First gun ever, what should I buy

I started out with an SKS, Savage Mk2 BV, Stoeger Condor 12ga and a Browning X-Bolt. (big purchase lol)

However ! For someone starting out.

If you plan to do mostly target shooting and not much hunting. Go with a bolt action .22LR AND an SKS or Mosin-Nagant.
If you're a hunting you should try to get a nice bolt-action in .270 or bigger. (to be able to hunt moose and deer)

At the range, the rifle that I shoot the most is my .22LR. The SKS and my SVT-40 are also being shooted a lot.
All my hunting stuff is not shoot much (ammo price...).
 
BCshooterFMJ said:
Edit: FYI, the guy above me; If he is being honest about being in the forces, I only question it because he keeps designating the gun as an M14, he should know its NOT what you actually meant; is comparing a Springfield M1a or M14(American made, $2000 dollar gun) To a 200 dollar surplus rifle like the SKS from 1948-1955. The SKS is probably made of better metal then the Chinese made M305 you are looking into. Both great shooters though. At that, at least I believe you are talking about th M305, if you mean the Springfield M1A, holy ####, buy that if you got the money :D
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FYI the Norinco M305 has a forged receiver and mostly all forged parts like the US military M14s and Garands had .. The new production Springfield has a cast receiver and pretty much all MIM parts ( ''metal injection mold'' ) and i dont think they have chrome lined bored ether . They are put together in the US from mostly imported parts from Brazil , Asia, and Canada , but yes they will have less bugs to work out and better fit and finish, better choice for someone who is not a tinkerer or mechanically inclined .. The current company Springfield has nothing to do with the old government Springfield Armory that made rifles for the US military pre M16 era , the name was just bought by a private company after their shutdown to capitalize on their reputation.
 
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I got an M-14 and it's not even restricted, let alone prohibited. It's made in Asia and it's called a Norinco M14S. Doesn't say Polysporin anywhere.

If it's center-fire you want for your first rifle, the SKS has been most eloquently described already, and like most other's, I wonder why I didn't buy one earlier in life. Now I have two.

Nothing puts you more in touch with your firearm, than a Semi Auto Service Rifle that can be stripped well down close to just the barreled receiver. They work well, they are cheap and the ammo is cheap. Check out TradeEx's SKS deals, they are in the top list up there of site sponsors to click on. I bought an M-14S from them as well and am 100% satisfied with the rifle and their service.

I prefer the M-14 overall, buts that just me, the SKS shoots everytime, and what a cheap way to develop rifle marksmanship skills over iron sights with a cool piece of history as well. Good luck deciding your first one,.. and welcome to CGN where gun owners matter!:dancingbanana:
 
Thanks for all these answers! I think I'm gonna go with a SKS, a SVT40 and a 22... not decided on the .22 model yet... a lot of them look nice but all of them a sold out on Marstar...

Anyone knows a good model and where it's available?? Thanks
 
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Its hard to beat a .22 if you have no previous firearms experience. Its still my favorite for both rifle and pistol since you can shoot all afternoon for about 20 bucks! Great way to practice
 
The OP wants something that's easy to disassemble/reassemble and target shoot with.

IMHO that means one rifle and one rifle only - the AR-15 pattern rifle.

Since the OP is a new shooter, IMO he needs something that has light recoil. The SKS has light recoil, true, but it isn't the most accurate. A Norc M305/M14S, or a Springfield M1A is more accurate, but has heavier recoil (yes, I do own both the SKS and Norc).
I think the best rifle he could get his hands on is an AR-15 type rifle. I note that the OP says he has a PAL, but IMO that's irrelevant as if he wants to be a gunsmith he will need to have an RPAL (according to federal law).

It's very accurate, and can be taken apart and reassembled by someone with a Grade 7 education.
 
