The Red Rider is not the same gun I got 45 years ago, that's for sure. My first was a Daisy Cub, that you pulled the end piece out (along with a tube), and poured 3-400 BB's in. It was all metal. Second was a Winchester 94 look-a-like, and third was a Rem 22 pump look-a-like. My little brother "inherited" the last one each time I got another, and he was hard on them. (The Rem. 22 looker shot out my older sisters B&W tv in about 69'). We went to Wally world the other night, and I picked up a Daisy Winchester 1000SB LR, supposed to be 1000 fps with .177 pellets, we'll see. It has a composit stock though, and feels like a real piece of machinery. I think he'll be impressed.