Posted on 12/12/2012 5:38:05 PM PST by RightFighter
I'm looking for a recommendation for a gun for my son for Christmas. Just to lay out the basics - he just turned 15 and is about 6'3" and weighs 235. Yes, he plays high school football. His mother and I have been divorced for many years, and she absolutely forbids him to have anything to do with guns in or near her home. His cousin recently received a .22 pistol, and my son's mom wouldn't let him hold it. I don't know whether she knows (but I assume she does) that he has shot my HK .40 USP along with some rifles at a friend's house a few times.
I think it's important that he learn to respect guns and use them properly, so I'm considering getting something for him for Christmas.
So, the first question - should I start him out with a .22? I have looked at several possibilities. One is a Smith & Wesson M&P .22 pistol, seen here:
It's supposed to be a 1:1 copy of their larger caliber pistols. I played with it a bit and it's a really smooth pistol. Feels very nice in the hand. The other one that I have been gravitating towards is a little more "fun," I think. It's an H&K .22 AR-15 clone. This one is really well built, with metal parts where you expect metal parts on a "real" AR-15. As you can see, it's got all the rails that one would need to feel like they were building a true AR-15, and one day if he decided he wanted one, he could just sell this gun and move to a true AR platform gun.
Or, should I just go ahead and spend a few hundred more and get a "real" AR-15 or a larger pistol for him? I figure with a .22, he can shoot as much ammo as he wants and it's not going to cost much.
what, because I am prior military I would put getting a gun in front of preservation of the family relationship? You must never have gotten past PV1.
Yeah, I was an Army officer on active duty. Yeah I am also a mother. I can tell a manipulative narcissistic move when I see it and that is what this “father” is doing, under the pretext of getting his kid a gun.
If I posted this question on Facebook, I would expect these kinds of responses, but here on FR, I expected simple advice about the gun, nothing more. What has happened to this place?
yeah well I guess because I am FEMALE I can tell when he is trying to get his wife’s goat better than you can, nabab
I do have a personal recommendation. Get him into Boy Scout. They have ranges with 22s at every BSA camp that I have visited thus far. Some of them even have shotgun practice. The range area is very popular activity with the campers.
Our troop goes to the range at least once a year to shoot their 22s. I plan on taking my 9ml with me for that trip. I may let some of the other moms try out my new toy.
Thanks for putting “father” in quotes. That tells us more about what kind of person you are than anything else you could say.
Hey bud I have been on here longer than you I’ll wager, and I am not saying anything that is not plainly obvious.
no, evil people are going to be the death of Amerca
He was in Cub Scouts for several years (I was his Cubmaster one year) and he was in Boy Scouts for a year, before sports became more important than Scouting. I really wanted him to stick with it, but he plays three sports, so it was a big time commitment on top of sports.
I spent 6 years in the military. I outranked my hubby when we got married. So, yes I am a female also. I don’t see this situation as you describe, but then I have only been married for 34 years and raised two sons.
We had a great time building AR’s. They got to choose what stock, forearm, barrel, bolt, Bolt Carrier, barrel, sights/scopes, trigger type, furniture colors, slings. The mix-n-match and swapping between the two boy was great.
We had many days of fun out at the range shooting them. The competition of targets, then they moved into sporting clays. And we still shoot together all these years later and my oldest brought is brother in law to our outings and it has grown into a “dad’s family” pastime.
well you got me beat. I have raised two sons too, and bought them Rugers for Christmas, but not when it would have caused WW3
Yep evil people that steal guns and shoot unarmed shoppers in malls while the masses are afraid to arm themselves and to fight back.
When did I say something that gave you the impression that it would cause “WW3” if I got him a gun? I said that she forbids them IN HER HOME.
I gave it to you.
She sure do jump to conclusions. I thought attorneys were only suppose to base their opinions on facts.
Since last year he has become very profeicient and very knowledgeable about weapons and yesterday we went to the range and we both shot his Glock and his recently acquired AR-15. He is quite the expert and his skills at shooting the targets exceeded mine, I am proud to say!
Yeah I can size up these situations pretty quick, it’s true.
Let me jump to a conclusion. You are divorced. If you have managed to stay married, your husband must be a saint.
Proficient = profeicient
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