9mm handgun or 22 rifle?

[Deltaboy1984]

My vote is get a nice 22 rifle.

 

[22-rimfire]

I would get a 22 rifle since you don't own one. It is pretty basic. Picked up a CZ 452 Trainer (bolt action) for about your budget $330 as I recall). Great accurate rifle. Othe than the least expensive 22 rifles, you will be pretty limited with a rigid $300 budget. My vote would be for a Marlin M60 which is a great little rifle and I like tube fed 22 rifles. The Marlin 795 is the detachable magazine equivalent.

 

[XD Fan]

I would agree with the others responses that a .22 LR rifle is the way to go given your guidelines. However, I'll throw another option out there. If I were buying an entry level .22 on your budget, I would strongly consider the Ruger American in .22 (bolt action). I see them on Armslist all the time for about $290. Here is a list of the features on this gun:

•Bolt-action •60-degree bolt •Receiver-mounted bolt release for bolt removal without trigger pull •Alloy steel material •Target-crowned, hammer-forged barrel w/ultra-precise rifling •Satin blued finish •RH Twist: 1:16" •Integral 3/8” rimfire scope base •Drilled & tapped receiver for Weaver® #12 bases (not included) •Power Bedding® integral bedding block system positively locates receiver & free-floats barrel •Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger (3 to 5 lbs.) •Features Modular Stock System: (2) interchangeable stock modules (included) provide comb height options •Quickly change stock modules by removing rear sling swivel stud •Stock modules are interchangeable across all models •Ergonomic, lightweight black composite stock w/modern forend contouring & grip serrations •Fiber optic front sight •Adjustable “V” slot, folding-leaf rear sight •Easy-to-actuate tang safety for instant security & safe use w/bolt open •Extended mag. release •Includes sling swivel studs & (1) detachable, flush mounted 10/22® BX-1 10-round rotary mag. (accepts all 10/22 mags.) •OAL: 41.00" •Wt.: 6.0 lbs

I really like that they take the 10/22 magazine including the wonderful BX25. Sounds impressive and I have not heard any bad reviews. Maybe someone on this forum has first hand experience with them.

 

[shiftyer1]

I would lean towards the .22 rifle due to the fact that it's the cheapest thing to shoot that I know of. The only drawback for me would be the fact that I CANNOT find .22lr anywhere around here!

 

[XD Fan]

As far as finding .22 LR ammo, round here I can find ammo at most of the better stocked local guns stores. I'm talking $50 for 500 rounds, but... The inexpensive big box stores? Forget about it.

 

[wishn4more]

Here's my vote: I would get a Keltec P11 or SCYY CPX. I've owned both, they are reliable, good shooters in 9mm. They hold 10+1. I have 2 SCYYs now, and am looking for more.

You can scrape together a $100ish in the future and find a .22lr (Model60 or Stevens Mk2) at a pawn shop, online or from a friend. My $100 .22s shoot just as well as any whiz-bang .22 I've seen at the range that's $300 or below...

Most guns shoot better than their people!

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

The fact that you have NO experience with a hand gun leads my to believe you'd be better suited with the 9mm. I dunno about you... But I get really bored shooting .22 really fast. Also, the ergos on a shotgun are pretty similar to that of a rifle... I say pistol for the experience alone.

 

[bannockburn]

I would look for a used .22 bolt action rifle or else a new Ruger 10/22. If you eventually decide to go the pistol route I would go with a .22, like a Beretta Neos or a Ruger Mk.II/Mk.III.

 

[Midwest]

Get the .22LR rifle if you can find ammo for it otherwise get the 9 mm.

 

[Blackhawk30]

I'll vote for a 9x19 pistol.You need to learn how to shoot a handgun.Used police Glocks can be had in the $300 to $400 range.9x19 is more available now than .22 lr.

 

[Armor Snail]

Hi point 9mm and a Marlin 60 or a Savage MKII.

You'll buy more later, trust me. Might as well buy both now to start.

Guns are like tattoos. Or potato chips.
1 leads to 2. 2 leads to 20

 

[jlucke69]

I would vote for the 22 as well. If you are on a budget at this time, as the price range suggests. You can get 500 22 shells for the cost of 100 9mm. That equals more shooting time. If you want a handgun, think of a 22 handgun for the same reasons. For $300, you can get a good mid range 22, but will be looking at a lower end 9mm. Your experience as a whole will be better with higher grade equipment. Good luck on the gun hunt!

 

[mgmorden]

Pretty decent .22 rifles can be had for $50-75 used at pawn shops all across the country.

$300 isn't going to buy you much of a 9mm handgun ($400 will work great, but the sweet spot these days is between $300 and $400 for a good gun).

So, since you don't want to wait, I'd say take $75 of that $300 and buy a USED .22LR rifle. Then stick the other $225 aside, save for a while longer until you get to $400, and go buy a 9mm. If I was on a budget and needed to buy one good solid 9mm right now I'd probably look at the Ruger SR9. The S&W SD9 isn't a bad choice either though the trigger isn't quite as nice.

 

[Pyzon]

Ruger 10/22 rifle without question imo!

Of all the guns that fill my large safe, nothing is more just plain fun than a 10-22 and a brick of .22 lr to heat it up.

