Suggestion of buying a gun for the first time
 

Just to clarify before starting....

AGE: 20
State: WA
Gender: Male(does it matter to metion this anyway? Oh it might be....)
Weight: 200 lb
Height: 6 ft

I never owned a gun in United States, so i am not very talented in shooting and i don't have a damn good friend who can teach me which gun do i have to buy, so here i come.

I am thinking of buying a gun in WA in a year because i like guns just like your guys, and i call myself "happy trigger" type of person who typically goes to shooting range once in a month just to have some fun, not to find how accurate i am.

I know about guns little. I know AK sucks in terms of accuracy and Colt makes me puke because of making profit by keep using M1911 and M16 design.. But these are typical knowledges that anyone can get in web, so i feel myself not very talented with firearms at all.


So here are the list i am thinking that i mght have to consider when purchasing the firearms.

1. Should be brand-new: i don't want to get stressed because of breakdown
2. Should be rifle: i don't like pistol at all. Crappy accuracy and i am still 20 anyway
3. Both Rifle cartridge and Pistol cartridge is fine: but not .50 BMG or .50 AE. PLEASE
4. Price: < 2000 is okay. I mean Dollars, not Euros


I personally like 7.62 and old style design, so i am thinking about M1A Springfield(there are different versions, but i will go with walnut stock ver.) because it's semi-automaitc 7.62 rifle that i don't have to worry about damn accuracy due to uncontrollable recoil in full auto, and it's PURE CLASSIC.

I am still thinking about M1A right now but i am not sure whether it is the perfect weapon for me(i saw on youtube about how to break down and re-assemble M1A... I think i have to challenge myself with little parts :<), so i'd like to get some advice.


Any advice for newbie who want some?


P.S) Sorry about awkward language skills, i am still learning :)

A good .22 would be a great start

I saw some people saying that 22 is good start.

I even saw SIG-made cool-looking semi-auto rifle that uses .22 LR. it only cost $800

But still, i like to go with some recoil on my shoulder

Are you going to be hunting?

I am good at killing papers, but not real animals

I am not planning to buy hunting license, and this first weapon is not for the hunting purpose.

As i mentioned, i am trigger-happy type of person, not "waiting-for-long-time-for-one-moment-when-you-can-look-in-deer's-eyes-and-pull-the-trigger-with-feeling-that-you're-going-to-hit-that-damn-alive-thing" type of person.

If you are just going to plink, get a .22

I'd say start off with a Ruger 10/22 for starters. It was the first rifle I've ever shot when I joined the pistols and rifles club in college.

The AK doesn't "suck" in terms of accuracy. You fire it in semi auto with practice like on any rifle and you'll hit your target.

The 1911 is a classic gun design, the tried and true handgun. If you don't like the design, that's your thing

The M16 is the military designation, so AR-15 is what it's called in the civilian world. It's also a tried and trusted design. If it didn't work for over 40 years, then it wouldn't make money. You'd be surprise how wonderful both AK and AR-15 rifles are.

But if you are just going out and shooting for kicks, then a .22 is good enough.

If you don't mind the weight of the M1A rifle, then go for it. The 7.62 is a big kicker if you aren't prepared for it. It is pretty simple to take apart. If you have under 2000, then any rifle is in your price range. You need to go to the gun store, handle a bunch of them and see which one feels good in your hands.

Get a Remington 700 in .308 (7.62x51mm), you can't go wrong with one of those. Super great accuracy, very reliable, simple to take apart to clean and smith, and did I mention it's a Remington 700??? :D

1. I know AK isn't sucks when firing in semi-auto. I meant in full auto
2. I didn't say 1911 design sucks. I mean the Colt never makes something very unique or special other than just making same gun over over again.
3. AR-15 is beautiful. I've used one from my neighbors, and it was awesome. I agree with it.

I think I will have to take the advice of going with 22(i am thinking about Ruger 10/22 since that's one of the most famous semi-auto rifles that uses .22 LR). After some practice from 22, maybe i will go with something little bit more kicker, and so on until 7.62 and even .50 BMG :)

Thanks for the advice.

You could get the Smith & Wesson M&P 22. It's in the shape of an AR-15 that fires .22LR. It cost just around 500. I plan to get one to plink around.


And I only said AK in semi auto because it'll be hard for the average person to get a full auto anything

I should start by asking a question nobody else has asked yet...when you say, "in the United States", does that mean you aren't originally from the U.S.? The only reason I ask is because you have to be a Permanent Resident to buy a firearm. But maybe you knew that already, so I apologize if I'm telling you anything that is irrelevant.

In my opinion, an AR-15 in .223 is a perfectly sane choice for a first long gun if you have $2,000 to spend. AKs are fun, too, but they're usually purchased by people who (A.) can't afford ARs, or (B.) just want to have one for collection purposes (i.e. myself). ARs are fairly easy for most people new to long guns to master; most people find it easy to shoot good shot groups at 25 yards almost as soon as they pick up the weapon (well, OK, after zeroing, of course :D ). I own both an AR and an AK, and the AR is all I ever shoot these days.

