First Revolver...
- Thread starter KimberBoy
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22-rimfire
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MarkII Ruger 5.5" 22 with bull barrel (auto) or a Ruger GP100 357 revolver. If you want a 22 revolver, look at a Smith Model 617 revolver in either 6 shot or 10 shot cylinder. Rugers are cheap and well made. Smith is for a lifetime.
You didn't say if your younger brother was interested target shooting, plinking or hunting with it.
The .22 caliber revolver will cost more than a .22 auto, but the ammo is dirt cheap. This allows a lot of practice to develop good shooting skills that will transfer to larger calibers. The .22 Magnum will increase the price of ammo greatly, along with the noise and is better suited to hunting than target shooting or plinking.
In .22's there are a number of good guns;
S&W 617 with a 6" barrel (10 shots, stainless steel)
S&W 63 with a 4" barrel (6 shots, stainless steel)
S&W 48 (.22 Mag) with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
S&W 18 with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
S&W 17 with a 4" or 6" barrel (6 or 10 shots depending on year mfg'd)
Ruger SP101 with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
Ruger Bearcat with a 4" barrel (6 shots, single action)
Ruger Bisley with a 6.5" barrel (6 shots, single action)
Taurus also has a number of .22 wheelguns.
In Centerfire calibers, I'd suggest staying with the .38 Special or a .357 Mag caliber gun. Most .38's are cheaper right now so better deals can be had. A big plus is that ammo is available everywhere and can be inexpensive. Stick with a 4" or longer barrel for accuracy and lower prices.
Ruger double action revolvers are generally good buys. A lightly used S&W Model 15 (4") is a delight to shoot. If you can find a S&W Model 10 "Heavy Barrel" this can be a great beginner's gun too. Stainless steel counterparts to the foregoing are the Model 67 and Model 64 respectively. In .357 the Model 13 (heavy barrel), M-19 have their stainless counterparts as M-65 and M-66.
Most of the .38 revolvers, used, go anywhere from $225 to $450 depending on model, condition and demand.
Happy shooting!
The .22 caliber revolver will cost more than a .22 auto, but the ammo is dirt cheap. This allows a lot of practice to develop good shooting skills that will transfer to larger calibers. The .22 Magnum will increase the price of ammo greatly, along with the noise and is better suited to hunting than target shooting or plinking.
In .22's there are a number of good guns;
S&W 617 with a 6" barrel (10 shots, stainless steel)
S&W 63 with a 4" barrel (6 shots, stainless steel)
S&W 48 (.22 Mag) with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
S&W 18 with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
S&W 17 with a 4" or 6" barrel (6 or 10 shots depending on year mfg'd)
Ruger SP101 with a 4" barrel (6 shots)
Ruger Bearcat with a 4" barrel (6 shots, single action)
Ruger Bisley with a 6.5" barrel (6 shots, single action)
Taurus also has a number of .22 wheelguns.
In Centerfire calibers, I'd suggest staying with the .38 Special or a .357 Mag caliber gun. Most .38's are cheaper right now so better deals can be had. A big plus is that ammo is available everywhere and can be inexpensive. Stick with a 4" or longer barrel for accuracy and lower prices.
Ruger double action revolvers are generally good buys. A lightly used S&W Model 15 (4") is a delight to shoot. If you can find a S&W Model 10 "Heavy Barrel" this can be a great beginner's gun too. Stainless steel counterparts to the foregoing are the Model 67 and Model 64 respectively. In .357 the Model 13 (heavy barrel), M-19 have their stainless counterparts as M-65 and M-66.
Most of the .38 revolvers, used, go anywhere from $225 to $450 depending on model, condition and demand.
Happy shooting!
If he simply wants to plink, a used Ruger Single Six (.22LR) can be had for about $125 or so in nice shape and will be dirt cheap to shoot.
If he/you decide on a centerfire cartridge, a nice used S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 would fit the bill, but will cost more money to buy & to shoot.
If he/you decide on a centerfire cartridge, a nice used S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 would fit the bill, but will cost more money to buy & to shoot.
Forget the .38 Special or .357 Magnum, or any other center-fire for that matter. The cost of ammunition will limit his ability to practice with it.
Get a .22 revolver, preferably double-action. With the double-action, you can either thumb back the hammer to fire it, or pull the trigger and it will cam back the hammer and fire it.
With a double-action revolver, the cylinder swings out to the left and the empty shells or loaded cartridges are ejected all at once.
A single-action revolver is not a bad choice, per se, but it takes longer to load and unload. You have to turn the cylinder and punch out each empty, or load each cartridge, one at a time.
I would suggest a double-action revolver of high quality. Spend the extra money and get him a Smith & Wesson or Ruger SP-101 in .22 caliber.
I suggest a 6-inch barrel. A 4-inch can be good but requires a little extra work to become good with it.
