15-22 Good first rifle?

[.357 Magnum]

If she has not fired a gun before or not very often then a S&W M&P 15-22 is not only fun to shoot, but if she learns how to use a 15-22, then she'll be right at home if she ever moves up to the S&W M&P 15 in .223. However, I agree that a .22 is NOT a good home defense gun. I'd get her a .357 revolver for the simple reason that you can shoot BOTH the .38 and the .357 round in a .357 revolver. I'd have her get used to shooting the .38.

 

[Jav]

Haven't read the entire thread(Just read the first post) but if your looking for a good home defense firearm for her, why not a simple to use, in-expensive pump shotgun with reduced recoil buckshot?

 

[Smith357]

Not to disparage the 15-22, it's a fine rifle, but, it would not be my first choice as an HD device. Since your GF is unskilled in the use of arms my first choice would be to get her to the range with a shotgun with some 2 3/4 in shells loaded with #4 buck, and a .38 caliber handgun loaded with wadcutters and let her make the choice. But a .22 is still far better than no gun at all.

even a .410 with the right loads

Ya know, with the new buck and ball style .410 defense loads for the Judge and Gov'ner the .410 shotgun looks like a viable HD firearm.


Mossberg HS410 410 18.5

Saiga 410 Shotgun

 

[mud king]

You guys talked about the legal end of dumping 25 rounds of .22 from an M&P 15-22, what do you think the jury would say if you unloaded four shotgun shells with a ton of BB's in them? Personally to me, I wouldn't use a shotgun for the purpose of what you guys had mentioned about the 25 rounds of .22

 

[Hobie1]

You guys talked about the legal end of dumping 25 rounds of .22 from an M&P 15-22, what do you think the jury would say if you unloaded four shotgun shells with a ton of BB's in them? Personally to me, I wouldn't use a shotgun for the purpose of what you guys had mentioned about the 25 rounds of .22

Pulled the trigger 25 times or 4 times. Not comparable in my opinion. Assault type rifle...shotgun. Nope, I'd take my chances with the scattergun.

Happy New Year!!

Hobie

 

[JaPes]

The difference is the jury's perception of the incident in a civil trial.

I justifiably and legally defend my life against an armed intruder that presents an immediate threat to my life. If I make it through without the DA pursuing criminal charges, I still may have to face the B.S. of a civil lawsuit brought by the family of the scumbag.

In a civil trial, perception counts. Depending on your area, the pool of potential jurors may not be familiar with firearms. Even worse, the population may be from a geographic area traditionally anti-gun. In this case all that matters is the number of rounds fired, not the caliber fired. To the uninitiated, 4 shots fired in self defense sounds reasonable whereas 25 rounds fired does not.

Hobie can correct me if I'm off base, but I think his point is that it is prudent to consider all aspects of a defensive shooting situation from preparation, action, immediate aftermath, and long term aftermath.

 

[Hobie1]

"Hobie can correct me if I'm off base, but I think his point is that it is prudent to consider all aspects of a defensive shooting situation from preparation, action, immediate aftermath, and long term aftermath."

That sums it up nicely.

Hobie

 

[worldsailor]

I think there is a lot of confusion about home defense. My first choice would be a secure room with a cell phone, and then access to a weapon. Having a gun doesn't solve the home defense problem, since most guns are in a gun safe and not easy to get at quickly, if you store it legally. It would depend on how quickly she can get to the gun. It really doesn't matter what it is. I have a 15-22, and if I put 2-3 shots in the head or the body, good chance the person will be down, whether a 22 or a 45 acp. The average person looking at the MP 15-22 doesn't know it is not a .223.

A pistol would might be a good/better choice. I keep a revolver in a bedside lockbox with fingerprint lock, so it can open quickly. THis is hard to do with a rifle or a shotgun without a bigger investment. A tactical shotgun it probably the best if you can get to it easily, but it not good for anything else, so if you are looking for something fun and functional I would get a 15-22 or a pistol/revolver.

I would suggest you find a personal defense course for your girl friend, and get her a dog. This is one of the best home defense things you can do. A lot of times you do not have a chance to get to your weapon and a dog will general scare them off before they even enter the house.

THe 15-22 does make for a great first rifle, and it is really fun and cheap to shot. I have one, and put 2-300 rounds thru everytime I take it to the range. I also have a shotgun I use for sporting clays, and I would consider it my backup weapon if I needed one and had the time to get it out of the safe.

 

[mud king]

Sounds like a pistol is the best bet. One shot, One kill, that's all.

 

[JaPes]

... Having a gun doesn't solve the home defense problem, since most guns are in a gun safe and not easy to get at quickly, if you store it legally. ...

Do you live up in Canada?

While I keep my firearms in a safe, I am not compelled to by law. Even though I don't have children, I keep a pistol in a Gunvault Micro Vault in the bed stand.

Sounds like a pistol is the best bet. One shot, One kill, that's all.

If it were only that easy. One shot, one kill would be a a head shot in the "T" zone.

If I am under extreme stress and a blood stream full of adrenalin, I am not confident I would have the fine motor control to pull off a single, precise, moving head shot.

I never fool myself into thinking I'm as good as I wish I was.

I just keep on practicing, hoping to get "good".

 

[Majorlk]

Sounds like a pistol is the best bet. One shot, One kill, that's all.

Don't bet your life on that theory. Actual one-shot kills are few and far between, even with large-caliber cartridges, unless one has had defensive training in shooting under stress.

The best house gun, IMHO is a 12 gauge with the barrel cut off to 18.5 inches and loaded with 00 buck. Forget bird shot.

 

[Aceman58]

Here's my two cents, don't over look the 38 cal. handgun revolver, very low recoil, easy to learn and shoot.

On the M&P 15/22, it too is a good beginner rifle, for beginners on a scale of (Low-Medium-High) for ability to learn weapon skills, the AR platform is in the "Medium". Again one time at the range may not be enough, but you can train "Dry" at home the control functions using "dummy rounds" and learn the skills of the AR controls until you feel she has muscle memoried it to death, then hit the range. With low recoil, and easy uses, she should be feeling good about firearms.. Good luck.