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

.45acp

Not being an ignorant person, but it's what the old man did with me..Start big you'll expect the recoil..Master the .45 and everything else will be second nature. Then again, that's what worked with me and with my uncles as well. Just my 2 cents, worth a shot huh?
 
To the OP...

Any updates on what you purchased for your son?

When I was 18, my first gun I purchased was a used Winchester 1300 that I used to shoot trap with a basic spring loaded target thrower. But for paper target marksmanship, shotguns, save for slugs, are useless. So I purchased a Marlin Model 60. I understand that the thread is about handguns and I am talking about long guns. But the point being is that I really enjoyed the 22LR as I could do so much with it and I could do it very cheaply. The comment about who will be purchasing the ammo is rather relevant, I feel. If your son wants to purchase ammo without you present, he will be able to purchase 22LR legally. No seller that wants to stay out of major legal trouble will sell an 18-20 year old centerfire handgun ammo. I am assuming your son already is well aware of proper firearms safety and handling. So if he wants to go to the range on his own if you are not present, he can always go to Walmart, a LGS, etc, grab some 22LR ammo, and have at it. If he wants to shoot a centerfire handgun, he has to wait for you to purchase his ammo.
 
Donald;

I'll definitely update you guys when the purchase(s?) is/are made.
Again, I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort so many of you have take to give me insight into all the factors deserving of my consideration.

Gallery of Guns just so happened to have an episode on the .22 pistol a couple of days ago, and they definitely do look like they're a lot of fun to shoot!

Since I'm not in a "rush" (still a bit of time before Xmas...), I re-read all the thoughtful posts in this thread and each time pick up on something I missed before. One other thought occurred to me...

I'd had a fair amount of rifle experience as a kid shooting on a relative's farm, so it was easy enough to "jump" right into the long guns without professional training.

My son feels differently, but he isn't going to win this one...there WILL be professional training, both in the basics of just plain shooting at first, and then self-defense techniques later. Then the light bulb went off (it does sometimes, but more and more rarely:rolleyes:) and I realized that I want to be doing this with him.. and that will require two pistols. I know I can rent at the range, but I don't see myself going this way. If my wife expresses an interest, there may be a third down the road...

Since a brandy-new rimfire doesn't have to be expensive, I'm considering this as a new .22, and I'll give him the choice as to whether he wants to use it, or the "other" one for initial training:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=13153

Think this is a solid choice for the .22?

For $258, plus the $25 for the transfer fee, I'm out the door for under three bills.

The second gun will be used since I'm already gonna be well over the $500 budget I had for this portion of their Xmas stuff...We both have always had a "thing" for the classic 1911, and I'm really intrigued by the CZ 75 Aaron suggested in 9mm. So, unless I'm advised against it, I'll be ordering the .22 as soon as "you" give me the thumbs up. I'm going to pay a visit to the guys at my local shop to put the 1911 and CZ in my hands. I'm really torn between bringing my son with... I KNOW it's the right, practical thing to do- being sure it "fits" him OK, but it's hard to dismiss the "surprise" aspect of getting a present. I know the owner of the shop pretty well, so I'm guessing that if there were a problem, I'm sure he'd let me bring it back (it's already a used gun, so what's a few more rounds down the pipe) and exchange for something else.

You raise a good point about ammo sales, we were discussing this on the way back from the range this past weekend. I don't understand how they can distinguish between "handgun" and "rifle" centerfire ammunition. I guess it was simpler "back in the day"... but with 9mm (and many other, centerfire pistol caliber) AR uppers being sold by the thousands every day, how can they determine the intended use of a 9mm round?

So, unless you guys tell me the .22 is a bad choice, half the decision's made- and I'll be sure to let y'all know what I end up with for the centerfire.
 
Hey there, I have the same pistol! I personally like it a lot. It is more accurate than I am at the moment. I think you would be satisfied with it as well. One thing of note. The current ones do not have the Ruger emblem in red for that model. Rather they are the same color as the grip frame.

redhawk001.jpg


One thing I would recommend. The sights are all black at the front and rear. Under less than ideal lighting at some indoor ranges, they can be hard to see. I remedied that by painting the top half of the front sight white. There is also a shallow recessed groove in the rear sight around the rear sight cutout. I took the white paint and painted in that groove. It makes for a much more visible sight picture.

