Dad's First Rifle

[Psudeonym]

Hello All,

First a bit of background. My dad is a doctor and a democrat, and a proud man to boot, new to Sacremento. This makes for an interesting situation where he is very predisposed against guns, but suddenly in a situation where he feels he might have to have a gun (to fit in with the culture, because Sac is a tiny bit more sketch than what he's used to, and because I've slowly been working down his aversion to guns) and probably unwilling to ask for any help.

I myself am a bit of an "armchair expert", that is to say I know a little bit from the forums, wikipedia, and Hickok45, and maybe two days at the range. :shame: Since he doesn't like guns, he knows almost nothing about them, and when he first brought the topic up he was like "maybe a handgun, 'cause it would be easy to handle" Because I don't live with him anymore, I can't walk him through the process, and I doubt he'll really be comfortable asking any questions, so I've been working on kind of a guide to get him on the right track. My first thoughts are to get him on a 10/22 to learn the basics and eventually have him settle on a mini-14. I chose the mini 14 because it's non threatening appearance, and use of the 5.56 cartridge.

Aside from that, all I can think of telling him are to take a few classes, practice with mom as often as possible, stick with the 10/22 until both he and mom get the hang of it, clean it after every use, and get a safe for whenever relatives or guests come over.

Just want to hear all of your thoughts and for you guys to check my reasoning.

Thanks

----------------------------UPDATE------------------------------

Also, what are all of your thoughts on me suggesting some kind of non magnifying optic or laser?

I think he would be better off without having to strain his eyes on iron sights, but would that look bad in the eyes of the law if god forbid he ever did have to shoot someone?

[Cool Custard]

For home defense have him get a shotgun! Best for hd in
My opinion.

[Niviticus]

Welcome

[shortyforty]

While shotguns (pump & semi auto) are considered to be optimal choices for home defense by many, they do require a good deal of training and trigger time to master the manual of arms in a high stress situation. Since your Dad really isn't a "gun guy" this may not be the best option for him at this time.

You mentioned that your Father is a Doctor. The fact that he is a Doctor indicates to me that he has an above average level of intelligence and should be able to think critically and rationally on the subject of firearms for the purpose(s) of personal defense and recreation. Next time you are talking to him, maybe you could think of a clever analogy to open his eyes to the benefits of gun ownership for the responsible citizen. Something like; "you know Dad, guns are kind of like prescription medications. In the wrong hands and without the proper training, prescription meds can have devastating consequences on lives and the quality of lives. But when they are used properly and within the guidelines of their intended usage, they have the ability to help people live, survive and pursue a higher quality of life. Likewise, firearms in the proper hands and used in the right way, can and do allow people to live, survive, save, protect, and pursue life". Sometimes with a big smile

If I were in your position with my own Father, I would recommend a quality revolver for a first gun. The manual of arms is extremely simple and there is much less training involved for initial deployment in a high stress situation. A quality 6 shot revolver in .38/.357 such as a Smith & Wesson or Ruger GP100 with no more than a 4 inch barrel and no less than a 3" would be ideal in this case. In my opinion this would be a viable option for home defense and recreational shooting. Ammo is readily available in this caliber currently which is more than we can say about .22lr. The .38 special cartridge provides an enjoyable yet persuasive shooting experience. Additionally, there's not much recoil and the round is sufficiently powerful to stop a bad guy. Anyway, I am an expert by no means and just thought I would try to throw another option your way.

Shorty

[fighterpilot562]

Welcome

[SoCal Bob]

I agree that a 10-22 is a great rifle to start with, no recoil and minimal noise. While the Mini-14 does not have any recoil to speak of, based on my experience, the louder report can startle a new shooter and you want to build confidence.

I agree that a revolver would be a great first handgun. The Ruger GP100 is reasonably priced and a great shooting gun. The Ruger SP101 may also be a good choice but you may need to change out the grips, I find the standard grips to be uncomfortable to use and went with the Hogue monogrips on mine.

Generally avoid a snub nosed revolver with small grips since many are difficult to use because of the recoil. The SP101 has a tad more heft to it which diminishes the felt recoil.

[Psudeonym]

Thanks for all of your thoughts.

