a good gun for a kid

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the_redstar_swl

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i Wood like to get a 22. rifle for plinking cans and i have seen a couple of marlin rifles shots as the Model 795 and the Model 7000 and i whose wondering if their where any comparable to these guns i Had shot a 410 shotgun so recoil is not a factor
 
i have a marlin from 1980 and it works fine. i have heard a lot of good things about the Ruger 10/22. It's a little more expensive. but i am not actually sure it is worth more just for plinking cans woth your kid.
 
Got my two sons 10/22's as starter rifles w/banna clips and speed loaders....bad idea. They were going through one case of .22's (5000 rounds) of ammo in a weekend :what: ($$$$). Later got a couple of Browning model 52's (bolt actions) which slowed them down considerably....
 
Depending on the age of the child you may want to consider the " Chipmunk" rifle. It is smaller than a regular rifle , bolt action, single shot, and it must be manually cocked prior to each shot. I feel (IMHO) that it forces the beginner to shoot slow and to learn the basics as well as providing additional safety. They can be fitted with a scope. I was surprised at the quality of the gun.

NukemJim
 
Like the man said, it depends on the kid.
I have always been a chunky guy, so even as a kid recoil wasn't a really big factor. I was shooting 12 gauges and full power rifles when I was still a kid with no ill effects.
My first gun was a single barrel .410 for my 11th birthday.
That insured that I would have to aim to get any squirrels, that I would learn that even with a shotgun you still sort of have to aim, and that I wouldn't waste ammo.
It was a pretty good first gun.
 
Greetings, redstar! Welcome to THR. :)

My suggestion is a bolt action. Either tube magazine or "clip" type. My reason is that it enforces the discipline to work to coordinate one's eye and finger with the sight picture.

The choice of brand would be the usual mix of price and eye-appeal to the user. The fit, the size of the rifle is really the most important factor of all. In many ways, buying a rifle is like buying a pair of shoes...

One thing common to many .22s is that there is only one or two brands/types of ammo which groups tightly. It's a try and try and try sort of deal.

Art
 
How about an UZI?

(I'm sure that will end up on CNN)



Ah, why a firearm at all? I would recommend a quality European break barrel pellet rifle. As accurate as any .22, powerful enough to kill rodents, quiet, and no problems with you owning or using it independantly. Or buying ammo for it.

Guns are cool and all, but not the most practical item for a kid.
 
My thinking is that it would be better to start a boy out on a reduced sized .22. I would want a manual operated or single shot rifle.

A real firearm as a luftgewehr may be seen as "not a real gun" or a "toy". Thus, the child would not consider safety as much as they should.

My brother has talked about Chipmunks for his boys.
 
no problems with you owning or using it independantly. Or buying ammo for it.
Click to expand...

Sure?

My 15 year old friend cannot buy bb's, slingshot replacement bands, or Trail End #307.
 
I got my son a CZ 452 Scout .22 rifle. It is a kid-sized bolt action that comes as a single-shot (with sort of a dummy magazine in the magazine well). You can buy 5 and 10-shot magazines to convert it to a repeater later. It is a nice-looking, high quality rifle that is fun to shoot. I also put a compact Simmons 22 Mag scope on it. In addition to my son, I've taken boy scouts shooting with it, along with a 10/22 and other rifles. I expected them to want to use the semi-autos, but found that they seemed to enjoy the CZ Scout the most. I think they like the manual operation (I'm not sure why, but working the bolt and manually feeding each cartridge seems to appeal to them). They were also able to shoot it very accurately. It is light and quite small - a better fit for most kids (I was afraid it was too small at first, but now even I enjoy shooting it, and I'm 6'2").

I like the CZ more than some of the other kid-sized bolt-action .22s because there is no manual cocking knob to pull back for each shot. In other words, it works just like a "real" bolt-action rifle. The manual cocking knobs seem like an added safety feature at first, but upon further consideration, they teach kids that even after they chamber a cartridge and close the bolt, the rifle isn't yet ready to fire. I don't think that's a good idea.

While the CZ seems very well made, the bolt is a little stiff to work, and the cartridges need to be inserted with a little care to feed properly - not a big deal, but be prepared for a youngster to need a little practice to get the hang of it.

Doug
 
Doug, had the same problem (stiff bolt) on the 452 Scout I got for my son. I took the bolt out, put some polishing compound on the bolt ramp and worked it back and forth a couple hundred times. You can do this in your hand by grabbing the bolt body in one hand and the handle in the other and working back and forth, you don't need to put it back in the gun. Once smoothed up, take bolt apart as described in manual and give good cleaning. Now bolt is very easy to close.

And when choosing a rifle for a 13 year old young man, like this thread's starter, I think he made the perfect choice in the Marlin 81! :)
 
I like the Savage MKII great gun and can be had in wood or syn, blue or stainless, Med or heavy barrel. They have five or ten shot mags and sling swivels with a simple nylon sling. If you get the combo pack it comes with a simple scope. the basic model can be gotten for about $100 to 120.....
 
Enjoy the Marlin. I bought an 81TS a few weeks ago.
It shoots CB longs very well if you want something quiet to shoot for fun. Also groups pretty well with Remington Subsonic hollow points. I have a box of mini mags to try also, but haven't run any through it yet.
 
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