Posted on 11/14/2005 12:10:39 PM PST by Minus_The_Bear
I've grown up in Oklahoma and went through Boy Scouts (am an Eagle Scout) learning to shoot various types of firearms but haven't even touched one in 5+ years. Now that I'm about to leave college I'm thinking of getting a firearm of some kinda but don't know where to start.
What should I be looking at and why?
I thought we were boycotting S&W for being wishywashy and favoring CLinton's gun ideas.
He simply said to tell them to keep them in the trunk or if a pickup, behind the seat. Now I don't know what the official policy was but doubt anyone would get in trouble there for just having a gun on campus.
Nah, we drove out the former owners and the new management has repudiated the deal.
Without some basic information from your post one has to make assumptions to answer your question. So here are my assumptions:
a. You want a handgun.
b. The handgun is for learning/pleasure (such as plinking).
c. The handgun must be of good quality but inexpensive to shoot.
With those assumptions, I recommend a Ruger .22 Cal Single Six revolver with an interchangeable magnum cylinder. It's a great quality pistol that's not to expensive to purchase and dirt-cheap to fire all day. Also, the hollow-point magnum rounds are potent.
Yep, I started with a Remington model 512 Sportmaster. Of course, this was after the Daisy BB gun.
.22 Buckmark - great pistol for learning. Shoots LR, but has no kick, and because it's oriented towards target shooting, it'll be something you hold onto for many years.
I don't know about havingonlyone gun, but if I had to do it all over again (I'd do it all over you ... no, wait ...) I'd START my handgun training with a .22 revolver. Then when I had decent habits I'd get a gun for, like, y'know, business. But a good firearm with the lowest possible recoil is, IMHO, the way to learn to shoot.
I started out with a model 513 Scoremaster. Those old Remington 510/511/512/513 models were really fine bolt actions for a reasonable price. Had dual rear locking lugs instead of just the bold handle,---OK, I know one lug had the bolt handle coming out of it.
I just caught the skeet bug last month. I'm hooked. :)
I had a lot of fun shooting it, and it was unusual, in that it was a tubular repeater. I put a lot of rounds through that old rifle.
One of my students had a friend who wanted to sell his like new Browning Citori for only $500. I was in a period of short funds and couldn't afford to buy it.
Whatever you are comfortable with and can afford.
OH! Does it come in colors?
i wouldn't do that. cars get stolen too easily. along with eveything within them. i only have handguns though, no rifles. i keep a safe in my room or i keep them in my locker at work.
i dunno if that would be the best gun for a beginner. i have one, i love it to death, have over 20,000 rounds thru it.. but the cleaning part, i still ocassionally chase that little plastic piece holding the spring when i take it down to clean it.
as far as accuracy goes, i'd take it over anything. got it down to 2" at 50yds.
Ouch! I just turned a portion of my S&W collection into a Baretta Silver Pigeon II Competition.
I certainly agree with some kind of .22 plinker for starts...
Ruger of course, maybe 10/22, Mark III or one of the revolvers, depending on your preference. Doesn't much matter.
But if I could really only have ONE gun... ever...
I'd have to go with a 16 ga Mossberg 500 pump
There are some things that a .22 won't do... and they're important things.
This pup is a b*tch to clean, but fun as hell to take to the range and plink away. Plus the ammo is dirt cheap. $12 gets you a box of 500 rounds.
If you're looking for something with a little more power but not too much kick, I recommend the Beretta Brigadier.
Now this baby gets the job done with an acceptable recoil for novices. Better still, it's a favorite among lots of women I know, including my wife. The Brigadier uses 9mm bullets and is a fine piece of machinery.
Personally, I prefer to cut to the chase and my choice in firearms is no exception. That's why I like to keep my Para-Ordnance P14 .45 ACP on hand at all times.
This bad boy has a bite to go along with its bark. I use nothing but hollow-point ammunition in this trusted friend and fire nothing else but this firearm at the range. This sidearm and I go back a long ways and she's always done right by me.
...but for home protection at night, I always prefer the Original Point-and-Click interface, my modified Winchester 12-gauge shotgun.
I like to keep that one handy...for close encounters. Oo-rah.
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