First rifle

[Niviticus]

Hello all and Happy Holidays! I'm getting ready to purchase my son his first rifle. He's never had anything more than a BB gun and he's ready to move up. I was really eyeing the ruger 10/22 takedown since it seems like it would be a good survival rifle to keep even when he out grows it. But after some searching I've found a few people with problems. For example there's a sticky about the fore ends being aligned properly, another website had problems where the rifle was tearing up ammo upon feeding. I'm hoping this isn't common. He actually really wants an AR style 22 but the few I've seen aren't cheap plus they are heavier. Do you guys think I should just spring for an AR style 22 which I'm familiar with and could diagnose and fix problems he would have with the rifle plus since it's rim fire he wouldn't have to use a bullet button. Or a light takedown 10/22 that would save me money and be easier for him to carry in a backpack. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance guys.

[davefromca]

Not sure if you have a turners near you but they have 1022s for $200. (Not the take down) I'd go with a 1022. Absolutely no problems with mine. The AR styles are "cool" but that's about it if it's his first rifle. Save the AR style for when he's ready to move up again and buy an American legend, the 1022 is simple, easy to use, very high quality piece of machine.

[AR22]

How old is the little bugger?

A "real" AR dedicated .22 is somewhat expensive, SW 15-22s are a little cheaper but they are a proprietary design and are plastic. That turns me off from them. The more expensive dedicated AR 22 will always have the potential for returns on your investment as they use real AR15 parts so in the next panic they will increase in value..

Do not get me wrong. The SW is a nice little .22 though..Just has the pitfalls I mentioned..They still do work good..

But if you afford to go the dedicated route it is a much better route..

Skip the 10-22 in my opinion. If you have to go with something like a 10-22, get a Marlin Model 60 or maybe a 795 instead... Go the dedicated AR22 route if at all possible..Get the SW 15-22 copy, if you cannot spend the extra money the dedicated will cost.

Do you have a AR15 lower? If so for now just get him a dedicated upper bought or built to use on one of your lowers, and assemble his own lower over time. That is what I did..

Show him a 10-22 and a pic of my kids AR22 and ask him which one he wants

Yes that is a SW 15-22 30 round magazine in that CMMG/Taccom dedicated upper. Great mags..

This one weighs only 5.5 pounds and is 100% fun and reliable..I think a 10-22 is likely around 5 pounds.
He is only a kid once.

[Niviticus]

He's 9 and this would be for his 10th birthday. Wow that rifle looks great with an ACS on there. One thing that has my interest is how light it is. Every AR I've put together always weighs 8+ lbs with optics but unloaded, I didn't realize how light you could configure those. I've thought about building him an AR with a dedicated .22 upper, that way he could always upgrade to 5.56 when he gets older. But the costs involved in a dedicated AR22 are kinda steep. But looking at your kids setup, it looks awesome and something my son would love as well.

[AR22]

What makes the weight differance in his is the barrel. That is a Taccom barrel,you can look him up on the internet. Tim makes some very good stuff for the AR22 world. That ULW barrel weighs like 14 ounces. With that barrel it is a dream to get target aquisition quickly. It is just such a nice handling weapon with that barrel. I have seen some builds using Tims stuff that go sub 4 pounds easily..I think I seen one guy at just over 3 pounds for the complete rifle..

There was also another consideration why I went with a dedicated upper and later assembling him his own a lower for it. When he gets a little older he can assemble a .223 upper and swap both the .22 and the 5.56 uppers and have both Calibers within minutes. Cannot do that with the SW 15-22. Its lower and upper are good for nothing but to each other..

Prices of AR stuff has went down. I think if you got a Taccom Bolt and barrel. Find a low priced standard upper receiver. You could put together a nice dedicated upper pretty reasonable before the next panic hits..Good luck whatever you decide.

One warning to the kid. Do not let Dad shoot you AR22. You may not get it back

[Quiet]

Under 10... go with a Crickett.

[AR22]

That was my 3 kids first rifle. Still have it..Really hard to load though for bigger fingers.

[Pearlpower]

Ruger 10/22 for my almost 7 year old. Loves it, handles it well, great groupings at 50yds. Can shoot iron or RDS (Bushnell for his). Has a Kidd Bolt buffer, skeletonized extended mag release, trigger, tactical rail, rail band with a bipod, and longer anodized charging handle. Looked at the Crickett, but wanted something to stay with him a while. Turners for $229, synthetic. Wanted the compact at first but was a bit elusive to find. Great little rifle with a ton of available mods.

[Niviticus]

Thanks for all the great info guys! It's pretty much between a Ruger 10/22 and AR22. I've really got to take some time to think this over and weigh all the pros and cons. I originally thought for sure I was gonna pick the 10/22 for him but after seeing how light and versatile an AR22 can be it's gonna be a tough decision. It seems like I can't go wrong either way.

[sigfan91]

Go with a 10/22. There are parts galore to modify it every which way you want...not that it needs anything. I am a fan of stock configurations.

After a while, a "tacticool" 22 rifle will lose its coolness. But a 10/22 in walnut has that timeless classic look to it. Every single little mark only adds character.

[SoCalEnthusiast]

Get him the 10/22 or even the Marlin 795. You can get him a true AR in a few years? He's just a kid, right?

[HomeLandSecurityRifle]

Just my .02, but for his first rifle I would get him something that will stand the test of time, something that he will always be able to repair or maintain easily, and could pass down to his own children. A 10/22 would be great for sure, and you can't go wrong with it at all. I've been using them for over 20 years. I've always been extremely partial to vintage Remington 510's and 514's because they are SIMPLE: single-shot bolt action, no magazine to lose and little moving parts.

My father gave me my first rifle, which was also HIS first rifle, a 1967 Ted Williams branded .22LR Bolt action Rifle he purchased from Sears. Aside from having to repair a worn down firing pin (goes to show how often it has been used), it has been perfectly flawless. When my oldest sons turns of age, I too will hand that down to him. My wife has a Remington 514 her grandfather handed down to her, and one day our youngest son will get that one as well for his first.

[dyson]

Get him a standard 10/22 as there isnt many mods avail for the takedown. I'd suggest the ruger and let him upgrade it to a precision rimfire rifle as he gets older. Intro him to Kidd parts, etc. Like the AR, theres a lot of room to grow with the 10/22 too.

[redcliff]

S&W MP 15-22. Light weight plus collapsible stock for easy length of pull adjustments as he grows. Best .22 magazine available in an AR type 22 and they have a bolt hold open. Same manual of arms as an AR-15.

[AR22]

You can have all that with the Dedicated AR22 upper and also use the SW mags too.....

Though his favorite are the 50 round drums in the picture..