semi auto 22 pistols.

In rifles, there are a world of choices.  I have an old single shot Marlin that I've shot loads of rounds through over the last 25 years.  Ruger's 10-22 gets is well known and reliable, as are a variety of lever actions and pump actions from various makers


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## Blindside (Apr 6, 2005)

So what do you plan to do with it?  Plinking on the range, self-defense carry, or ???  Do you want a pistol or rifle?

Give us an idea and we can make some suggestions.

Lamont


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## arnisandyz (Apr 6, 2005)

Ruger makes great 22s.  I have an old 10/22 thats still going strong and my cousin has a mark II pistol.  I think they now have a mark III which has a polymer frame.

If you think ahead and plan on getting a larger caliber gun, another option would be to get the bigger gun now and get a 22 conversion kit.  You could get a Glock 17 (you can find alot of good deals on used ones now) and buy an advantage arms 22 kit.  This would give you the advantage of practicing basics cheap with 22s while building familiarity with your gun when your ready to move up to a more potent caliber. You would be using the entire lower half of the gun so trigger feel, grip angle etc would be the same.  There are kits for 1911s as well.


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## AnimEdge (Apr 6, 2005)

yea i woudl see what your local gun club/group whatever has, I know the one im with has matches and so on where the 22 is the choice weapon due to its cheap ammo and so on, im a Fan of the Ruger Mark II when it comes to a .22 pistol

But i do like the idea of the conversion Kit, i know that Kimber has a 1911 conversion kit thats like 250 ish whitch is about as much as a used .22 

But yep depends on what you need


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## Gray Phoenix (Apr 7, 2005)

Save yourself some money. go to the local indoor shooting range. Rent some stuff. Try things out. Most importantly, get professional training. I cant count the number of times I see people try to shoot only to find out how hard it is and give up. Do not rely on family members or friends. As good as they might be they will not be objective. 

If there is no range with rentals, find and instructor with his own supply. If money is an issue for the training save up for it.  With out proper knowledge and skills even the best gun will only ever be as good as you.

That being said... .22s are great fun. start with a rifle. Ruger 10/22. Its easy, fun and fairly inexpensive. Its also very easy to upgrade. I took my stock model and for about $300 I put on a fiberglass rubber coated stock, match grade bull barrel, and a whole host of internal stuff. I can keep a 50 round magazine inside of a quarter at 75 yards. The gun will do better but I cant. 

If your focused on the pistol, I recommend the Browning Buckmark. Easy to work with, highly reliable, and match grade out fo the box.

Have fun, and BE SAFE. If not have someone hide your body, we dont need any bad press. Kidding...


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## Silat Student (Apr 7, 2005)

Sorry for not being more specific guys. Here in Florida you can't buy handguns until you're 21 so I'm in the market for Rifles. I'll only be plinking to start with, I want to build accuracy before I go onto a larger and more expensive weapon. I fully plan on taking safety courses but thanks for the encouragement anyway


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## KenpoTex (Apr 7, 2005)

For a rifle I would second (or third or fourth...) the suggestion for the Ruger 10/22.  They're great rifles, very reliable and the sky is the limit when it comes to finding aftermarket parts for them.   If you don't want a semi-auto then Marlin makes nice bolt-actions and Henry makes a pretty cool little lever-action.

I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you get.  Some of my best memories are of my dad and I sitting around plinking with a .22.


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## Jerry (Apr 7, 2005)

> Sorry for not being more specific guys. Here in Florida you can't buy handguns until you're 21 so I'm in the market for Rifles. I'll only be plinking to start with, I want to build accuracy before I go onto a larger and more expensive weapon. I fully plan on taking safety courses but thanks for the encouragement anyway


 You can get a firearms license at 18 (just not a CCW). I believe it's leagal for you to own a handgun, just not to buy one.

We have some odd laws here.


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## Silat Student (Apr 7, 2005)

Accidentally Posted, Please Delete


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## dearnis.com (Apr 8, 2005)

Go with the 10/22.  Price is reasonable, quality is decent, and the mags are much more reliable than the norm for  .22 mags.  The gun is essentially modular, so as your skills grow and specific  interests develop you can modify it to what suits you.
Mine is going strong after 20 years, though less than half the parts are original.


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## Franc0 (Apr 8, 2005)

I agree fully with the 10/22 recomendations. I've had one for about 10 years now, and it's never ever given me any problems. I put on aftermarket black Druganov style stock, Harris bi-pod, flash supressor, and a mediocre scope and the whole rig looks pretty neat. I like the Butler Creek Hotlips mags, and since the repeal of the high cap mag ban, they've gone down in price too.
Franco


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## Silat Student (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks guys, looks like the 10/22 it is. I'd heard good stuff about it but I wanted to hear what ya'll had to say.


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