I want to buy a 22 rimfire rifle, please advise

[sundevil777 102]

I want to get it for my son (15 years old) as a plinker he can use for general target practice. Fortunately he has a friend where they can use it at their house.

What mfg/models do you recommend/which should I avoid? My father has a really high quality Winchester target rifle that I used for many years, but it is 2500 miles away from me, and it is a really heavy. I was looking to get him something fairly lightweight. He already has a 12 and 20 gauge shotgun.

Is buying online worth considering? Is the price typically much better than can be found in local retail stores? I've never bought a gun, always used my father's, so I'm not knowledgeable about such matters.

Thanks for your help!

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Amazon 7]

Quote

I want to get it for my son (15 years old) as a plinker he can use for general target practice. Fortunately he has a friend where they can use it at their house.

What mfg/models do you recommend/which should I avoid? My father has a really high quality Winchester target rifle that I used for many years, but it is 2500 miles away from me, and it is a really heavy. I was looking to get him something fairly lightweight. He already has a 12 and 20 gauge shotgun.

Is buying online worth considering? Is the price typically much better than can be found in local retail stores?

Thanks for your help!

Ruger 10 22... it is a great little rifle. I have had one for many years and it has always worked. Easy to clean... cheap to shoot

Then again... I have one of these too... with some of the added furniture that is available and with a folding stock. and optics...... attached light.....Laser etc... it gets the boys at the range all light headed


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6b2h5rHvis

[not2old 0]

What...a gun for your son, man what have you been doing...teaching him responsibility????
10-22's are for ever, but a bolt will teach him to think and aim, not spray and pray. Look for used, too. It's amazing what a serious cleaning will do to a .22 that "don't shoot no more".

SOS #1314

[DSE 5]

Marlin bolt action is a simple, affordable, hard to mess up firearm that will last forever if it's cared for (well....longer than you or me).

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Winchester, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage.

Any major brand name will be of decent quality.

They all make a wide range of models. For the most part you get what you pay for, but for a 15yr old, you really don't need top of the line.

The 10/22 Amazon suggested is a very popular one. Not too expensive, decent quality. Lots of fun.

BUT, it's a semi-auto. That means each time the trigger is pulled, the gun goes off. That can build bad habits and tends to waste ammo. There's nothing wrong with semis if that's what you want, but a bolt, pump or lever action will make each shot more focused. A single shot will make each shot even more focused, but those are enough of a pain that he probably wouldn't want one.

Online is a bit overrated. Keep in mind that you can't order the gun yourself. Unless it's something like guntrader and a private party purchase inside state lines where you actually go and pick it up in person, any online purchase would have to ship to a licensed dealer who would then transfer it to you.

You don't say where you are. Around here there's Scheels, Gander Mountain, Cabelas and a couple small, local places. They all have a good sized rack of 22s of all types and grades (and prices). New and used. There's even large stores like Fleet Farm and even Walmart (Walmart sells more guns than any other retailer in the US).

There's also gun shows. They bring a lot of the smaller dealers under one roof. There will be lots and lots and lots to choose from. Most tables at gun shows are licensed dealers. Which means you will be doing all the usual paperwork.

Take him along and let him shoulder the rifles. Weight, balance, length are all very subjective and personal. "Right" is what's right for him. Besides, going to look at guns is always fun.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Brains 2]

You absolutely can't go wrong with a ruger 10-22. I do see the merit in getting a bolt action rifle for learning the patience to shoot well. A .22 from any of the major manufacturers should do you well but the 10-22 is by far my favorite.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Belgian_Draft 0]

Buying a .22 for your son is a very simple 3-step process.
Step 1: Go to store that sells guns.
Step 2: Tell them you wish to purchase a Ruger 10/22.
Step 3: Pay for the Ruger 1/22.

Easy as pie and you can't go wrong.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[billeisele 130]

the 10-22 is great fun but may not be a good idea for the first firearm

a bolt action is safer and will teach the basic shooting skills

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[StreetScooby 5]

Quote

Ruger 10 22... it is a great little rifle.

Absolutely.

We are all engines of karma

[millertime24 8]

Ruger 10 22 hands down. VERY reliable and highly customizable. Oh, and ther're accurate as all holy snot.

