Go for it it is a great first gun. Lots of fun to shoot, cheap ammo, lots of accessories, easy to take apart and clean and very reliable. It is not the best for HD but chances are that situation will not come up as often. Get the 15-22 and go to the range and enjoy. Later on get an 870 when you can afford it or a .45 carbine.
Is the M&P 15-22 a good first gun?
- Thread starter GRAYSTER
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Snake Plissken
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Warning: If you do buy the 15-22 you might have to deal with a disease that is called A.A.D.S. "Accessory Acquisition Disorder Syndrome" at some point after your purchase.
PHXSHOOTER
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I am always glad to hear someone new is going to learn the shooting sports. With learning being the key word. The only thing all guns have in common is they are all dangerous. With proper training and guidance the 15-22 would be a fine first gun. Get the .22 plinker first to find out if you really have enough interest in firearms to commit yourself to becoming skilled at home defense. Owning a shotgun or large caliber hand gun is just the first step. Even after many, many years of sport shooting I invested in professional training on the self defense and tactical side of firearms use. It was worth every penny and hour I put into it.
Greyster, I think you made an excellent choice by buying a .22 rifle as your first gun. The 15-22 is a good choice, although I would've recommended the Ruger 10/22.
Either way, I think it's absolutely critical that you learn good shooting habits first. A .22 is easy to shoot for longer periods of time, meaning you get more experience during each visit to a shooting range. You can also get that experience far cheaper than anything else.
All that experience and skill will transfer directly to higher caliber firearms. What's nice about a rifle like the 15-22 is that even after you start shooting bigger calibers, you'll keeping come back to the .22. It's just so much fun!
Either way, I think it's absolutely critical that you learn good shooting habits first. A .22 is easy to shoot for longer periods of time, meaning you get more experience during each visit to a shooting range. You can also get that experience far cheaper than anything else.
All that experience and skill will transfer directly to higher caliber firearms. What's nice about a rifle like the 15-22 is that even after you start shooting bigger calibers, you'll keeping come back to the .22. It's just so much fun!
amazes me how many people are supporting a .22 for home defense. i have 9mm's and still want to go bigger.
It is better than nothing. The stinger will make a temporary 4" expansion cavity and 25 of them center mass is an option. i use a .45 ACP for my home but I would not want to take a stinger to the chest.
i understand it is better than nothing, but you yourself admit a .45 > .22.
as for 25 rds, thats saying that you have a) the time to fire all 25 and b) the accuracy to hit COM with the whole mag. i can just imagine that going to court...
no one wants to be shot but if you are going to shoot someone, you want to make sure it stops the threat. yes a stinger will hurt but will that first one stop the threat in time?
PainterlyShotgroup
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"Mr. Doe, please tell the jury why you felt the need to repeatedly shoot my client 25 times with an assault rifle." "It's not an assault rifle." "really? Well, it certainly looks like one, and answer the question please."
Don't forget that even if you are cleared of any criminal charges in defending yourself, family and home, you may still be slapped with a civil suit from the intruder or his/her family. Potentially huge mess. Why make it messier having to explain 25 rounds?
Don't forget that even if you are cleared of any criminal charges in defending yourself, family and home, you may still be slapped with a civil suit from the intruder or his/her family. Potentially huge mess. Why make it messier having to explain 25 rounds?
Majorlk
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You beat me to it.
There's an awful lot of bad information being posted by people with little or no self-defense firearms training - and if followed, could well get some poor schmuck and/or his family killed.
PainterlyShotgroup
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Majorlk
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I couldn't let you be the only pessimist in the forum
I like to think I am an educated and informed realist.
I like to look at things as they really are, not how I would like them to be. Using a 15-22 as a home defense firearm makes no more sense than a Ruger SR22 or Walther P22 as a carry piece.
My home firearm is a 12-gauge and I carry a .40S&W.
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DelFuego
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This is the only problem I do see with using a .22 as a home defense weapon. How would you explain having to shoot the intruder so many times? How about if I just shoot the intruder in the hand with a Desert Eagle, causing him to drop his weapon, and his hand, on the floor.
PainterlyShotgroup
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Yup, you did. Haha, sorry man....
I don't want this to become a debate on best home defense weapon - the op did state he was getting a nice shotty to handle that anyways so point is moot, but facts are, even if an intruder is armed with a hand gun and sees you holding the 15-22 he is gonna A) Try to flee while B) Making a mess in his underpants as he would not recognize it is not a full on AR-15.
PainterlyShotgroup
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Right, if only home invasions were, A) that simple. And B) that predicable.
Majorlk
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Depending upon that line of thinking will get you killed or your family killed. Someone high on either drugs or alcohol is seldom thinking rationally and will almost never do what you think he will. He thinks he is invincible. I'm betting you have no real experience with this kind of person.
Majorlk
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Mayhaps. But as the op stated, he's getting a shotty anyways as well so no need to rake him over the coals
No one was raking him over the coals. What several of us are doing is poking holes in ignorant and ill informed statements by folks who don't know what they are talking about.
we are simply stating that .22 is not the ideal defense round. the last thing i would want is for someone to get hurt because they read on some forums that it was. there are plenty of better options out there and the OP is smart by selecting a shotgun for defense since he is not old enough to purchase handguns. to me, defense is first priority over fun when purchasing a firearm. now that he has that out of the way, then hell yea i think he should get a 15-22.
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