Here are the five that I know of,,,
I thought I would attempt to compile a list of what's on the market today,,,
I'm only including rifles that are available new from the manufacturer.
Crickett - My First Rifle:
Manufactured by
Keystone Arms,,,
They don't get any more basic than this little rifle,,,
Manually cocking single-shot bolt action made from Alloy Nickel Plated Steel.
The peep sight is a bit crude but works just fine,,,
$115.00 from
budsgunshop.
Chipmunk:
Manufactured by
Keystone Arms,,,
Virtually the same gun as the Crickett,,,
A few of the models give you different sight options,,,
And the stock options are either laminated wood or real wood.
Savage Rascal:
Very similar to the Crickett but with much better peep sights and the Savage Acu Trigger,,,
Unlike the Crickett or Chipmunk, this rifle does not need to be manually cocked.
$152.00 from
budsgunshop.
Mossberg 801 Half Pint:
This rifle is somewhat similar to the Rascal in that it isn't a manual cock action either,,,
It differs from the first three in that it comes with a "single-shot magazine plug",,,
It will accept the 10-shot magazines made for the full size 802 Plinkster.
$184.00 at
budsgunshop.
Henry Mini-Bolt Youth:
Manually cocking single-shot bolt action with a manual safety switch,,,
Stainless steel with Williams Fire Sights.
$239.00 at
Cabela's (out of stock at buds).
I own a Crickett and have found it to be a good rifle,,,
It is plenty accurate enough for any new shooter.
I've never seen a Chipmunk in person.
I've fired the Rascal a few shots,,,
It's fit and finish is better than the Crickett.
The rear peep sight is much easier to adjust,,,
And that Acu-Trigger is very nice indeed.
I fired the Mossberg one time at the range,,,
It was comparable in fit and finish to the Savage,,,
I really liked the wood stock and the more standard sight style.
I am definitely a fan of the Henry Mini-Bolt,,,
I actually prefer the manual cocking bolt style,,,
And those Williams Fire Sights are a big plus for me.
My friend bought one for his 8 year old daughter,,,
She's becoming a very decent shot with it,,,
She likes it a lot more than my Crickett.
Bottom line is that all of these rifles will work well,,,
Any of the five will get a young shooter started just fine.
I hope this helps,,,
Aarond
.