Good friend looking to purchase first gun

[liberty47]

I have a good friend who recently reached out to me looking to purchase his first gun.

He definitely wants something that can be used for protection, but something that would also be fun to shoot at the range.

We have talked about the differences between pistol, rifle and shotgun for home defense vs a SHTF scenario. He is leaning towards a rifle and then we started talking about a 10/22 as a first purchase.

Anyways, I told him it was a better idea to register a username here and that I could start a thread for him to monitor. He would receive plenty of opinions and could end up making a more informed decision. His username is 2ever, he lives in the greater San Diego area and is a stand up guy.

When I first started to get interested in firearms I did not know about Calguns. If I had, I don't think I would have made so many silly purchases! Hopefully 2ever will enjoy the community as much as I have.

Based on the current climate, what do you recommend 2ever as a first gun purchase? Let's call his budget $800 total.

[Garv]

Glock 19/17 maybe.

Take him out shooting and rent or at least handle a variety before buying.

10/22 great rifle for a START to learning, but maybe not the best for SHTF or HD.

[liberty47]

We are good friends but I don't live in the San Diego area. He knows he needs to handle and shoot some but some more opinions, and quality feedback, is what I was hoping to attain.

[L84CABO]

Find a range with a good rental counter. He'll sort out more in an afternoon than anything we could tell him. Plus it will be fun.

[Garv]

Iron Sights in Oceanside has a decent variety to rent.

2ever:
What do you have in mind?
Revolver on the list?

[Pally]

I agree with Garv, Iron Sights is a good place to shoot/rent firearms. The staff is friendly and helpful.

[AreWeFree]

Honestly a sporterized Saiga in 7.62 or 5.45 would be a great all around weapon. It's inexpensive, durable, drop mags freely so it's viable for home defense, ammo is cheap and plentiful, and it's fairly light on recoil so he can learn the fundamentals but wont get bored as quickly as a .22lr.

[jeremiah12]

I always recommend to start with a .22 in both handgun or rifles. They are both great to learn the fundamentals and are always fun to shoot. With practically no recoil, one does not start off learning to flinch. They are cheap to feed and you will get in lots of trigger time.

There are lots of used, well made, .22 revolvers and semi autos out there that are also inexpensive. Go to the rimfire section. I have a H&R 9 shot revolver I paid $250 for 2 years ago and it is a great shooter. Invest in a quality one and you will likely keep it for life.

The reason I suggest buying used is you do not run into the 1 in 30 limit if you can find one to PPT.

Then I suggest try a range that offers rentals. Try many different ones. Ultimately, it will depend on the size of your friend's wallet and what feels good in his hand. Every gun has its pluses and minuses.

Personally, after .22, I would go with 9mm. The recoil is noticeable but relatively mild. A full size 9mm will have less felt recoil. Then practice, practice, practice. Take some classes. I wish I had taken my first class early rather than 3 years after I started getting serious about shooting.

Then from that point you friend is ready to move to other options. Does he want to learn to shoot a smaller CC gun? Maybe one in .380? These generally have more felt recoil and are more difficult to shoot accurately because of their small size and short sight radius. Maybe he is ready for a larger caliber like .45 or .357. Maybe he wants revolvers. Or maybe he found his ideal caliber, 10 mm. Unfortunately it is hard to find so I have to learn to reload.

BTW, join the NRA, they give us the best chance of keeping our gun rights are are probably the biggest reason we have the rights we do have right now rather than the fewer rights the antis wish we had.

[OttoLoader]

Consider a Glock 19. Very reliable, can replace parts easily. Good to use at range and self protection.

[sofbak]

"We are good friends but I don't live in the San Diego area. He knows he needs to handle and shoot some but some more opinions, and quality feedback, is what I was hoping to attain."

There us an outreach program in San Diego for people interested in learning to shoot. Read post #1 here for general info and contact info:

http://calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=17277135#post17277135

He could start there.

Rentals are a good suggestion, but note that most gun ranges will only rent if one (or both) of the following criteria are satisfied:

1. You cannot come alone to the range. Must be two or more people in your group.

2. You are alone but brought your own firearm to the range.

hth

[Jeepergeo]

A CZ 455 American in 22 LR or the Ruger 10/22 you mentioned. Both are wel under the maximun budget which means he'll have some money for cleaning supplies, some ammo, and a nice case.

[baranski]

+1 on renting at Iron Sights.

another +on the 10/22 or even S&W MP1522.

[meno377]

I would take him to the range with no preconceived ideas on what to get. Have him try a semi auto handgun, revolver, a rifle like the 10/22 and a shotgun.

If he takes a liking to a certain one much more than the rest, he will more likely go to the range and practice more often which will obviously make him more proficient.

After a while, he will take more interest in other firearms and the rest is history.

[Mr. Gillious]

For $800 I'd get a used glock 19 or 17 and a mossberg 500. Down the road with some savings I'd get an SKS

[586L-Frame]

If he is a newbie.
Recommend a Basic Pistol Trading Class. They should have a variety of handguns in the class to introduce to a new shooter before he decides on a purchase. Also ammo availability should be a consideration.