What to get my 9 year old daughter?

[SJ1]

I also think a CO2 pellet rifle is a good idea. Or a very lightweight, single shot, bolt action .22. She would outgrow the cricket very fast.

If she's strong, what about a CZ Scout?

I think the photos the pps posted are super. What a great way to start?

 

[Zip7]

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

PPS - isn't that a Winchester Model 67? I have one of those, and it's hard to find a more perfect gun to start kids out on. I started out on mine, and my kids started out on the same one.

 

[hatchetbearer]

"Go big or go home" Get a 460 XVR, "I swear honey, its for our daughter" but in all seriousness, the first gun I ever shot was my uncles tube fed marlin .22, Model 60 if I believe, used to make poor man's swinging targets out of pop cans hanging by a string. After that it was Mini-14's, 6.5 Carcano, and a 45-70govt revolver.

I know a guy who's 12 year old son used to shoot a boye's (sp?) rifle until he got a 20mm Lathi for his 14th. has a home movie of him carrying it in a little red wagon. and yes it did move him back about 6" each shot.

but seriously, wait a while on handguns and start with a .22, or maybe a Nagant, at least then if she dosent like it you arent out much.

 

[461]

My daughters first gun at the age of 9 (16 now) was a Ruger Bearcat and I'll be teaching her kids with the very same one. She's welcome to it once she's an adult if she still wants to shoot, if not, I'll be happy to hang on to it and shoot the heck out of it.

 

[full metal]

9 Year old daughter's first gun

Yeah!, I kinda knew a 22 was the best way to go but, I guess I wanted something she could still use when she was older. Well I guess tomorrow I will take her to the gun store and look at that Henry single shot 22's. You guys made a lot of sense, I'll have her try that Ruger Bearcat, that will probably be her second gun. Hey GrandmasterB wear did you get those nice grips from they look real nice. Well thanks guys, again, any more tips welcomed, I will continue to check this page for any more advice.

 

[EMC45]

I agree to start a child with a 22 rifle. I started my daughter on one and then bought her one. I myself started on a Ruger Single Six. At 6 years old.

 

[pps]

Quote:
My girls love to go to the range and I still have them shooting 22lr.
PPS - isn't that a Winchester Model 67? I have one of those, and it's hard to find a more perfect gun to start kids out on. I started out on mine, and my kids started out on the same one.

Zip7 Yes it is a model 67. It was my great grandfathers, which has been passed down. It's in rough shape (truck gun out on the farm) but functions flawlessly and is accurate for old iron sights.

 

[xkalifornian]

When my girls were this age I bought a Henry .22 lever rifle. We still go out with it and have a great time.
Regards, Mark

 

[RangerM9]

i'd say go with a bolt action 22. Marlin makes some great ones. i would personally not give a young child a pistol. Let them shoot one of yours under tight supervision, and learn gun safety with a rifle. (now, you could buy the pistol now while they are not so high priceds as they will be in 10 years, but 9 is too young to own a pistol

 

[TrueBlueSam]

I still shoot the Ithaca 49 my dad bought for me 45 years ago. I just recently looked at a Savage Model 30G Stevens "Favorite". It gave me severe gun itch. It's a gun a kid will keep for a lifetime.

If you get her a Ruger Single Six, put a spring kit in it and she will shoot it well from the beginning.

Your choice in guns doesn't matter as much as just giving her the time to take her shooting.

 

[Ifishsum]

I also strongly agree that a rifle is a better choice to teach the basics of shooting and safety, and it's easier to shoot accurately as well. If it must be a handgun, a Bearcat, Single Six, Heritage Rough Rider or other .22LR revolver would be a good starter, I think the single action revolver design is safer than an autopistol given the typical attention span for that age because it requires the deliberate step of cocking the hammer before it's ready to fire.

My 10YO daughter really enjoyed learning to shoot. Last trip we took to the range she wanted to shoot something bigger, so I let her run a couple of cylinders through the Gaucho .45 Colt - she was quite impressed with that. Shot it pretty well, too! And she spotted the pink Cricket at the gun store, so we looked at it but she's a lefty, and it would also be too small for her within a year. I'll probably get her a Savage MKII lefty pretty soon, I bought one for her older brother a couple of years ago and she's good with it. Feels much better made than the cricket, too.

 

[JB Books]

I got my first rifle at 8. I got my first handgun (a S&W Model 18 22 LR) at 12.

I asked my grampa if I could keep it loaded. He replied, "Well son, it doesn't make a very good club. Just keep it somewhere where your friends won't find it."

It may help the story to tell you all he looked just like James Arness from Gunsmoke.

He passed away at 88 earlier this year.

Get her a rifle and then start her with a pistol when she gets older.

 

[Frizzman]

I bought a .22 Chipmunk when my daughter was around 6. She shot it for about 3 years and then she got an H&R 20 ga. single shot. The last gun I gave her was a blued Colt Government Model. She is 16 now and the .45 is her favorite and she handles it well. She is 16 now. At 9 , I agree that the Chipmunk or Cricket will soon be too small. A decent .22, maybe a bolt rifle, is a good first gun and good for learning safety and marksmanship. Good luck!

