.22 Pistol for 14 y/o [Archive] - Professional Soldiers ®

Blitzzz (RIP)

01-23-2009, 23:10

All my nefews and grand sons (daughters too if they show interest). At 9 yo I start them out with a Red Rider and teach them not to shoot their eyes out. When they're safe at 10 I get them a 22 Ruger 10/22 of their very own and about 11 they start shooting a Ruger MKI or II. They shoot mine, I don't buy them Pistols. I would like any semi Browning ,High Standard, At 13 i've moved 'um up to M-9s heading to the pappa Colt. Blitzzz

cornelyj

01-23-2009, 23:15

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=11101&storeId=10001&productId=14712&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=15710&isFirearm=Y

This was the first hand gun that I ever owned and it has treated me well... except I was 19 and I bought it because I knew I could shot the snot out of it for a couple bucks at the walmart counter.

Though I do agree with the start off with pellets... when your a kid all you wanna do is play Joe and run around the back yard shooting stuff.

with proper safety of course... :cool: scouts honor ::raising three fingers::

jasonglh

01-23-2009, 23:16

Just a thought but what about converting one of your .45 to .22?

hoepoe

01-23-2009, 23:34

Beretta Model 71, .22 LR. Feels like a larger weapon to hold and manipulate, but fires like a gentle .22.

Single action only, but a really nice work of engineering.

http://www.berettaweb.com/mod_70/mod_70_P5.htm

H

jasonglh

01-23-2009, 23:39

I have a S&W 22A that I bought for the wife. She loves to shoot her 9mm more than I love to pay for the ammo. Have had no issues with it and have spent many days with her plinking. There are a few upgrades for it but perhaps not as many as for the Ruger.

Ambush Master

01-23-2009, 23:57

I'm looking for recommendations for a .22 pistol to start a 14 y/o boy that has never shot. Eventually I will transition him to the .45.

NDD,

What I did, with Air.177 and his younger brother and sister, over several years each, basically led up to where you want to be.

I started them on small Pocket Pistols (Beretta 21, or Colt single action revolvers, shooting CB caps (Aguila or Winchester ) that use nothing more than the primer for propulsion. The round will not even cycle the semi-auto weapons. After they had mastered the "small guns" and somewhat understood what was happening, I would shoot something. What I shot ranged from Javelina, Deer..etc. After I was sure that it was dead, I let my kids touch them, and they realized that they were no longer alive!!!

As they have gotten older, they all still have many fond memories of "The Mountains & Deer Hunting"!!!

One thing that I need to caution you about..please do not start letting him shoot "Big Handguns" !! Kids hands are growing and if you let him shoot "large/powerful" handguns you could induce some damage!!

Blake's first pistol was a 9mm that I had Magna-Ported and then loaded up light loads for it!!

Well, I'd better crash!! Take care Brother will catchupto'ya later.

Martin

JJ_BPK

01-24-2009, 05:34

I schooled my girls about the same as stated.. Started when they were 14 & 16 YO. Both light weights, the youngest was Cpt of the V cheerleaders at 5FT & 100 lbs as a senior in high-school. Took about one(1) yr. Very low key, fun week-ends, once a month, hour long classes.

Started with .22 bolt action rifles for safety and physical aspects, sight picture acquisition,, out door ranges.

Moved to .22 revolver, indoor range, stressed target accuracy, add multi shoot rounds to cylinder, them Ruger .22 auto, incremental speed on target.

Then to .38 Special, S&W 66, revolver, multi-reloads, and some full house .357 loads for recoil.

Finally, Moose, S&W 629, LSWC, Then JHP's Max'd. They could both put all 6 on a target at 25 feet in semi-rapid fire, double action.

My idea was to get gun safety 1st, fun & familiarity 2nd, personal safety & action drills, repeatability 3rd. I was not looking for a hunting buddy or NRA match competition.

I used 25ft targets and only asked for minuet of head (8"x8") accuracy. Most houses do not have rooms bigger than 25ft and most perps chests/lung/hart areas fit in 8x8..

