looking for a rifle....

MAURICE · Mar 6, 2001

ok,i turn 18 (finally) this summer,and the first thing im gonna do (which will freak out my mom) is to buy a rifle.im looking for something rugged,something i wont be afraid to use,reliable,and cheap.
ive narrowed it down just a little.im looking at the different .22's out there,esp the marlin model 60 and ruger 10/22; then theres the sks...i shot one at a friends house and fell in love.its nothing remarkable,really,but the overall simplicity amazes me.not too loud,hardly any recoil,scares liberals,all the good stuff.
what others can you recommend?also if you haev any of the rifles mentioned here,can you tell me a little more about it?
BTW- shotguns arent out of the question,either,so if you have something to throw in about one,go ahead.
Thanks all.
MAURICE

MNH · Mar 6, 2001

sks and 10/22 are very different rifles, they don't compare with each other in any meaningful way.

The big advantage of the 10/22 is that its easy to work on, and lots of aftermarket parts out there. Barrel for example can be changed without special tools.

Mike

chisel · Mar 7, 2001

hey maurice, for a first rifle...ruger 10/22,... very reliable,strong,accurate.....best "bang" for the buck, imho, i also have one in with a stainless barrel,and love it just as much as some of my high end guns...you wont be dissapointed... do your self a favor and get a nice scope for it...you will be very pleased with it!!!

HUNTER3897 · Mar 6, 2001

Mo,

Definately go for the 10/22. It is the best thing going in that price range. If you want more bang, get the 22mag version. More expensive ammo(by quite a bit) but you increase your range by 75 to 100 yards. When you get bored with that, go for a real gun and get a Ruger Mini-30. It shoots the same round as the SKS but is a lot more gun. Get a Ruger Mini-14 and you got the two most used military rounds for TEOTWAWKI.

Jim McCullough

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Next time you feel your life is sooo tough, read this- Some American Heroes

Bronco · Mar 6, 2001

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here and say that the Ruger 10/22 is about as close to the definition of inexpensive, rugged and reliable, as you can get. They're accurate enough right out of the box to help develop good markmanship skills, and with the wide availability of quality aftermarket parts and accessories you can improve your rifle as your shooting ability improves. You'll also find that .22LR ammo is a lot easier on your wallet. Experiment with different brands of ammo though. I'm sure you'll find a couple that clearly outperform the rest in your particular rifle.

I feel it's important to point out that purchasing a .22 rifle is probably not going to completely quell your desire to purchase a centerfire rifle at some point. But the 10/22 is a great place to start and I can assure that it will always occupy a special place in your collection regardless of how many rifles you eventually end up with.

Thompson/Center has also just recently introduced a .22LR semi-auto rifle that is rumored to be a high quality tool. I'm not sure of the price point, but you may want to see if any are available in your area yet just for the heck of it.

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Semper Fi

-Bill

MAURICE · Mar 6, 2001

thanks to al who responded..
i kind of figured i would wind up with a 10/22..
MNH, the reason i pickes sks and the ruger is not because they are similar,but because both are reliable and inexpensive.

another qustion...is there anything wrong with buying rifles from pawn shops? i see no difference in buying one from a pawn shop than buying one at the sporting goods store.most places have a no return policy on guns..what do you think?

MNH · Mar 7, 2001

Maurice,

I didn't think that you thought they were the same! Just that they are so different that there is no meaningful way to compare them.

I have never bought a gun from a pawn shop, but I have bought a lot of used guns from gun shops. The used gun racks are always the first thing I check in any gun shop. tremendous resource, but you need to know what you are looking at, one advantage is that if you don't like it you should not lose much if you decide to resell it.

My 10/22 is set up with a Butler Creek heavy barrel, fiberglass stock, and a 3-9 variable scope. (what a machine!)

Any .22 LR you need to buy a box of every kind of ammo you can find and try it to see what it likes. My 10/22 will shoot 1/2" at 50 yards with stuff it likes, but only 3 - 4 inches with stuff it doesn't.

Fun Fun Fun !

Mike

HUNTER3897 · Mar 8, 2001

Mo,

There is only one reason that you shouldn't buy from a pawn shop or department store (Wal-mart) that I can think of. That usually isn't their main business. I used to work in a gun shop and it always amazed us when guys would buy a Remington 700 and scope at Wal-mart so they could save $10. Then they would come to us to have the scope mounted. What a kick in the face. The guy behind the gun counter at Wal-mart was in lawn & garden last week so of course he knows nothing about mounting a scope. You pay the extra $10 at gun shops so that you have someone to talk to who knows guns and shooting. Going to Wal-mart is like slitting your own throat. When they put the local gun shop out of business we will all have to get advice from the kid in lawn & garden. Can you tell that it is a touchy subject with me?

Jim McCullough

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Next time you feel your life is sooo tough, read this- Some American Heroes

MNH · Mar 7, 2001

Jim,

agree 100% Gunshops are about the best places there are. Also, about the safest place.

Mike

HUNTER3897 · Mar 7, 2001

Mike,

They really are my favorite place to just go and shoot the breeze at. The people that hang out there are some of the most upstanding and patriotic people you will ever meet. Unfortunately for me, the safest place didn't apply. At the gun shop I worked at, two gang members came in at closing and shot 2 of my buddies/coworkers in the head. They then stole all of the handguns, HK-90's, AR-15's, and drove to Chicago to sell them. It's the reason I got out of the gun business.

Jim McCullough

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Next time you feel your life is sooo tough, read this- Some American Heroes

Ebbtide · Mar 19, 2001

10/22 all the way.
Reliable, cheap to feed, easy to get goodies for...
I put aperture sights on mine. Bought it in '76 & won't part with it either

If you decide to upgrade to a center fire the .44 mag feels like the same gun

good luck and be sure to clear it with your folks, you don't want to hear the "while you're under my roof" speech (like I did

)

ptpalpha · Mar 24, 2001

If you are looking for pure accuracy and reliability, go to www.benchrest.com and check out the rimfire section. You'll learn more about the .22lr in one evening than you could reading magazines for a year. It's also a great place to pick up some nice stuff from guys who are as crazy about firearms as we are about blades.