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Easy to use, reasonably cheap, possibly good for self-defense, possibly shooting pesky squirrels (or drones). My only experience is with BB guns as a kid. I'd also want to do training at a range.
Shotguns work best on drones, they help compensate for poor aim at small moving targets. Shotguns are also kinda big.
If you've never fired a gun before, suggest you start with small calibers. Like a .22 or .25 auto. At the range, try both pistols and rifles. The rifles won't be too different from your BB guns (when using a small caliber) and they work good for varmints because of their easy aiming. Pistols are more useful for self-defense since they don't have a long barrel for an adversary to grab.
Definitely suggest using the range, and try a selection of guns. If you want to try the larger calibers, work up to them slowly. The kick goes up quite a bit.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Easy to use, reasonably cheap, possibly good for self-defense, possibly shooting pesky squirrels (or drones). My only experience is with BB guns as a kid. I'd also want to do training at a range.
I have a .380 Ruger LCP and a Kahr 9mm, when I carry. I can't carry now, as my CPL is expired, due to being in the hospital at that time. Both are small enough to fit in a pocket. For home I have a S&W .40 with a laser light, and a new S&W 637 38 special revolver with built in laser light. For me, it's been hard to find one particular gun that does everything.
Why is there always money for war, but none for education?
AR15. It's highly customizable, with customizable buttstock, barrel, triggers. Very versatile. And if you ever need to exceraize your 2nd amendment right defending yourself from the government in the next revolution, it can be converted to a machine gun wit a wee bit a work.
For an all around good 1st gun try a 22. Most people I know say this is their favorite gun for fun. Low kick, cheap ammo... Good gun for subsonic bullets for no noise. It wont kill a human easily but I guess it depends where you shoot em.
Easy to use, reasonably cheap, possibly good for self-defense, possibly shooting pesky squirrels (or drones). My only experience is with BB guns as a kid. I'd also want to do training at a range.
Any recommendations?
Originally Posted by el chupacabra
AR15.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
For an all around good 1st gun try a 22. Most people I know say this is their favorite gun for fun. Low kick, cheap ammo... Good gun for subsonic bullets for no noise. It wont kill a human easily but I guess it depends where you shoot em.
I highly agree. I own both an AR-15 and a Ruger 10-22. I have the most fun at the range shooting the Ruger. It has a low kick and the ammo is dirt cheap. (500 rounds for $30) Plus, the aftermarket customization for the 10-22 is huge. I swapped out the stock on mine and changed it to a bullpup rifle. This is what it looks like.
Oh I forgot to mention, if you're looking to get a hand gun I would highly recommend a Sig Sauer. They're more expense than your typical Glock or Beretta but the build quality is amazing. Plus Sig Sauer makes 22lr conversion kits for most of their hand guns. I have a P226 that shoots 9mm ammo. With the conversion kit, I can shoot the same cheap ammo that my 10-22 uses.
[QUOTE=Stogieman;4374724]I highly agree. I own both an AR-15 and a Ruger 10-22. I have the most fun at the range shooting the Ruger. It has a low kick and the ammo is dirt cheap. (500 rounds for $30) Plus, the aftermarket customization for the 10-22 is huge. I swapped out the stock on mine and changed it to a bullpup rifle. This is what it looks like.
ah, my childhood rifle - the Ruger 10-22, which I quickly turned into a 50-22, then with some duct tape, a 100-22
I would recommend this for basic pest control because it is simple, easy to maintain, reliable and easy to shoot.
The 10-22's big brother Mini-14 also by Ruger was also a fun shooter, but crazy loud .223s I enjoyed in my teen years:
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
theoretical problem. In case of nuclear apocalypse, the 1 mile rule won't apply and I'll be competing with my neighbors for dinner. I have the biggest tree with all the acorns though.
Then I'm going to go with the general consensus and say .22, at least to start.
It's not the ideal self-defense or hunting round, but is ideal in every other way.
As already noted, cheaper can't be had, and it's a fun round. To put the "fun" concept a different way. A .22 is the easiest round to do what's supposed to be the whole point... put the bullet where you want it to go. It will take less than a day before you're going "crap... I'm a marksman".
This was mentioned, but bears repeating. If buying a gun becomes a possibility, it's hard to overrate the importance of trying out a bunch of guns in your selected caliber and picking the one which "feels" the best. Pretty much everything else is irrelevant.
One last thing about .22s is they can be handled by fairly young children. That's a thorny discussion perhaps beyond the scope of the thread, but the non-contentious observation is choosing that round won't give you fewer options.
How about a Springfield Armory XD series? I have the XD45. Really fun to shoot. Also, for long range and fun to shoot, the Remington 597 22LR. Uses rimfire 22's. You can get it with a scope! remington makes 30 round magazines for it too! I have .....several.
A lot of these suggestions are terrible (sorry!) for what you are asking for.
