Gun Purchase Questions

[rmuzz]

Lately I have found myself at a local indoor range shooting various pistols and revolvers with my girlfriends step-father and some of his co-workers... and really enjoying the hell out of it, although I've spent more time shooting rifles than pistols.

Some of the guns I shot just felt real nice, others for whatever reason I didn't really care for. I liked shooting revolvers... the only auto loaders that I liked were the 9mm Baby Eagle, and the .22 Ruger pistol.

It looks like I'm going to be spending more time at the range, and I've got my permit to purchase application in. Im thinking I want to buy a Ruger 22 Charger, with a Burris long eye relief handgun scope, and I'm starting to look for a .357 revolver. I dont really get to use my .22-250 ever because its too fast to shoot indoor, and I dont really have an easy outdoor range option... I didnt do enough research beforehand apparently. Tell me anything I might not be considering now please!

I'm thinking I couldn't get a much nicer .22 setup, unless it were somehow much cheaper.

I'm thinking that a .357 revolver with a 4-5" barrel, is what I would get most satisfaction with at the range, and its potent and simple in case god forbid I ever needed to defend myself it. I really admire the looks of some of the S&W classics, but really need something more economical I think. Should I look at Taurus? If Im looking at used guns, what do I need to be careful of? Any recommendations?

- rmuzz

 

[mnrivrat]

A .22 is a great choice as it can be used to learn trigger control and sight picture without breaking the bank to shoot it. You may want to consider two things however before purchase.

First is the scope and I would consider shooting with iron sights for awhile to aquire the basic skills of handgun shooting. Scopes on handguns to me are a specialty item and not for general purpose usage. That is MY opinion.

Second is, I would also consider the .22 handun in the same plateform as your intended "business" gun , the revolver. Again, MY opinion, but learning from the same ergonomic plateform makes sense to me. Not that it is necessary - just makes sense at a couple levels to me as your practice with the .22 can then be more directly related to your center fire handgun skills.

 

[Oro]

Getting a .22 handgun as a first handgun is a great idea. It will teach consistency and trigger pull without inducing flinching (as much). Dry firing with your centerfire guns is the way to avoid that with them.

If you do a search on "GP 100 vs. 686" you will find the never-ending debate threads on these two fine .357's. Withing those threads, you will find discussion of alternatives.

Short answer, get a Ruger GP100 or a S&W 686.

Many Taurus guns work really well. But there are three things against them:

1) Quality is not consistent
2) Customer Service is not consistent
3) They are not American made and your dollars go to support foreign workers and steel producers, not US, and for not much gain.

 

[Mello]

What is your purpose for the tool you are thinking of buying?

In the simplest of terms a firearm is a tool. We tend to place values upon how they look and feel far beyond that which effects function.

So you need to tell us the uses to which you intend to put the tool/gun. If you intend multiple uses then assigning a relative value to each use and a percentage of the time that you will use it in that fashion would be useful to those offering advice.

How much are you willing to practice? Some designs take more skill than others to use well.

If you want to punch paper, a 22 rimfire is great.

If you want a defensive weapon there are power and control considerations.

If you want to hunt bear then that is another matter.

 

[wyocarp]

rmuzz, the two guns you have liked are two that are often liked in my collection. The baby eagle and the .22 ruger are both nice shooting range guns and would be good guns to start with. I'm assuming the following guns are similar to what you have been shooting at your range.

 

[rmuzz]

I appreciate the responces, its given me some food for thought.

I guess in regards to what I wish to use these tools for, I anticipate that 100% of my handgun shooting will be target/range firing. If I'm going hunting, I'll bring a rifle. I don't feel the need for a carry weapon, its a lot of responsibility having a gun in public and I've managed to keep myself relatively safe by smart actions and avoiding dirtbags. A carry/conceal permit is still probably in my future, but not immediate.

The 22 Charger is actually the bipod mounted Ruger with a 10" barrel with a 10/22 action. My girlfriend's stepdad has a ruger pistol similar to the one pictured in an above post (is that a Mk3 hunter version?), not sure which model he has. And its real enjoyable to shoot. The 10/22 based one I havent had a chance to try out, but I imagine it has a 'rifle' feel to it.

One of the things I enjoy while shooting rifles is being able to drop one round on top of another at 100m+. A lot of times when shooting pistol I feel like my shots are all "good enough" in any kind of self defense situation, but I would like to improve my grouping. My best groups were with the Baby Eagle, and a S&W .44 magnum although this is needs to be shot from the bench after a couple dozen rounds...

I've been visiting the range ~2 times a month, for the last couple months. Each time shooting maybe going through 250 rounds of ammo, in multiple calibres from 9mm, .38, .45, .44 mag (depending who I go to range with), and usually and 100-200 rounds of .22 cal. (I was getting frustrated last time out with how poorly I handled the .45, shooting both with a Taurus 1911 style and a H&K mk 23.)

