Buying Guns for Family

If you love guns, then at some point in your life, you are going to find yourself in the situation of wanting to buy a gun for someone. That someone may be a child, a significant other, or maybe just a friend that isn’t “into” guns quite the way you are. It seems simple, but this task can be more daunting than you realize. I like to compare buying someone a gun to buying them shoes; sure, you may know their style or size, but making it all come together into a perfect shoe is a high bar that can be difficult to hurdle. I would like to share with you some of my thoughts on buying guns for family and some of the mistakes I often see.

First gun for a child

Most people start their kids off with a .22 LR, and there is nothing wrong with that. A .22 rimfire is a great first rifle: low-noise, low-recoil, and, most importantly, cheap to shoot. If that kid grows up to love guns, then undoubtedly that first .22 will be a treasured possession that will be handed down from generation to generation. If that is the case, let’s avoid the cheap junk, huh? So often I see people buying small single-shot rifles for their kids, like the popular Cricket model. Many parents are enticed by the gun’s small size and cheap price tag. Now, don’t get me wrong, from what I have seen, the Cricket is actually a really well-made gun and easily worth the price they charge for it. The problem I see with these guns is that they are quickly outgrown, they maintain no value, and leave little to be proud of in later years. I suggest that when shopping for a kid's first gun, you check the used rack. Oftentimes, a much higher quality and more collectible firearm can be had for similar or even less money. Almost any gun store and pawnshop in the country has a pile of old .22s that are just waiting to become family heirlooms. High-quality items that are made with a superior level of craftsmanship. Good ol’ walnut and blued steel.

Also, don’t worry about finding a gun that fits perfectly, especially if you are buying a gun for a young child, say, 5-7 years old. I have kids in this age range, and it’s really just about pulling the trigger, hearing the noise, and feeling the recoil. At that age, it’s all about ingraining safety and having fun. For my children, I wanted to get them a rifle as their first gun. One that they would cherish and keep forever. I found each one of my kids a single-shot youth-sized .22, but both were made in the very early 1900s. In my case, I did not intend to buy them guns they would use for years to come. They will soon grow into real .22s, even though these guns are large enough for an adult to shoot as well, but when they hand these guns down to their kids or grandkids, they will be closing in on 200 years old, and that will be special. Plus, both rifles were purchased for around a hundred bucks.

Now on to shotguns. I am shocked at how many people I see buying their kids 410 shotguns as their first shotgun, and it still surprises me that the firearms industry gears so many 410 shotguns toward youths. I understand the thinking; many people believe the 410’s small cartridge will recoil less, and that is true on paper, but in practice, it doesn’t quite hold up. That thinking fails when you realize that 410 shotguns weigh much less than a standard gauge shotgun, and often the felt recoil is similar or worse. I have mentioned my two-barrel Rossi break-action before in my writing. That gun is certainly geared toward being a youth gun, but with the 410 barrel, it’s just slightly over 3.5 pounds, and when you touch off a game load in that thing, it is absolutely punishing, even for me. The second reason not to buy your kids a 410 is that it’s an expert’s gun. With small payloads and tighter shot patterns to accommodate, it will be challenging for someone new to hunting to actually bring down a bird. Finally, think about the cost. Those little shotgun shells are the most expensive thing on the shelf. With any new shooter, you want them to practice, practice, practice, and unless you are a Vanderbilt, that is going to get really expensive, really quickly. Instead of a 410, look for full-size shotguns in a standard gauge like 12 or 20 that offer a youth-length stock as an option, so the gun can grow with the child, and the weight of a full-size action will help tame the recoil. This will lead to much more success in the field and to kids who are more excited to go hunting.

Buying a gun for your wife

I titled this portion “Buying a Gun for Your Wife,” but this advice encompasses any situation where a more experienced adult is buying a gun for a less experienced adult, and the advice is… don’t. Ok, thanks for reading. See you in two weeks.

I kid, of course, but only a little. As a gunsmith and a card-carrying gun nut, I spend a lot of time down at my local gun store, and too often I see some dude down there picking out a gun for his little lady, and so frequently he grabs the first pink/teal (the color of gangrene) microcompact on the shelf and proclaims, “She’ll love this!” Maybe she will, but the whole time I’m watching and thinking, yeah, probably not.

I’m actually starting to wonder if the firearms industry hates women. Besides marketing the ugliest guns in the world to them, they also sell the smallest and lightest. That is a recipe for making a new shooter into a non-shooter. The slew of new microcompact pistols out there is great when you are looking for something to conceal, but much like the 410 shotgun I mentioned above, they are for experienced shooters. They are harder to fire accurately and can be pretty painful to shoot, especially with defensive loads.

Matt’s regular 38 Special concealment gun with its 22 LR understudy.

Instead of buying your significant other a firearm and calling it done, I suggest treating them to a range day. Bring an array of guns that spans a wide range of sizes and platforms. If you don’t have the guns for that and you are lucky enough to live near a range that rents guns, then that is an option as well. The most important part of this exercise is to find a gun that they want to shoot, not just one that feels good in the hand. Learning to shoot a gun takes a lot of practice, and no gun should be purchased that will prevent that practice from happening. So no painful guns, and no calibers that are hard to find or outrageously expensive. Another great option, if you have the money, is to suggest something with a 22LR understudy. Many of the most popular handguns nowadays have a 22LR model that replicates the standard model in size and weight, and this is a great way to encourage practice with high round counts, because high round counts are what make good, confident shooters. When your new shooter is finally ready for their new gun, they should know exactly what they want. Take them to the gun store to hold and handle everything. Then let them decide which gun feels the best, looks the coolest, and has the features they want. As long as they are directed toward a quality brand, then everything will work out fine. Letting them choose their gun means they’ll take pride in the gun they’ve selected, and hopefully, they’ll want to shoot it. The next time you head to the range, they will happily hop into the truck with you.

I certainly don’t want to besmirch or cast a negative light on anyone who has gone out and bought a family member a gun before. If you love guns, it’s natural to want to do so. I’m only suggesting we all make a shift in how we share that passion. Rather than buying them a gun and calling it good, think about cultivating a love for shooting and firearms. Let them experience the fun of choosing a gun from the gun counter just like you do, and try to help them select a firearm that will be a joy to shoot, especially for kids. Share your passion, your excitement, and your love of shooting, and they will naturally want to be a part of it.