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

OP i sent you a PM but I'll make the post here as well.

I am 21 so I am not much older than your son; however, I feel like I may have some insight on the issue. First and foremost, you have to get him something he will like and will enjoy shooting. If he does not like/enjoy it, he will not shoot it very often, if at all. Plain and simple. If he does not want a .22, then don't get him one. I know a lot of the guys are saying "he needs a .22." But what good will getting a .22 do if he does not like to shoot it?

It might be a good idea to actually take him gun shopping and see what he wants and what sticks out to him. If he likes the gun, he will love to shoot it and that, in and of itself, will make him more proficient. Some of the best times I had with my dad was going to check out guns at the gun store.

My first handgun was a Kimber 1911. I love that thing to death and just can't put it down at the range. 1911's are hands down the most masculine handguns out there in my opinion. Your idea of a Springfield 1911 was excellent but make sure he likes it. That way you could get him the .22 conversion kit. It would be like having a .45 and a .22 in the same gun.

Good luck!


PS as for him jeering at people shooting .22's, don't worry about it, it will pass with a little more time. Just make sure you don't get him something he doesn't want.
 
I don't think the .22 LR is an amateur's best choice but rather the expert's choice.
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That's what a lot of people don't understand. 22's are integral to training throughout the careers of many competitive shooters. They're not just an easier gun for people to learn with. But kids don't get that. They're too concerned with what other people think, or they just want to play make believe.

But realistically many people don't need the 22, because they're going to be satisfied w/ what they can achieve w/o disciplined training. They just want to be able to put bullets on a target a 7yds. The problem comes in when they want to improve that, and then you have to break them down to rebuild their technique.
 
Hello Boomm,,,

Plain and simple. If he does not want a .22, then don't get him one. I know a lot of the guys are saying "he needs a .22." But what good will getting a .22 do if he does not like to shoot it?
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I have one question,,,
Who is paying for the ammo?

When I was a kid (young man) I had several centerfire handguns,,,
Ones I had inherited from grandfather and uncles,,,
I couldn't afford to shoot them.

550 rounds of .22 LR for about $18.00 (3.2 cents a shot)
or
50 rounds of 9mm for about $14.00 (28 cents a shot)

Which allows for more range time?,,,
You can't practice and gain proficiency,,,
If you can't afford to feed the hungry beast!

Everyone talks about learning with a .22,,,
Because of low recoil and other factors similar to that,,,
But the real reason for a .22 is so you can afford to shoot the danged thing.

'nuff said?

.
 
Recoil can be fun...

... and there's nothing wrong with it... so long as you can hit what you're shooting at.

Recoil, or power, without precision is useless.
 
Something us young guns see as power. We like recoil
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My coworker 20 year old son don't seems to thinks so anymore :D
Few months back we were on the range and he was looking at my guns on the bench and when I told him go head, try one... he without hesitation grabbed my 8inch Dan Wesson in 44Magnum with wide eyes saying "wow, the dirty harry gun" :rolleyes:
Anyway, I loaded one walmart winchester white box round and he pointed it down the range, aimed, pulled trigger and .... gun went right by his right ear ...
 
My coworker 20 year old son don't seems to thinks so anymore
Few months back we were on the range and he was looking at my guns on the bench and when I told him go head, try one... he without hesitation grabbed my 8inch Dan Wesson in 44Magnum with wide eyes saying "wow, the dirty harry gun"
Anyway, I loaded one walmart winchester white box round and he pointed it down the range, aimed, pulled trigger and .... gun went right by his right ear ...
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I'm 25 and I like manageable recoil, I don't just go to the range to shoot hand cannons. I like walking out with a target that has a hole cut out in the center from such a tight grouping. 9mm and smooth shooting 45s - all about the manageable recoil for me, I love .22s as well but just don't have my plinker yet (but my dads ruger mk2 is probably my favorite handgun to take to the range)
 
aarondhgraham,

OP said absolutely nothing about the cost of ammo being an issue so your post is irrelevant. It may be for you, but it does not seem to be much an issue for OP. Lets stay on topic please.
 
Boomm...

OP said nothing about cost being irrelevant either; he's also of the "buy once, cry once" school - which would indicate that at some level, cost matters.