If you want a long gun for self defense I suggest a shotgun, I would suggest a pump action since the sound alone will usually be sufficient and you may not have to deal with the mental anguish of actually ending a life.
If you want a short gun for self defense then I strongly advise you to go and handle some. Buy what feels good in your hand. If I end up buying another handgun I want a smith and wesson bodyguard. I already have a Springfield XD which I really like how it feels in my hand.
First and foremost don't bother buying a gun for self defense unless you practice. If your state/location allows for concealed carry then take a class and get the license.
Practice, practice, practice and teach kids that guns are not toys. Take them shooting and TEACH and SHOW them how to respect it.
Obligatory lefty wacko snowflake recommendation that the best gun to ensure the safety of you and your family is the one you don't buy. That being said, for squirrels, rats, rabbits , and birds, an air rifle is perfectly sufficient. My son shoots clay pigeons with a .20 shotgun which suits a younger/smaller person well.
Keep in mind that in many states you don't need a license for a shotgun or breech load rifle. They're both easy to load and useful for self defense, sport, and hunting.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
I think if someone doesn't realize getting a gun involves adopting risk, then they really shouldn't be getting a gun.
Same goes for chainsaws.
I'm not trying to talk her out of it (well, maybe a little, on principle), after all, as I've said before, I'm a gun owner myself*. I just felt it was my duty as a regressive to say something.
*No self-defence aspect to my gun ownership- I don't even keep the shotgun at home anymore- it lives at my son's coach's shop.
Which is completely reasonable, and if it's the right principle in this circumstance, the last thing I'd want would be for it not to be followed.
Absolutely. If you can't accept the risk, you shouldn't ever have a gun.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
From what I see in the news, it tends to be kids accidentally shooting other kids or family members, because they did not know it was loaded, thought it was a toy, or were too young to realize that real guns in real life are dangerous.
So, I have a safe big enough for a handgun and bullets. If I bought a rifle, would it be sufficient to lock the bullets up? Or should I get a tall gun safe?
The general thought process should be your kids can break into anything if they're determined enough, so whatever physical impediments are put in place need a matching psychological approach.
I personally think if there are guns in the house, the kids should get to join in as soon as is practical. They should take the classes, learn the safety rules, learn respect for the danger involved, and be given a heavily supervised environment where they get to shoot them. The guns shouldn't be made taboo, it's using them outside of "family time" which should be taboo.
If this is the setup, the kids will be far less inclined to try and go around your back.
I'd still lock things up though. Maybe fib a little and say it's for thieves, and not precocious children. Assuming you don't think your kids will try and get around it, you can get a gun lock for a rifle, and keep the key in the safe.
Another one of those obvious comments... keeping children safe isn't really compatible with having a gun in the house for self defense. You're pretty much stuck picking one or the other.
I'm not terribly scared of random thieves/intruders, in my area. But I'd like to be prepared.
I grew up with my father's guns in the house, not locked. I went hunting with him a few times. It was boring, even more boring than fishing. I think he just liked sitting in the woods in the quiet. The guns were kept in the back hallway on a display rack, and the ammo was kept... in a bedroom drawer. I was never tempted to touch them, but don't recall being told not too. The gun rack was high, but not so high that a chair wouldn't have given access.
Older child has fired weapons and is close to getting a badge for it. Younger child never has. Both are old enough to know guns are real, and real dangerous... and I trust their mental state as well. I'd be interested in getting them both into classes, that's definite.
I wish the Girl Scouts had more emphasis on some of these practical skills, but I think they are more worried about liability of injury. I have offered to show my girl scouts the same whittling safety class I taught cub scouts, and they jumped at the chance. Off-book of course.
From what I see in the news, it tends to be kids accidentally shooting other kids or family members, because they did not know it was loaded, thought it was a toy, or were too young to realize that real guns in real life are dangerous.
From reading your responses here, it seems that right now you just want to dip your toes into the water. So how about you look for a gun range where you can leave your guns for now? Give yourself some time to take some classes and figure out what it is you actually want (e. g. sports shooting, hunting or self-defense). And once you get more comfortable and more experienced, you'll figure the rest out as it goes.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
I wouldn't get a .22 for shooting drones or critters, not unless you plan on putting 100s and 100s of hours into shooting practice.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Friends and I ended up taking the class this month. Most of the class was safety/legal slides, with about a half hour of practicing loading/unloading dummy ammo into sample guns (some revolver and a sig sauer I think). About 10 minutes on the actual range with real bullets, with a smith& wesson 617 revolver and ruger semi, both handguns. My aim was off to the left due to squinting, I need some bifocals I think!
Have certificate, now to fill out my town's application. Class came with free range time, so my friends and I may go back.
Andi, I think you'll find that simple range time with a quality handgun is addictive. It's a fun way to work on body mechanics and you can't beat the feeling you get when you've mastered that one thing that kept you from doing as well as you wanted to.
Congrats.
Where do you live that you need town-level approval for owning a firearm?