A good 22 handgun for my daughter's first gun?
Hi, my daughter(she's 15) has been bugging me to take her to the range, I only have 1911's(Springfield, Colt), 9mm autos ( Springfield XD, Glock) and a couple of .357 mag revolvers. None of these would be a good first gun, I don't know a lot about 22's should I go with a wheel gun or Auto? I was looking at the Beretta Neos, looks good, and a Ruger Mark or 5xx series. Any Suggestions? Thanks PC
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Ruger Mark II 22 auto pistol or a Single Six.Both designs have been around in one form or another for 50 years.She can give them to your grandchildren.Both are excellent choices.The only pistol that has more aftermarket parts than a Ruger 22 auto,is the Colt 1911 design pistols.
EvilDr235
Two types of people drive old cars.Rich people because they want to and poor people because they have to.0 -
No experience on my part, but I'm definitly thinkin about trying to get my hands on one of them Berretas....they look like awful nice guns for the price, and considering its a Beretta, I wouldnt doubt its quality....plus, they look absolutly amazing, and the review I saw on it said it was quite accurate, so it looked like a good buy in my eyes...
shoey0 -
While a revolver would be the simpliest, look at the Walter P22.
Its compact size and grip may fit her hands better. Both the Ruger Single Six and the Luger styled models are excellent too.0 -
Try to get her to a shop that has the Ruger MKII (both the 45/22 and the standard as well as Single Six), the Beretta Neo, the Walther and the Browning Buckmark in stock. Let her feel each of them and see which one she likes the best. Each one has it's advantages and disadvantages. However, she will probably do best with the one she finds most comfortable. My only other advise would be a word about the Rugers that most folks don't consider when initially examining them. The Ruger MKII has several sharp edges that have been known to cut unwary fingers and hands. I have seen people get turned off of shooting completely because they cut themselves on a Ruger MKII shortly after buying it. Another point about the Ruger MKII that turns off some folks is that it can be somewhat difficult to disassemble and reassemble for cleaning. On the bright side, "field stripping" it really isn't necessary for a good cleaning. However, I just wanted to make sure you knew that many people have had problems in this regard. Some folks like to take things apart and see how they work, finding that to be part of the excitment and fun of shooting. Others don't really care about that. It just depends on which catagory you're in. Finally, the standard Ruger MKII and the 22/45 have very different grip angles. The 22/45 was designed to reproduce the grip angle of the 1911 .45 acp while the older MKII was more like the German Luger. The issue of what is the most "natural" grip angle bothered both George Luger and John Browning for years. Try to find out which one feels best to her. After following standard safety procedures, have her hold one of these in her hand pointing down. Then have her close her eyes and raise the pistol as though she was going to fire it. Then have her open her eyes. She will either be looking down the proper plane of sight or she will have to tilt her hand to get the pistol lined up properly. The one she has to move the least is the grip angle that is the most "natural" for her. Let us know how it goes and what she gets. Good luck -- Steve 0 -
They're a little pricey but Ruger makes a dandy little .22 revolver called a "Bearcat". It is a Single-Six in a reduced size. Won't handle .22 Magnum but, for a junior shooter, it might be just the ticket, particularly if the young lady has small hands. 0 -
Bearcats DO have a magnum cylinder included, at least in their last two incarnations. 0 -
if you dont mind a used gun....High Standard's .22s pistols are my favorite. i used to shoot "Standard" .22 competitions with them, and no other .22 are better (IMHO). as far as new guns, i like Browning Buck Marks. 0 -
maybe its me....but i was always taught to teach kids the costs of shooting too. semi's tempt kids to empty the mag to hear the bangy bangy noises and get that feeling of power. all bad habits. i tend to agree with the suggestion to go with the single action revolver. every shot will be delibrate and require some effort to load and unload. this way accuracy can become the primary focus and a respect for the preparation of the shot will be created. once the basics are established, i agree that the hi standard 22 is the absolute best gun to learn on. get an old one with slant grips. they are easy to point and will shoot forever. the hamden plinker or sharpshooter with a 4 1/2" bbl will do fine.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
I agree with the Ruger MK II or Single Six. I taught my wife, sons and several other people to shoot using these two firearms. JMHO
Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....0 -
I like SCK's suggestion. Only downside is keeping her focused on feel and handling and not going for the sexy one. I have a Neos, a Buck Mark and also Colt Huntsman/Woodsman. I love the Woodsman, but they are spendy. A Huntsman is less so and a nice choice. Of the ones I own, I would probably choose the Buck Mark for this job. I guess I am the only guy that does not much like the Ruger. Just does not feel right to me.
My heros have always killed cowboys.0 -
The Ruger .22 pistols are good, but I'm having jamming problems with mine. A jam is no big deal for a .22 plinker, but clearing the jam would be frustrating and potentially dangerous for a new shooter. If I were buying a new .22 pistol, I would definitely take a hard look at the Berreta Neos. It looks like a winner.
But, I agree with a couple of others here that a revolver may be the way to go. A used S&W would fit the bill well and would retain its value long into the future. I would definitely NOT recommend a Taurus revolver. I have a Taurus 94 and the trigger pull is terrible. After I bought it I found a used S&W 63. I paid more for the used S&W than I did for the new Taurus, but I like it a whole lot more and it'll still be worth a lot more in the future.0 -
Can't go wrong with any Ruger; and for the "first gun" my choice would be something in single action. Then depending on the size of your daughter's hand, I would go with the Bearcat (small) or the Ruger Convertible 22/22M if she has a larger hand. Just my opinion and that was how I started both of my daughter's out.... They both probably shoot better than me today! [:)] 0 -
i challenge anyone to beat me in a field strip race with a ruger mk2 against my hi standard. im assuming you will be teaching the child how to clean her first gun too? good luck when you pull that little lever on the mk2's backstrap. stand by for fun! btw...my hi standard is field stripped in 10 seconds. for a 15 year old, that might be worth looking at.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.0 -
Mastering the proceedure for field stripping a Ruger MKII is no big deal once you have done it a hundred times,have plenty of time and no one is around to hear you swear.... [:D]
Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....0 -
I gave My oldest daughter a Model 17 S&W for Her 9th Birthday..and a .45 Colt 1911 on Her 15th Birthday...Never regreted the decission..She still can shoot the X ring out of the Target at 25 Feet....She also Shot the only Perfect Score at RTC Orlando when She Joined the Navy back about 12 years ago....She was asked to Join the Navy Shooting Team while in Boot Camp....and this can all be verified By Bobski by contacting CPO White, D.I.!..He's still in the system somewhere..Probably Great Lakes these days...As a 1st gun, the Wheel Gun was the way to go...It taught Her to keep focused and having the option to Single Action or Double Action Fire Her Weapon...She also learned to Take this gun down to its last screw and Clean the internal pieces and reinstall them...and by the time she was a teenager She was shooting every Gun in My Arsenal...and knew what She was doing....What I'm saying here is....Give Her a Double Action Wheel Gun..
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0
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