I have a Smith & Wesson Model 17 revolver (blued) with a 6-inch barrel. I also have a Ruger Mark 1 bull barreled semi-auto, a Charter Arms Pathfinder revolver with 3-inch barrel, an Iver Johnson TP22 semi-auto pocket gun and a Stoeger Luger.
Out of all of these, I'd suggest the Smith & Wesson as a first gun.
The revolver MUST have adjustable sights, not fixed sights. This way, he can move the sights to where the bullet strikes, at any reasonable range.
Aside from the lower cost of ammunition, the .22 rimfire has other advantages to it:
1. It may be used at any indoor range. Some ranges limit which cartridges may be used, because of their bullet trap. High-penetrating rounds like the 9mm, .357 Magnum, .38 Super and .44 Magnum may not be allowed, for example.
The .22 is always welcome at any reputable range.
2. The recoil is low or negligible. If he starts with a .357 Magnum, he'll undoubtedly want to try .357 cartridges in it. Yes, I know that the .357 Magnum can easily shoot any .38 Special cartridge. However, that temptation to shoot the .357 with full-power loads will be there. This is almost guaranteed to give him a bad flinch --- and may sour him on pistol shooting altogether.
Yes, I know that other 16-year-olds handle the .357 just fine, but we're talking about a kid that likely has limited experience with a handgun, if any experience at all.
3. He will never outgrow a good .22 revolver. They are always useful, whatever your age. A man may start his life with the big Magnums, but almost invariably he'll buy a .22 handgun because of its versatility and usefulness.
4. He can shoot ammunition in it that is very reduced, such as the .22 Short or .22 CB cap. This is good ammo for pests at close range, or just for plinking. If he wants to shoot very weak loads in the .38 or .357 Magnum, he'll have to make them himself.
5. The .22 will allow him plenty of practice, because of its low-cost ammo. He'll have plenty of opportunity to develop good shooting and safety habits. The absolute worst thing you can do is start someone with a Magnum with Magnum loads. They will invariably develop a flinch and bad habits, such as closing their eyes just before they pull the trigger.
Each and every shot should come as something of a surrprise, an expected surprise if you will. The .22 will cultivate good habits without the distractions of noise, recoil and blast.
I should add a note about the .22 rifle or handgun: more than any other firearm, it is very particular about its likes and dislikes. When you get a .22, you should buy a box of every kind of ammo you can get your hands on: Winchester, Remington, Federal, CCI, Wolf, etc. And don't overlook the hyper-velocity loads and hollow-points too.
Then, buy at least three REAL paper targets (not just a tin can) for each box of shells you buy.
If you can, use a benchrest and rest your hands --- but no part of the gun --- on a pistol stand or even a tightly rolled blanket or sleeping bag. Fire each brand single-action, by cocking the hammer first then squeeeeeezing the trigger at the target.
Write on each target exactly what brand and type of cartridge you used.
When it's all over, compare the targets. You'll be amazed at how your revolver prefers one brand over another, and perhaps even one type over another (hypervelocity, hollowpoint, standard velocity, high velocity, etc.) among the same maker.
It's tedious, I know, but in the end you'll have the most accurate load you can get --- and you'll have fewer misses.
Too many people buy the cheapest brand they can get. Sometimes it's accurate, often it's not. Find what that revolver likes and stick with it.
And when a new manufacturer or type comes along, try that too.
He may pooh-pooh the idea of "just a .22" now, but he'll thank you later for it. Many kids today (of all ages, unfortunately) want a "big ol' Magnum" so they can be impressed with its power and recoil. Marksmanship counts more than power.
Just starting with a handgun is NOT the time to use a Magnum or even a .38 Special, for the reasons I've stated above.
Later, he can move on to a .38 or .357 Magnum --- an excellent move by the way. Then, he'll have a good centerfire revolver AND a good .22 revolver in his battery.
Go with the .22 rimfire. It's the best for beginners.
Get a .22 revolver, preferably double-action. With the double-action, you can either thumb back the hammer to fire it, or pull the trigger and it will cam back the hammer and fire it.
With a double-action revolver, the cylinder swings out to the left and the empty shells or loaded cartridges are ejected all at once.
A single-action revolver is not a bad choice, per se, but it takes longer to load and unload. You have to turn the cylinder and punch out each empty, or load each cartridge, one at a time.
I would suggest a double-action revolver of high quality. Spend the extra money and get him a Smith & Wesson or Ruger SP-101 in .22 caliber.
I suggest a 6-inch barrel. A 4-inch can be good but requires a little extra work to become good with it.
I have a Smith & Wesson Model 17 revolver (blued) with a 6-inch barrel. I also have a Ruger Mark 1 bull barreled semi-auto, a Charter Arms Pathfinder revolver with 3-inch barrel, an Iver Johnson TP22 semi-auto pocket gun and a Stoeger Luger.
Out of all of these, I'd suggest the Smith & Wesson as a first gun.
