really? start with a 22?

[TonyDedo]

Yeah, this talk of 'fatigue' made me laugh out loud. Do you people really get tired shooting 9mm, .45 ACP, or .38 Special?

Some guy's forearms get more exercise than others...

 

[GunGrey]

.22 is cheap enough so that you can shoot 250 rounds every other day, and not break the bank. You will need thousands of rounds to get the hang of it, but make every shot count.

By contrast, starting with a .40 or 9 mm will cost you probably 5x as much in ammo.

BTW, Ruger MkIII is great, but a little tricky for a newbie to strip and clean.

actually its not really that hard, and dont shoot anything but plated .22s anything with lead nose will jam. atleast in mine it does

 

[Knob Creek]

Eventually you will need:
.22 Pistol
.22 Revolver
.357 Revolver
9 MM or .40 S&W Pistol
.45 ACP 1911

 

[XTAV750]

Some guy's forearms get more exercise than others...

I see what you did there.....

 

[Slowdive]

Unless you get a revolver, picking up brass from the deck will be more "fatiguing" than shooting any of the common handgun calibers.

 

[z0mbi]

I started with a 1911 in .45, but I've also got a flinch so take from that what you will.

 

[yanici]

I started with a 1911 in .45, but I've also got a flinch so take from that what you will.

Yeah, but that ain't all bad, you know. If you aim for the belly button you'll blow the guys gonads off.

 

[C-pher]

You make it seem like shooting is not a 'fun' thing, at all?

I think his point is it depends on why you're shooting. If you're doing it for fun...then yes. If you're doing it so you can defend yourself...then take his advice.

 

[Lip]

I dunno shot my dad's .22's till I saved up enough for my first rifle a savage 30-06. My dad laughed his ass off, shot that damn gun till my shoulder damn near fell off. Buy the weapon you like and stick with it.

 

[fencer]

If I could only have one gun, it would not be a 22. I own several, they are fun to shoot, but personally I would go with a 9mm or larger.

You can get a 22 later.

 

[SheepDog_B]

Get the MKIII.

 

[TheWookie]

Keep in mind: shot placement.

If you can shoot and hit what you want, a .22 is all you need. Those who can't, well, the caliber isn't gonna help.

 

[fubar]

The US Army taught me and a whole lot of other people to shoot. We started with M16 rifles , then M60 machine guns , 1911a1 pistols , M203 grenade launchers. Never had a 22 until later.

that being said , I just got home from wednesday evening plate shooting , and I warmed up with my 22 , then shot my 9mm , then my 1911 , then my carbine.

Maybe I am smarter now than I was at 18.

 

[depicts]

Get the .22

Learning and using the basics will make you a fine shooter.

You can step up in power anytime. Unless you need a self defense firearm first, get the .22

I'd be pretty damn comfortable with a MKII or MKIII beside my bed at night too until I got that bigger carry gun.

 

[Emoto]

I love my .22 firearms. They are awesome. Regardless of what you decide for your first one, you should have at least one .22 handgun and rifle in your collection. They're just too much fun to ignore.

 

[Tyke]

BTW, Ruger MkIII is great, but a little tricky for a newbie to strip and clean.

Definitely. I was ready to throw the damn thing against a wall (well, the pieces at least). And to clarify...I had no problem taking it apart. It was the whole "put it back together" part of it that was an exercise in frustration. Felt like trying to put a square peg in the round hole.

Edit: I love the MKIII but wish it didn't have a mag disconnect (or whatever term is used for how it prevents firing it when the mag is out). Plenty of times I've wanted to load just 1 round at a time but found it a huge pain the ass to have to eject the mag, load 1 round into the mag, reseat the mag and make bang.

 

[C-pher]

Edit: I love the MKIII but wish it didn't have a mag disconnect (or whatever term is used for how it prevents firing it when the mag is out). Plenty of times I've wanted to load just 1 round at a time but found it a huge pain the ass to have to eject the mag, load 1 round into the mag, reseat the mag and make bang.

That's why I own a MKII. No Magazine Safety Disconnect.

 

[Keystone]

Edit: I love the MKIII but wish it didn't have a mag disconnect (or whatever term is used for how it prevents firing it when the mag is out). Plenty of times I've wanted to load just 1 round at a time but found it a huge pain the ass to have to eject the mag, load 1 round into the mag, reseat the mag and make bang.

You can buy some bits from the MkII and a spacer and drop them into a MkIII, which will remove the disconnect.

 

[Sibb]

The .22 is often used to introduce people to firearms, people who have never shot before. If you've been shooting for a while and feel comfortable then go ahead and get what you want.

 

[TonyDedo]

That's why I own a MKII. No Magazine Safety Disconnect.

+1

My second gun was a MKIII, and after about six months I got cocky, decided I didn't need a .22 anymore, and sold it. Regretted it within a month. Went to replace it, and bought a MKII instead. Win.

 

[davemata]

Maybe I am smarter now than I was at 18.

Or on the hook to pay for the ammo.

 

[TWBARRETT]

My first gun was a .45 but when ammo prices went too high the .45 just wasnt a cost efficient range gun for me. I tend to shoot a lot of ammo so I got my C&R to pick up a gun that could shoot 7.62x25. I will also pick up a .22 at some point just for the ease of wallet . I still carry a .40 but shoot it less. Reloading is in my future

 

[atmay]

You can buy some bits from the MkII and a spacer and drop them into a MkIII, which will remove the disconnect.

The mag safety in the Mk3 is of such a simple design that 30 seconds with a dremel will also eliminate it.

 

[fubar]

Or on the hook to pay for the ammo.

Surely a major factor. I acquired a Sig factory 22 conversion for my p228. Warm up with 22 , then a bit of 9mm with the same gun.

 

[davemata]

Surely a major factor. I acquired a Sig factory 22 conversion for my p228. Warm up with 22 , then a bit of 9mm with the same gun.

That's pretty cool. Get the mechanics down, and then prove them.

 

[Independence Arms]

buy and shoot whatever the hell you feel comfy with! either way, you WILL end up with a .22 in your collection. good luck with what ever you go with...

 

[Billsail]

I think his point is it depends on why you're shooting. If you're doing it for fun...then yes. If you're doing it so you can defend yourself...then take his advice.

I know. I was just trying to keep the newbie from quitting.

 

[joeendris]

Get the .22 first, your wallet will thank you. If I could do it over I would've gotten a .22 to start off with.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk

$0.02 per round for the .22, vs $0.25 - $.50 per round, depending on which larger caliber you get. Plenty of trigger pulls and practice for $25.

 

[jefftk]

My $0.02:

If you are interested in getting a gun for CCW, then go ahead and get whatever gun you want to carry.
And then go get a .22 (or get them both at the same time).

I just got an M&P .40c as my first handgun for CCW (after trying it out first at the S&W Shooting Sports center in Springfield). My next gun will almost certainly be a Ruger MkIII.

But if you just want to get a gun for the sake of shooting sports etc, then yeah a .22 first might make more sense.

Edit: I highly recommend going to the S&W facility to try out whatever gun you want first if you are anywhere near by.

 

[joeendris]

My father started us boys with a MkIII. Fantastic gun. I went with Walther's P22 for my own .22. I'll get that MkIII eventually...

Home cannon is the Sig P229. A little bulky for CCW, so I'm digging around for a healthy, respectable, pocket cannon.