As far as a .22 goes: Screw it. .22s are for kids who haven't hit puberty yet (or really, really skinny girls). For someone your age and size, you won't have any more problems with a .223 than you'd have with a .22. Plus, .22s just feel like toys. The ammo cost is the only advantage, and I'm of the opinion that you might as well just save for something in a larger caliber and get the most fun out of the experience. Even for plinking, an AR-15 is a good choice. You can get one of the cheaper models that's made for people who only intend to plink; I recommend checking out the "Plinker Plus" line from Olympic Arms for a start.

Oh, and unless you plan to do serious target shooting, forget about anything chambered in .308. I don't know anybody who owns a .308 and enjoys shooting it just for fun. The guys who own M1As and Remy 700s are the types of dudes who will buy the rifle and then put down another $2-$3 Grande replacing the barrel, scope, stock, and almost everything that the rifle comes with from the factory. My uncle owns an M1A that he almost never shoots (he once told me that he only bought it out of nostalgia - the M14 was what he trained on in ROTC).

They did make other handguns(Colt Double Eagle, Colt All American 2000), however those didn't sell very well but the 1911 did.

As I said before. Tried and true tech never fails. But if you want to just own a gun to shoot on the range and not for self defense, ask MT2008 up there

There's nothing wrong with continuing to make a gun when it has proven to be of good quality, but Colt has taken a lot of shortcuts and shot themsleves in the foot with their ventures. They have govermnent contracts so they don't really care about what the civ market wants, especially when everyone else makes 1911s now (but I can ask any 1911 fan if they'd like to see Colt do a WWII reproduction gun or bring back the Python and everyone would say YES).

If it's a pistol for recreational shooting, any decent production 9mm will do. It will run you 500 bucks give or take. If you want a rifle for recreational shooting, get an AR-15 or AK-47. You can get a good AR setup for 1000 dollars give or take, and a good AK setup for 600 give or take, depending upon what's available in your region. You should only get a .22 if you are pressed for cash and you want to shoot so much you get bored of it.

My only disagreement with you on the .22s is they are convenient when you a) Don't want people two miles away to hear you plinking with Zuess' thunderbolts (.223s and 7.62x39mms are fucking LOUD), b) If you want to get down drilling multiple targets without recoil. Many professionals train on .22 converted guns similar to their competition guns to get down the basics then practice recoil control after. And finally c) You can buy a 500 brick of .22s for a much better deal than any other rifle caliber. I'd say a good deal would be to buy a .223 AR-15, and then spend a little more money buying a .22 conversion upper kit for the AR. That way you can shoot both .223 and .22 out of the same weapon, so you can practice quitely and recoilessly with the .22, and then use the .223 for recoil training and more serious events.

If you are determined to get a new 22 rifle I suggest either Ruger, Savage or Marlin. They're affordable and well made. Personally I like the Marlin Model 60. I've owned mine for 26 years and I've never had any trouble with it.

There are also many 22 rifles on the second hand market. Remington, Winchester, Savage, Ruger, Marlin ect.

Good luck.

It does feel like a toy when you shoot a .22. But they allow great practice at 100 yards so you can work on breathing, trigger control and a steady aim without the recoil. It wouldn't cost more than $300 for the rifle and a lot of ammo.

While you have never met me "met me". I enjoy shooting my .308 just as much as my .223. I like to get good with something besides a varmint round. While it's tougher on the shoulder that's just the 1000 ft. lbs more of muzzle energy.



Also to the OP, since you like the looks of the M1A. (If they weren't so costly I would have gotten one instead of my L1A1.) If you decide to go the .223 route. I'd recommend the Mini-14. They look like a scaled down M1A.


But if you're just starting out. Take baby steps. Get a .22, then a .223 and then finally a .308.

I agree on the .22 - if you're just starting out, it is the easiest and best way to learn to actually shoot. Get yourself a decent .22 and lots of ammo and find someone to teach you proper position, breathing and trigger control and you won't regret it.

Also, I plink with a .30-06, among many other large calibers. I sold my 7.62 x 39mm and even after 4 years in the army have no desire for a .223.

My father worked for U.S Army for more than 20 years, and army gave him permanent residenship in U.S, so the whole family came to U.S about 4 years ago :)

So i am not an illegal resident.

I knew about the Mini-14. It was classic design, resonable price, and even uses 5.56 which doesn't kick very hard for beginner :)

But i felt something wrong with it, so i just went over it.

I'll take that advice seriously :)

I dunno, the Mini-14 has a reputation for pretty lackluster accuracy. I've handled and sold lots of them and I personally wouldn't buy one.

It looks like it would be uncomfortable to shoulder

When I was researching before I bought mine. Most of the complaints about the accuracy came from users that had the older models with thinner barrels. An AR15 vs newer Mini-14 in a bench-rest, the better accuracy will go to the AR. But in just regular shooting, I don't think there will be much of a difference.

I think they improved the sights also. But I didn't look at older ones enough to tell a difference.

How does it look uncomfortable to shoulder to you? It looks like any other basic rifle.

Last time I fooled with one the buttplate was shaped in a way that looked uncomfortable

Ah, OK, I didn't want to offend you, just wanted to make sure you'd received your permanent residence status already so that you didn't try to do anything that would get you in trouble. ;)