i assume that o.p.’s friend is new to guns and would feel more at ease with a new one. he only wants rimfires, perhaps because his available shooting range only allows long guns chambered in rimfire ammo. he is likely looking at rimfire rifles because nys approval for handguns is difficult, maybe even impossible, certainly time consuming, and he wants something now.
marlin, mossberg and rossi 22lr semiauto rifles all work well for well under $200 new, and use mags under 10 rounds, to avoid running afoul of safe (sic) act in nys. how about one of these in 22lr and something else in 22wmr?
22wmr: not all ammo eggs in one basket, easy recoil, as a rimfire rifle it is less controlled by unfree states than a centerfire, out of a long barrel 22wmr is more defense-useful than 22lr.
during the great obama ammo drought my only rifle purchase was a barely used, scoped, stainless, marlin 17hmr bolt action rifle that even came with a bipod. the pawn shop guy had priced it low to move it, “bolt action in a weird caliber.” the nearby lgs had plenty of neglected 17hmr ammo. it’s not an apex predator stopper, but really fun and accurate, and i got in alot of useful practice. plus, if push came to shove, a 17hmr round precisely placed in the breadbasket would be dissuasive.
i don’t have, and haven’t priced, one but isn’t a henry 22wmr lever action rifle reliable, well made and fast? can o.p.’s $440 rifle budget afford the henry and a $120 mossberg or rossi?