Or, he may not have thought about how much he and his son will want to shoot, in order to attain proficiency.
 
my son is 15 and his favorite gun of mine to shoot is the 50AE desert eagle, recoil is irrelevent unless your still sucking your thumb. if he's 18 he's old enough to be shooting taliban so no reason to pussyfoot around with a 22. dont get me wrong, i wouldn't have a stash of weapons without one (i have 3) but it would never be my only gun.
 
Amount of ammo shot in a range session?
Good question, guys. Not having handgun experience, I couldn't say.

As I mentioned, we typically go every other weekend- if the boys get a day off from school in the middle of the week we take advantage of it, as the range is quite crowded on the weekends. They're also open two nights a week, which is nice (less crowded), long as you have the "Off" in the range bag...:(

Anyway, we find that-give or take- we each run about 100-120 rounds during a two to 2-1/2 hour session. We're still doing load development for our .223's now, so the shooting is obviously more deliberate and slower paced.

Do you guys that shoot both find that the number of handgun rounds fired typically varies significantly- more or less- than when you're shooting a rifle?
 
You will shoot much more ammo at the pistol line. Usually 200/250. My recommendation is a 4" .357. Basic handgun, good accuracy, and you reload, so .38's will not cost a whole lot. You can do some .357's for the bigger bang. More rounds = more fun. To me a wheel gun is the entry level basic, yet it also has the equal value of a self defense / home defense piece. Just my thoughts. Have fun and be safe.
 
I have 2 .22 handguns, a Colt New Frontier (WMR and LR) and the famed SW 41. I consider them extremely lethal and certainly up to par (if not beyond par) to any blaster I'd "bet my life on" because I know I can put those tiny bullets more exactly where I want a bullet to go than any other handgun I own.

But getting here (feeling so strongly about my .22s) took a lot of time to appreciate. I sold my first SW 41 because I got bored with it. It was too easy too accurate too predictable without noise and recoil and IMPACT.

I have learned my lessons and think the SW 41 could easily easily out do a .357 or 1911 in many many circumstances.

However, a beginner must start with a .357 (w/ .38 Wadcutters) or .44 Magnum (w/ .44 Special).
 
I shoot way more rounds per handgun then rifle.

I helped a SIL get into guns with a Glock 19 with an additional .22LR conversion slide. You might find a used G17 or 19 for $400, then round $225 for the conversion unit. But that was more because he wanted it to learn and use for home defense, with option to carry it in the future.

I learned handguns on a Colt Python 6" .357 and Colt Gold Cup 1911. I was HOOKED! I think a .357 4"-6" and a 1911 .45ACP are so classic and versatile that any young man would be proud to own a variant of either. The revolver is really nice if you handload; you do not have to scrounge all over the ground for your brass.

I like Glocks for utilitarian self defense handguns, but there are other guns that may be better for strictly range fun.

For range work I think either a DA revolver (Ruger, S&W), single action revolver (Ruger Blackhawk or GP100), or a single action pistol (1911 .45, Browning Hi-Power 9mm) are tops. I would really try out the grip and trigger of handguns before buying. For target shooting these and sights (which often can be replaced) are the most important elements for good control.

Like many others, I ALWAYS bring a .22LR handgun and rifle along to the range because they are cheap to shoot and excellent for ferreting out flinching and reinforcing trigger/sight control. 95% of what you need to learn for accuracy shooting of centerfires can be learned as well or better on a .22LR. Recoil is the only thing missing. And I don't have to pick up my brass!
 
He's always jeering the kids at the range with the little .22's... wrong, I know... but like I said, he's 18...
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Those "little .22's" give trigger practice and sight control practice to the shooter at 1/10th the cost of any other caliber.

Those kids he's jeering are capable of mastering marksmanship faster than he is.

I was going to suggest that the best "my father gave me this gun" handgun is a 6-shot .357 revolver. Start him on .38's until he can drill out the 10-ring, then work on .357's. It will protect him in his first home, it will protect him on outdoors trips, it will protect his family when he has one and it will be there for him to teach his children about marksmanship when it's time.

But, I think he needs to learn that marksmanship is about technique and not muscle. A biased attitude against .22's isn't going to profit him anything. They're great small game hunting tools, they're great hiking/plinking companions and they're great marksmanship training tools.

