Right now my girls shoot rifles 22 & 243 with me. But I'm looking to start them shooting pistols. I have never owned a 22 pistol so I thought I'd try here to see what your guys suggestions would be for them. Not looking to break the bank and will be a while before I actually purchase. I just want to see what others use for their kids or suggestions of some experts out there. My girls are 6 and 10 so still on the small size.

Thanks in advance.

Ruger Bearcat would probably be a perfect fit for their small hands if you want a revolver. Get the new version with adjustable sights if you buy one.

my daughter likes a buckmark.

It's the fiber optic sights, I suspect.

You know, bright pastel colors or whatever....

Ruger MKII or MKIII, or BuckMark. My daughter claimed my MKII with a bull barrel as hers.

ruger sr 22 is a nice auto that fits small hands. mine isn't real accurate.
Mark 2 or 3 and 22.45 will be more accurate.
bearcat with adjustable sights may be better. one deliberate shot at a time.

avoid Taurus 94. the quality was lacking and very heavy trigger.

My son is 9 and shoots a Ruger 22/45 Lite in 4H with no problems...

My daughter started with a S&W 622. Light weight and accurate in her hands.

A S&W Kit gun with 4" bbl. is about ideal for small hands, yet very accurate with an excellent trigger.

You just can't give a kid a cheap gun with sorry trigger and hope they'll become good marksmen.

With pistols it's all about the trigger.

DF

6" K-frame.




Travis

Good gun.

Just don't give it to a kid wearing those big magnum type grips.

They're sorta big for small hands.

DF

Magnas.



Travis

Perfect ^^^^

Worked out well for all three of my kids.

One more benefit in todays world. They will not fly through 10 rounds like they would shooting an auto. Every shot counts. Teach them to aim small.

Yep.

DF

Smith & Wesson Model 63 is about as good as it gets today . I started my pistol shooting with the Savage Model 101 Single Shot 22 pistol. Great
pistol for a young beginner.

My first handgun at age 10 was a Ruger Bearcat.

Have a shop keeper model new and LOVE it!

'Nother good one would be a Ruger SR22. My little girl shot mine, then bought one of her own!

Virgil B.

I saw a Browning 1911-22 with pink grips the other day. If I had a daughter, I'd have bought it.

I like the simplicity of revolvers for kids.

revolvers are nice but question was for pistols I belive

In cowboy action lingo, they're all "pistols". Seems autoloaders postdated revolvers, thus pistol is the term for all handguns for CAS shooters, suspended in a time warp...

DF

I would strongly agree with those suggesting a revolver of some kind, either single or double action. Different kids have different levels of maturity and attention spans but a handgun that automatically readies itself for the next shot, touched off by a light pull on the trigger, might be a bit too advanced for a 6 year old, even under close supervision. You know your kids better than anyone else here so you’d have to be the judge of that. But the idea of learning to fire one deliberate shot can never be instilled too deeply at any age.

Plus you will want to keep the weight down as much as possible. Experience teaching grown women to shoot handguns showed me they don’t like heavy guns – Smith K and J frames were what the grownups liked to shoot so a child’s smaller hands and even lesser strength should be considered. The S&W kit gun is a good choice but pricey these days. The Bearcat with adjustable sights is another great choice and sized right for small hands, blued ones are running from about $450 up on gunbroker.

I'm guessing at those ages the girls haven't become handgun snobs yet (but who knows? ) so a decent used H&R or a Taurus might be a good choice to keep prices down.

Don't much take to kids and handguns, but if one goes the revolver route make sure no appendages are any further forward than the trigger guard regardless of caliber or cartridge.

I love my SW 617 and the suggestions of other SW revolvers, but the OP said not wanting to break the bank.

That kind of rules out SW's.

I think I am correct on this. According to the ATF pistols and revolvers are a different classification. But in the real world-- who gives a rats a$$.

My sons & nieces have shot the heck out of my Ruger Single Six Convertible (.22 LR). I thought it might be a bit on the heavy side but none of them seem to mind. I did the "redneck trigger job" on it and it still functions perfectly. I also have a Ruger SR22 and like humdinger says, it's a nice size for small hands, and reasonably priced.

Yeah, pistols can be really dangerous due to their short size and mobility.

That's why you gotta be real careful mixing kids and pistols. I stay very close behind so they can't sweep the area, do something unsafe.

DO NOT stand back and let them shoot a pistol. You gotta be right there, very close, constantly teaching safety and gun hnadling protocol.

With the right situation and the right kid, it can be a good and productive thing.

DF

ATF hasn't gotten much right in their history...

DF

^^^THIS absolutely, but I would substitute the word "kids" with "novices" (of any age.) Taught some girlfriends to shoot back in the day. You have to vigilant with handguns and novices!

Yep.

Kids, novices, beginners...

They're all potentially very dangerous if not closely monitored and the situation taken very seriously.

DF

That's for damn sure!