Incase anyone else stumbles across this thread wondering the same thing "First rifle" Here is the thread about the latest batch of Dominion Arms SOCOMs (Norinco M305's) Skip to about page 62, you can see who won the lottery and who didnt .Almost ALL of us got rifles that are out of index, some much worse then others, plus a lot of other problems.(Its a 450-500 dollar rifle, I got what I expected) http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/986516-NEW-ITEM-Dominion-Arms-Socom-18/page59

And here is another , GREAT read for what NOT to get, ignore the one offs, but as you get to flipping through the posts, you will see the patterns of guns that have generally a bad rating. http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/994154-OH-CRAP!!!-Your-worst-purchase

And this guy above me has given some really sound advise, I said the same, get your RPAL. I also agree with a black rifle, but they are not for everyone.


Edit: One more thing, if your getting a soviet SKS, get 1953 or later if you plan on shooting corrosive ammo, they have chrome lined barrels, if your getting chinese, I think they are all chrome lined, and I do not beleive ANY Yugos are (Someone might correct me on this one, I am not 100%)
 
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You can't go wrong with a ruger 10/22 , everybody and there dog has one , so as a smith you will be working on a lot of these . They can be built in about a million different ways with a huge aftermarket parts supply . Plus as a student money is usually a little tight so .22 lr is as cheap as you get with any ammunition , shoot all day for 20-30$ :) !
 
I'd say to get a .22 and one or two centerfire rifles to start off with.

The .22 could be an inexpensive, but rather fine Savage bolt gun, a nicer CZ, a Ruger 10/22 semi or one of several other fine options.

The OP won't go wrong with either an SKS or M14 (he could probably get both, and maybe a .22 for just a tad more than the cost of a Mini-14.) I'd at least however recommend a crate of ammo for whichever guns he get, and preferably two or more, given the ups and downs of surplus ammo availability.

The SKS has the advantage of cheap ammo, cheap gun, reliable, and I've seen buddies consistently hit our club's 200 yard gong from the standing position (I've still got some room for improvement at that range, hitting only one in every few shots). The rifle won't give super accuracy (3-4" at 100 yards supported off a shooting bench seems the norm to me), has so-so open sights and few good scope mounting options. If one gets into hunting, I'd say that the cartridge and accuracy makes if fine for deer out to about 150 yards, much like a .30/30. Since they are true military surplus, they are kind of collectable, even if the current glut of rifles keeps their price down, at least for those of us who like to gather an assortment of military rifles representative of the alliances of decades past.

The M305 is still relatively inexpensive, fairly reliable nowadays, still has some reasonably priced ammo available (closer to $.50 than $.25 for SKS fodder), better initial accuracy and greater potential for accurizing, better sights (assuming that yours comes with a set that works), better options for scope mounting (but at about $150 for a good mount), and the added advantage that the rifle could be used for Service Rifle matches. I'd put the out of the box accuracy as averaging somewhere closer to 2" at 100 yards (I consistently get 4-5" groups shooting prone at 200 yards with open sights, though shooter fatigue opens that up after the initial groups), and the cartridge has more potential for long range shooting and hunting deer from deer to bear and moose. Someone who's potentially interested in reloading and working up accurate loads might find this the rifle to focus upon, rather than the SKS. The downsides are that unless you can purchase it in person at a gun shop, you may get a rifle that needs replacement sights or a few other minor fixes that a new shooter may or may not want to be bothered with. So the OP ought to read up on the main M305 stickies and then needs to decide whether or not the added benefits of the M305 are worth the extra price and possible initial hassles. If they seriously think that they'll get into gunsmithing, there's a couple of little projects that one could do to accurize their M305 that might be fun for someone thus inclined.

I'm more biased in favour of the M305 myself, and use the SKS to conserve the more expensive .308 ammo, as well as to practice shooting offhand at 200 yards. I'll shoot more 7.62/.308 at those distances after getting good at it with the SKS.

During the less shooting intensive winter season, the M305 offers several small projects to mount scopes, a few accurizing projects, custom painting stocks, etc.

For hunting, I'd pick the SKS over a full length m305 for deer drives and keep the full length rifle for the tree stand, but a well set up SOCOM or short rifle might also win out for driven hunts.
 
Dar-22 from Dlask arms .22 LR I love mine :)

Sks - inexpensive to buy and shoot and fun

Dominion arms grizzly 12.5" 12 gauge pump - inexpensive to buy, versatile and fun

That's my two bits.
 