Another advantage to that pistol is that it has a weaver-type scope base included that screws into the top of the receiver. If you ever plan on getting a scope, this will be an advantage. Field stripping that pistol though is an exercise in patience at first. Watching the Ruger disassembly and reassembly videos are highly recommended. Also pay attention to the manual as reattaching the grip frame for the 22/45 is slightly different from the standard MkIII as shown in the video. But if you do get one and wish to field strip it, PM me. I have a slightly easier technique for removing and replacing the receiver to the grip frame.
 
The 22/45 is a great .22, it feeds even the cheapest ammo and the thing is accurate as hell. Me and a buddy were plinking at 50yds with my 22/45 and his walther P22. To say the least the 22/45 was knocking cans over alot more frequently than the p22. I have only experienced one FTF in about 4000 rounds and it was from a bent casing. Some say the thing is a pain to field strip but I really dont think its that bad.

By the way, you'll be real happy you got a .22 when you realize how quick you go through a $15-$20 box of 50 centerfire rounds compared to the 500 .22's you get for the same price.
 
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I don't own a Ruger Mk III 22/45. Never shot one, either. I've held one and it feels nice in the hand. Nice enough, in fact, that it almost went home with me. I also have a decent amount of experience with a much older version of the Ruger Mk series, a Mk I, I think. Accurate, fun, reliable, and cheap to shoot. What more could you want? I'd call that a good choice, tobnpr.
 
Can't go wrong with a Ruger 22/45,,,

Mine is the base version,,,
Non adjustable sights,,,
4.5" slab-side barrel,,,
I call her Wynona.

Very reliable,,,
Very accurate,,,
Pleasure to shoot!

Nice choice!

Aarond
 
Jeering at kids shooting .22's?

Yeah that's wrong, maybe you ought to get him into a gun when he grows up cause at 18 it ain't happenin yet?

He's undoubtedly jeering at kids that can shoot rings around him. I don't care how old he is, familiarity with guns comes from shooting them a lot, and .22 equates to a lot of shooting as well as fun.

If you don't start with the right handgun you never will be good.

Pay attention to the oldtimers on here, the guys who have arsenals all have .22's in them, and more importantly they love shooting them a lot.

I had to modify this as I had read the first page of responses and didn't see where it had gone (to leaning toward a .22) My bad.
 
Jeering at kids shooting .22's
Click to expand...

Dont do that or they may see if the round is harmful.......

It is cheap to shoot, wont wear you out like a 30-06. I say go for it, it is a lot of fun to shoot.

Why do some feel the need to make fun of this round? I take it serious, I have seen huge animals that could squash me die from one. Not to mention my younger brother, he died from a 22 lr.
 
Cool... I almost feel like part of the family... I guess we'll all kinda be there in spirit when the boxes get opened on Christmas...
 
hooray! an actual conclusion to this thread! Thats really cool I remember posting at the very beginning. Good choices all around... I gotta stop looking and that CZ tho... I need more Colt revolvers first.
 
Congratulations on your purchases! I am sure you will have a great time with the MkIII 22/45. I shot my best groups to date since getting mine 1 month ago. It really is a fun little pistol to shoot. :)

Keep us informed when you start shooting them.
 
The nice thing about the 22/45 is that you can do lots of upgrades to it for very reasonable cost. If you request the Midway USA catalog they have pages of stuff just for the 22/45. It's more fun than the website. Kind of a Sears Wishbook for adults. : ) This is a great way to start learning the mechanics of the firearms and working on them is fun. It's also a cheap way to scratch the "I want something new" itch. Putting a new $30 part in a gun you have and going to the range to try it can be just as exciting as getting a whole new gun.
 
In 1968 you could buy a handgun when you were 18, which I was. I bought a 3 screw Ruger SBH. I still have the flinch. that's the one I'd buy him if I was you.
 
I know I'm new here, but I just have to say what no one else is:

Frankly I don't think an 18 year old that jeers the kids at the range for firing their "little .22s" is ready to own a firearm of any kind - not even an air pistol.

I can't even name one kid within our club's youth program that would even think about jeering other people because of the caliber they shoot. These kids are all WAY under 18 and actually enjoy guns, shooting, and competing.

This kid sounds like a 7 year old that has watched too many gangsta videos. He wants a gun for all the wrong reasons, and I for one wouldn't want him shooting beside me on the range. Maybe he should stick to his PS3 or XBox.
 
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