What gun for nephews? Birthdays '07 edition.

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El Tejon,

The AR based .22's are not always the world's most reliable rifles. If you decide to go that direction, consider giving the rifle a good workout prior to its presentation. .22 AR's also have a high incidence of firing out of battery, so proper precautions should be taken.

David
 
Steve,

To be honest, I've only tried about 3 versions out of the dozen or so that I know of. I've found them all to be somewhere between sensitive and temperamental. I really, really wanted them to work too, so I think I gave them a fairer shake than most. Of the people with whom I’ve corresponded that have both experience with AR based .22’s and my respect, all were open about various problems and for the most part confirmed my assessment. Most still use them, but for what I paid I want better that a failure to feed every third magazine or more and round going off out of battery every couple hundred rounds.

David
 
El T
1*

Thanks for the feedback on these .22's.

I am a strong believer in .22's and feel using one to learn on and then later having one to "match" a center-fire action is wise.

Don't mean these .22s cannot be anything from a kids sized .22 single shot, Marlin 60 , or you name it with a "really cool and funky paint job". :p

I look great shooting a kid sized .22 in Pink, Teal Blue, Seafoam green and others.
I still think I shoot the old Rem 514 best because it has a Bob Seger Live Bullet "sticker" on it. :D

Then again the young man with a NASCAR sticker on his Old Henry thinks his is better...;)

El Tejon - you need to find Badger Stickers.
This would be a great tradition to start with the nephews...
THE Pat Rogers would be impressed I am sure. :D

"Ready on the right, ready on the left, Badgers commence firing! "

Steve
 
el tejon
Whoever commented on the CZ and the Marlin, I have both (actually Henry and CZ, same thing)

While I love my Henry (heck, I picked it out) loading t is a pain in the butt, so good call on the CZ. Great rifle, though I have the fullsize version.
I fired guns first when I was nine- .22 and a four-ten
I really don't think you should get the kid a .223 AR-recoil might be a problem and saying at school 'I shoot an M16' might get him in trouble.
.22's are a great choice, and I would have loved to shoot an AR .22 wen I was nine. Heck, I'm 13 now, would still love to shoot one. If ANYBODY makes a .22 Thompson, get him that.
He's nine now and he can shoot on his land, so you might want to get him a pistol. Since you might be spending $800 for an AR, may a suggest S&W 617?
 
Never fired one, but

American Rifleman has a Rossi Trifecta in its 2007 new guns article.
It is a single shot, break open w 3 barrels: .243 Win, .22lr, and 20ga shotgun.
I'll bet a kid (or a big folk) could have a lot of fun with that rig.
Good luck.
 
CZ, thanks for the post. Interesting perspective. Did not realize we had members that age!:eek: Good to have your insight.

I gave #1 a CZ 452 Scout for his 8th birthday and it was a tremendous hit. This CZ is a jewel among kids' guns.

However, don't worry, he's not going to get in trouble for saying he shoots guns. For "Show & Tell" both of the oldest boys have brought in photos of their guns as well as targets. The teacher put them on the bulletin board along with the kids' drawings (welcome to Indiana).:scrutiny: :D
 
Picked both guns up this evening.

This CZ 452 Scout has very dark wood. The one I purchased last year is very blonde. Good thing, this way it will be distinguishable from his brother's rifle.

The Bushmaster AR .22 looks OK. I was disappointed that there is no dustcover. I would think this would be a very important aspect of a training weapon. Think how many people you see on the range with their dust covers down! Tsk, tsk, sloppy, sloppy.

Another feature that is missing is the ability to manipulate the bolt with the support hand (I use the middle finger). I would think this would be important as not to become a user of the inane "forward assist" of the A1 and on.

Well, shooters and end users can't be designers or the Universe will explode or something. Have to make up for it some other way.:)
 
O.K., have the CZ Scout squared away. Took the rifle into the gunsmith at lunch today to adjust the trigger, smooth the action a bit, and install sling posts. 5 hours later it was ready! Now I'm ready for his birthday party at Grandmother's in Indianapolis next weekend. What a big day, I hope there's homemade ice cream!:D

Cost me all of $52. Clarence the gunsmith on duty that day said that he had other projects but when the shop owner told him it was for a 6 year old, he put it at the head of the line. He figured the other guys would not mind.:D

Now Josiah will have a nice weapon in appearance and function.:)

Thanks to Bill and Clarence at the Tippecanoe Sport Shop on State Road 25.

http://www.tippysportshop.com/ (That's Clarence the taller guy with the black shirt and his back to the camera).
 
"He sleeps with copies of the American Rifleman, carries a G36 blue gun, with shoelace patrol sling, that he appropriated during a visit to Uncle Kirk's and demands that even his grandmothers read his Gun Digest."

At 6 yrs old...... this "kid" needs other interests. Somehow his childhood seems to have taken a backseat to someones vicarious life. I'd slow them both down and just let them have fun growin up as CHILDREN not adults. Just my 2 cents.
 
Bear, oh, sure, he's a normal healthy 6 year old. He likes school, puzzles, playing checkers with his dad, T-ball, playing with his friends and brothers, going to the Children's Museum in Indy with grandma, Thomas the Train and collecting some sort of cards from some kind of game that I am unfamiliar with. Uncle Kirk just talks about the gun stuff on a gun board. However, he does love guns, as do his brothers.:)

We do not insist that he shoots, he wants to. I understand what you are saying about "burning out" but I think my brother keeps a good balance for the kids. I'm just the uncle, I stand in the wings and write checks.:D

Gave him the 452 for his birthday on Saturday the 7th. The CZ was a big hit. Its dark wood makes it distinct from his brother's 452 and therefore "his". I could not find any spare magazines here in Lafayette so I will have to mail him more mags.

Now I have to wait for June.:cool:
 
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