Your thoughts for a friends 1st pistol

[PapaPerk]

Ruger Single Six in stainless with 22 LR/22 Mag cylinders. It will be around when he is gone. And is an absolute classic.

Also make sure he is responsible to have a firearm first. Not being a punk... Just putting it out there. Many folks these days have no business owning a firearm.

 

[M E Race]

Sig P-226,Sig Mosquito, and Sig 522 with aux bull barrel. My only gripe with the Sig is no external safety. For a first time handgun user I think it is better to learn to use a safety instead of just DA the trigger. As far as Glock goes, IMHO they are way over rated. If he is an avid hog hunter, I would say go with a Ruger .357 revolver with a 6 in or even better an 8 in barrel. Ruger Red Hawk revolvers come tapped for scope mounts.

 

[brin]

I have 2 Rugers, an SR22 and an LCP .380 that I carry. Very happy with both of them.

Ruger Mark II and a LCP 380....me too...very happy....

 

[MH8675309]

Ruger GP 100 Its a 357 and will handle .38 rounds as well. Large enough to hunt deer with and the 357 is a proven self defense round (man stopper). Little bit safer than an auto and a good way to get broke in on pistol shooting / handling. Just my 2 cents.

 

[hutchman]

I vote for 1911. They are like AR-15's, you can customise them to your liking more than any other pistol (grips, sights etc., they are basically Model 70's so about any aftermarket part for 70 series should work). It's a Millitary pistol with over 100yr. old design by the great John Moses Browning so the cool factor is there. For a $500 budget it will be hard to get one though. Rock Island 1911's are solid and have very good lifetime warranty/customer support. I'm an amature gunsmith (NRA Instructor and retired Army Officer too) and I bought one just to get an inexpensive 1911 to hack on while learning barrel fitting etc. It wasn't what I was expecting ... it was nice and very accurate. It needed a light buffing as some of the parts were a little rough but nothing a proper breakin won't fix (just shoot it).

It isn't a Caspian or Kimber but you aren't paying the $$$ for those either. Armscor (mfr. behind Rock Island), makes frames etc. for STI (a high end brand) so their stuff isn't junk as some gun snobs would have you believe.

Bud's currently has a bunch in your price range:
Buy Rock Island Armory at BudsGunShop

... you can even get double stack 9mm versions but those are probably more than $500.

I'm also a big fan of the Springfield XD line. You can find an older first generation XD (still new in box) 9mm or .40 in the price range you specify.

You can even get a 1911 in .22 for $230 ($199 after rebate) at PSA:

GSG M1911 HGA .22LR 5'' Woodgrips GERG2210M1911

... and it has all kinds of cool aftermarket mods you can do to it from companies like cwaccessories.com, zrtacticalsolutions.com etc.

 

[oscarswanson]

Get him a Glock 19 at $500.00. I have a few Glocks and they all have been accurate and dependable.
9MM to save on ammo costs. cheap FMJ for practice and +P H.P. for carry or the night stand.

 

[the old grind]

Ruger Single Six in stainless with 22 LR/22 Mag cylinders. It will be around when he is gone. And is an absolute classic....

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

What does the young fellow like about the HG he shoots now? Would he rather it shot so cheaply he could plink all day, maybe take on the smallest game or do some 'CQ' varminting? Would he like to hunt hogs if the power were there? Too soon in his shooting career to seek that ideal carry piece?

Perhaps something to contrast with Eddie's would cover what his doesn't if the two will shoot/hunt together much. No one's first gun has to be their best one .. or their last one. (See quote above ..) btw: I have a Heritage Rough Rider, an affordable SA .22LR/.22 Mag with adjustable rear & Williams Fire front sights (~$2 hun' & very accurate). I also scooped up a used Super Black Hawk with cyls for .38/.357 and 9mm, no less. (<$500) Not that I'd hunt deer from a bow stand with the Mag (or would I ..?) but it's a can crusher with 9mm mil-surp ammo. (I always liked ... 'convertibles' )

Fill a gap in the lad's imagination if you can, or expand his horizons, and see what else he plans to get a few years down the road.

 

[RobertN]

Does he know you are doing this? If so, take him to a range that rents guns and find the one that fits him. What fits and is comfortable is pretty personal.

Consider ammo costs. I am a big fan of 45ACP. But..... It is expensive compared to 9mm or .40. Remember to, you can have a lot of fun with a 22lr. I kinda like the 1911a1 22lr types that are out now.

If ammo cost is not so much of issue, I would also consider a 44 revolver. Shoot 44special for plinking, and 44Mag for hog hunting. A S&W629 would make a nice hog gun...

 

[David P]

First of all, what a great gift and way to say, "thank you," for all that you've done. My main comment is simply to say that buying a pistol can be such a personal thing that I wonder if you would be best served by simply giving him the money for the gift itself. You could do this by making a deposit at the gun shop of your choice in his name or perhaps buying a gift certificate (if they allow either) from the shop or you could take him with you and surprise him when you arrive. I love each of my pistols and remember most of the details surrounding the purchase of each. I almost purchased a pistol for my wife a few years ago and gave a great deal of consideration to the caliber, action, brand, etc etc but was very surprised by her negative reaction when I actually took her to the shop to let her handle it. This could be a very nice experience for the two of you as he picks out his first pistol. Just my $.02.

 

[dusty3030]

Not a pistol but I have gone this route and it was neat for the recipient.

Personalized Henry Golden Boy | Henry Repeating Arms