Newbie shooter

[La Pistoletta]

Newbie shooter looking for advice

Hi there, I'm considering picking up handgun shooting (target practise) as a hobby some time down the line. As you can see to the left here, I'm from Sweden. This means there are severe restrictions on this kind of thing. I'm thinking I could just say "screw it, it's not worth it" but on the other hand, the law "wins" if it prevents me from doing what I'm interested in, right?

Anyway, you have to practise regularly for 6 months, be a member of an approved handgun club and pass some tests to be eligible for a license - for a .22LR. After that, if you don't have a criminal record and the instructors approve of you as according to their somewhat arbitrary judgement, you can go to the police and get the papers. Then you gotta get a 330 pound gun safe or whatever. Repeat for 9mm+ calibers. Age shouldn't be a problem since I'll be 22.

Basically I'd be using the club's pistols for the practise period. After that I can hopefully get my own, which is where you guys come in handy.

What would you recommend as a starter .22LR? One choice is obviously pistol or revolver, then there's brand, model, new or used etc. Should I get a cheaper one to start with or get a good quality piece right away, since I get the impression that a good .22 never really leaves any shooter's arsenal as a plinker or target gun?

 

[TallPine]

Ruger Single Six

 

[btg3]

I get the impression that a good .22 never really leaves any shooter's arsenal as a plinker or target gun?

Well, rarely, if ever. So, I'd avoid buying junk, but nothing wrong with a good used gun.

Expect the majority of recommendations will be for a Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark I,II,or III. Mine happens to be a Buckmark.

.22LR is the most affordable caliber, a great caliber to introduce others to shooting, and just a whole lot of fun. Best of luck working thru all the regulations to get where you want to go with this.

 

[kingpin008]

First of all, congratulations on being willing to jump through all the hoops required of you in order to be a lawful gun owner. Sounds like you've got a bit of work ahead, but shooting is a great hobby, especially if you really work at getting good at it.

As far as a .22 pistol, I'd personally recommend a Ruger MK III. I have one myself (Hunter model with fluted barrell in Stainless steel) and it's an outstanding gun. Crazy accurate, solid, just an all-around great gun. I'm not personally familiar with Browning Buckmark pistols, but from what I've heard, they're about on par with the Ruger MK III's (and MK I's and II's) as far as quality goes.

For a revolver - I'd recommend a double-action of some sort, maybe a Smith & Wesson. I had a Ruger Single-Six, but unless you really, really enjoy cocking the hammer after every shot, and ejecting and loading rounds one-by-one all the time, it may not be for you. At least with a double-action revo, you have the option to shoot single-action if you want to, but you're in no way limited to it. That said, Rugers are great guns. Ruger has a reputation for building quality guns. But so does Smith & Wesson. Gah, they're both good choices!

And that's basically where my advice ends. Good luck!

 

[3KillerBs]

That's a lot of hoops to jump through.

I'm fairly new to it myself and I adore my new Mark III Hunter. But guns are like desk chairs or shoes in having to fit the individual who uses them so it may not suit any other newbies as well. My 14yo DD doesn't like it much -- she wants a revolver and we're debating whether to get her the Single Six, the smaller Bearcat, or the cost-effective but lower-quality Heritage.

I learned on a Ruger .22/45 but preferred the grip feel and balance of the Hunter model.

 

[owlhoot]

If you can afford it at this point in your life, the very best choice would be an S&W M-41. You will never outgrow this pistol. And it will retain its value if you ever decide to sell it. This pistol will serve you for casual plinking, serious target shooting, small game hunting, even Olympic type matches. I have won "free" pistol matches using the M-41. It is a great pistol.

I would like to make you aware that there are several Cowboy Action Shooting clubs in Sweden (SASS) and they would be delighted to have you join them. They will give you guidance, teach you to shoot, and you will, in essence, be joining a big family full of wonderful, helpful people. Plus, you'll get to dress up in old timey clothes. If you need to know how to contact such a club in Sweden, send me a PM or visit www.sassnet.com.

 

[shc1]

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the Ruger’s mentioned or with a Browning Buckmark.

 

[Huddog]

Darn, most of the good choices have been used. Can't go wrong with a Ruger Auto .22 in my opinion.

 

[Mr White]

What are the restrictions regarding semiauto pistols in Sweden?

It might be cheaper and easier for you to just move to the U.S. If you come, don't do something stupid like moving to New York, California or Washington D.C.

 

[mnrivrat]

Not knowing what is available to you there, I will also recommend the Ruger auto , or the Browning Buckmark auto for what you are looking at doing. Target shooting and informal plinking (if plinking is allowed ?), and here we also use ours for hunting small game.

 

[La Pistoletta]

I have found no sections of the gun law pertaining to weapon caliber or magazine capacity, other than the caliber should be in use by one's gun club. I can't find anything about how much ammo you can store either, don't think it's much of a problem to get one of those 5k .22 boxes.

Thanks for the replies, I'll look those models up. There aren't exactly any gun shops here so it's hard to try before you buy, other than whatever models happen to be available by the club. As long as I have the appropriate license, importing should only require some paperwork.

That S&W 617 .22 looks pretty nice too. But what do I know, hehe.

I'd add that my fingers are pretty short compared to the rest of my hand, considering I'm 6'1". Don't know how much I'd really affect my choice of gun but I guess it might.

And yes, I'd like to move to the US eventually. I don't like the Europeanization your government is going through these days, though.

 

[La Pistoletta]

Also, are speed loaders available for .22LR revolvers? What about moon clips?

Most shooters here (not that there are many in general) seem to use the specialized target pistols with the fancy grips, looking like miniature Anschutz air rifles. I don't think my own accuracy could hope to approach that of such a weapon itself for quite a while. Not that I have any experience yet, but it feels like those weapons do a little too much work on their own, if you know what I mean?

As for plinking, I'm not quite sure. I've shot air rifles in the woods and such but I don't know if you can do that with any kind of firearm. At worst, I'll simply have to "plink" at the range. I think there's one about two miles or so from where I live, so that's within biking/walking range.

 

[El Tejon]

Also, are speed loaders available for .22LR revolvers? What about moon clips?

Not that I've seen. Have to learn to load in pairs while indexing on the cylinder, a useful skill.

I have many .22 pistols but enjoy the Ruger 22/45 MkII and the SW M17 the most (I have three copies of each). Of course, in the gun culture the subjective is objective.