I know my aim is getting better overall with any gun I pick up, so I guess I could work on improving with something heavy... although I don't see that I would be at any disadvantage in a home defense situation with that Israeli 9mm Baby Eagle which I feel I shot pretty well with.

Going to rent a Ruger GP100 next time Im on the range and try it out right next to the Baby Eagle and see which I perfer. I know they are totally different styles, both are tempting. Hope I don't end up kicking myself later.

 

[QuietEarp]

As for .357 Revolvers the Ruger Security and Service Six revolvers are very nice and priced in your range. Check them out if you can. There is a sticky on the revolvers forum about checking out used revolvers. If you know of a good gun shop that is a great place to start. It sound like you also are looking at semi autos but just haven't found the right one yet. You will find one soon I am sure. Good luck and let us know how it all works out.

 

[LKB3rd]

I just got a used Ruger security six 2 3/4 incher yesterday for $289. The trigger is good, it's built like a tank, it's accurate and enjoyable to shoot (although with .357's I wish I could triple up the earplugs rather than just double lol). This is from someone who also has a Colt Python. I got it so I can have a .38/.357 that I can carry and shoot without worrying about bumps and scratches, and it is a winner in my book.
I enjoy rifles more than handguns too, sounds like for the same reason. They are so much more accurate. I practice with my handguns enough to hit a pie plate consistently at 25 feet, and then do my real practicing with a rifle. I enjoy my ruger 10/22 for cheap practice with a rifle. You can scale targets for use at 25 yard ranges.

 

[DocBoCook]

what kinda bass ackwards state makes you apply to purchase private property on top of the background check?

 

[Mello]

rmuzz,

You stated that you will be limiting your use of handguns to the range. You are focusing on a 22 rimfire and a centerfire revolver.

Lucky for you, you have a huge selection available.

Look at this selection process as a pleasurable process of experiencing a broad sampling of fine tools. Shooters like other craftsmen seek to better their skills but also have a great appreciation for the tools they use.

The purchase of your tools (your first two handguns) could only be a pause in your journey. Prepare to learn and revel in the comradery and honing skills that can be yours in the future.

 

[BCRider]

It sounds like you're a little like me in what you get from shooting. Sure it's fun to work on your targets and get the groups smaller. But it would be pretty boring if the gun in your hands or at your shoulder didn't react in a solid way when you pull the trigger. The kick, the bang and the flash in the case of revolvers is all part of the experience.

As you've found with the .44 Magnum the Magnum loads get pretty painful after a while. For this reason the .357 Magnum option is perfect. You can shoot .38Specials for your actual practice and then switch to a couple of cylinders of the .357Mag to finish the day with some flash and bang and prep yourself for a big slab of hearty red meat! !! ! ! !

While there's some nice newer guns the old classics are hard to beat. For me the older options are the only options since I'm just not a fan of stainless guns. A Model 19 in a 4 inch or 6 inch are as accurate as blazes if in decent shape. Or if you're after a steadier diet of the Magnums then a Model 27 or 28 with the bigger N frame will soak up some of the pounding. But really the Model 19 with some grips that fit your hand and shooting .38's is a hard gun to beat for tight groupings and that also supplies the whole on shooting experience. The guy that runs the range I shoot at recently got a really nice condition old Model 10 in .38Spl only and that uses fixed sights. But that doesn't stop it from being a real tack driver and shooting right to the point of aim. I got some of the tightest groups I've ever had from that gun. I may look around for one in time but first I want to get a Model 19 so I've got options. And the Smith single action pulls are usually SOOOOO nice.

The big advantage of .22 is cost of course. It's so cheap you can afford to shoot a lot of it and work on your gun holding and trigger skills. I also recomend one like the others. Assuming you're in the US there's a few nice older options along with the new currently available ones. A Model 17 is the old original .38Spl frame and cylinder size chambered for .22LR and from all accounts is a fantastic target revolver. For some fun also consider one of the older Model 34 kit guns with a 4 inch barrel. The 34 is smaller and lighter so it delivers a bit of kick from the usually gentle .22. And being double action it's also much faster to clear and reload than something like a Single Six single action revolver.

I tried a couple of Ruger semis. While they are superb hole punchers I just didn't care for them all that much due to the high weight of the gun masking so much of the kick. I just wanted a bit more "life" in the gun to provide a more complete range experience. For that something lighter such as an old S&W 422, S&W modern 22A or some other option that is significantly under the Ruger's 37 to 41 oz range would be worth considering.

.22 rifles are a favourite for both small caliber bench rest competitions as well as metal silhouette shooting. While a tight group is a very satisfying thing to do in it's own way there's something you gotta like about a steel profile target that politely goes "SPLANG! ! !" and falls over when hit. Just seems like a really satisfying way to go shooting. It's on my list for this summer.

 

[sourdough44]

Don't know his state but MI does have some 'purchase permit' requirements for handguns, even private sales. I'm sure there are a few others out there.