first pistol for my son? opinions welcome

[v-rog]

june

[G.A. Heath]

How about letting him decide?

[G26ster]

You have to consider the weight for a 9 yr old. A Ruger MkIII Standard weighs between 35-37 ounces (depending on barrel length). It's a downright heavy gun.

[seamusTX]

Buck Mark. Partially plastic frame. 34 ounces.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalo ... r-firearms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I also think there's a lot to be said for a .22 rifle. It's much easier to shoot a rifle accurately than a handgun, and it's safer in terms of not shooting oneself or innocent bystanders.

- Jim

[CJATE]

i've run the rugger lots, own the browning, and I honestly can't tell the difference, just grip.

it's hard to beat the P22. I've not shot my browning sense i got the p22. My buddy leaves one in his truck for PD, and i make fun of him for that, but I reach for it ever time we see a rodent on property, it's a tack driver. so i had to have one.

i'd like to shoot the M&P22, i don't know anyone who has it.

[tboesche]

For what it is worth, My wife has tiny hands and absolutely LOVES her P-22. They can be had for about 299.00 in black and about 350.00 in camo.

[Rex B]

Note: Most indoor ranges let you shoot .22LR rifles

[G26ster]

Buck Mark. Partially plastic frame. 34 ounces.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalo ... r-firearms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

Here's the "Lite" Buck Mark I have. Only 28oz!

http://www.browning.com/products/catalo ... 5-firearms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[seamusTX]

I can't say what a 9-year-old should or shouldn't do. That is a period of growth where a boy could be 3'6" and 80 pounds or pushing 6' and 200 pounds. Many kids that age are throwing 60-pound bales of hay over their heads. Me, I was just shoveling snow and mowing lawns.

IOW, the kid probably can handle a two-pound pistol.

- Jim

[speedsix]

...my three were shooting Ruger .45s at that age...my youngest with eagle's eyes was out-shooting me with a 4" Ruger .357 with .38 rounds...if he likes .22...go for it...but if he likes something a bit more powerful, as long as he has the safety rules down, why not?

[v-rog]

zas

[2farnorth]

The Ruger is a good reliable gun and is a natural pointer for me. There is one other thing he would learn from the Ruger.... Patience and following directions when it comes to disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly. The Ruger's take down procedure is a learning experience, but I love my MkII.

[The Annoyed Man]

Either the Ruger MkIII or the 22/45 with a heavy barrel might be a heavy pistol, but it also means zero recoil. The advantage is that your son can work on the finer points of pistol marksmanship without developing a flinch in the process. I can't speak to the other pistols. I'm sure they are fine. I just know that I use my Ruger 22/45 routinely to teach beginning shooters how to shoot, and my students have liked it.

The one down side, and this goes for both the MkIII and the 22/45 is that, while takedown is easy, reassembly is an exercise in frustration and the use of foul language, which can lead to a trip to the ER for stitches (some of the machined angles are razor sharp), and a trip to a gunsmith to get it put back together. If you want to teach him how to field-strip, clean, and reassemble a semi-auto pistol, the Rugers are not a good learning platform.

[sookandy]

I started mine on rifles till they got the hang of safety.

[Divided Attention]

We recently acquired a Sig 1911-22 - it runs like the "the big boys" and is a ball to shoot. Sig site states it is 19 oz w/ mag. The grip safety was new for my daughter and I so it took a little to get used to. But it runs great. We got it for my youngest daughter to run for skills and drills at a defensive pistorl class. We have an old Ruger 22 and a Smith 22A - while they are a ton of fun, they are heavier, and don't run like a "regular" gun. The Ruger has the bottom release for the mag and the mags are boogers to load. The Smith has a side mag release and the mags are easier to load, but the slide is hard to work for small hands. All 3 will run anything you feed them. Just my 2 cents.