Question for gun enthusiasts?

.38’s are great (or is it a .36…. I can never remember the actual number and sometimes get made fun of for it….). .22’s are kind of a 12 year old’s gun in my opinion. They are fun to shoot, but knowing boys and guns it might be a little disappointing to a 19 year old.

Good choice. Most multiple gun owners own a .22. They’re a good firearm to train with, versatile, fun, and comparatively cheap to operate. A 10/22 like this one is very popular.

Rifle or hand gun? If he is not experienced, I see no reason for anything more powerful or expensive than a .22.

For a 19 year old, a 22 rifle is the choice. Ammunition is less expensive. 22’s are great for plinking cans and shooting at targets.

If you wanted to get a 22 caliber pistol, you then have go through your state’s requirements for the purchase of a pistol. Some states are behind in issuing permits by as much as 150 days. This is considered a hand gun and is treated much differently than a rifle.

He does not need a 38 caliber or 45 caliber. Much too powerful for a 19 year old.

(I assume you are talking a rifle. Right? I would not buy anyone a handgun. That should be a personal choice and earned by the owner.)

The cost of ammo for anything other than a .22 will break the bank. It is perfect for plinking.
If you are going to get him a .22, I’d recommend the Henry AR-7 . It is a .22 but has some really neat features. It comes apart and everything fits into the waterproof stock – the assembly floats by the way. If he is going out into the woods it can fit into his backpack and not worry about rain or snow. The gun is made in USA. It has a certain cache. It was used by James Bond in one of the early movies. Some air force (I won’t mention names) issues these to their fighter pilots.
And it is made by the Henry Repeating Arms Company and comes with their lifetime warranty. They are a fantastic company.

Sorry, I didn’t even think about rifles. Haha.
I took state in handgun shooting when I was 12…. My mind doesn’t even acknowledge rifles a lot of the time, lol.

I guess I should have mentioned rifle in my description. lol
He doesn’t need a handgun. I’m sure he’d love one, but hell no!
Thank you all so much for your responses. I knew I could count on you!!
I’m going to look at guns on Friday. I’m making my dad and my brother go with me.

Looks like a .22 it is! Thanks guys and girl!!

A gift certificate for a gun safety class would be a good stocking stuffer. Whether it would be a review for him, or all new to him, nobody can get too much safety training.

When my sons were 18, I started them off with the Beretta Px4 Storm, Full Size, 9mm and the Smith & Wesson SW1911 9mm. The 9mm has less recoil. You should be able to find the PX4 for under $400. The SW1911 will probably be out of your price range. What is your price range?

A water pistol is all I would trust him with.

@Katniss Even though it’s not required usually, I do highly recommend a gun safety or Hunters Education course, for his own safety and others around him.

As for the gun itself, a ruger 10/22 is fairly cheap,is very customizable with aftermarket parts, cheap ammo, a pretty acurate.

Got one myself (i am 30) and it is my favorite plinking gun by a lot! :)

He’s taken a couple gun/hunters safety classes ready, but I’m sure a refresher course wouldn’t hurt. He goes to the firing range quite a bit with his uncle.

My price range is preferably under $400. It’s going to be a combined b-day/Christmas gift.

@ragingloli I wouldn’t even trust you with a water pistol. lol

I agree with @Staalesen the Ruger 10/22 is good choice too. It is very popular and has been around for a long time. (I still think the Henry AR-7 is cooler – about $300)

My first rifle was a Mossberg 144 LSA that I got for school. Yes, you read that correctly… “for school” !!! I was 13 and the target rifles offered in my school were too heavy for me so my parents got me a lighter one. We brought our guns to school and kept them in our lockers. Of course they had to stay in their cases and we could not carry ammo. When we used the range in the school basement the teacher would give us our ammo. Sounds incredible now.

@Katniss
I have antimatter projection rifles.

I was going to say .22 and that looks like the choice of most everyone else also! I like to take it hunting because it doesn’t kick like our big guns (I am afraid of those)! Get him a cleaning kit too and tell him to use it or its going to be a waste of money down the road. Also getting them authorized is a pain in the butt and time consuming! My finance just bought a gun and it took him 2 months to get approval. I have no idea why because he is a law abding citizen.It may only be in my state but we were buying a hunting gun for our daughter and it was a gift last year. They told us you cannot purchase a gun as a gift?!?

@ragingloli Remember, in New York State, you can’t carry more than 10 antimatter projectiles in the magazine.

@Emmy1234 In NY you cannot purchase a gun for another person. The background check must be preformed for the person who will be using it.
This woman is in trouble for doing that.

Good answer @Emmy1234, every gun owner needs a kit.

@LuckyGuy- Yep must be law in other states too! So what if they are buying a gun for a kid for youth hunting? Does the kid get a background check?

So she could give him the money to buy the gun and he could just get it himself. That would prevent the law breaking!

As it is his first firearm, I would look for a used .22 LR single shot bolt action rifle. At 19 he cannot yet legally own a handgun in most states. Depending on the state, you may both have to go in for the background checks if you purchase it as a gift.

A single shot bolt action will better teach him the value of making the first shot count, as he won’t have the quick follow up shots available as he would with a 10/22 or similar magazine fed rifle.

I purchased shotguns for each of my nephews when they passed their hunter safety course. They lived in a different state than I did at the time. The firearms were stored at my home in my gun safe until they were legally old enough to own them. I then transferred the guns to them through my local gun store.

You can buy guns as gifts as long as you follow the rules of the state(s) involved.

The Henry or the Ruger 10/22 are both excellent weapons and cheap to shoot. If he wanted a little more kick a 22 Magnum is hotter but still a rimfire. You might also consider a shotgun, he could do clay pigeons or small game hunting. I had a Remington 1100 20 gauge that was one of the smoothest shooting guns I ever fired. I could fire that with the butt on my stomach.

Another vote for the 10/22. Good gun, though not my favorite to clean by any means.

Regarding the 10/22, the takedown version is a bit easier to clean the barrel on at least, since it just twists off. :)

The Henry AR7 ”(H002B)“http://henryrepeating.com/rifle-survival-ar7.cfm is a snap to take apart and clean. It comes apart in 20 seconds.
I have no data but if I had to guess I’d say the 10/22 will be more accurate since it has a full frame.
The Henry is the better choice if you want to strap it on the side of your 4 wheeler while cruising in the wilderness.

Deleted by me. Duplicate.

10/22 all the way. I still shoot mine and it can hit grapefruit size targets at 200 yards. Be sure you can get .22 ammo in your area. It’s still hard to come by in some places

What did you finally get: the Ruger 10/22 or the Henry AR-7?
And does he like it?