Handgun selection for teenage son.....

[JaceTB]

For Christmas, we are giving him the gift of a Gun Safety course. He is 14 years old, and will be 15 in February. For his 15th birthday we are planning on gifting him with his first handgun. As cautious/concerned parents looking for opinions, thoughts being a 9mm, something he can use for quite sometime and enjoy. Thank you all for you thoughts and a Merry Christmas to all!

Jace

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[Medic!]

Some interesting points on when a young person is ready?

 

[Joe13]

Just my 2¢.

I cherish my Ruger mk1 .22lr I started shooting at age 4.

This last year I bought a mk3 Hunter and shoot the daylights out of it.

A persons choice in higher caliber pistols/revolvers tends to change over the years, a .22lr is cheap and fun to shoot forever.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I would suggest that:
A .22 firearm may be a better choice to start out on...
With its low recoil and noise along with a low cost of ammo , you can get in a lot of practice.
Also in many places a person under 21 is barred from buying handgun ammo....the .22LR is generally not counted as such ...just something to consider.
Andy

 

[Bealzybub]

I concur with the previous suggestions. I'd say a Sig Mosquito 22LR or you just cant go wrong with a Ruger MKIII. I have a "Hunter Target model" and the thing is absolutely crazy accurate. I would also emphasize that the lighter weight, less recoil and cost of ammo would steer me towards a handgun in 22LR. Lots of practice, lots of shooting, lots of FUN FUN FUN !!!!!!!!

 

[No_Regerts]

For Christmas, we are giving him the gift of a Gun Safety course. He is 14 years old, and will be 15 in February. For his 15th birthday we are planning on gifting him with his first handgun. As cautious/concerned parents looking for opinions, thoughts being a 9mm, something he can use for quite sometime and enjoy. Thank you all for you thoughts and a Merry Christmas to all!

Jace

I'm not sure how much you've shot with him at this point. By 15, I had a couple 22 rifles, a 12 gauge shotgun, and an M1A (that I could take apart and reassemble in the dark). It was what my Dad and I did together (and still do together). My Dad was in the Army and carried an M9. So, when I was 16, he bought me a Beretta 92. Looking back on it, the gun didn't fit me well and there wasn't much we could do to fix that. It was "my" gun but stayed in his safe. I did all the shooting and maintenance, but under his supervision. At that point I had been shooting since I was 7.

If your teen doesn't have a lot of experience with firearms, Id suggest starting with the basics and a 22. Its no less deadly, but far cheaper to learn with. Learning and maturity is the key.

 

[No_Regerts]

To go along with @Joe13, a 22 is useful forever. This was the single shot I started with. A Savage Mk I. Still got it and the grouse and rabbits still fear it.

 

[Geardo]

He won't be able to buy ammo until he is 21 I think. A .22 lr or rifle might be a better choice....

All that being said, can't go wrong with a glock 19. He can leave it stock or build it out. Just make sure to buy him lots of magazines now.

Better yet maybe a polymer 80 glock 19 build? You could spec it out, finish it and assemble it together.

 

[Medic!]

Between ages 5 and 12 I got a lot of use out of a model 67 Winchester .22 , break action savage 410/.22 combo rifle/shotgun and a model 94 Winchester in 30-30.

Not sure how I would have gotten along with a 9mm handgun?
Other than being cool. It wouldn't have had any good affect on dinner.

 

[C-Run]

When my boy was young I taught him how to shoot a pistol using my Ruger MK1, the problem was he would shoot it quickly and empty the mag fast. I ended up buying him a Colt 22lr revolver and that really changed his shooting habits, he slowed down and was able to become a better shot.

 

[Member 34319]

I vote Ruger Mark 4 series in any flavor. 22lr and a lifetime of fun and training and plinking. That or a double action revolver in 22lr.

If you are dead set on 9mm I'd go for an all metal gun to help reduce recoil. Some polymer guns are too snappy for younger hands. Something like a CZ75 compact.

 

[drstrangelove]

Shameless plug, I know, but...
WTS WA - Ruger 22/45 SS Hunter

 

[DuneHopper]

Personally, I am not aware of anyone going handgun as a first choice for new youth firearms owners.
I would suggest a bolt action 22LR, get the mechanics down first. Safety is very important, but comes with having
proper cognitive mechanics, which only comes from practice. A Handgun in a youth is not very forgiving of mistakes.
And why no firearm is forgiving, a handgun bares the hardest learning curve out of the box especially for young minds.

