Advice on Airgun and/or .22 cal handguns

R

RadarMan

New member
I did not have any handgun exposure as a child :( but a lot of rifle and shotgun. I would like to give my 5 children experience with handguns. My 5 children range from 10-2 yrs with my 6 year old son being my youngest shooter with props (a .22lr ss/bolt winchester w/ baush&lomb scope, the thing is a killer!) I would like some advice on an airgun or .22 cal handgun that might have what it takes to teach proper handgun safety, handle alot of targets, and help a guy with 5 youngin's afford it. Any help? Thanks.
 
For safety, a NRA firearms instructor to start with and if your kids are in the cub scouts, you may find one through them (and earn a merit badge). I believe firearms merit badge counselors are required to be NRA instructors by the Scouts.

Firearms wise, if you've got a Thompson/Contender, get a .22 LR barrel for it. That's what I teach my nephews with. Single shot, slow and deliberate aimed fire. Years ago I tried teaching a friend's kid with his dad's Ruger MK 1. He was pure spray & pray and to slow the kid down, I restricted him to loading one round per magazine.

On the airgun scene, I'd go with that pump action Crossman single shot. You can put a stock on it too for long gun training. It wasn't until recently that I bought a RWS 225 (Sig P225 lookalike) and don't think its as accurate. Like before though, I tend to shy away from anything which may be fired rapidly when training a youngster.
 
For an airgun, you can't go wrong with a Sheridan (Benjamin)/Crosman pump.
The Sheridan Silver Streak can be fitted with a Williams Peep Sight for $30, bringing a total cost to around $140.
The Silver or Blue Streaks come only in .20 caliber. The Benjamin pumps come in .177 and .22 caliber.
These rifles have taught children and adults for over 40 years. They are zero maintenance, and last generations.
These pumps develop a viable velocity of 300 fps with a few pumps, and can reach over 800 fps when fully pumped. Thats over 12 ft.lbs. with the .20, so they can also be used to hunt squirrels, crows and other small varmits.
Oh yeah, I can easily hold a 1/2" group at 25 yards.
Keep your eye out at large sporting goods stores. Be glad to provide web addresses if needed.
Bill
FIWI: Benjamim/Sheridan also makes several pneumatic pistols. These are also great quality, wood and brass, American-made, single shot pistols.They are identified as models H-17, H-20 and H-22 for .177, .20 and .22 caliber respectively.
You are talking up to 450 FPS here.
Avoid CO2 airguns as the power is not consistant.



[This message has been edited by Bill McW (edited 01-02-99).]
 
It may be a bit too expensive, but consider a S&W model 34. This is a J-frame .22 with a four inch barrel and adjustable sights. Most kids work well with the small size and don't worry about them outgrowing it, this gun is a real keeper. In single action .22's look at Rugers single six and Bearcat. Both are great guns for beginers.
 
Hey, I like that idea of the S&W M34. I tried teaching my nephews with my eight shot J frame Ladysmith (OK, so I wimped out and shucked out an extra $20 for the wood grips, presentation box and lock). They love the gun but I made the mistake of introducing them to natural point shooting. You'd think they were shooting a Ruger MK I.

How about the M317 3" bbl 8 shot J frame? That's the gun I wanted and it just wasn't made when I bought the 2" Ladysmith. Adjustable sights and 3" barrel, quite a nice gun to teach a kid with - if you can get them to shoot slowly, concentrate on the front sight and trigger control.
 
Ruger .22/45. It is supposed to duplicate the 1911 in feel, but in reality it is identical to the Browning Hi-Power. Much friendlier to small hands. Any Smith and Wesson J-Frame revolver is a fine choice, but the larger 617 series (K-frame) may be too big for small hands(kids). The Smiths also cost 2 times what the .22/45 does. The .22/45 just may be the best under $200.00 gun made. Mine is less than 6 months old,has close to 12,000 rounds through it, and still shoots like the day I picked it up. Another big plus for the Ruger, you can clean it from the breech. Shooting a gun is only one part of ownership. Proper cleaning ans storage is a large, often ignored part. The thought of inexperienced little hands scrubbing the bore of a $400.00 plus revolver always makes me uneasy. The Ruger Bearcat is also a good choice for small hands, and being a single action, it doesn't blow through a lot of ammo. Another option,but a bit pricier, is a 1911 with a .22 conversion. I have a Kimber Custom Target that gets a hundred times more use with the Ciener conversion than with .45 loads.

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A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined;
George Washington Jan 8,1790--There can be no doubt about the Second Amendment.



[This message has been edited by Hal (edited 01-03-99).]
 
Radar Man,
Sorry for the delay. Here's a few airgun addresses:
Crosman Mfg. Home Page < www.crosman.com >
F.S.I. (web-dealer) < www.airgunsusa.com >
Mac-1 (web-dealer) < Mac1@concentric.net >

FSI has the Benjamin Mod. 392 .22 cal pneumatic for $110.
Also has the Benjamin/Sheridan HB-22 pneumatic pistol for $109.
Their price on the sheridan Silver streak is $146. This is an excellent nickel plate-over brass & walnut pump.

Mac1 is a third generatiom mail order and web-dealer/repairer. He repairs and customizes all Crosman products.
My Silver streak has his "Steriod Treatment" and has 40% more power than factory. He also does trigger jobs too. I'd suggest him for any Crosman product. Go ahead and have him do at least the trigger work as these guns leave the factory with a 6 lb. pull. Mine is 1 1/2 to 2 lbs.
later, Bill

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Talk is cheap. Free speech is not.
 
The Gamo R-77 pellet gun is very similar to a S&W revolver even down to the swing out cylinder. It is a very good aid to handgun usage and safety.

Axel
 
I have looked at several rimfire and air handguns since my first post. I am very intrested in the Ruger .22/45 and talked with an avid handgunner at work today about them. He indicated that they were difficult to field strip. Hal since you weighed in as an owner of said handgun, did you find this to be so?

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If your looking for a air operated handgun and don't think it will get much use after, why don't you get one of the Daisey one pumpers? shoot cheap bb's, enough power to target shoot at 10-15 yrs and cheap.
 
Radarman: At first yes it was difficult to field strip, but after the fourth or fifth time, you pick up the few quirks. I now find the 22/45 to be the Easiest of all my guns to field strip. I have timed myself, just for the heck of it, and I can take it down and put it back together in under 30 seconds. My Mark II is much tougher to reassemble. I really feel that the polymer frame of the 22/45, and it's slickness has a lot to do with the superiority of the 22/45 over the Mark II. With the 22/45, you hold the trigger back, gun upright,insert the bolt,insert the breech plug, invert the gun and watch the position of the hammer strut(it should fall into the spring housing just right)as you insert the hammer spring, and flip the lever down. With a small amout of practice, you can feel when it goes together right. Last step is to try to rack the bolt. If the bolt does not go all the way back,do not go any farther, take it down and start over. Ask the guy at the store to show you how to do it, or better yet see if someone at the range is shooting one, they can show you how to do it. Anyone that has shot the 22/45 more than a dozen times and field stripped it knows how easy they are. www.ontherange.com also sells a takedown key for Rugers, but in all honesty I found they aren't needed. The only other gun that I own that is easier to field strip is my ancient Hi-Standard Sport King.

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A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined;
George Washington Jan 8,1790--There can be no doubt about the Second Amendment.
 
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