What to get my 9 year old daughter?

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I, for a while now have been thinking of getting my 9 year old doughter a 22 rifle, but then it hit me, I think I would rather get her a hand gun first. I want something that she can learn on and keep as her first gun that her daddy gave her. I want something that if she had to shoot a animal, or a man, it would get the job done. I figure she should be able to load and reload a revolver easyer than a magazine on a semi auto, and the trigger on a revolver would be more easy for her to pull. I will load up my 357 mag with some 38 special and see how she can handle it, if its to much for her, then maybe a 32. I want something that she can use today and use when she is married some day to protect her self and her kids, and still have long after I am gone. What kind, brand, and caliber do you guys recomend, any suggestions well taken, and remember it has to be special, becouse its from daddy, not a saterday special.
 
For a starter gun for me it would have to be a 22.......easy to shoot, and cheap to practice with.its hard to beat a Ruger 22......they wil run about $400 new..... Buckmarks were $279 at academy sports...... here is one just for her http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...s_rimfire&start=0&selectedSKU=0355-00449-4490

I might wait untill she got a tad bit older and a little more proficient before I looked for her a carry gun. But if I bought one now for target shooting and something that eventually could be a home defense gun it would be probably a S&W model 66 w/4" barrel
 
I think a 22 rifle, be it a Ruger 22, a "Cricket" with the pink stalk, or an old single shot 22 will be better than a handgun, certinly better than a 38. Please start her off with a small caliber.

My girls love to go to the range and I still have them shooting 22lr.
20080105010.jpg

Megatrange.jpg

The important thing is they learn safety (My girls have to recite the 4 safety rules before I even take them to the range). The other thing that is important to me is that they leave with a smile like this....

RangeQueen.jpg
 
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I agree with the small caliber recommendation.

Personally, I think the Ruger Bearcat is a great choice for small hands, and isn't bad for big hands either.
 
...and still have long after I am gone.
Click to expand...

Your sense of heritage is to be applauded. Now, at 9yrs of age, is a good opportunity to give your daughter a .22 rifle that down the road she may use to teach your grandchildren and continue the legacy.

And hopefully, you will have the opportunity to give her a defense weapon, perhaps of her own choosing, at a time when she is older and less dependent on adults for protection.
 
You NEVER start a kid on a handgun...Always start them on a rifle in .22 calibre. The Cricket or the the 10/22 are the best. the Cricket for the younger ones and the 10/22 when they get a bit older. When they have mastered the rifle then move them to a handgun. Just for starters it's harder for them to hold and sight a hangun not to mention the safety factor between a rifle and a handgun.
 
22 Rifle

Sorry I have to agree with the crowd on this one, I was started with a 22 and so were my 2 sons, Longer sight radius means better shooting and more fun for the childeren.
 
While I don't think that you should 'NEVER' start a child on a handgun I do think that a 22 rifle is a better choice. The Cricket is too small for a growing 9 year old.

You mentioned getting something that she'll have long after you're gone. If you're serious about that then get her something nice. Cooper, Anshutz, Thompson Center & Kimber all make very nice 22s. If they are a bit expensive you can't beat a CZ452, IMO.

Once she gets older you can buy her a good defensive revolver/centerfire auto.

pps, your girls are precious. You're a lucky man and a good dad.
 
The handgun is too dangerous for a child....sit down, hold a handgun, and with a flick of your wrist you have swept the entire room with the muzzle....with a mounted rifle, you have to swing your entire upper body....and it's much harder to accidentally shoot yourself with a rifle....buy the handgun now, perhaps let her shoot it occasionally, but save it for giving until she gets into the early teen years, meanwhile work on safety and accuracy fundamentals with the rifle....for safety lesson #1, let her shoot a can of tomato soup at close range, and after she wipes the gook off herself, plainly inform her that could be her foot or a best friend she's wiping off....makes for a much safer child shooter....I've raised 5 children with guns, not one accident, not one episode of guns being drug out for show/tell with friends without adult supervision....the kids KNEW what a gun could do, and KNEW they couldn't trust their friends with them....
 
All guns can be dangerous, whether they be rifles or handguns. The four safety rules must be obeyed by either. I respect where you're coming from mtngunr but saying 'The handgun is too dangerous for a child' is painting with a very broad brush.
 
mtngunr...I can do you one better. I had my 4 sons (I also raised 5 kids. One was a daughter) camping in the mountains and I wanted to impress upon them with the power of the .357 magnum and picked out a dead stump and blew a big hole in it and a hornets nest in the stump...You can amagin the mad rush to the river...
 
mtngunr...I can do you one better. I had my 4 sons (I also raised 5 kids. One was a daughter) camping in the mountains and I wanted to impress upon them with the power of the .357 magnum and picked out a dead stump and blew a big hole in it and a hornets nest in the stump...You can amagin the mad rush to the river...
Click to expand...

I've been on other end.... I was golfing with my dad and I was not having a good game at due to my form so my dad says, "watch me I'll show you how to do it", he cracks it a good one (trying to show off for is 10 year-old son like any good parent would) well the ball when about 100 feet then took a left towards a house and almost broke one of its windows

get her a .22 rifle or pistol I am leaning towards rifle but only because a pistol is easier to "sweep" causing unnecessary danger
 
Start her on a .22lr bolt action rifle teach her about the safety rules till they are second nature.

Then after a year or so start her on the handgun, My kids 10 and twelve were started with a savage cub .22lr at age 6.

