Handgun for boy to start with

Another vote for the Ruger Bearcat, this would be great for a kid. I had a Single Six Convertible that I traded for a S&W M36 so eventually I'll have to pick up a .22 revolver for my boys to learn on too. I think the Single Six might be just a bit to large for a kid but I guess it depends on the kid.

Stu
 
The progression I used for my grandson was

1. .22 Ruger Single Six

2. .22 Colt Diamondback

3. Ruger 22/45 Auto

4. Ruger .357 Blackhawk (.38s before .357s)

5. S&W Model 586

I made sure he started out on 6" dia. targets before going to the 2" dia. and 1" dia. And used those Birckwood-Casey "Shoot-N-See targets for better visibility of his shots.

I started him on paper targets, as "near misses" with cans, popsicle sticks, etc. get to be too much fun.

Bob Wright
 
Thanks

Folks!

It's been a while for me and I really enjoy being back here. Thank you so much for your time and thought. Great suggestions, good advice. Good to know, you are out there.

Have a good evening,
PB
 
I agree with the guys with 22 single action revolvers. My youngest two are starting out with a Heritage Arms, but a Ruger Bearcat would probably fit their hands a little better.

They shot 22 semi autos as well. And occasionally, my youngest (9) will shoot my Star 380- the one that looks like a little 1911 without a grip safety. Fits his hands pretty well, not a whole lot of recoil, and a short single action trigger pull.
 
Ruger...Bearcat, single six, single ten....my first was a ruger single six with 22lr and 22mag cylinders....i still have it.
 
A friend offered an interesting rifle: He won a Marlin 882L in .22 Mag in an IPSC competiton. The rifle hasn't fired 20 shots yet and looks like this one:

H0067-L41529610.jpg


not really a handgun, but anyway great to start with, isn't it?
 
Question was about a handgun.
Safest option would be a single action revolver, best choice for reliability, longevity, and quality would be Ruger Single Six.
For older kids, with some experience in handling handguns, a Ruger MKII or MK III woud be a good choice. For my two sons, the Ruger Single Six was the choice.
 
Of course it depends on teaching style. But I have to say my brothers SR22 would be a great beginning gun. As other have said the bear cat is a great choice also. The reason I say the SR22 is that it is small enough for small shooters, but with the back straps it can grow. Load one round in the mag for training but that will all be up to the training style. One they are grown and punching holes in 10 rings its still a fun plinker.
 
As Para Bellum has said. Cant go wrong with a bolt rifle also. I know this is a hand gun section but hope we can branch out. My xt-22 might be large for a youth but is only 190 Dollars and I am sure you can find an old marlin youth model.
 
I'm with the "get him a revolver" set,,,

I'm with the "get him a revolver" set,,,
But not necessarily a single-action cowboy gun.

If I had a kid to get started,,,
I would be looking for a used S&W J-Frame,,,
A 4" Model 34, 3.5" Model 43, or a 4" Model 63 would be perfect.

If your child takes to shooting,,,
It will be money well spent on an heirloom quality handgun.

If your child doesn't take to the shooting sports,,,
You have another fine .22 firearm for yourself,,,
Or you can easily re-sell it for what you paid.

It's a gun they would never outgrow,,,
Because you can easily find larger grips for them,,,
And if they are maintained properly they will last for a lifetime.

My best friend passed away last year at the age of 54,,,
I inherited the nickel Model 34 she has had since her 11th or 12th birthday.

LittleSister-lr.jpg


We spent a lot of time at the range and I saw how much she shot that gun,,,
It has countless thousands of rounds through it and is still tight,,,
That gun was a very sound investment for her father.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Aarond

.
 
Well, you're in a handgun forum, but I'd comment that any 9 year old should be taught the fundamentals of safety, sight picture and alignment, and trigger control with a more forgiving platform, ie. a rifle. Good habits there are more or less transferable to the short gun, and successfully hitting targets will give steady feedback.

A handgun is more of an experienced shooter's choice. Watch any range firing line, and note the number of shooters who wave that muzzle around effectively covering half the shooting line. A rifle is a far better choice, and easier for the coach to correct safety issues before they get out of hand.

Get him or her a Daisy air rifle, practice the fundamentals, instill the instinct for safety, then move on to a .22 rifle...the handgun transition will be a lot easier.

Best regards, Rod
 
starter guns for kids

Henry makes a slick locking lever action rifle in a youth size. This is a made-in-USA company with great service. I think the gun is about $500 however.
 
.22 revolver. My first handgun was an early '60s Ruger Single Six with the extra .22 Mag. cylinder. Cheap to practice with the .22, maybe more challenging and rewarding with the .22 Mag. That's my 2¢ worth.
 
bamaboy

Bamaboy started with a Ruger Bearcat at a very close range and a very large target, but only after he was pretty well schooled in safety, sights and trigger with a .22 rifle and iron sights from a bench. I'd guess a Single Six would be just as good or a Smith DA in .22 (kit gun). Seems like we shot the pistols from bench and bags as well in the initial stages.

We moved pretty quickly to a Ruger MkII std auto, but the pistol coming from on target to a low ready to reduce his rate of fire and emphasize the importance of a single accurate shot.

Darn kid whips me regularly now in IDPA.
 
Really can't go wrong with a .22 rifle, but a .22 pistols a good bet too. I second the heritage rough rider. Not too costly if the youngster decides shooting isn't their thing, and a fun little gun.
 
You might want to consider a Thompson Center Contender/Encore, chambered in .22rf to start with. A single-shot is a little more "forgiving" in terms of safe gun-handling and the .22 rimfire cartridge is cheap to shoot (though it used to be a lot cheaper :(). As he gets older, there is a host of different cartridge choices he can "graduate" to and there are many different options available if he wants to personalize the gun, and, of course, the TC is the perfect handgun platform for installing a scope.
One drawback of the TC for a smaller person is its relatively large size.
 
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Thank you so far. Tomorrow we take the Marlin 822L (.22 WMR Rifle) to the range and try it out.

Please leave this thread here. Maybe the answer to this specific handgun question is a small caliber rifle like a .22lr or .22WMR.

Have a good one,
PB
 
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