Thanks everyone for the responses. A lot of great information from some very knowledgeable sources. Safety is of course my first priority. My girls mean more to me than anything else in the world. This is more about the opportunity to spend time with them as they grow up doing something we all can enjoy and hopefully they can learn a few valueable lessons along the way, like how to protect themselves. So thank you for all your suggestions. I've got a lot to think about and plenty of time to do more research before I make that purchase. Thanks Again!

if you go revolver... how about a new ruger sp101. Please tell us what get.

I had an early SP101, .22LR.

Solid, well made gun. The trigger wasn't as good as my vintage S&W Kit Gun. And, for a pistol, a good trigger is critical for good groups.

Ruger's LCR series has a great DA trigger, maybe some of that technology rubbed off on the new 101. Not sure about that.

DF

Ruger SR22 is what you want for kids.

I'll throw in another vote for the 22/45 Lite. I really like mine. The SR 22 would work well too if you're going semiauto, and a Buckmark would work too. I'd prefer a decent revolver for a beginner due to their simplicity, but they're usually a little more pricey.

Don't forget the Walther P22.

DF

Bobcat may be sorta small, but is accurate. The other two are ideal for this application.

DF

I think right now I'm leaning toward the Ruger sr22 or the Walther p22. But will have to see what is available when I have the funds and will have to see how they fit in the girls hands.

I have two girls so I may just have to get a second 22 pistol and make that one a "revolver".

Naught a ruger bearcat for my kids to shoot years ago when they were little. Just the right size..

I have a Ruger SR22. It was a little picky about ammo when new. It is better now. Still a little picky, though. I've read that they will eat anything after they get 1000 rounds or so put down the pipe.

I would do a little research over on Rimfire Central about the Walther. I think they are more ammo sensitive. Just do a little research first.

Good Luck!!

kevlars

I have an older P22 and it was very sensitive about ammo at first. The owner's manual recommends CCI Mini-Mags only. When new it choked on Federal bulk ammo. I have had great success shooting Federal Automatch through it. As it has slicked up, it started digesting ammo that used to stove pipe in it.

Just spent the weekend with my seven year old Grandson at turkey camp.

Using my S&W 317 and Aguila Super Colibri ammo, he got very proficient with that gun by the end of weekend. The lightweight, 12 oz gun is so easy for a youngster to handle, but with the three in barrel, he was able to dial it in after about a dozen loadings. When we ran out of the Colibri ammo, he moved to standard .22 and did well with that too.

can't go wrong with a single six

I started the older two daughters out with a bull barrel Ruger Mk I. They sat at a bench and I was right behind with arms around them for safety. When they became proficient, I backed off a little, but not much. It was the only .22 that I had.

Along the way, I acquired one of the before mentioned Savage single shots. Started daughter three with that. Then moved to the Ruger. The Savage is a great starter. The oldest granddaughter is ready to start there.

If you need to go purchase new, look at the S & W 4" kit gun, the Bearcat, or a Ruger SP101 4". The second two are more friendly to wallets. The first is the Caddy and can be tuned into a Rolls. Know what? My Bearcat became really sweet with a trigger job.

Jack

Well finally have an update. Was in Cabelas today and bought a Heritage Rough Rider. Came with 22lr and 22 mag cylinders, with a 4 3/4 in barrel. Was not going to be my original purchase. But after much thought I like the idea of my girls having to take time between each shot. Gun has A good feel to it, fits well in your hand, and my daughter said "We got a cowboy gun!"

So hopefully in the next couple weeks we can make it to the range and put some rounds down range.

I've found life is a lot more fun when you walk around packing 9 1/2"s.

That's your shoe size, right?

It's the length of my barrel.

Hint.




Travis

Those are centimeters on the side of the ruler you're using.

By the way, wash that ruler before you put it back in the drawer.

The only real drawback is it constantly banging against the side of my leg when I'm hunting.




Travis

As others have stated, I started my kids out YOUNG. 4 years old with a Beretta Model 21a. Back in the day, it was just called a Model 21a. I think that they call it a Bobcat now.

As they got older, they moved up the ladder to a High Standard Supermatic Citation .22, Then to a .32 auto, then to the 6" stainless Colt .357 magnum.

Most folks control that issue by wearing pants. I suppose that's optional way out West.

In general, I'm in favor of revolvers for training new shooters, but using them introduces the potential for whoopsies while lowering the hammer. A semi-auto, single loaded to start, might be the safest option for real novices.

Like somebody said, keeping a sharp eye on the shooter at all times is crucial until muzzle awareness becomes ingrained in their brain. For some folks, apparently, that never happens. A good portion of the bozos that have violated my personal safety zone with their weaponry have been older know-it-alls.

I'm first starting the Grandkids with my Model 34 (4")

My BearCat (after modification) shoots to POA but the sights are tiny. VERY hard to hit small targets.

I have a Beretta Cheetah that's also about their size.

I have a Ruger Standard (semi-auto) with a Red Dot that I'm going to let them shoot.

I have a Model 18 (4") that the older one can handle.

If I was buying a new one I'd check out the Ruger SR-22. It's an inexpensive, small framed semi-auto.

Be Safe!!

I also have a Ruger SR 22. Excellent pistol!! After a few hundred rounds it broke in very nicely, and shoots most any ammo reliably!!

Kevlars