Help me buy my 18 year-old son his first handgun...

T

tobnpr

New member
We got into shooting long guns five months ago, and he's progressing nicely with his Rem. 700. Long-range shooting is where we're heading...

He wants to broaden his horizons with a handgun. I have zero knowledge on the subject. Ultimately, same as the long gun- precision target shooting. This is not to be a carry or self-defense weapon.

Budget is $500 (or so). Don't hesitate to suggest a used gun to get in that price range, plenty of good deals to be had, and my area doesn't lack for pawn shops and gun dealers...

Being my son, and his first handgun- safety is paramount. From what I've read, I really like the Glocks for this aspect, but don't know about the accuracy. Next would be accuracy.

Then comes caliber... 9mm, .45 acp? .40?
I was also thinking of a used Springer 1911, but wonder if the .45 would be too much to handle.

If you had (or have?) an 18 year old with this in mind, what would you buy him?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
 
I would suggest a 22 target pistol. He will learn how to handle a handgun and be able to afford a lot of practice ammo.
 
I'd keep it simple-
A DA/SA like a Ruger 89 series
SA like a 1911 -
Not a Glock fer gawgds sake :p
Start with something with a manual safty - JMO
Caliber- Dont start too soft- 9mm- it aint gonna hurt him :cool:
You start with a 22 & he'll exspect all handguns to have no recoil :confused:
He's allready used to recoil - right?
 
.22 for sure after her learns how to shoot a .22 well he can apply it to any other handgun.

Beretta NEOS, Browning Buckmark, Ruger Mk2 or 3. are all fine autos that can be had for under your budget and those are only the ones I own. There are others that I cannot rightly speak for. P22, SIG mosquito, GSG1911, and S&W 22A are examples.
 
CZ75/85 in 9mm Luger - reliable, accurate, has manual safety and hammer which is IMO safer system for novice shooter than glock, it is easy to shoot so your son is less likely to pick up bad habits yet powerful enough for serious (SD, HD) use besides learning the ropes.
 
He wants to broaden his horizons with a handgun. I have zero knowledge on the subject. Ultimately, same as the long gun- precision target shooting. This is not to be a carry or self-defense weapon.

Budget is $500 (or so).

Then comes caliber... 9mm, .45 acp? .40?
Click to expand...

.22LR. Ruger Mark i, ii or iii Target. Your budget leaves plenty of room for ammo, magazines and a vast array of aftermarket options.

This right here:

10106.jpg
 
Don't hesitate to suggest a used gun to get in that price range, plenty of good deals to be had
Click to expand...

Buying used is a good strategy when it comes to target pistols. They tend to hold their value.

Your budget is low for a centerfire target pistol. But a Ruger MKII/I 22lr would probably be in that range. Another alternative is a used S&W Model 14 or 15 revolver in 38spl. These will give the accuracy that you want, and they're versatile.

Keep in mind that you'll likely go through much more ammo that w/ the 700, and that's going to add up, cost wise.
 
Thanks guys...
To clarify, this doesn't have to be a "target' pistol, per se....
Needs to be "reasonably" accurate- so that there is no frustration.

Honestly, while the .22 may be the most practical suggestion, I don't think I'll go that direction. Points are valid- particularly ammo cost. I thought the same thing with the rifle, but as a trade-off selected .223 as the caliber- reasonably inexpensive (we handload now), accurate to fairly long range, and not as "wimpy" as a .22 cal.

This is an 18 year old we're talking about... with an 18 year old "ego"...
Do you think a 1911 is a bad choice?
 
Lots of good advice above, but +1 for the .22
There is nothing you can't learn on a .22 you can on a larger caliber, and the costs for ammo is minimal. (ie 1000 shots for < $25.)
Once you learn the basics, it's easy to move up and use the .22 for a trade in.

If you buy a used one, your costs should he not like it is very low, as used guns don't loose a lot of value.

Good luck, and be safe.
 