The girls actually became very good, with groups in the 3-4 inch range.. Over time they became proficient with all my pistols & revolvers, in 10 different calibers. I was a happy.. :D

Penn

01-24-2009, 05:53

JJ BPK My idea was to get gun safety 1st, fun & familiarity 2nd, personal safety & action drills, repeatability 3rd. I was not looking for a hunting buddy or NRA match competition.

I used 25ft targets and only asked for minuet of head (8"x8") accuracy. Most houses do not have rooms bigger than 25ft and most perps chests/lung/hart areas fit in 8x8..

JJ, I like your method and reasoning. I think I will use that as the guide for my wife. Its sensible.

JJ_BPK

01-24-2009, 07:31

I'm looking for recommendations for a .22 pistol to start a 14 y/o boy that has never shot. Eventually I will transition him to the .45.

NDD, you deserve an answer to your question,, sorry..

I started my kids on a S&W M-63, Kit-Gun, .22 cal, 2" barrel. Then moved to a M-36, .38 Special. They are near mirror images of each other, so the fit, mechanics, and grip was was an easy migration to the larger .38.. At 23 Oz's(?),, They have just the right weight for recoil abatement in young hands, with-out the fatigue & recoil associated with something like a 43 oz 1911..

Abu Jack

01-24-2009, 08:05

I started my son on a S&W .22 revolver when he was 9 years old. Quickly he got bored with it and wanted to shoot a semi auto like dad. I took him to a gun show so he could pick his own pistol. He handled multiple guns and settled on the Walther P22 with the 5" barrel. It was the one that fit his hands the best and that he liked the best (read coolest). I have a .357 ruger blackhawk that came with a 9mm cylinder. He started with the 9mm, then 38 special and finally 357. Through this progression he learned to handle greater recoil. He is now 11 and likes to shoot my glock 22(.40), when the recoil tires him out he switches back to the P22. We have had no malfunctions after putting over 2000 rounds through it. It is also my 15 year old daughters gun favorite gun to shoot.

Some points from my experience with my kids:

Prior training on gun safe handling prior to the first trip to the range is critical

Kids quickly want to shoot what Dad/the grownups shoots. Work them up to it.

Picking out their own gun helps them take ownership and be more responsible when it comes time to maintainenance. It also helps to make sure it is a good fit for the child.

If you buy one child a gun, your other children will want one too. My daughter was not interested in shooting until I bought her younger brother a pistol.

HOLLiS

01-24-2009, 10:41

I would do what JJ had done, A 22 bolt action single shot. For a pistol a Ruger or a comparable 22 wheel gun would be a better choice, IMHO, than a semi 22 pistol.

At first a beginner needs less to think about, as they get more comfortable and as safety becomes 2nd nature, then they can progress to a more complicated firearm. Those are my thoughts.

Sinister

01-24-2009, 12:23

While a solid target pistol (High Standard 106 or 107 with Military frame, or a Smith and Wesson Model 41 or 46) will last forever a dependable, simple .22 like a 4-inch Colt Woodsman is light, accurate, and fun and will last long enough for your son to pass to his grandkids.

It won't be so big and heavy as to be intimidating, almost always feeds (avoid bulk-pack ammo and stick with quality standard velocity cartridges).

I just got another one for around $480 (you can find them on the electronic web gun auctions). The best ones were made in the 30s thru the 40s.

Ruger pistols are probably the best fallback option for between $250 and $400.

Books

01-24-2009, 15:37

Cost of ammo being what it is, I bought a Sig Sauer Mosquito .22 at a gun show (for a bit over 300 bucks, if memory serves me) about a year ago and have been really happy with it. It's a bit finicky with finding the right round for the gun (CCI has worked pretty well). The pistol is about 90% full frame, has a 10 shot mag and a pretty hefty trigger pull. Also, decocking lever and, of course, a safety switch. It's been great for working on shooting mechanics for me and I've used it to teach several others to shoot.

A buddy of mine from 19th bought a Taurus .22 revolver, also with a monster trigger pull on it, while at the course and shot round after round through it. He liked it quite a bit.

Finally, I've shot and enjoyed the Walter P22 as well, but preferred the Sig because of the larger size.

Good luck!

Books

Smokin Joe

01-24-2009, 18:00

I'm looking for recommendations for a .22 pistol to start a 14 y/o boy that has never shot. Eventually I will transition him to the .45.