Yeah, the ammo hurts to buy right now, but I did not acquire these guns because they were economical to enjoy.

And then follow up when you can with a 9mm semi. Check out the SARS, Canik and others from Turkey, lots of good news out there for not much more than $300.

 

[AlexanderA]

With a $300 budget, another option is ...... simply to get nothing. Don't feel that you have to buy something just to buy something. Looking back at my many years of collecting, my biggest mistakes were in buying low-quality items that had to be upgraded later. I should have just waited and bought the high-quality items when I could afford them.

 

[JSH1]

The Marlin 795 is a great gun and a lot of fun. I say get the Marlin and a couple bricks of ammo. Even at $50 a brick .22lr is still a fraction of the cost of 9mm. The key to proficiency is practice and cheap ammo allows for a lot more range time.

 

[BigBL87]

Of all the guns that fill my large safe, nothing is more just plain fun than a 10-22 and a brick of .22 lr to heat it up.

Yeah, the ammo hurts to buy right now, but I did not acquire these guns because they were economical to enjoy.

And then follow up when you can with a 9mm semi. Check out the SARS, Canik and others from Turkey, lots of good news out there for not much more than $300.

I was actually looking at a B6P or K2P as far as 9mm go.

 

[larryh1108]

I believe the 9mm handgun is the way to go. You already have a shotgun for HD so the 9mm will give you other options as well as SD and/or carrying. It's also good as another HD gun in another part of the house. You can always pick up a .22LR rifle when the ammo is easier to find but the 9mm will always have a place. The .22LR limits you to what you can use it for so I see it more as a plinking/fun gun instead of a gun with a purpose. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[bullseyebob47]

guns are like tools in a tool box. you need a bunch of different ones for different jobs. lack of funds do not change this fact.

"Budget is around $300 max (not flexible, not a "save more and get this" situation)"

the cheapest 9mm i would get is a glock. im sorry. its also the gun i would choose "if i could have only one gun". hd and ccw at all times.

.22 rifle, i have a semi auto ruger curse. several 10/22 i owned where jam masters. same with several ruger 9mm pistols. the best semi auto .22lr rifle is the s&w 15-22. super reliable even with cheap bulk ammo. they are on sale for $400. sorry.

 

[Manny]

For home defense a 9mm would be preferable, but unless you get real lucky on something used $300 isn't going to buy anything I'd want. On the other hand $300 will buy a darn nice .22 rifle. Ammo for these is expensive & hard to find now, but hopefully will improve going forward. I would check ammo availability in your area before purchase.

As to which .22 rifle, I strongly recommend either a Ruger 10/22 or a Ruger American rimfire, whichever is more to your preference. Both fall under your budget cap, though some of the fancier 10/22's can exceed it.

 

[huntsman]

9mm get a Keltec P-11 under 3 bills, the .22 is just for play and ammo.. well lets just say a .22 rifle is a poor excuse for a club.

 

[toivo]

By all means, get a .22 rifle. If I had $300 and no .22 rifle I'd look long and hard at a Savage MKII bolt action. You'd have some money left over for ammo, if you can find .22LR.

I understand why the semi-auto are popular -- Marlin 795 and Ruger 10/22 -- but I'm still carrying the flag for manual repeaters: less finicky about ammo, easier to clean, more reliable in general, and usually more accurate (all other things being equal).

 

[BigBL87]

By all means, get a .22 rifle. If I had $300 and no .22 rifle I'd look long and hard at a Savage MKII bolt action. You'd have some money left over for ammo, if you can find .22LR.

I understand why the semi-auto are popular -- Marlin 795 and Ruger 10/22 -- but I'm still carrying the flag for manual repeaters: less finicky about ammo, easier to clean, more reliable in general, and usually more accurate (all other things being equal).

The Mark II was actually the first 22 I started looking at. I was planning on a bolt action for the ease of cleaning, accuracy, and because it will conserve ammo over a semi in all likelihood. I started looking at semis when someone pointed out that in the unfortunate event that it ends up being a last ditch home defense weapon (probably being shot by my wife) a semi would be slightly more useful in that context. Aside from just wanting another firearm, my other main reason is having SOMETHING I can shoot at indoor ranges since all the ones around here don't allow shotguns, and a bolt or a semi would work fine.

 

[nw_aggie]

You can find decent 9mm for his budget if you place little value in your time shopping, and are open to looking a lot of places.

A couple of years ago, I bought my S&W 6906 off gunbroker for $287. I think that was an exception vs. the norm...caught someone sleeping. It's got a couple scuffs, but is a solid 75-80% gun, and carrying everyday won't make it look any better or worse. By the time he pays transfer fees and shipping, he'd be slightly over budget though. BuT that said, there's options to get to where he needs to be.

An alternative, would a .38 revolver be of interest? My wife finds that easier to shoot, ammo is available, and is plenty adequate as a defense or plinking arm.

On the 22 though, won't it just build frustration at home if he buys a gun he can't find ammo to shoot?

 

[andycompy]

considering your situation, It'll be easier to get a .22. I'd recomend the Ruger 10/22 takedown. awesome gun- comes apart so it's small and comes with a nice small softshell cary case. and like you said, .22 ammo is a good deal cheaper than 9mm. good luck.