Hmmm...
Guess I should really re-think the .22, huh?
Need to be practical, but also need to make him happy- it is Xmas, after all...

He's always jeering the kids at the range with the little .22's... wrong, I know... but like I said, he's 18...
 
If you are reloading, go for a 1911 .45, you can load it down to pretty mild, and with reloading the cost is pretty reasonable. An 18 year old will love it, has that macho look that no .22 will ever have. It will also be fun for you, too. I should add, both my kids still like to go shooting, my 21 year old son and my 20 year old daughter. They like to shoot the .22's, but their eyes light up with the big caliber pistols come out. My daughter likes to shoot my S&W .41 magnum, and with reloading, I can afford for her to shoot it as much as she wants. Both my kids like the .44 magnum, and each will shoot the .45's I have until I run out of ammunition(I reload, don't run out of ammunition much). If your son already poo-poos his friends shooting .22's, and he can handle the .45, he will be much happier, and he can learn all the rules of safe pistol handling with a larger caliber just as well as with a smaller caliber. He can pick up a .22 later if he wants to shot more.

DavidAGO
 
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Jeering the kids at the range with the .22's...

.... is not particularly encouraging.

And making him happy is nice, but teaching him to respect firearms and fellow shooters is more important.

Anyway, yet another +1 for the .22LR. I learned on a S&W Model 18, which is a K-Frame cousin to the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece .38. Nearly 30 years later, I still have that revolver, and shoot it a lot. (And I have a couple .44 mags, a couple .357 mags, a .38, a 10mm, a .45acp, a few 9mm... you get the idea.)

The .22LR is inexpensive to feed, which means you can practice with it a lot more often than you can with centerfire rounds, unless you are reloading in bulk. The lack of recoil means your son can learn proper trigger control and sight management, without developing the flinch that seems to occur most of the time when shooters are introduced to handgunning with a caliber that kicks.

A 1911 is not particularly complex, and the .45acp doesn't kick all that hard. But a 1911 is more complex than a K-frame, and .45acp kicks a lot harder than .22LR.

A box of .45acp is going for around $23-$25 in these parts, too...

Keep the handgun simple, and help your son develop a more mature attitude about it.
 
"What they (think they) want is not always what they need"

"What they (think they) want is not always what they need", quoted to me by a wise older relative, in relationship to one of our kids. If it works out, set a goal of safety, accuracy, maintenance, etc for something he chooses after building some experience.

I would be very hesitant to go out and 'just buy a gun' without him trying many out. Even though TFL has some amazing gun wizards, his grip and preferences may be totally different than some of they guys here that have 2 of every semi and revolver ever made.

For my first handgun, I put at least 1000 rounds down a dozen rental guns before deciding on a Sig. My wife at least doubled that before she got here S&W.

Good luck, and be safe!
 
The first handgun I fired when I was about the same age as your son was a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I thought it was great. Recoil doesn't seem to affect 18 year old too much. Now that I am 44 years old, 44 special is more to my liking.

An 18 year old will be extremely happy shooting 45acp. I have never found it to be a harsh cartridge. You can learn proper gun handling on a 45 as well as you can with a 22. My suggestion is to cut to the chase and get him a 1911. I still remember the first time I fired one, It was the most comfortable gun I ever shot and that hasn't changed.

Another great 45 in your price range is the S&W M&P45. I just bought one a few weeks ago and am highly impressed. It feels and shoots great, you can also get one with a manual safety, or not. Most gunshops seem to have them in stock, check one out.

In addition, you may want to consider 9mm. ammo is relatively inexpensive to buy or reload. I would take a look at the M&P pistols for this cartridge too. An 18 year old would probably like 17+1 rounds at his disposal.
 
9mm

Im gonna go against popular thought and say go with a 9mm. Its fairly cheap and its a big boys gun. He is 18 after all, if he is used to shooting high powered rifles, a 22 aint gonna do much for him
 
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