First gun: Advice?

[CM156_v1legacy]

Firstly, let?s not turn this into a gun rights/gun control debate thread. We have an R&P section for that.

Anyhoo?

I?m looking at buying my first gun. Specifically, I?m looking for a handgun.
According to the internet, I need to be 18 to buy a gun in my state (Missouri), which I am. Now, I?ve been looking around for several months, and here?s what I know

*I have anywhere up to $1500-2000 to spend at the most. But because this is the first gun I?m getting, it doesn?t have to be too fancy
*I?m looking at something for recreation, not self-defense. When I apply for a CC for my state (Which is five years down the line), I?ll get a different weapon.
*The gun should be something good to learn with. So nothing too complex, but at the same time, something that I can get better with
*I don?t mind if the weapon requires upkeep after use, but I?ll be keeping it off campus, and using it during breaks when I go home. So it needs to be something that can go a while without being touched. A term is about 10 weeks at my school. (My father has a gun-locker at home, which has room, so safe storing isn?t an issue)


During my research, I?ve found a gun I?m partial to
It?s a Ruger® 22/45? Rimfire Pistol

Spoiler

My ultimate question is what any other gun people would recommend for a first gun.

EDIT: Turns out, I have to be 21 in Missouri. They very recently changed the law. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[Sn1P3r M98]

Ruger .22s are nice guns, I think that the 22/45 would be a good starter handgun. .22LR is really cheap, and guns using it won't require too much cleaning.

 

[Motiv_]

Ruger makes great quality handguns, and for a starting gun you can't go wrong with a rimfire.

As for care, most if not all guns can go for a couple months in storage, so long as you clean the gun out thoroughly after each time out on the range, and store the ammunition and gun separately[footnote]They can be in the same container, just make sure to unload the magazine before storing it.[/footnote].

 

[Gralian]

I found the Beretta 92fs to be easy to use and easy to maintain and take apart.

Spoiler

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

I found the Beretta 92fs to be easy to use and easy to maintain and take apart.

Spoiler

How is it on sound and firepower? One of the reasons I like the Ruger 22/45 is that it's not too powerful

 

[Gralian]

I found the Beretta 92fs to be easy to use and easy to maintain and take apart.

Spoiler

How is it on sound and firepower? One of the reasons I like the Ruger 22/45 is that it's not too powerful

I was lucky enough to get a silencer for mine, but the sound really isn't too bad - it certainly won't deafen you if you don't have any ear protectors on and the firepower is about standard for 9mm firearms, so you shouldn't worry about the bullet travelling any great distance.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

I found the Beretta 92fs to be easy to use and easy to maintain and take apart.

Spoiler

How is it on sound and firepower? One of the reasons I like the Ruger 22/45 is that it's not too powerful

I was lucky enough to get a silencer for mine, but the sound really isn't too bad - it certainly won't deafen you if you don't have any ear protectors on and the firepower is about standard for 9mm firearms, so you shouldn't worry about the bullet travelling any great distance.

I see. Is it a good Self-Defense weapon? Or is it a target pistol?

 

[Gralian]

I see. Is it a good Self-Defense weapon? Or is it a target pistol?

I used it for target practice down the gun club, but the Beretta 92fs is one of the most widely used handguns for actual combat to date. It has been a staple of the US army for a long time now and i believe it may be used by some police forces (though i'm not 100% on that one).

 

[Odd Owl]

A .22 is a great choice. Ammo is cheap, the firearm itself is usually inexpensive (relatively speaking), and the low power means that you can work on your shooting technique without worring about the effects of high recoil. When I went shopping for one, I looked at the Rugers and the Browning Buck Mark. I myself went with a Buck Mark and I've been very happy with it, but Ruger makes a great pistol as well. I sincerely doubt there's much difference between them, aesthetics aside.

As to the 92fs, those are also exceptional pistols and a lot of fun to shoot. The only real downside would be the increased cost in ammunition.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

A .22 is a great choice. Ammo is cheap, the firearm itself is usually inexpensive (relatively speaking), and the low power means that you can work on your shooting technique without worring about the effects of high recoil. When I went shopping for one, I looked at the Rugers and the Browning Buck Mark. I myself went with a Buck Mark and I've been very happy with it, but Ruger makes a great pistol as well. I sincerely doubt there's much difference between them, aesthetics aside.

As to the 92fs, those are also exceptional pistols and a lot of fun to shoot. The only real downside would be the increased cost in ammunition.

Yeah, that might be the issue. I'm a college student, and .22LR ammo is very inexpensive. That, and my father has quite a bit of it.

So cost and noise is a huge factor for me. Both of which a .22 is good with.

 

[mikey7339]

The Ruger you got picked out would be an excellent starter pistol. I would not get a 9mm or anything else just yet. Just for the fact that anything other than a .22 is very expensive to fire. You could fire a brick of like 500 rounds of .22 ammo for the same price you could for a box of 50 rounds of 9mm ammo.

