Getting my first gun

[mr.trooper]

Congratulations! I am so happy for you.

Don't let any one, or even any three guys here convince you of what you need!

What I will tell you is that your first desire for a 30-30 is not a bad thing! That cartridge is not only capable of much, it is low recoil, and one of the cheaper / more common centerfires! You would be served well by one.

As another poster said a quality .22lr rifle is always useful, whether you are a new shooter or a vet. CZ rifles can no be beaten at their price point. You would have to pay at least double the money for a better built, better quality gun. My CZ 453 'American' is one of my most treasured possessions.

A quality 12 or 20 gauge shotgun is another indispensable long arm. The Browning BPS and Remington 'Wingmaster' are probably the best quality guns for their price points.

My recommendation is to buy all three.

 

[ThatGuyHank]

Thanks everyone for the input

I would like to thank everyone that has posted on this thread. The information you guys have presented is invaluable, appreciated and firmly accepted.

For those of you that are interested in the exact firearms I will be purchasing (I have in fact made a decision)

1)Used Marlin Model 60C for 185$ from a friend of the family that is selling it. I checked it out today and it is very clean and the bore is excellent, no rust or pitting.

2)Used Marlin 336 Big Lever Loop model for 430$ from a gunshop in Glasboro. I was looking at the rifle and its metal parts had an odd look to them (not ugly or bad just not in character for the rifle) and asked the guy at the counter about it and he said the last owner (whom he referred to as an "idjiut") took the blueing off and Duracoated it black. He said it degraded the value of the rifle significantly and that was his reasoning for the low price. I took a likeing to the so called "ugly rifle" and made it mine. If you ask me, it looks quite nice with that hard black contrasting to the laminate stock and with the winters we've had in the tri-state area that big loop may come in handy.

All in all I'm very satisfied with my selection and though it came in a little bit above budget (615$) with a 200$ "grant" from my uncles for ammo I was able to stock up. Now I just need to expend some brass so I can learn how to work the RCBS reloading kit my Granddad left me.

Again, thank you everyone for the input and I think I'm gonna like my travels along The High Road.

 

[chevyman097]

congratulations on the buy! I bet you will be very pleased with the 30 30.

 

[pikid89]

good choices on the rifles...shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot

 

[bcp280z]

C'mon man, ya gotta show of your new toys, pics ?

 

[Isaac-1]

Like a lot of people have said, get a .22 My nephew is left handed also, and just today he was showing me his latest toy, a highly customized Ruger 10/22, he bought a heavy barrel version from the local Wal-Mart about a month ago for around $250, and has added custom left hand stock, left hand safety, red dot sight, etc. I think he has about $700 into it now, 10/22 is very popular, base model is under $200 new, used for less than that, while it would not be my first choice in .22's to learn to shoot on as it is a semi-auto, it is a great bang for the buck and easy to resell for around what you pay for it if you buy used, also if your into customizing there are an incredible number of parts available to fit it.

Ike

 

[ThatGuyHank]

I can only get a pic of my 336, I have yet to receive the Model 60.

Sorry for the bad image quality lol I don't have a quality camera and I had to crop my feet out.

 

[1894]

Congrats! (Both on your birthday and your purchases) And Welcome.

I a huge fan of levers too. You can do anything that needs doing with your choices. Don't forget to download the Owner's Manual: http://goo.gl/ByALl

 

[mr.trooper]

Way to go!

 

[bcp280z]

The matte black/wood combo doesn't look too shabby, congrats, both should last at least your lifetime.

 

[Olevern]

30-30 marlin lever action will not beat you up and allow you to concentrate on sight picture, breathing and trigger squeeze, the basics of marksmanship. You should be able to pick up a good used one for $300-$350 and have enough left over for a pair of electronic hearing protectors (ALWAYS use hearing protection when shooting, even .22's) some ammo (30-30 cheap compared to other calibers, and a membership in a shooting range.

 

[Heretic]

Just my opinion, everyone should start with a .22 single shot.

 

[woad_yurt]

Even though I have owned many different types of rifles and still have quite a few, I always go back to my ol' beater Glenfield 60. I was at the range two days ago and the only long arm I shot was the Glenfield; it's just too fun to ignore. If you can't find an older Glenfield, then get a newer Marlin 60. Tip: The older ones hold more rounds and are built a bit better. See if you can get one with the metal trigger guard; the plastic ones break a bit near the rear screw hole.

 

[Usmc-1]

Start off right , get a .30-30 lever action , or (my preferance) .45-70 lever , you get good quick or you lose your shoulder !!!

On the pistol front , get a 1911 .45 ACP, no question!

Wheel gun , SW model 66 .357 mag

Shotgun , I think this is the best quality/ price market for weapons anything by Mossberg,Ithaca, Remington ,Winchester ,you cant go wrong , I want the new Kel-Tec!

 

[goon]

I think the 10/22 is fine for left handers. None of the lefties who've fired mine have complained about getting hit with brass.
I also like the CZ-452 option but they aren't cheap and the magazines for them are also not cheap. One of them could eat up half your budget or more without any ammo being purchased. Were I looking for a good learning/general shooting .22 rifle today I think I'd seriously consider a detachable magazine bolt action from either Marlin or Savage. I suppose a tube magazine would as well, but I generally just don't like them. I think the Savage or Marlin option would get you a decent .22 rifle and several thousand rounds of ammo for about $300.
If you like centerfires, I can't argue against a Marlin 30-30. I've had a couple and while I don't own them now, I'd like to own a couple more Marlin lever actions at some point. Ammo is fairly inexpensive and they're good hunting rifles that could be pressed into service for defense. I see used ones going for $250-$300 locally here.
I noticed that the OP mentioned the Mosin. One thing on Mosins is that you have to be good and determined if you're going to use the safety. It's as safe as a safety gets IMO, but it's kind of tough to get off. It would take some work to get used to it for hunting but it could be done. But it's not as user friendly as just pulling the hammer back on a Marlin. I was also concerned that a lefty might not be able to work the bolt so I grabbed my brother's 91/30 and tried it. I am right handed but I was able to work the bolt acceptably well from the shoulder left handed by reaching over top of the action. If the OP has Mosins available to handle he should try this before buying, but I think it could work. My favorite Mosin is by far the Finnish M-39, but 91/30's are also serviceable and about a third the cost.

Now that I read your choices were already made, I'd say you made some solid decisions.
However, it sounds like the Marlin Model 60 is overpriced. I think they're less than that new locally. I'd put a good price on a used one, even in excellent condition, no higher than $125-$150. Even that might be too much, because something is telling me they are less than $150 new. So if possible, I'd do some research and renegotiate that deal first. Just because they're friends doesn't mean you need to overpay.

 

[Konstantin835]

Nice choices and happy birthday. As someone who just got into shooting recently I think you will find there are just too many guns you "have to have". A Mosin would be a nice addition and at around $100 with cheap surplus ammo you cant go wrong. Milsurps in general are a lot of fun and they're not very expensive. Its always a good idea to start with a .22. A lot of people dismiss them but they are cheap, build skill and if you look around youtube, can be accurate at quite a long range. Have fun.