What's a good beginner's pistol that's not too expensive and fairly easy to take care of? I just want to use it for practice shooting.
Anyone here own a firearm?
- Thread starter JMaster
- Start date
If you're a beginner, I would suggest a .38cal six-shooter. Not much kick compared to those out there, but not wussy enough to get you used to little ones and afraid of the bigger ones. In all reality, there's almost no kick with a .38.
A handgun that uses a hammer is much easier to care for / clean / maintain than one with a clip - read: you don't hever have to field-strip your .38 to get a jam corrected. If it doesn't go "boom" you just pull the trigger again and it's all good.
nik
A handgun that uses a hammer is much easier to care for / clean / maintain than one with a clip - read: you don't hever have to field-strip your .38 to get a jam corrected. If it doesn't go "boom" you just pull the trigger again and it's all good.
nik
I agree with ffmcobalt, get a revolver, .38 or .357. If you want something inexpensive there are many models from Ruger in the ~$500 range. I suggest you start out by taking one of these classes: Basic Firearrm Training Program or something similar (~$100), as opposed to going out in the woods and shooting at empty milk jugs or tin cans.
For target I would recommend a Ruger 22 semiauto military target. extremely accurate, quite, and really cheap to shoot, if you want a large caliber a good 357 and use 38 special ammo, a taraus is a really good revolver and has a lifetime warranty, cheap also.
Bleep
Bleep
AnyMal
Lifer
- Nov 21, 2001
- 15,780
- 0
- 76
I agree with ffmcobalt, get a revolver. For best price/quality ratio look for guns made by Taurus or Rossi, you should be able to pick-up a .38 special or maybe even .357 magnum for under $200.00 If your area hosts gun shows, I strongly suggest going, it will give you a good feel for what is available and what current prices are. Also, if you are a complete newbie, consider taking a class from NRA approved school, you can never be too safe with guns. Last, but not least, avoid buying guns from anyone but a federally licensed dealer. While many states (like Kentucky, where I live) have very liberal laws when it comes to gun posession, the rules are drastically different when it comes to gun sales. Good luck.
Another recommendation for the Taurus .357; very good revolver for not too much money and you can shoot either .38 or .357 rounds.
Don Vito Corleone
Elite
- Feb 10, 2000
- 30,029
- 67
- 91
For target shooting only (which is what JMaster asked for), a .22 has unsurpassed accuracy, has VERY cheap ammo, and is the best learner's gun out there IMO. It is certainly not "impressive" ballistically, but still an excellent target weapon.
Don Vito Corleone
Elite
- Feb 10, 2000
- 30,029
- 67
- 91
A handgun that uses a hammer is much easier to care for / clean / maintain than one with a clip - read: you don't hever have to field-strip your .38 to get a jam corrected. If it doesn't go "boom" you just pull the trigger again and it's all good.
nik
WTH? Nearly every self-loading pistol, other than striker-fired weapons like Glocks, has a hammer. No pistol has a "clip" - it is a magazine, damnit!
I agree with Bleep that the Ruger .22 is perhaps the all-around best first gun (it is cheap, dead-on accurate, has very cheap ammo, and has a similar manual of arms to a 1911). Otherwise I tend to agree that a revolver makes sense. If you are looking to use the gun for self-defense at all, I would get a .357 magnum, which can fire .38 special ammo for target shooting and the potent .357 magnum for self-defense.
I agree! I own several handguns, most of them large caliber, but my .22 is what I shoot the most. The first thing you need to learn about is handling a firearm, not getting a thrill out of the recoil or impact. I'm currently shooting playing cards at 100 yards with my .22 rifle w/o a scope, putting 5 rounds in the center consistently.
Exactly. You don't shoot a .357 as a beginner, you graduate to a .357 after having mastered the basics of shooting.
You are just talking about target shooting, right? The .22 is still the King of competitive marksmanship and target shooting. There is every reason to start with a .22.
All of the masters recommend working with .22 to correct bad habits that may start to creep into your technique, because that's where you should have mastered the basics to begin with. Progressing to a 9mm/.40S&W/.357 from a .22 is a whole lot easier than progressing from nothing.
Recoil matters, when you're trying to learn fundamentals it can be nerve rattling, which invariably causes undesirable psychological responses, which invariably affect your shooting. Many bad shooters don't know why they're bad shooters, its often because they have developed poor habits and technique due to the inherent stresses of beginning with too big of a gun.
Shooting a larger caliber handgun is not a cheap hobby. I used to shoot 300-400 rnds (combined) of 9mm and .40S&W every weekend, and at $10.00 (average) per box of 50 (including tax and shipping), that's $60-$80 plus $10 an hour range time. For the same $60, you can buy about 1500rnds of mid-grade .22 ammunition (figuring $2.00 per box of 50). And let me tell ya, shooting 300 rnds of .22 is hardly noticable, but you WILL start feeling every round of 9mm/.38/.357/.40 after about 250rnds, depending on the caliber, the gun, and how long you've been shooting (especially if you opt-out of using a Super-Loader - wretched loading thumb syndrome).
But it doesn't matter what you start with if, you aren't learning proper fundamentals, your shooting will suffer and your slow progression will lead to frustration and a barrier to enjoying your day at the range. Check your local gun clubs or ranges for basic shooting instruction and take a couple courses.
Demon-Xanth
Lifer
- Feb 15, 2000
- 20,551
- 2
- 81
I have two guns, they're both rifles, but I agree that .22s are excellent. My 30.06 is $10 for a box of 20 rounds, my dad's 7mm Mag is $20/box of 20. For one shot in his 7mm I can do two in my 30.06, and we both have .22s that we can shoot 20-25 times for the same price. It's expensive to shoot large ammo as a hobby, but if you pass on the fries and get a small coke instead of a shake at lunch you can afford a box of 50 .22 rounds.
I can strongly recommend Rugers as a good starter gun, my .22 is a 10/22 (semi auto rifle) and it's easy to clean and maintain and rarely ever jams (most are removed by just pulling the bolt back and letting the round fall).
Another important note: if a round jams, DISCARD THAT ROUND. Often the bullet will get a deformation which can cause it to be unbalenced and have an unpredictable flight or will be weak enough to fracture.
I can strongly recommend Rugers as a good starter gun, my .22 is a 10/22 (semi auto rifle) and it's easy to clean and maintain and rarely ever jams (most are removed by just pulling the bolt back and letting the round fall).
Another important note: if a round jams, DISCARD THAT ROUND. Often the bullet will get a deformation which can cause it to be unbalenced and have an unpredictable flight or will be weak enough to fracture.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 21K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter