Hi guys. I love reading this blog and this is my first post! My son is turning 11 this year and he loves target shooting. I have taught him all the basics and he has a couple of airsoft pistols that he has learned the safety rules with. I want to step it up with him and want to buy him a .22 for his birthday but don't know if I should buy a rifle or a pistol. Any thoughts? I want to do this so that he and I can enjoy more range time together just having fun but also so that he can take the next step in enjoying and appreciating our second amendment right! Any ideas or insight to share? Also is it to early in this day and age to buy him his first firearm?
Buy him a rifle first, and teach him the basics of marksmanship, and the rules of firearms handing, with this. CZ make some very nice .22 rifles, for a good price. Or there is the ever present Ruger 10/22, which can be put to good use as a plinker, or tricked out with many options available.
A Ruger 10/22 is a great option with many available aftermarket upgrades. You can usually pick up old Marlins for not a lot either. I have an old Glenfield Squirrel Stock 22 that I got for a little more than a hundred just a couple years ago. With the choices on the market today, you really can't go wrong.
Another vote for the 10/22. It's one of those things that he'll cherish and use forever. When he's older, the two of you can modify the 10/22 as a hobby. If you really want to be the coolest dad in the world, get him a Ruger Bearcat or Single Six revolver as a companion piece .
Definitely buy him a rifle first. As to what rifle to buy, this depends a lot on your son. I don't generally suggest a semi-auto as a child's first gun, unless the child is well disciplined, has already shown a proven track record of gun safety, is patient, and isn't prone to rushing his shots because he has a magazine full of ammo. I am also hesitant to offer up a semi-auto to children for their first gun if it's a gun they will be allowed to carry on their own while hunting, etc.. Children aren't generally aware of their surroundings or what's behind their target and 1 shot in the wrong direction vs. 10 shots in the wrong direction are a very different thing. I would generally tell you to go with a single shot bolt action or break action rifle. Patience is a very important trait when dealing with firearms, and single shot rifles teach patience while semi-autos tend to teach instant gratification. If you consider this option then there are a number of decent rifles out there. NEF (H&R) sells a youth model with a .22 barrel and a .223 barrel both which is nice as you can give him the .223 barrel when he is old enough. The Savage Mark 1 and Mossberg 801 are single shot bolt action options. If you are set on a semi-auto rifle then the standard barrel 10/22 with a synthetic stock is definitely a great option. The M&P 15-22 is another option to consider as it's light weight and has proven itself to be a reliable .22 platform. The Marlin .22's have always been a great performer as well and I actually bought a Model 60 recently for my youngest daughter because she was having issues loading magazines (the Marlin is tube fed). As to whether it's too early in this day and age to buy him his own gun, No. Don't let this world tell you how to raise your child. I started with my kids when they were young and they both had their own guns by the time they were 10. I taught them that guns were tools, not toys. I told them that they could go shooting with me anytime they wanted and I kept that promise. They know that they can ask and we will go the next reasonable opportunity we have. This has kept them from wanting to "play" with their guns which is what I think that you are probably concerned about. If you don't already (and I am sure you do), make sure you have a safe where your guns (and his) are kept. Think about it, the first thing you did when your parents told you NO was the push that limit.. don't make his gun a NO that he wants to push the limit on and you will be good.. Good luck, I appreciate your teaching your son to shoot and to appreciate the 2nd Amendment, it benefits us all.
10/22 is a great option, it's much easier to learn the fundamentals of shooting with a rifle than a handgun.
+4 or 5 or whatever for a 10/22... If you don't want to go that route, I personally love my early 80's Marlin model 60 better than my 10/22. 10/22 is going to have %100 better aftermarket options and if you ever need parts they're readily available. OTOH, I've probably got 10K rounds through my Marlin 60 and the only time it ever has trouble is after I clean it for a few dozen rounds... She likes being dirty for whatever reason.
No need to requote FL Woods Bum; he summed up my thoughts almost exactly... I've been in possession of firearms and ammo for them since I was probably 6 or 7... We were also taught that firearms were tools, just like anything else dangerous around the house (table saws, axes, knives, etc.) Of course, that was a different time... We never did anything stupid with them because if we did, my Dad probably would've broken our guns... Over our heads. edit: Just thought of another one that hasn't been mentioned specifically yet and this is sort of echoing off FWB's comments above about the single shot options... How cool would it be if your first gun was a nice lever-action .22 like a Henry? You'd treasure that thing til your dying day...
1+ for a Marlin 60. Cheaper then a 10/22, bolt locks open on the last shot, no removable magazines to keep track of, and from what I have heard, more accurate out of the box. I've shot a 10/22 before and was not super impressed.
Not to derail too much, but RangerDanger picked one up (Henry .22 lever) a few weeks ago... Man is that thing sweet!!! Killer plinker and the action was almost as smooth straight out of the box as my '77 Marlin 336.
D.J., I don't have anything substantive to add ... you've already gotten some excellent advice from our Forum members. I just wanted to highlight what others have written -- particularly FWB -- that it's great that you are investing time with your son, having fun together, teaching him gun safety and marksmanship, reinforcing the 2nd Amendment, providing him a pastime he can bring into adulthood, and also guiding him so that when he's a Dad he'll understand the importance of all of this. Recently I was at a range, shooting with one of my sons and his two sons -- something we regularly do -- and, out of the blue, he commented to me about how much he used to enjoy our range time together when he was a kid. He's in his mid-40's now and, honestly, w-a-y back when he was 9 or 10 years old I never thought about the future implications of our time at the range together. They grow up awfully fast, partner! EDIT: And, congratulations on your first post, too!
I'm going to second this. Everybody and their dog has a 10/22. Everybody of a free mindset has an AR. Lever guns have become a bit rare, at least in my neck of the "woods". Heck, I still have my grandfather's sears store brand 22 lever gun. I don't "cherish" it because we never went shooting together, but I'm not getting rid of it any time soon. sent from a device with a keyboard that hates me
Exactly. Now, mommy and daddy would sue the gun manufacturer, the ammo manufacturer, the distributor and the NRA.
