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Thread: What revolver should I get for my son's first firearm?

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    What revolver should I get for my son's first firearm?

    I'm not new to firearms, just new to this site. I do reload but I never knew about this site. That is amazing. I want to get my 11 year old son his first firearm. I reload a lot of 9mm and 38 special so I was thinking of a nice single action with a long barrel in either caliber. What do you recommend?

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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I'm a big .38Spec. guy, but as the world is switching over to 9mm and obsoleting it out,
    ammo and brass are going up in price and getting a little harder to find as time goes on.

    For example, the days of $10. per thousand for once fired .38 range brass are long gone,
    and like cars with a breaker point distributor--- they aren't coming back.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks for the advice Winger and you aren't wrong! However I have enough 38 special brass to last decades!

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy 414gates's Avatar
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    I can recommend what I did with my sons, starting when they were a little older, maybe 15.

    I signed then up to a practical pistol association, IDPA at the time, bought them the semi auto that they preferred, within the budget I gave them, and reloaded for them.

    Out of the three, only one has continued with the shooting sports after leaving school, doing his own reloading now, but they did enjoy the experience, especially the leagues and matches.

  5. #5
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    I'm a believer that your never wrong with a standard S&W Model-10 on hand. I don't load hot and so far everyone, from grandkids to old ladies like the feel of what's being shot. The wheel gun will slow down a new shooter giving them time to focus on the basics.

    For us 9mm's are like .22's and to easy to empty a magazine in no time.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master
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    A long barrel may be unwieldy....stay around 5”.

    Go with a .38/.357 and load light .38’s.
    Don Verna


  7. #7
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by dverna View Post
    A long barrel may be unwieldy....stay around 5”.

    Go with a .38/.357 and load light .38’s.
    That is exactly what I was thinking! Might look at a New Model Blackhawk and just load it with some light loads.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master
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    YMMV, but I'd start a really young kid out on a single shot rifle - .22. Handguns are great, but for a learning platform, I'm concerned that the ability to tooooooo quickly turn it against a hand, arm, leg, foot, or another person is just too great. A really young'n has a lot of exciting stuff to deal with, and a easily pivoted handgun is (for me) just too much. Good on you for getting 'em started early. Best of luck.

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by 725 View Post
    YMMV, but I'd start a really young kid out on a single shot rifle - .22. Handguns are great, but for a learning platform, I'm concerned that the ability to tooooooo quickly turn it against a hand, arm, leg, foot, or another person is just too great. A really young'n has a lot of exciting stuff to deal with, and a easily pivoted handgun is (for me) just too much. Good on you for getting 'em started early. Best of luck.
    That is a really good point. Is there a good 9mm/38 bolt action that doesn't weigh a ton? I can't even think of one. I'm afraid he will grow tired of a .22 and lose interest.

  10. #10
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    Personal preference as always. Ruger Single six or something similar. Light and makes one learn to handle loading and unloading. No recoil, ammo is reasonable. Next would be a 38 special of your choice, Model 19/66, Security Six, Model 15/67, manageable loads, 158 grain semi wad cutters. You could throw in a Ruger 10/22 somewhere as well.
    Last edited by Huskerguy; 06-22-2022 at 09:49 PM.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Ruger makes/made a combo Blackhawk with two cylinders to accept 9mm and 357. A SA revolver is good for learning basic handgun handling. There are also a break open single shot rifle chambered in 38/357 as well as a couple of lever action repeaters. Your son can be training on a revolver and a lever gun at the same time.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by CZbob9 View Post
    I'm not new to firearms, just new to this site. I do reload but I never knew about this site. That is amazing. I want to get my 11 year old son his first firearm. I reload a lot of 9mm and 38 special so I was thinking of a nice single action with a long barrel in either caliber. What do you recommend?
    VERY ACCURATE ONE! Period! The worst possible thing for beginner is to start with average handgun. Showing him that handgun is accurate takes away a big dilemma for every shooter when facing holes all over the paper; is it me or a handgun?

    Also, I would start with target on 10 meters or yards, and when he is confident shooting at that distance, move to 15, than to 20 and 25.

    As for handgun:

    1. TC Contender, if you can find it with 38 Special barrel. If not, get one in 357 Magnum, and few hundred 357 Magnum cases. Since you already reloading 38 Special, you have everything else to reload 357. Contender is accurate like rifle, it has good trigger, long distance between sights (10", 12" or 14" barrel), and you can get it fairly cheap, just ideal for beginner.