Muff #5048

[DSE 5]

I started with a pump action.
I'm not a fan of giving semi-autos as a first firearm.
All my nephews have received a .22 from me as a gift on their 12th birthday, kind of a tradition. I give a rifle, my brothers give cleaning kits, targets, scabbard. Every kid in the country should learn firearm safety, IMO, and a semi-auto isn't the way to teach it (IMO).

[Belgian_Draft 0]

Several have mentioned that a semi-auto is not a good first firearm.
I disagree. I feel it is no better or worse than any other action type.
Let's address some of the arguments made against the semi-auto:

"It wastes ammo"
True, but only if the gun loads and fires itself. A semi-auto is only a semi-auto if more than one cartridge is loaded.

"The shooter doesn not learn basic marksmanship"
Why not? The same fundamentals apply regardless of action. While learning to shoot the student can be given one cartridge at a time. He/she removes the clip, inserts said cartridge into clip, reinserts clip into firearm and cycles the action to chamber.

"They cost more"
If you only purchase one rifle that could very well be true. But it is rare that a person is content with a single shot as their only .22 rifle, hence a second rifle would need to be purchased once the student was skilled and proven responsible and was ready to 'move up'.

And, finally, in this thread, "A semi-auto is not a good choice for a first firearm".
The OP stated that the young man already has a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge shotgun. He is also 15 years old. I think it can be stated with confidence that a 15 year old who has proven themselves responsible enough to carry a 12 gauge shotgun is more than ready to accept the responsibility of a semi-auto .22.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[rhaig 0]

Quote

Online is a bit overrated. Keep in mind that you can't order the gun yourself. Unless it's something like guntrader and a private party purchase inside state lines where you actually go and pick it up in person, any online purchase would have to ship to a licensed dealer who would then transfer it to you.

actually, if the seller online is not an FFL, and it's inside state lines, they can legally ship direct and not go through an FFL. if it's a different state, then it MUST go through an FFL.

see http://www.atf.gov/publications/download/p/atf-p-5300-4.pdf
which says

Quote

(B8) May a nonlicensee ship a fire-
arm by common or contract car-
rier?
A nonlicensee may ship a firearm
by a common or contract carrier to a
resident of his or her own State or to
a licensee in any State.

the seller may choose to ship through an FFL, but it's not required by the ATF.

--
Rob

[sundevil777 102]

Thanks everyone for your advise.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Quote

Online is a bit overrated. Keep in mind that you can't order the gun yourself. Unless it's something like guntrader and a private party purchase inside state lines where you actually go and pick it up in person, any online purchase would have to ship to a licensed dealer who would then transfer it to you.

actually, if the seller online is not an FFL, and it's inside state lines, they can legally ship direct and not go through an FFL. if it's a different state, then it MUST go through an FFL.

see http://www.atf.gov/publications/download/p/atf-p-5300-4.pdf
which says

Quote

(B8) May a nonlicensee ship a fire-
arm by common or contract car-
rier?
A nonlicensee may ship a firearm
by a common or contract carrier to a
resident of his or her own State or to
a licensee in any State.

the seller may choose to ship through an FFL, but it's not required by the ATF.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought "If it is shipped, it has to go to a FFL holder".

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[PhreeZone 20]

I got my 10/22 as a gift at around age 14 and have ran I'm guessing 8-10k rounds through it. I LOVE that gun and its bagged a ton of squirrels, knocked a few groundhogs down and put more holes in the paper then I could count. The guns are accurate and with Vance's here in Columbus they are cheap. Its the gun that I use to get people started shooting if they have never shot a rifle before. Its a great little bargain and you can get it outfitted new with different stocks. I am personally a big fan of some of the silver stained wood laminate stocks with stainless barrels.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[JohnRich 4]

How much do you want to spend?

http://www.thecmp.org/22targetsurplus.htm

http://www.thecmp.org/22targetcommercial.htm

[kawisixer01 0]

another Rugar 10-22 vote here. Or you could get him the remington ar-15 based .22.

[jgoose71 0]

Every one here seems to be forgetting one of the best .22's around. The lever action. I had an Ithica lever action .22 that has lasted over 30 years. I am currently looking for one for my son. Ithica stopped making them so I was looking at the Henry Lever action.

15 rounds in the pipe, but you have to manually reload after every shot. Plus, lever actions are just cool. Henry has been around for many years.

http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-lever-action.cfm

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
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