Need help with son and pistol

[Guest windhamdw]

My son goes with me when I go shooting. I shoot my pistols M&P full size, compact and shield in 40cal. My son just turned 9 and always shoots his two 22 rifles, the problem is he wants to shoot a pistol. I do not want him to try one of my mine right now because of the kick, also I'm afraid it my scare him into thinking pistols are bad.

I need to know of a good beginer pistol to start him out on, does anyone have any good ideas.

I was thinking maybe a 22 but not sure which one would be a good one.

Thanks

[Pat]

I'll vouch for something like a basic Ruger Mk III, or if you can get a cheap used Mk II. Wonderful little pistol. Matter o' fact, that's what I learned on.

[pops572]

Ruger 22/45 or Browning Buckmark either one in .22 flavor should serve you nicely.

[PackinMama]

I started my son, who is almost 9 yrs old, on a Ruger MK II this summer. He also had only shot his .22 rifle previous to that, and he did great with it. So good in fact, that I got him a Ruger MK III Hunter and put a red dot on it for him. Kids love the red dots!!!

 

The MK II's and III's are great because they will eat any old cheap ammo that you put through them. It seems like many of the .22 autos are finicky when it comes to ammo.

Edited October 7, 2013 by PackinMama

[ted]

Ruger sr22 not as heavy are a walther p22 is what I would go with , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB2tgJv_oec&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DoB2tgJv_oec Edited October 7, 2013 by ted

[musicman]

I'm with Ted.  I like the P22 over the Mark series guns.  Mags always seemed easier to load, easier to feed in the gun, too, imho.  Takedown and cleaning is way easier, too.  I know the old Rugers have been around a lot longer, but I loved my P22.  I'm planning on getting another 22 semi soon, and it will be a P22 or SR22... probably whichever I get the best deal on that day.

[Guest windhamdw]

Thanks guys, I guess I will need to start looking at the Rugers.

Thanks

[musicman]

WAIT!!! Why not the M&P22?!  He can shoot a gun just like Dad's!  Then, when you think he is big enough to handle the blast and recoil, he's already used to the platform.

 

Plus, it comes with a 12 round mag... not just 10!

Edited October 7, 2013 by musicman

[ted]

WAIT!!! Why not the M&P22?!  He can shoot a gun just like Dad's!  Then, when you think he is big enough to handle the blast and recoil, he's already used to the platform.
 
Plus, it comes with a 12 round mag... not just 10!

grip may be a little large for his hands remember he is 9 the sr22 grip has 2 grip sizes that comes with it that you can change the m&p 22 does not , good idea though

[Guest windhamdw]

I was looking at the 22 m&p, but I was afraid his hands would be to small for the big frame.

[Guest Razz]

SR22 is great for teaching young shooters. I taught my friend's 10 year old how to shoot a pistol with my SR22. He enjoyed it more than the two tacticool 10/22s he shot.

[TrickyNicky]

I'm with Ted on this one, the SR22 is a great little pistol. Smaller than a MK so about perfect for a youngster, yet with the larger grip he won't outgrow it.

Plus it looks more like "dad's guns" than a MK, which will make him happy.

Mines very accurate and has been about as reliable as my MKIII. The MK has more rounds through it by a lot so I won't say its AS reliable, but it has happily eaten every kind of bulk and match ammo that I have crammed down its pipe.

[UncleJak]

My son shoots a walther sp22 all the time with no problems

Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[jeff43]

How accurate are the SR22's,it's really hard to beat the Ruger MK I & II.The MK III should be as accurate as the I &II,just don't care for the loaded shell indicator and it won't fire if the mag is removed.

[jeff43]

How accurate are the SR22's,it's really hard to beat the Ruger MK I & II.The MK III should be as accurate as the I &II,just don't care for the loaded shell indicator and it won't fire if the mag is removed.
Sorry about the double post. Edited October 7, 2013 by jeff43

[RED333]

Why not a revolver? I had my brothers boys out to shoot, they feel head over heels with my Rough Rider.

They had a very good time, even was able to hit the steel with it, for them that was the best part.

Edited October 7, 2013 by RED333

[UncleJak]

How accurate are the SR22's,it's really hard to beat the Ruger MK I & II.The MK III should be as accurate as the I &II,just don't care for the loaded shell indicator and it won't fire if the mag is removed.
Sorry about the double post.

pretty accurate. ..the real advantages to these are the super ergonomic grips that make shooting it so easy

Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[TrickyNicky]

I'd say darn near as accurate as the MK series, maybe not so much past 25yards but even then that's most likely my own issues over the gun's. I like the longer sight radius on the MK and I think that's a big part of it for me.

