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Still looking for buying long guns that I will hand down to my grandkids

nitesite

Average Guy
Moderator
"Philanthropist"
Suggestions? Can spend some money but inexpensive is also okay. Probably in .22LR so they can learn and shoot for cheap.

They (right now) are between 5-Y/O and 10-Y/O
 
Nitesite, over the years I've found the best training or beginning 22's are bolt action. Ruger Precision Rimfire and CZ 457 are both excellent bolt action models. However, you can never go wrong with a classic Ruger 10/22. Plus an old Remington Nylon 66 is still a good and affordable choice.

Regards
 
I own a bunch of 22's.

Here's a short list in no particular order a few guns that are fully up to the task and I'm certain any of us gun guys can appreciate.

Marlin Model 60
Ruger 10/22
Savage FVSR bolt action (I particularly like the one with the 16" fluted barrel)
Henry 22LR lever action.

As for handguns for the older children

Single action 22 of some sort is a timeless classic. Whether Ruger Single Six or their Wrangler or even a Heritage Rough Rider is another alternative.

I taught all 3 of my sons to shoot a handgun using both the heritage and a little Walther P22. They're small and compact. Easy for them to handle and manipulate and are accurate enough to hit paper plates with them. The p22 won't win any accuracy contests but are great for teaching basics and allowing them to grow into better ones.

Another good choice that's been around a little while is either the sig 1911/22 or the GSG 1911/22. Same guns, just different rollmarks and of course the sig name on the side costs a little more but is the same exact gun other than the marking. So, if you would like to get them started right with a 1911, that would be a great start for them.

Whichever you choose, I'm sure it'll be a good one.

There's really so many out there now that could work. There are 22lr AR's. MP5s (which would be kinda cool to get an HK mp5 22 (yes they do make them). So, if you're wanting to get a lot of extra street cred with the older grandkids that are probably getting into video games pretty heavily, those would probably be on your short list to be the coolest pappaw ever. They may not appreciate the single and lever actions as much as we do. Though, we both know they're well up to the task.

None of the ones I listed are over $450'ish at the most except maybe the ruger single six.

My opinion is to get a good base gun and spend the rest on ammo and use that money shooting it with them. Those are what they're going to remember most. Sure, they'll remember the gun too. But they will appreciate the time with gramps more than the gun.

Hand each one of them a 100 round box or one of the 333 pack of shells and watch their eyes light up. It's not going to be all about the gun. It's going to be all the good times they're about to make with you shooting until they run out.

I appreciate you nitesite. Much more than you may realize.
 
Back before WM went woke, they would have BF deals on guns, ammo, clays, cases, etc. I got this Rossi break-action single-shot .22/.410 combo (stock photo) for $110 the day after Thanksgiving about 10 years ago. They shot it a few times with .410 but the majority was with the .22 barrel. Not super small but small enough they could shoulder it easily and accurate enough to develop skills and marksmanship. I think it deserves a trip to the range before I turn it into a lupara with the .410 barrel... ;)

rossitwin.jpg

I used to see these Cricket or Chipmunk rifles for cheapcheap during BF. I think $120 was the going rate for the polymer stock Cricket. Not sure about the other models. Never did buy one because the kids had already moved on to SA guns like 10/22, 597 and 60. The Chipmunks look a little bigger--the one shown is a LH model if that is needed.

pinkcricket.jpeg blackcricket.png lamcricket.jpeg lhchipmunk.jpg


PS: these are not "hand me down" guns, they are "give to them now" guns. :)

PPS: the kids would deliberately open the action quickly which would briskly eject the spent case at their sibling... :D
 
John got me thinking about some of the "other" guns they learned with. The Henry .22 is a good choice. The best pistol was/is the S&W 622, mags have buttons on the side of the follower to ease loading, 6" barrel, contoured wood grips, alloy frame. Had a NEF 922 revolver that was a piece of shit--cylinder was sloppy so it was very inaccurate. Sold at a loss to a guy who was going to put it in his tackle box. Had a Taurus PT22 (Beretta 21 knockoff) that they weren't too crazy about. A Chiappa Beretta 92 .22 clone was also a POS but they got to learn about DA and decocking. That gun was bulging cases and went back to the factory They sent me (at my request) their version of an AR-22 NIB, which I promptly sold for far more than the pistol would have fetched. By 12 years old they were shooting 9mm and 45ACP but the 622 would be the warmup.

Had a couple Mossy Tac-22 AR-style guns. Those got sold off as the kids started shooting real ARs around 12-13. Had a Hi-Point 9mm carbine, a Umerex? MP5 .22 knockoff, and many more I have since forgotten. They got to shoot with some "cool" guns but the attraction soon waned and they got sold off for better guns.

They learned to shoot Red Ryder BB guns and archery at Cub Scout summer camp (girl siblings welcome) both obtaining beltloops. Moved on to scoped pump BB gun and pistol at home. BB guns are a good way to learn marksmanship. They also played with slingshots, bow/arrow and paintball in their tweens. Almost forgot they would have Nerfgun "wars" with the neighbors... :)
 
When I said "hand down" to my grand kids, what I meant was that I would introduce them to the gun and then hand it down right there. I intend to live another couple decades so I don't want them to "inherit" them or bequeath then in my will and estate.
 
Well, it's not a straw purchase if you're Christmas shopping to see what they like and take them to the store with you, and then go back later to buy yourself a few guns is it? We always took our kids to the store to see what they went to in the toy aisle. You'll get a really good idea what they're into just by paying attention.

Just don't get two handguns simultaneously. That gets you put on another watch list for running guns. Wait a few weeks between them. Yes, even 22lr's. Long guns don't have such a stigma. At least not yet.
 
In the way the laws are written now, my kids cannot inherit my guns in California. They will have to apply for a permit and go through the legal transfer process, so the only way to make sure that they get them is to do all that before I die.

But who knows what the laws will be by then?
 
Good deal coyote56.

Here in the Appalachians, it's as much of a right of passage for the kids to get a gun when they get old enough, as it is for the grandpa's to give it to them.

 
I have 2 single shot 22lrs I have had for a few years. One was a Winchester, one a Stevens. My son has room in his safe so I store them there. Both of his kids love to shoot them. They are both circa 1930s. We (son and myself) know who they belong to.
 
^Thank you coyote56. That picture is fantastic !!
 
That IS a great picture. Coyote, you owe us another one when he is as tall as tall as the Browning!
 
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