I've put together an article on the basic firearm categories that any beginning shooter should consider when they put together a collection. I've also identified a few of the iconic gun models that would be a great addition to any new shooters collection.
I have pretty much followed the format you described in your article, with a few exceptions.
First firearm- ruger 10/22. great learner, cheap and fun to shoot
Second- Mosin Nagant 91/30 I wanted more power than the .22 and theyre cheap and cool. Great way to get up into centerfire with out spending too much, thanks to cheap milsurp ammo.
third- .357 mag revolver.. I kinda jumped the gun on this one for a first pistol, but I feel confident enough in my experience with firearms and I wanted something for H/SD
Fourth(to come)- remington 870 or mossberg 500 12 g.
With this setup I can cover just about every need or use for a firearm, but I dont see myself stopping there.
Last edited by MosinRuger; 02-25-2010 at 01:37 AM.
I'll second the vote for a 10/22. Fun, easy to shoot, cheap to shoot and if you take care of it your grand children will be teaching their kids how to shoot it 100 years from now.
If I were starting anew, knowing now what I didn't then. A .38special or .357 revolver, .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun would be the first 3 elements of my collection. Not necessarily in that order of acquisition.
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.22lr any flavor.
.22, .380, .38 for a sidearm. Preferably in a revolver.
.223 or 7.62X39 for a rifle especially if you have children who like to shoot (both cheap and fun). Something bigger if you don't.
20ga. or 12ga. shotty (something I still need to pick up).
I like your list GatorDude. Very well written. I would also add the Mossberg 500 in the shotgun listing since you list a few models/manufacturers in all the other categories.
I would also list, as selection #6, an auto-loading pistol as part of the beginner's battery. Maybe list the iconic 1911, Walther PPK, maybe the Beretta 92, etc. as well as a couple of the newer polymer-framed options.
I'd say you're on the right track, mostly, Gatordude. I do have a couple of comments.
First, you don't discuss used firearms at all. For a newbie, the used gun rack should not be overlooked. Lots of bargains there, especially if the newbie isn't sure if he/she wants to get into the sport.
I'd include the Ruger Mark I .22 LR pistol in your list as well, especially the heavy barrel target model and the long barrel model. There are few things better for teaching pistol eye-hand coordination than a Ruger pistol of any mark. Just don't let them try to strip them down without supervision!
For the centerfire rifle, I commend you for not jumping on the Poodle Shooter and AK-47 bandwagons. I would have recommended either an SKS or a Mosin Nagant 91/30 with a rubber buttpad, however, over your sporting rifles and the Garand. You could buy an SKS plus at least two Mighty Mosins for what you'd pay for a single M-1. The milsurp ammunition for either is also much less expensive than even M2 ball ammo, much less good hunting ammo.
For the .22 rifle, I would not go to the 10/22, popular as it is. You specified you're shopping for a beginner. For that reason, I'd search out a good Winchester or Remington bolt action rifle, or perhaps a Vostok CM2 or a Henry Accu-Bolt. There are fewer things to go wrong with a bolt action and from a shooting safety point of view the bolt action is about as simple as it gets. If they enjoy plinking, they can expand their collection to the 10/22 later.
No argument in the revolver line. Any reputable .38 Special will accustom a newbie to the recoil of a more powerful pistol without frightening them off. My experience has been, though, that if the newbie has money you really have to persuade them NOT to jump for Harry Callahan's famous S&W Model 29 right off the bat. You might, though, want to think about adding in a semi-auto in .32 ACP, a FEG Model AP-7 or a CZ-70. They have even less recoil than the .38 Special revolvers and the ammo is dirt cheap.
I do, however, disagree with you in the matter of the shotgun. I feel you want to make a stop at the Remington Model 870 or the Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge (the latter would be my recommendation; I simply dislike trigger guard-mounted safeties) before they move on up to the ubiquitous and versatile 12 gauge shotshell. Even if you have the shotgun outfitted with a really good recoil pad, the 12 gauge packs a lot more of a kick even than the Mosin Nagant. I would seriously suggest that your Zen newbie shooter start out with the less powerful 20 gauge, learn shotgun fundamentals with it, and only then step up to the 12 gauge. This will keep them from being scared of it. It's the same principle as persuading the novice pistoleer that he really doesn't want to start off with the S&W Model 29.
Just my feelings on the subject. Take 'em for what they are worth.
Great thoughts Cyrano! I like what you said about the 22 rifle. Bolt-action, single-action, or pump-action 22lr would be best to start with. Used racks, gun shows, and pawn shops should be the place for any new shooter to spend a LOT of time.
for a rifle I would choose a quality .30-06 bolt action. This caliber has taken all North American game for over a century and it comes factory loaded in the greatest variety of bullet weights and designs of any caliber available.
I would also get a .357 revolver with adjustable sights as that is useful for
personal protection plus using the .38 special cartridges.
Definitely you need a .22 long rifle handgun and rifle for enjoyment and learing to shoot effectively.
A .22 LR rifle of some sorts, preferably a Ruger 10/22 or Marlin Model 60. A 12 gauge pump shotgun. Thirdly, a handgun of some sorts, a revolver or pistol in a caliber that has manageable recoil for a fairly new shooter. Fourth a .30-30 lever action. Fifth a bolt action .30-06, .308, or .270 Win. Skip the 4th step if you want, but if the beginner is a 12 or 13 year old child, you don't want him to have a .30-06 as his first center fire deer rifle at that age, you would want him to have something milder such as the .30-30, .243 Win, or .257 Roberts.
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Pretty good article Gator.
For the centerfire handgun, I would recommend a used .357 Magnum. A Police trade-in revolver would be good relatively inexpensive choice.
A beginner can use .38 wadcutters, then graduate to more potent ammo as they become more proficient.
Everybody should have at least one good .22 rifle, there are many to choose from.
A centerfire rifle, in caliber 30-30, or 30-06 are probably the most common, and almost any small town hardware store will have ammunition for them.
And finally, a good shotgun, Remington 870 or Mossberg, 12ga or 20ga
for recoil sensitive folks or those of small stature.
There will be time later to add centerfire semi-auto pistols in other calibers once the beginners become more proficient.
Thanks for the comments. I should have mentioned the used gun scene, but it is kind of tough for newbies to assess used guns. (Heck, it's kind of tough for me to assess used guns...)
Speaking of used guns, I just got an idea: I think it would be really cool if gun stores offered "certified" used guns. I'd feel a lot better about purchasing an old surplus shooter if I knew that a competent gunsmith had checked the headspace and a few other key areas.
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Gatordude, you might even want to start your new shooter out on a 410 as far as a shotgun goes. That and a 22 were my first guns. Then jumped straight to an m13 at age 18 when I joined the army. Tells ya how old I am huh. Definitely a 357 because of the ability to use 38s. Took my wife out and tried her on a 380 davis. She did not like it and complained about the recoil and slide bite, so! I handed her my Para ordnance 45 and after firing a full 14 round clip she looked at me and said this is mine. I did NOT argue.
I would'nt want dealers to be able to hang "certified"on anything.I might not be able to point out faults that I know are really nothing but collectively add up to a reduction in price.Thats what gun dealing is all about. ,,,sam.