 

[T-Ray]

I saw a pink 10/22 the other day at bass pro and little girls were going crazy over it. I wouldn't start her with a hangun, esp not .38spl at her age. Start her with somethin along the lines of a 10/22, or if she's not into pink (???) then you could look at rem. 597's.
#1 gun rule thrust upon me as a child: every gun is loaded, be EXTREMELY CAREFUL where it's pointed.
then you get to: carry w/ breech open...
If she must start with a firearm, go with a 22 of some sort. I'd get her a red rider to start off. My parents bought me a buck bb gun (step down from red rider) and my cousin had his other grandpa's pellet/bb gun and we shot up the soda cans every time we were at my grandparents. We got so consistent we could shoot one handed, right handed, wrong handed, etc... Then we got 22's...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There are a lot of great .22 rifles out there.

The Mossberg 801 Half Pint Plinkster single shot .22 wouldn't be a bad choice.

Here's another single shot .22, the Savage Model CUB which is a very nice rifle.

The Marlin Model 915Y is a top rate rifle too. I think I like this one best. They also have a Model 915YS which is the Stainless Steel version of the Model 915y.

There's also the CZ 452 Scout. That rifle is know for it's accuracy and is also a great choice IMO.

There are more out there too and most are good choices. I would suggest going to a well stocked gun store like Cabela's and look at them for yourself. If the gun isn't a gift which is a surprise bring your daughter along and let her pick the one she likes best.

Good luck finding something she likes and well done starting her out right when it comes to shooting.

 

[mainmech48]

In light of the concern expressed about her outgrowing one of the mini-sized bolt guns too quickly, another option occured to me. I think it's something worth looking into, as it offers some real advantages in several respects.

I started all of my nephews and nieces out with a Chipmunk ss BA when they were quite young. It worked beautifully and was one of the very few "kid-sized" .22's made back then.

When my youngest nephew was getting discouraged because his smaller stature made it extremely difficult for him to make the transition to full-sized repeaters with his older brother, I feared that he would lose the enthusiasm he'd always shown when a range foray was mentioned and drift out of the sport.

The LOP on all of my other rifles made taking a solid position, sighting and even some action manipulations too awkward for him to be able to stay "competitive" with his brother in his skills, and that became a real issue motivationally. Anyone who's ever had a sibling will understand.

Being stuck by default with the little ss and watching his brother demolish the majority of the cans and clay targets with a repeater made him feel like he was at such a disadvantage that he couldn't 'win' no matter how hard he tried. Not good.

I found out about Rossi/Taurus' optional 'Youth'-sized butt stock for the excellent little M-62 gallery pump. As I have two, and one of them was playing a prominent role in our little drama, I ordered one and installed it before their next visit.

With both of them identically equipped he was soon pushing his older sibling to match his scores, which turned out to be good for both of them.

I really think that the gallery-style pump action with an exposed hammer makes a truly great first rifle for kids.

It's easily single-loaded, offers positive visual verification of firing status, has a relatively simple manual of arms for both firing and administrative handling and is just as rugged and dependable now as they were when they were the mainstay at arcades and midways all over the country.

Even though the boys have many other options now when we go out to the range, some with scopes or Red Dots and more high-tech looks and features, the old Rossi pumps remain the most requested items to take along.

Heck, their old uncle hasn't even outgrown them yet and he shot his first one over 50 years ago.

 

[Wayne D]

Everybody says .22 and I agree. The last thing you want a to do is have her develop a flinch from shooting a loud handgun. I learned to shoot when people were too stupid to use hearing protection and I have been fighting a flinching problem my whole life.

 

[GunTech]

The S&W 'J' frame 22 are ideal for people with small hands. Look for a used 34 or 63.

 

[foghornl]

Ruger Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull/.45Colt....

Oh, you meant a handgun for your children...my bad

Ruger Bearcat or Single-Six if you are leaning toward a single-action revolver. If you can find one used, the SP-101 in .22LR is another dandy choice...Ruger no longer makes that one in .22LR.

I taught my kids with a Smith & Wesson "Kit Gun" DA .22LR revolver...oldest son now owns that one and has taught his 3 girls to shoot with it.

 

[farscott]

My daughter tried ALL of my .22 rifles, revolvers, and pistols before she got one of her own. That was a fair number as .22 is my first love in the shooting sports. Her training included three action types of rifles, SA and DA revolvers, and three semi-auto pistols. That way I knew to buy something she liked after she was familar with every action type and had lots of safety lessons and experience in safe shooting. Safety training was started on the rifle, then we moved to the revolver, and finally to the pistol. Took me several range trips over the course of months to get it all done. Very much worth the time.

Her favorite thing to shoot was a Ruger Mark II, and her second favorite was my 1948-vintage K-22 revolver. She liked the Mark II with the Tactical Solutions upper the best, so I got her a Mark II with a Tactical Solutions upper. Just like mine except her upper is PURPLE. She loves that pistol and is always asking for me to take her shooting. I am glad she found one she likes and that it was not my M41. Her mother took to my first M41, and it is now hers. So I had to get another M41 for myself. The price tag doubled on the second one compared to the first. My daughter later got a Marlin 39A as her first rifle and now is asking for a .22 AR.

Seriously let her shoot as many .22s as she can before you decide on what to buy.

 

[GrandmasterB]

Hey GrandmasterB wear did you get those nice grips from they look real nice.

Got 'em from Sid Ryan. www.sidryan.com You'll probably have to call him for details. They are just stag looking ivory polymer. (pretty and fairly inexpensive)

When I first took my daughter to the range to shoot the Bearcat, I loaded it with .22 Super Colibri rounds - no powder, just primer. VERY soft shooting and very quiet. This helped her get a feel for the gun before graduating to the .22 Long Rifle cartridge.