A handgun is much harder for them to shoot, They now like to shoot the 5" barreled buckmark plus, but the taurus 94 9 shot revolver is a close second followed by the K22.

They have both shot centerfire guns, my Gold cup .45 and my 627 with mild loads, but after a couple shots they want the .22 back, its much more fun to shoot.

My son and daughter now really like the Ruger 10/22 rifle, and they can hit the sillouhettes at 50 yards with it.
My son loves to shoot my Anschutz 17 HMR at 100 yards as well, last week we went out and he was able to keep all 50 shots inside the 9 ring of the NRA 100 yard small bore rifle target, with about 30 of them in the 10 ring or bullseye.
 
I think the rifle is the way to go, but if you insist on a handgun, then I suggest a 22. The Ruger Bearcat would be a reasonable choice. If you want something a little larger, go with the Ruger Single Six. These will last her a lifetime and still be fun to shoot when she is old and gray. In a semi-auto, probably the Ruger Mark III which will be a little heavy for her. The other Ruger 22 with the composite grip is okay too, I just prefer the Mark II or III.

I'm not much for giving children access to handguns until they are a bit older than 9, but that is me. Oh, they will think it a blast to shoot, but they also will love the rifle and hit what they aim at. If they can't hit anything, they may tire of the handgun until they are a bit older.

Which rifle? CZ 452 Trainer (bolt action) probably, or the Marlin Model 60 if you want a semi-auto. The lever actions are great too; the Henry's are good so I read, and the Marlin 39A is great (but large), and the Browning BL-22. Yes, the Browning would be a very good choice as it is a smallish rifle, easy to load, pretty, and easy to shoot well. My brother had one and absolutely loved that rifle.
 
I have had my son out shooting since he was five. He will be seven next month. His favorite (today) is a S&W M-14 with a Ultradot scope.
He has shot (his) M-34 kitgun, (our) Highstandard Citatian with a Ultradot and my Marvel conversion unit with a Ultra dot. Loading magazines is not a problem, working the slides and clearing the weapons can be a problem.
If your area has any type of shooting sports that you two can both participate in, buy anything that will work for that sport.
Firearms are constantly changing and kids change what they want to play with.
 
Sheesh....I never did answer the question.....sorry....an old model "flattop" SingleSix is a bunch smaller/lighter than current later Super's, and if you can get one with the original XR3 grip vs. XR3-RED larger grip, so much the better. While you're living dangerously, you may as well teach her the fundamentals of true single-action loading with an empty under the hammer.... the pre-.22mag barrels have tighter bores and will suprise you with their 50yd plinking accuracy....and her kids will still be shooting that one.
 
I let my kids shoot handguns and big long guns from an early age.

Nothing wrong with aquainting a kid with handguns.

I would reccomend training with a .22 rifle first.

My kids can fire a Mosin Nagant M44 or a Jungle carbine without a flinch. They can run a .45 auto dry, and empty a .357 mag and beg for more! 9mm is just a pop-gun for my children.
 
I have to agree that a single-shot, youth-sized .22 BA rifle is the ideal tool for introducing youngsters to our sport and passion and instilling the basics rules of safe handling and use.

IME, one big key to sparking and sustaining a lasting interest in lots of kids is grabbing their interest fast by making sure to provide them with the opportunities for as large a dose of success as possible in the form of immediate, positive feedback when they follow instructions correctly right from the git-go.

I try to arrange this with the use of reactive targets at short ranges and lots of praise and encouragement when they make a hit. Long term philosophical nuances aside, there's a good deal to be said in favor of instant gratification in this context, IMO.

Once they've made the mental decision that they really do want to learn how to "do that better", paper targets and longer ranges can be introduced to develop and refine technique.

Try to keep the progression of challenge levels incremental and attainable until they've developed enough self confidence to believe that they can overcome any momentary frustration and succeed if they'll just listen to instruction and try a bit harder.

I've used the little Ruger Bearcat when a child's progress in the basic rules and techniques and their expressed interest indicate that it's time.

My only gripe is that Ruger has never seen fit to make adjustable sights at least an option in the line. The tiny revolver is capable of fine accuracy and it'd be a whole lot easier for novices to access that successfully if an easy way to regulate POA and POI with various loads was there. Nothing seems to discourage a kid's interest in acquiring a new skill set like "failure".

IMO, the best and most enjoyable thing that we can do to help assure that shooting stays a part of the American culture is to work to pass our enthusiasm along to the next generation. Kudos to the OP for his contribution.
 
I vote no on the Cricket. She'll outgrow it almost immediately. A 10/22 would be about perfect and she'll grow into it.

There's an instructor at one of the ranges I go to whose 9 year old daughter had a Smith and Wesson 22A and a Red Dot scope who i'd put up against anyone shooting a rifle or pistol at the same range. Of the bench, one hole groups until she got bored.
 
My grand daughter is 16 months so it will be a while before
she gets the S&W Model 60 3" bBL. 357 Mag. - I limit it to
.38 Spcl. +P. It has the Adjustable rear sight. I am going
to shop for an older no lock 63 - stainless steel
or a Model 34 carbon steel either comes in .22 LR as a
starter handgun with approx. the same weight/handling. So,
she'll have a pair passed on to her.

Now, 2 days ago, I have my first grand son - he'll get my
.45s a S&W 625 with a 617 10 shot cyl. in .22 lr as his pair.

Randall
 
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