Depending on the kids hand size and strength, I would recommend these in no particular order:

Ruger Mk II
Ruger 22/45
Browning Buck Mark (any version)

Box

01-24-2009, 18:12

I have a Ruger 22/45 MK-III. Built so the grip ergonomics are the same as a 1911...

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10109&return=Y

NousDefionsDoc

01-24-2009, 19:32

NousDefionsDoc

01-24-2009, 19:33

Just a thought but what about converting one of your .45 to .22?

I was thinking about that too.

NousDefionsDoc

01-24-2009, 19:42

Thanks for the recommendations. Billy, I like the looks of the Ruger. I'm going to look around for a while. I really like the SA Operator and I want to be as happy with the next one.

APLP

01-24-2009, 20:14

I have a Ruger 22/45 MK-III. Built so the grip ergonomics are the same as a 1911...

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10109&return=Y

Concur with the recommendation above. I also have the Kimber 22 / 1911, and have put together two additional 1911/.45acp/.22 caliber conversions. Often the .45acp 1911 .22cal conversions are ammunition dependant to the higher performance rounds, increased cost, and do not allow for functional thumbs high hand positions on the frame.

Although there are some good 1911 conversions out there, many are not and can be waste of money, while the dedicated .22 cal pistols such as the Ruger are always spot on.

I have an 8 year old girl who will start IPSC competitions next year and plan to use the Glock-17 .22cal conversion or the Ruger option mentioned above.

frostfire

01-24-2009, 20:58

I have a Ruger 22/45 MK-III. Built so the grip ergonomics are the same as a 1911...

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10109&return=Y

Very hard to go against the proven and all-around best buy Ruger series, but for one that's not finnicky with ammo, all steel construction, usw., may I suggest the CZ Kadet. Hundreds of high velocity, low velocity, subsonic rounds of different brands and only one failure to cycle/double feed. I would pit its accuracy against the Ruger series. Also very ergonomic for 1 hand firing, even with the left hand.

With .22 conversion kit, or any .22 built resembling a full size pistol, extra magazines can be pricey, more so than the full size, so that's another factor to consider.

The Reaper

01-24-2009, 22:52

I was thinking about that too.

The .22 conversion would be my recommendation as well.

I run a Kart .22LR conversion on top of an aluminum 1911 frame and my kids love it.

TR

Tuukka

01-25-2009, 10:10

My recommendation would be the Ruger MkII or the 22/45.

We sold 100+ of those some years back and the warranty issues have been almost nonexistant.

The design is very robust and will keep ticking for a long time.

I bought a used MkII, made in 1991, a couple of years back and it has also been 100% reliable.

Lanyard

01-25-2009, 11:01

I started with a Daisy BB gun at 7yrs, went up to a Benjamin single pump pellet gun at 8yrs, got a .22/.410 O/U to carry while my family went Pheasant hunting at 9yrs, started to shoot a Wallther PPK .22 at 10 yrs. At 11yrs started to use a MkII for competition and swithched over to a .45 at 13. I was lucky to get a lot of formal training for the following 2 years and Mom & Dad were both nationally ranked shooters so any troubles I had with the .45 (flinching & milking) were addressed right away. I would echo what others have said about delaying introduction to the larger calibers.

Mycroft

01-25-2009, 22:17

The Beretta Neos is a good option as well. It has a low price, it eats any ammo I throw at it, and it is very simple to maintain.

Here is a video I found of a person demonstrating the takedown procedure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCzHhclACCs

I paid $200 for mine about 2 years ago now, and I've been happy with it.

Probably my favorite feature is the extended buttons on the magazines, it makes reloading the magazines a very simple and non-annoying task.

I believe the barrel lengths available are 4", 6" and 7.5" if memory serves.

I've attached a picture as well (not mine.)

SRGross

01-26-2009, 12:50

Started my girls on a Bb Gun and went to 22 Long Rifle/410 overunder, I can not remember the maker, I think it was a Sears Savage, when it comes to teach kids, I like a 22 rifle, cheap, easy to instruct, local tourneys.
My oldest, 23 now, uses a 9mm Browning, she loves it ( Browning HP ).