Heck, we have a "tactical carbine" competition in Mesa, AZ at my local range regularly; but the only rifles allowed to enter are rimfires. There are some VERY GOOD 3-gun competitors that hit this regularly running .22's, for practice. A great way to launch off 250 rounds in a practice environment without being enslaved to the loading bench afterwards or $100 poorer in ammo costs.

Even if he sneers now at .22's, give him a year. It'll become his most shot firearm in 6 months. And his most proficient in a year... if you buy a quality one.

For .22's, my recommendation is the Browning Buckmark.
 
I have posted this already but I just bought my 15 yo son Springfield XDm 9 mm , he loves it and shoots it well and comes with a match grade barrel! Btw 3 clips and one has ext so it is a 31 round clip !
 
Think About Long Term Total Cost of Ownership

I can understand why many on here would advise a .22LR for target practice and overall comfort around firearms. However, if you want to look at the Total Cost of Ownership and also a gun that he can "grow into" I'd look at another option. Overall, it'll cost slightly more money, but be worth every penny over the next several years:

Personally, I'd buy
a. Glock 22 or Glock 27, both .40 S&W.
b. Advantage Arms .22LR conversion kit
c. Lone Wolf Distributors .40 - 9mm conversion barrel

My justifications are these:
a. They would function as a 3-gun-in-1 system
b. Use the .22 LR kit as others have said, to teach responsibility around guns, trigger control, sight alignment, safety, etc. Also, because they are usually finicky, you get a lot of practice with FTFs and FTEs and associated rack and tap and other clearing drills.
c. .22 LR is very cheap to shoot. It's also dirty which teaches him how to properly clean and maintain and take care of his firearm. He will see it as a long-term investment and a piece of life saving equipment vs. something he just shoots and throws in his closet or gun safe.
d. Once he is comfortable, he can move to 9mm a "big boy" round that will get him comfortable with recoil, full loads, etc. At this point, you could also begin insisting that in order to shoot it, he needs to pay for the ammo. Since he is buying the ammo, it'll teach him about money too and the value of a dollar (a good parenting skill to pass on, especially if he really gets into guns lol). See also point c. about it being an investment.
e. At some point, he can "graduate" to the .40 S&W and use this ammo and the "original" pistol as his self-defense/CCW option.
f. Many on here have already stated that he can use the .22LR until he is ready to use another gun... which will be another $400 investment already bringing your total to about the cost of this 3-gun-in-1 kit.


Total Package Price (Approximately)
G22/27 - $450 used
AA .22 LR Kit - $250
LW Conversion Barrel - $100
TOTAL - $800

Like I mentioned, a little more, but as a complete system you'll make your money back in the long run, especially in just ammo savings alone!

A bonus that I have found in my family is that you also have different types of chamber/ammo options for different family members. Since my family is fairly new to shooting there is something for everyone to shoot and feel comfortable with and it can become a family hobby - and that is priceless.
 
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Mak,

Thank you. I like the idea of the conversion kits, I was not aware of all of them.
So, there seem to be a few contenders in that arena?

The CZ-75B with the Kadet conversion kit (this kit seems to be more expensive than the others, almost as much as a new gun)

1911 with conversion kit

Glock with conversion kit


Is the Glock operating system inherently safer than other semi-auto's?

Out of these three (I think 9mm, .45 acp, or .40 would all be suitable), which manuf. and conversion kit will provide the best value? (uh oh...this may go another 4 pages...)
 
Out of these three (I think 9mm, .45 acp, or .40 would all be suitable), which manuf. and conversion kit will provide the best value? (uh oh...this may go another 4 pages...)
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The CZ Kadet kit is a turnkey product. I have never heard a bad thing about them... ever... which is rare for .22LR products. It appears to "just work." And the accuracy is on par with dedicated .22LR platforms like the Ruger and Browning fixed barrel automatics.

I'd expect the AA glock conversion to be the next most reliable, since at least AA will only have to fit one manufacturer for the frame of the gun. But, the upper half is still being made by a different company than the lower half.

I'd expect the least reliability out of a 1911 .22 conversion. There are 100 companies making 1911 frames. Each of them have different machinery and processes to try and create the exact same thing. And they aren't exactly the same. Which is why often, a Kimber slide won't work on a STI frame (or any of the other bajillion permutations). Hand fitting and tuning is going to be mandatory.
 
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