Advice: ALWAYS treat the thing as if it was locked, loaded and ready. NEVER point it at something unless you intend to shoot it. I don't care if you just ejected the clip and visually checked that the chamber was empty.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

The Ruger you got picked out would be an excellent starter pistol. I would not get a 9mm or anything else just yet. Just for the fact that anything other than a .22 is very expensive to fire. You could fire a brick of like 500 rounds of .22 ammo for the same price you could for a box of 50 rounds of 9mm ammo.

Advice: ALWAYS treat the thing as if it was locked, loaded and ready. NEVER point it at something unless you intend to shoot it. I don't care if you just ejected the clip and visually checked that the chamber was empty.

Oh, believe me, I know the rules of gun safety.

All guns are always loaded.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

My father gave me the lecture when I was 8 and he let me shoot a gun for the first time. When you feel the raw power behind the gun... I can't help but be safe around guns.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

Sounds like you've already hit it on the nose, OP. For recreational shooting, a .22LR pistol is some of the most fun you can have. Come to think of it, a Ruger MKIII (extremely similar to what you've got your eyes on) was the first handgun I'd ever fired. The trigger was crisp, the recoil was poppy and playful, your targets last longer because you're not gouging the paper to chunks, and oh, here's the best part: .22LR is inexpensive as all fuck. Centerfire ammunition (even the single most common round, 9mmpara, will cost an arm and a leg for a thorough session), but .22LR can be bought in cartons for a pittance. The misfire rate is noticeably higher, but as long as you know how to handle it, it's petty. You won't feel gypped when you throw away a dud .22, you've got 499 more waiting to be wantonly fired.

So yeah, your initial choice would make you quite happy.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Sounds like you've already hit it on the nose, OP. For recreational shooting, a .22LR pistol is some of the most fun you can have. Come to think of it, a Ruger MKIII (extremely similar to what you've got your eyes on) was the first handgun I'd ever fired. The trigger was crisp, the recoil was poppy and playful, your targets last longer because you're not gouging the paper to chunks, and oh, here's the best part: .22LR is inexpensive as all fuck. Centerfire ammunition (even the single most common round, 9mmpara, will cost an arm and a leg for a thorough session), but .22LR can be bought in cartons for a pittance. The misfire rate is noticeably higher, but as long as you know how to handle it, it's petty. You won't feel gypped when you throw away a dud .22, you've got 499 more waiting to be wantonly fired.

So yeah, your initial choice would make you quite happy.

Yeah, actually. It was either a MKIII or a MKII that my father taught me to shoot with. Even when I was 8 I could still shoot the gun without too much recoil.

And as a small note, I kinda like the way a gun looks. I don't like to call inanimate objects sexy but... damn.

 

[Zorak the Mantis]

Ruger .22 is a good starter pistol. It's important to start off on a gun that is easy to shoot so you can build your shooting fundamentals. Often times people go out and get the biggest baddest gun but can't hit jack because they do not possess the basic fundamentals. /rant

Now if you have a some experience shooting try, which it seems like you do, I would suggest going with a solid 9mm. Perhaps a Glock 17 or Beretta 92. Both are simple and easy to shoot, but require a bit more control than a .22lr. Also double check with your state regulations as you may have to be 21 to purchase a pistol. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Happy shooting!

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Ruger .22 is a good starter pistol. It's important to start off on a gun that is easy to shoot so you can build your shooting fundamentals. Often times people go out and get the biggest baddest gun but can't hit jack because they do not possess the basic fundamentals. /rant

Now if you have a some experience shooting try, which it seems like you do, I would suggest going with a solid 9mm. Perhaps a Glock 17 or Beretta 92. Both are simple and easy to shoot, but require a bit more control than a .22lr. Also double check with your state regulations as you may have to be 21 to purchase a pistol. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Happy shooting!

I actually don't have as much experience as I would like. So I think the .22 is a good start. I'd like to build my fundamentals first.

And as far as I can tell, 18 is the minimum age for any gun. 23 is for a CCW permit. I kinda find that funny. At 18 I can buy tobacco and join the army. At 21, I can legally drink. But I have to wait until I'm 23 to carry a concealed weapon. Oh well. At least my state has open carry for anyone over 18 (Missouri has rather lax gun laws, for good or for ill)

 

[Zorak the Mantis]

snip

Yea, I get what you mean. I live in NJ, and here you have to be 21 to buy alcohol or a pistol, 25 to rent a car, and 19 to buy cigarettes ans porn... but at 18 you can go join the military. Makes no sense to me. /rant

Anyway, sounds like the Ruger is a good choice.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

snip

Yea, I get what you mean. I live in NJ, and here you have to be 21 to buy alcohol or a pistol, 25 to rent a car, and 19 to buy cigarettes ans porn... but at 18 you can go join the military. Makes no sense to me. /rant

Anyway, sounds like the Ruger is a good choice.

That's how I feel. If you're old enough to join the army, you should be old enough to drink or buy guns. How can a state trust people to do the former, but not the latter, at that age. Oh well.

I have to run this by my 'rents anyways, as that's where I'll be storing the gun (In a safe). My father is a gun owner himself, but I dunno. Perhaps, perhaps not.

 

[jhlip]

Bullets come out the front end.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Bullets come out the front end.

Really? I... I had no idea! WOW!

Joking aside, that's one of the first bits of firearm advice I got.