I know we as parents go, hey I want this kid to have a Handgun, and why that not a horrible idea, in my opinion, get the safety class, buy a inexpensive Savage Bolt Action 22LR and get training in, and maybe next year look at handguns.
My kids didn't own a handgun until the mastered the safety first. And they were plenty happy having a 22LR bolt action to start. The best education in firearms is time and practice. Just my thoughts.

 

[daved20319]

+ whatever on starting with a .22 LR vs. a center fire. And I'd even go so far as to saying a revolver vs. an auto, maybe even a SA to really slow him down. There's just something irresistible to a teenager about mag dumps . That assumes he already has a good .22 rifle, if not, I'd start with that over any hangun, and I'd go bolt action vs. semi-auto, too. Later.

Dave

 

[open B 4 ever]

I would agree with most a 22LR. Would last for ever however i would stay away from single shot as my kids tired of that quickly. So I would reccomend
Pistol: ruger 2245 lite or browning buck mark.
Both of these are easily upgradeable
Rifle: ruger 10/22 upgradeable and every young man should have one
And then come join us at speed steel where he can really learn the fundamentals and have a great time as well

Good luck

 

[KKG]

If you are set on a handgun, you might want to think about a "J" Frame Smith and Wesson in .22 Rimfire. If his hands are big enough, you might want to think about a "K" Frame Smith and Wesson but I would start with a 4" Barrel. As you may have guessed, I like Smith and Wesson guns but there are other makes and models out there.

Going with any auto loader is most likely to teach him how to do magazine dumps as fast as he can. Not a good thing.

 

[Alexx1401]

Have to agree to many here, go with a .22. I was started on shooting earlier than many now days, at 5. Started my love affair with the 1911. First hand gun I bought for me was an original Ruger MK. It was WELL used when I got it and I had to have run a box car load of ammo through it. Someone talked me out of it after I had newer ones. Wish I had kept it. Now days I would get him a MKIV. Whichever style you think he would like. He may well have the thing for the rest of his life. Cheap to shoot, fun, and they make a great tool to teach new shooters. For decades to come he may use it to teach new shooters.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I agree with Joe, and everyone else suggesting a 22lr as a first pistol. It will be far cheaper to shoot. This means, he will get in more trigger time and learn to be proficient with it. However, this is coming from a guy that started out with a model 29 when he was 12 years old. My mom actually bought the pistol from one of her friends and co-workers on the sheriffs dept. Times have changed though. One pistol I remember getting as a kid during Christmas, was a 44 cal cap and ball revolver. I remember having so much fun with that pistol. It was cheap to shoot and fun to load. However, It wouldn't be a good choice for an indoor range, because of all the smoke it produces.. Again, if it were me, I'd start him off with a good 22lr pistol like a Ruger mk series, Browning buckmark or similar pistol. Focus on safety, trigger control, and proficiency. Then when he's ready, bring him to my club and let him shoot some bowling pins with us... . Sometimes, that's when the real learning happens..

 

[Andy54Hawken]

One pistol I remember getting as a kid during Christmas, was a 44 cal cap and ball revolver. I remember having so much fun with that pistol. It was cheap to shoot and fun to load. However, It wouldn't be a good choice for an indoor range, because of all the smoke it produces..

Hey now....!
But sooooo true ask me how I know....
Andy

 

[Bealzybub]

Well and heres another idea to throw in to the mix. I hope no one gets me wrong on my meaning here. WHATEVER you get him, hopefully a 22LR whether it be pistol or rifle, go squirrel hunting, or pdogs or some small type critters out in the woods for several reasons. #1 Frankly, blood and guts, for several reasons is a part of shooting. Not only out of respect for life but the taking thereof. As in I remember the tinge of guilt I felt when I shot the first bird out of a tree in my backyard growing up. It was truly a life lesson right there, by myself, being a witness to that. I think I gained a little respect in that moment. #2 if you can get somewhere where the small critters are pestulant, pdogs in the farmers fields ruining their crops, christmas tree farms where the grey diggers are eating the baby trees the reason being, I know for myself at least, I take more time on my shots when it comes to squirrels or pdogs as compared to paper. The paper isnt going anywhere, critters take more concentration etc.. Builds fundamentals a bit stronger and longer. Or, maybe just any type of competition shooting. Hell I dunno.