If he develops any more interest I'll definitely direct him to a revolver as well as the option of a rifle (really just what I have the most experience with).

As far as convincing him to be more gun-friendly he has seen the full extent what happens on the wrong side of the barrel, so it will take time for him to come around completely, regardless of what I say. That said, that said I do think he is coming around.

He kind of likes having "the best" so I think I'll point him towards a Model 686 SSR Smith.

[Go Navy]

First, what does this mean? "tiny bit more sketch"?

Second, I'm convinced that new shooters, male or female, are put off by noise and, more importantly, recoil. The key is to guide him, however you do it, to a first experience that will be relatively pleasant. DO NOT encourage him to start with a shotgun, .357 mag, noisy 5.56 etc. He'll get there in due time.

Instead, I would have him start out with, say, a .22 revolver, or semi-auto like the Ruger Mk III. He'll likely want a .22 to keep anyway, as he progresses into more powerful tools.

Since Doctors are highly trained, you might arrange for him to get some personal handgun training, one on one, and don't hang around while he's doing it. There are surely good instructors in the Sacto area. Make sure it's someone who can communicate on his level. Present this to him as a resource and let him decide to go do it, preferably with his own brand new .22 handgun. He'll take it from there and migrate into a more powerful caliber.

You deserve praise for wanting to help your Dad ease into the world of shooting.

By the way, how old is this gentleman?

[rkt88edmo]

Take him hooting, and let him pick whatever he fancies from any quality manufacturer. And then get him a .22lr on top of that that has a fiber/firesight for the front sight for his older eyes. Don't steer him, let him shoot a bunch of different things and choose for himself.

From there a shotgun would probably be a good match as the shotgun sports tend to be a bit more genteel.

[357magnum]

Welcome

[R3Designs]

First off welcome to Calguns!

I have to say I quite agree with shortyforty and SoCal Bob on starting with a .38/.357 revolver. Having just converted a few folks from non gun owners to owners my buddies and I have a fairly wide assortment of handguns, revolvers, carbines, ARs and shotguns. We have a range from .22s to .44mag and everything in between. We generally like to start of with the .22s and complete range safety training. Then they want to work their way thru what we have. Most of gone out with us more than once to help figure out what they do and do not like. Many enjoy the .22 to start but eventually they move on to other calibers. Many like the .38/.357 as the .38 load shoots with less recoil and not quite as loud and makes for easy practice. While the .357 makes them feel like they could stop just about anybody. A few have enjoyed the outings so much and the competitions we have that they have moved on to multiple gun ownership and other calibers. I'm sure that with you gently leading the way your dad will come to find something that fits his needs, where it's for day to day home defense or some time well spent at the range. Good luck and let us know how things go!

[mabilis_matulis]

Welcome to CGN

[M1A_KICHI]

First, what does this mean? "tiny bit more sketch"?

Second, I'm convinced that new shooters, male or female, are put off by noise and, more importantly, recoil. The key is to guide him, however you do it, to a first experience that will be relatively pleasant. DO NOT encourage him to start with a shotgun, .357 mag, noisy 5.56 etc. He'll get there in due time.

Instead, I would have him start out with, say, a .22 revolver, or semi-auto like the Ruger Mk III. He'll likely want a .22 to keep anyway, as he progresses into more powerful tools.

Since Doctors are highly trained, you might arrange for him to get some personal handgun training, one on one, and don't hang around while he's doing it. There are surely good instructors in the Sacto area. Make sure it's someone who can communicate on his level. Present this to him as a resource and let him decide to go do it, preferably with his own brand new .22 handgun. He'll take it from there and migrate into a more powerful caliber.

You deserve praise for wanting to help your Dad ease into the world of shooting.

By the way, how old is this gentleman?

Now that I think about it, whenever I brought new shooters in they did get a little hesitant to shoot. Probably explains why my gf only wanted to watch the first time (she is comfortable with 5.56 now). I agree with the above on having some 22lr firearm around. New shooters always enjoy my target mark 3 pistol.
Also agree on having a good revolver and shotgun for HD.

[purer00r]

Welcome to CG!! Good luck whatever you guys decide.

[Deimos887]

Welcome!