The revolver MUST have adjustable sights, not fixed sights. This way, he can move the sights to where the bullet strikes, at any reasonable range.
Aside from the lower cost of ammunition, the .22 rimfire has other advantages to it:
1. It may be used at any indoor range. Some ranges limit which cartridges may be used, because of their bullet trap. High-penetrating rounds like the 9mm, .357 Magnum, .38 Super and .44 Magnum may not be allowed, for example.
The .22 is always welcome at any reputable range.
2. The recoil is low or negligible. If he starts with a .357 Magnum, he'll undoubtedly want to try .357 cartridges in it. Yes, I know that the .357 Magnum can easily shoot any .38 Special cartridge. However, that temptation to shoot the .357 with full-power loads will be there. This is almost guaranteed to give him a bad flinch --- and may sour him on pistol shooting altogether.
Yes, I know that other 16-year-olds handle the .357 just fine, but we're talking about a kid that likely has limited experience with a handgun, if any experience at all.
3. He will never outgrow a good .22 revolver. They are always useful, whatever your age. A man may start his life with the big Magnums, but almost invariably he'll buy a .22 handgun because of its versatility and usefulness.
4. He can shoot ammunition in it that is very reduced, such as the .22 Short or .22 CB cap. This is good ammo for pests at close range, or just for plinking. If he wants to shoot very weak loads in the .38 or .357 Magnum, he'll have to make them himself.
5. The .22 will allow him plenty of practice, because of its low-cost ammo. He'll have plenty of opportunity to develop good shooting and safety habits. The absolute worst thing you can do is start someone with a Magnum with Magnum loads. They will invariably develop a flinch and bad habits, such as closing their eyes just before they pull the trigger.
Each and every shot should come as something of a surrprise, an expected surprise if you will. The .22 will cultivate good habits without the distractions of noise, recoil and blast.
I should add a note about the .22 rifle or handgun: more than any other firearm, it is very particular about its likes and dislikes. When you get a .22, you should buy a box of every kind of ammo you can get your hands on: Winchester, Remington, Federal, CCI, Wolf, etc. And don't overlook the hyper-velocity loads and hollow-points too.
Then, buy at least three REAL paper targets (not just a tin can) for each box of shells you buy.
If you can, use a benchrest and rest your hands --- but no part of the gun --- on a pistol stand or even a tightly rolled blanket or sleeping bag. Fire each brand single-action, by cocking the hammer first then squeeeeeezing the trigger at the target.
Write on each target exactly what brand and type of cartridge you used.
When it's all over, compare the targets. You'll be amazed at how your revolver prefers one brand over another, and perhaps even one type over another (hypervelocity, hollowpoint, standard velocity, high velocity, etc.) among the same maker.
It's tedious, I know, but in the end you'll have the most accurate load you can get --- and you'll have fewer misses.
Too many people buy the cheapest brand they can get. Sometimes it's accurate, often it's not. Find what that revolver likes and stick with it.
And when a new manufacturer or type comes along, try that too.
He may pooh-pooh the idea of "just a .22" now, but he'll thank you later for it. Many kids today (of all ages, unfortunately) want a "big ol' Magnum" so they can be impressed with its power and recoil. Marksmanship counts more than power.
Just starting with a handgun is NOT the time to use a Magnum or even a .38 Special, for the reasons I've stated above.
Later, he can move on to a .38 or .357 Magnum --- an excellent move by the way. Then, he'll have a good centerfire revolver AND a good .22 revolver in his battery.
Go with the .22 rimfire. It's the best for beginners.
I have to agree with the previous poster on gettting a .22 first. I am pretty new to the shooting scene, and until about a month ago, never fired a handgun, so I decided to buy a Ruger Mark III as my first handgun (I thought about getting a .22 revolver first, but I wanted to start off with a semi-auto because I new I was going to by a .357 revolver next, and I wanted to get some exposure to a semi-auto). Anyway, I've taken my .22 to the range about 4 times now, and have probably put around 1000 rounds through it, and have quite a bit of confidence in shooting now.
I can tell right now that shooting my .22 is something I will never outgrow. Even when I expand my collection, I plan on taking my .22 to the range everytime I go.
I actually just picked up my first centerfire handgun yesterday (a Smith & Wesson 686-6, beautiful) and plan on taking it to the range today for the first time. Of course I'll bring my .22 along too, with a brick of .22 LR.
I can tell right now that shooting my .22 is something I will never outgrow. Even when I expand my collection, I plan on taking my .22 to the range everytime I go.
I actually just picked up my first centerfire handgun yesterday (a Smith & Wesson 686-6, beautiful) and plan on taking it to the range today for the first time. Of course I'll bring my .22 along too, with a brick of .22 LR.
A S&W K-22 is the best quality .22 lr I have any experience with. It would make a fantastic first gun for anyone. They can be found used at very reasonable prices in good shape. Mine was probably 15 yrs old when my dad got it for me, and many years later it's still the best .22 I have.