[jaxjohn419]

i have been looking for a SR22 for my 10 year old also. its that or the Walther, and I prefer the Ruger. 

I have had probs finding one for a private sale though. No one wants to part with theirs, but if they do, its usually more that the cost of a new one (@$330-$360).

 

Let me know if you find more than 1. Ill take the other! :pleased:

[Murgatroy]

Why not a revolver? I had my brothers boys out to shoot, they feel head over heels with my Rough Rider.

They had a very good time, even was able to hit the steel with it, for them that was the best part.

My seven year old daughter has been shooting my Rough Rider for a while now.  She loves it. To the point that I have been thinking of picking one up for her.

 

My first handgun was a Ruger Single Six. I forget how old I was, but I shot it for many, many years before I passed it on to my brother.

 

As for semi-automatics, I don't own and bottom feeder .22LRs. Even as an adult I have too much fun with a six shooter, and frankly, that is what rimfire is all about.

[Jonnin]

I second the SR 22 or a clone (but the ruger is the best made of that lot IMHO).  The trigger to grip distance is ultra short, its like it was made for kids. 

 

A good revolver is also excellent but if he sees dad with autos he may want to be more like dad.   There are a number with small grips and if it can be cocked the trigger will be close enough to the handle.  DAO revolvers are no good for a kid.  Ruger 10 shot or taurus equivilent maybe in 22?   Or if you load your own, the classic "lady sized" 38s with light loads?

 

Most other autos are going to be sized for an adult's hands.   You might find a SAO of some sort that he can handle, like one of the old school single action 380s.  He might find a cocked DA/SA gun comfortable --- like the revovler, the trigger moves back when cocked, making it reachable?   Something like a makarov might do there.  

 

You can also download autos by replacing the springs.  For example your .40, if you put in much weaker recoil springs you could shoot .40s that were little more than glorified 380s.   This exchanges buying a new gun for a bit of aggravation (keeping track of springs and ammo, and handloading the ammo and not mixing it up!!). 

[PackinMama]

I had my 8 yr. old son try holding several different .22 handguns on for size. I really liked the M&P .22, but the grip and overall size of the gun was just way too large for him. The Walther p22 fit nicely, but several different people at the gun shops I went in said that it was very finicky when it came to ammo. Then he tried a Ruger SR22 and it fit him perfectly with the small grips and it's so light that he can hold it up with one hand. Thing was, I already owned a MK II so I started him on that and he handled it well. It's a little too heavy for him to shoot without a rest, so I let him sit on the bench and use a sandbag to rest it on and he does great with it. Then I bought the MK III which is really for both of us ( I LOVE it!), and know it will fit him better as he grows older. However, I have a nice shiny new chrome slide SR22 on layaway right now that is going to be his Christmas present from Mama. :)

 

You can't go wrong with any of the Rugers, but I'd take him with me to the gun shop and let him try a few different .22's on for size before I bought anything.

[ted]

One other real good pistol would be the browning 1911-22 Compact it's a very scaled down 1911 , take a look at that one , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWMfUCtrQHQ

[safeandsecure]

One other option might be the Sig Mosquito -- but started my son out on a little Colt Frontier Scout, which he still loves to shoot and with which he has started his kids out on.  I have a Mosquito, and like it.  It's near enough to the full-size Sigs to look like Dad's, while small enough for smaller hands.  If a semi- is your choice, then you couldn't go far wrong with either a Ruger or a Sig.  But if fun is your object, it's hard to beat a "cowboy" six-shooter.  Fun AND with the single-actions, pretty safe (and easy to load/unload and clean).

 

Whatever your choice, it's the most fun we ever had -- 22s and targets, plastic bottles, balloons, etc. And now, I'm getting to do it all over again with the grands.  Life is good!

[cgun86]

My seven year old daughter has been shooting my Rough Rider for a while now. She loves it. To the point that I have been thinking of picking one up for her.

My first handgun was a Ruger Single Six. I forget how old I was, but I shot it for many, many years before I passed it on to my brother.

As for semi-automatics, I don't own and bottom feeder .22LRs. Even as an adult I have too much fun with a six shooter, and frankly, that is what rimfire is all about.

^+1 A Ruger single six is an immediate family heirloom. One he can show his friends from then on and say, "This was my first gun." Of course Mark IIs and IIIs have come and gone in my safe throughout the years, but my Single six stays. Stay away from the plastic for his first "father to son" gun. When I find a mark III hunter it will have a permanent place in my safe as well.