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TheJuggernaut said:
Just for the sake of adding food for thought, don't ignore the 12 gauge. A pump Moss 590 or Rem 870 is cheap, reliable and loads of fun. It can often be shot at ranges where rifles aren't permitted. There are fun sports for shotguns. They are good for blasting the bejeezus out of paper from up close, or smacking 3/4 inch thick holes at 100m. Put some light birdshot loads and it's a softy to shoot. Put in some magnum slugs and it'll satisfy your need to manhandle something with serious kick.
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This. I love rifles, but for most guys, the shotguns will see a lot more rounds and have an unparalleled versatility in the field. If I could own only one firearm, it would be a 12 gauge repeater.
 
"...go to gunsmithing school next year..." Waste of your time unless you want to work for minimum wage, if you can find a job. There are no smithy schools in Canada, other than one that's French speaking only, in PQ. Stateside schools will require you to have enough money to live on for the two to three years of the course as you will not be allowed to work. Don't even think about on-line or mail order training. Those are a complete waste of money.
"...How much for a Mini 14??..." Falls under, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." Mini's are over priced, inaccurate, varmint rifles. And not much good for that. Fun shooters unle$$ it'$ a Target model.
An SKS isn't accurate, but they're not nearly a grand either. Be a good rifle for screwing around with. Being able to strip and assemble one won't make any difference to an FNG smithy though.
"...Protection glasses? Ear protection?..." Um, you really are new. Both are mandatory.
 
Finally bought a Norinco JW-14 .22LR... and thinking about buying a SVT-40 and SKS (great deals right now)...

As for gunsmithing school, I'm going to the one in PQ... and really gunsmiths in Canada are getting paid minimum salary and there's no jobs??
 
Sunray is the resident seagull. So don't mind him. He just shows up in every thread, squawks a bit, ####s on people, and then flies off. Pay him no mind.

You really get a trail by fire and lots of useless advice spread among the nuggets of knowledge by asking questions like this at CGN! So don't believe a thing you hear and only half of what you see. :p

But yes, gun smith jobs can be hard to come by, just ask some of the resident ones on here. However, if you're good and dedicated, the sky's the limit.

Before you buy any gun you need to ask yourself what kind of shooting you're going to be doing. How often, where, the state of the facilities, distance, type of target, etc, etc, etc. From there determine what will fill your needs best. That should be the determining factor, not brand loyalty, fads, or low prices.

SKS's, SVT's, M14s, and Mosin Nagants are all a steal right now, and prices will likely be going up in the future. But they all require tinkering to get them up to snuff, at least all of mine did anyway. That shouldn't be an issue to someone with a desire to search for info and a DIY spirit, though.

Whatever you get, shoot it and have fun... and be safe!

And yes, you will need ear and eye pro!!!
 
lolmao said:
Hi, I'm new to the forum... so I just got my non-restricted permit earlier this month and I was thinking about what kind of rifle I should buy for Christmas. The main use would be to dissemble/re-assemble it (since I'll go to gunsmithing school next year) + target shooting... So I was thinking about either an SKS since the gun is cheap, simple and ammo is cheap too... I was thinking about the Marstar $360 deal for an SKS and 1440 rounds of ammo... or an M14... What should I also buy to go with it? Protection glasses? Ear protection? Scope? What models should I buy? How many mags should I buy? Is there a cleaning kit included? Just waiting for your ideas and suggestions... thanks. I'm a total newb.
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If you are going to gunsmithing school to eventually make a living, either an AR15 (need RPAL) or an M14 will offer opportunities in the future for gunsmith services across Canada. The restricted AR10 needs a lot more attention in this country. The non-restricted T97NSR is just getting started and will be a popular choice. If you want to focus your craft, trigger work is a good start for rifles and handguns.
 
First gun ever should be a Ruger 10/22; sadly I waited till gun number seven to pick one up, I wish i had sooner. its cheap and safe to shoot till you get the techniques down. Then go from there, personally I would go with a 12 gauge or a .308 bolt as number two.
 
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