Well, now that I am back in the States, its time to re-establish my personal arsenal...or, not so much an arsenal but it is time to start teaching the kids who to safely and effectively handle firearms.

With that in mind, I am looking at a few new gun purchases. I have pretty much decided on a small frame .22 cal rifle. At the moment, I am torn between a Marlin and an Henry. The Henry is a lever action (odd choice in a .22 cal but...) and the Marlin is the more conventional semi-auto action. A .22 cal is a great choice for teaching basic rifle marksmanship to kids because it has rather low recoil, is not terribly loud, and is inexpensive to feed with the number of rounds necessary to develop true profeciency.

I am also looking at a pistol in order to teach some handgun skills. Obviously, I need something small enough for a kid's hands to control and something that is not as "vigorous" as say a .444 Casull. At the same time, I am planning to try and convince the wife to practice a bit as well. I am thinking something in 9mm or even .32 cal. Both calibres are relatively inexpensive to feed and quality weapons are available at reasonable cost. Any suggestions on a good handgun with which to teach kids and the wife?

The last (for now) weapon I am looking at is one for my own use as a carry weapon. I like the SIG series weapons but I am looking for something a little less expensive. The standard issue M9 (aka Beretta 92 series) is simply too large for a comfortable concealed carry.

How old are the kids?

The .22 is a great choice for the kids and you can't go wrong with the Marlins. I have a bolt action .22 with open sights and the thing is dead on accurate. It was a cheap rifle, under $80. Bulk ammo is dirt cheap and there is a very wide variety to choose from. If noise is a factor, you can even always go with CB sub-sonic rounds which are only slightly more noisy than a pellet gun.

My roommate also has a Marlin. His is a semi-auto model that he paid around $70 for. That thing is definitely fun to shoot but if you're firing sub-sonic rounds out of it there generally isn't enough pressure to blow the bolt back, so you constantly have to load rounds into the chamber.

If you're looking for a pistol for the kids, you could kill two birds with one stone by going with the Glock .40 caliber subcompact(think it's the Glock 27). Not only do you then you have your carry weapon but they also sell a .22 conversion kit for it. The conversion kit is a little pricey, though, as I think it sells for around $300. But you then essentially get two guns for one and the Glock is certainly a reliable, fun pistol.

The SIGS are definitely nice pistols. I've never heard a bad thing about them. My fantasy carry gun is an HK USP as they are the creme de la creme of pistols but at the moment they're a wee bit out of my price range.

Check out some of the new Ruger's. They're very inexpensive and a good quality, American built gun.

Unless you just insist on an automatic or repeater, you might look at Rossi's single shot 22's. They will come with another barrel you can change out and have any gauge shotgun or rifle caliber combination And they have youth models, which are very handy in and around the house. A 22 rifle and 410 shotgun combo are hard to beat.

Im not much of a pistol person but the best pistol I ever had was the Ruger 22 luger style. Very accurate, hardly ever jammed, and felt good in the hand.

I see Para is advertising a very small 9mm 9 round 1911 style pistol. But Im sure its expensive.

380 is a good family size I think. Revlovers appeal to me more than auto.

I think Thompson makes something like this. A buddy down in PA has a single shot Thompson breach loader which has damn near any barrel available for it. The thing has an external hammer also. It may be a Contender, but all the Contender's I see online look the big pistols. His has a synthetic stock and a short barrel. It fired a helluva round. I forget what it was but the bullet almost looked like a .45 round in a HUGE rifle casing, a good size bigger then the casing of a 7.62x39. I want to say it was a 45x70 round but I can't find them on the internet so I'm probably wrong with that guess. Definitely looked like something that would bring down a moose. It was a cool little rifle though.

Ah. It was a 45-70 round.

The .22 .410 combo is nice. The M6 Scout, .22 over .410, fits this bill nicely and it's possibly the most cost efficient way to get into the rifle shotgun combo. The .22 LR version can take shorts and sub-sonics. It can be had in .22 Hornet too.

The Marlin .22s are great and very affordable.

The Ruger 10/22 is a small build .22 with plenty of options for customizing.

That Henry US Survival is a well made gun. It feels light and chincey, but light is what it is. Granted, I wouldn't beat on the stock very much.

9mm is a good choice for a light recoil handgun. .357 is not really a beast either, if you wanted a revolver. They do come in semi-auto, too.

I can't give you any recommendations, Law, but my Dad did take us out to the Ft. Benning rifle range to learn how to fire a .22 fifle, adjust the sights, etc.

I've never fired a weapon since, but I have to say I enjoyed the experience and I did learn. I enjoyed the experience because it was a shared thing with my Father.

Every child is different. Please don't buy guns for them until you learn whether or not they want to please you or themselves.

You've been away from your children for a while. They didn't stop their development during that time.

Sometimes a parent asks a child to affirm the parent's existence by following what the parent has done when, in fact, the child must be himself.

Your kids are what--4-5 years older than they were when you posted their pictures here?

BINGO! That right there speaks volumes on the virtue of gun ownership.

Yes, it does, Aint. And those are cherished memories.

I'm not against gun ownership; but I was surprised when, after putting our kids on the bus for the first dsy of kindergarten, a neighbor picked me up for a coffee party with other kindergarten mothers and showed me the pistol she had on her belt.

And I'm not really against hunting--I've just had some early, to me, traumatic experiences with hunting. I do enjoy fishing, although I like barbless hooks and turning the fish back once they're caught.

I guess what I'm really uncomfortable with is the death of a creature for the sport of another creature.

thanks for the comments people. I think I will hold off ont he Thompsons...they are a bit much gun for the kids right now due to size and the wife due to training. The Contender line is sweet for pure sport shooting though...And, Liz, that does not mean shooting animals for sport. I think you are confusing those few people who trophy hunt with the vast majority of gun owners. I sometimes hunt and when I do what gets killed gets eaten. Similarly, I fish and what I catch gets eaten. I would go so far as to suggest the barbless hook catch and release is "less" moral than the catch and eat practice.

I have pretty much decided on a small frame .22 cal rifle for the basic marksmanship training. I am looking at a few pistols...eat your heart out Stone...found a Sig P226 for $400. Its used but in damn near pristine conditon. Found a Kimber 45 carry version for $1100 but the wife would likely kill me with it if I bought it. Besides, it is a little big for the kids to practice with. I may go ahead and get the Sig. Hell, I can carry that and still afford to by a smaller .32 cal or .380 for the kids to practice with.

Oh, and Liz, its not so much me forcing the kids as it is they have expressed an interest in learning...Remember, I have three...two are interested and one is not. I do plan to make the uninterested one learn basic handling and safety but not to practice past that point. The wife...I plan to push her pretty good. She does need to develop not only good habits but some basic proficiency. I am likely to be gone from the home with some regularity and this is not the best of all possible areas.