    2. As a next choice I would consider either S&W M52, or one of those target grade S&W revolvers in 38 Special.

    Just my 2 cents...
    Last edited by Onty; 06-21-2022 at 05:18 PM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    I'm probably an outlier here but I think I had a good start at shooting by using a small lightweight boy's type flintlock rifle. If a kid takes an interest in something like that, and practices with it enough to become really proficient, then he is on his way to being an accomplished marksman. The follow through and trigger control, loading, managing everything so it works every time, cleaning, casting balls, sharpening the flint, etc. all go toward teaching someone about guns. Plus he's not likely to shoot himself or someone else accidentally like he is with a cartridge firing handgun.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Starting with 38 or 9 MM both are good and will teach casting and reloading and also pistol caliber carbines later on both are cartridges that will be usable as they get older

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I would go with a S&W 586 or 686, in the barrel length of your choice. Will work fine with 38 spl, and when he grows into it, will handle .357's, and will last a long time, shooting those.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Onty View Post
    VERY ACCURATE ONE! Period! The worst possible thing for beginner is to start with average handgun. Showing him that handgun is accurate takes away a big dilemma for every shooter when facing holes all over the paper; is it me or a handgun?

    Also, I would start with target on 10 meters or yards, and when he is confident shooting at that distance, move to 15, than to 20 and 25.

    As for handgun:

    1. TC Contender, if you can find it with 38 Special barrel. If not, get one in 357 Magnum, and few hundred 357 Magnum cases. Since you already reloading 38 Special, you have everything else to reload 357. Contender is accurate like rifle, it has good trigger, long distance between sights (10", 12" or 14" barrel), and you can get it fairly cheap, just ideal for beginner.
    You could even get it in a 257 Maxi and he could continue using it for his LIFETIME.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  17. #17
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    I would go with a S&W in 22 LR. A regular 'ole blued pistol, (no light-weight), with adjustable sights. Either a 4" or 6" barrel.

    That way he can shoot a whole lot at a low cost. Practice makes perfect.

    Oh, and no issue with a single/double action revolver. Let him shoot to his hearts content. Learn and then move up to higher calibers (which cost more to shoot).

    45_Colt

  18. #18
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    My first revolver was a Ruger Blackhawk in 38 / 357 , in 1970 ...
    Didn't get my next single action untill 2021 ... a black Ruger Wrangler in 22 LR ... It was LOVE at first sight ... I wish I had gotten the Wrangler a long time ago .
    It Is Sweet Shooting Thing !
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    Quote Originally Posted by CZbob9 View Post
    I'm not new to firearms, just new to this site. I do reload but I never knew about this site. That is amazing. I want to get my 11 year old son his first firearm. I reload a lot of 9mm and 38 special so I was thinking of a nice single action with a long barrel in either caliber. What do you recommend?
    Not knowing you or your location, family situation, et cetera -- I can voice that I am happy you are going to start your son shooting. In *my* case, I started my sons with Mossberg bolt action .22 s/l/lr rifles. These employ magazines which have a threaded rod which when in, enables ONLY .22 shorts. I soldered these in, then permitting .22 shorts. After the boys ages, each, I moved up to enabling .22 long... Under very close and guarded supervision, I had purchased a Savage single-action single shot .22 which was also started with shorts.
    A funny corollary is from the many, many shots through this firearm, a ring was burnt in its cylinder to make longs and long-rifles just about impossible to chamber .

    I reckon you have your mind made up re the 9mm/.38 S&W sp. -- and I respect your decision. To my way of thinking back then, I wanted the foundation of good, safe, firearm handling for a child instilled before they "graduated" to the bigger stuff with recoil and its inducing flinch. Just my way of thinking...

    BUT, you asked... that's what we did; no injuries' good, safe, fun handling taught/learned...

    Best wishes!
    geo

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by 725 View Post
    YMMV, but I'd start a really young kid out on a single shot rifle - .22. Handguns are great, but for a learning platform, I'm concerned that the ability to tooooooo quickly turn it against a hand, arm, leg, foot, or another person is just too great. A really young'n has a lot of exciting stuff to deal with, and a easily pivoted handgun is (for me) just too much. Good on you for getting 'em started early. Best of luck.
    I pretty much agree with what 725 wrote; however, .22 ammo isn't nearly as inexpensive as it used to be.

    Not knowing how big your eleven year old is, nor having any idea how much he will grow in the future makes it very hard to recommend a revolver.

    I will recommend that anything you get has good adjustable sights. No need to start someone out by saying aim three inches left and two inches down from where you want to hit.

    Also don't overlook one of the various .32's. Light recoil and most are fairly good shooters.

    Good luck and stay safe,

    Robert

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check