Gun recommendations

[beron]

I am thinking of getting my son he is 11 yrs old a .22 lr pistol this Christmas.
He shoots my Ruger MKIII BBL pretty well but its a little heavy for him, so what would be a good choice of .22 to get. I am leaning in the semi auto range. Thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[satori59]

I think the best firearm for a child of that age is a .22 rifle. Good way to learn gun safety, true marksmanship, and responsibility. Just my opinion, not trying to upset anyone.

[SIXTO]

I'd get him his own Ruger 22/45, the add a Tactical Solutions upper. This will keep it light and easy for him to shoot. Or I'd just get him a set of "perfect pushups" and the gun wont be so heavy anymore.

[tacman605]

Walther P22.

[gpsxplr]

+1 on the Ruger 22/45 light and fun to shoot, love mine.

[jwhite75]

I liek the idea of a Ruger with Tac Sol Upper but I alos like the Browning Buckmarks a lot. The P22s and Sig Mosquitos are good options, but not sure about weight on the Sig.

[gasmitty]

I am thinking of getting my son he is 11 yrs old a .22 lr pistol this Christmas.
He shoots my Ruger MKIII BBL pretty well but its a little heavy for him, so what would be a good choice of .22 to get. I am leaning in the semi auto range. Thanks

If your lean to the autoloader isn't too pronounced, let me suggest a .22 revolver. First, with a wheelgun your lad won't learn "spray and pray" and shoot just to smell the gunsmoke or hear the empties tinkling on the floor. Slowing it down is really, really good for teaching gun handling and marksmanship (not to mention easier on the budget, even if you're shooting .22s).

Next - if you select a double-action revolver, the DA trigger pull is a huge discipline builder... even with dry-fire. Balance a penny on the barrel (if it has a rib) throughout the DA trigger stroke while keeping the sights aligned on the target... can't really get much out of that exercise with an autoloader.

Last - if you start him out with a SA revolver like a Single-Six, he will have to learn good muzzle and trigger discipline to de-cock and unload.

Candidate guns include the aforementioned Single Six for single action; for DA, Taurus still makes a nice 9-shot .22 but the last I looked, it only came with a snubby barrel. I'd recommend at least a four-inch tube for some decent sight radius. Tops in my book for .22 revolvers, though, are the S+W M63 (22/32 Kit Gun) which is a J-frame, great for small hands, or the M17 (K-22 Masterpiece) which is a K-frame, and these came with either the smallish Magna (service) grips, or the hand-filling Target grips. Even though its a K-frame, the gun isn't all that heavy and it balances well. With a modest amount of searching on line and in pawn shops, I both of these used and in excellent condition for reasonable prices, in the $400 range. The guns will outlive me, and unlike the lesser guns, these will be heirlooms that your son will be proud to own and shoot for a lifetime.

[beron]

Thanks for the input so far. He already has a Rossi combo 22/20ga. and loves it (not the 20ga. thats a beast even for me) and I have a Ruger 10/22 also which will be his one day. Thanks for the revolver input I will take a look at that too now. Good idea on the perfect push ups also lol.

[oneshot]

[QUOTE=gasmitty;1791513]If your lean to the autoloader isn't too pronounced, let me suggest a .22 revolver. First, with a wheelgun your lad won't learn "spray and pray" and shoot just to smell the gunsmoke or hear the empties tinkling on the floor. Slowing it down is really, really good for teaching gun handling and marksmanship (not to mention easier on the budget, even if you're shooting .22s).

Next - if you select a double-action revolver, the DA trigger pull is a huge discipline builder... even with dry-fire. Balance a penny on the barrel (if it has a rib) throughout the DA trigger stroke while keeping the sights aligned on the target... can't really get much out of that exercise with an autoloader.

Last - if you start him out with a SA revolver like a Single-Six, he will have to learn good muzzle and trigger discipline to de-cock and unload.

Candidate guns include the aforementioned Single Six for single action;



Charter arms also has a DA?SA .22 , kind of like their off duty, or a S&W j frame type.
$329 by me a few months ago.

[SIGP250]

Walther P22, 4" Bbl.

[JohnLeVick]

I started all three of my kids out on a 4" Smith & Wesson Model 63, although my own first handgun was a Ruger Super Single Six. I've given a Model 63 to my daughter and son-in-law to use in starting their kids, and I've already worked with my older (6 year old) grandson with my old Model 63. He's picking it up quickly. Model 34s and 63s can still be had on the used market fairly reasonably. They are small and light enough for kids down to age 5-6 to handle, and are good for learning both SA and DA trigger control. I have two more 63s tucked back to give to my sons, to use in starting their kids, if they have any. Guess you might say I believe in Model 63s...

[Snowman23]

...Or I'd just get him a set of "perfect pushups" and the gun wont be so heavy anymore.

[alachner]

I highly recommend the Walther P22. The Walther P22 (.22LR caliber) is a very reliable and small sized weapon so it will fit your son's hands perfectly well, it is very lightweight (15.2 oz), it holds 10 rounds, it is very ergonomic and your son will learn with it the proper handling and safety techniques of a semi-automatic handgun. The Walther P22 is a smaller sized version of the Walther P99 which is James Bond's current carry handgun so your son will get a huge kick out of that. Also, the gun comes in several finishes: blued, military green, digital camo, nickel and brushed chrome.

I am getting one myself for low budget target practice and to teach my wife proper shooting and safe firearm handling techniques.

[Glocksin]

Hes already 11 years old.So buy him a Nitro Express .700.Better late then never...

[hayzor]

Just bought a Ruger Mark III (4” tapered barrel). Took it out last weekend where my 11 y.o. put a bunch of rounds thru it. He’s pretty small for his age and handled it quite well. He also shoots my XD9 pretty well.
I’ve liked the Ruger Marks for a long time now, after shooting a family members Mark I. Finally got 1. The kids and I will get a lot of use out of it.
I've got the Rossi 22/20ga for the kids as well. Especially for the 7 y.o. He has to take his time, load and aim each shot. He does well with it.

Something to be said for the revolver, but I went w/ the Semi auto. I do have to keep a good eye on them when shooting. After going shooting w/ the kids this weekend, we heard on the news that a 8 y.o. shot her 4 y.o. sister in the head while the family was out shooting. The father was "watching" over them. Very Sad.
No shortcuts for safety.
I