Much as I like older stuff (go figger!) I’d recommend going with something currently in production so magazines and other accessories aren’t a challenge. In addition, while I know they grow fast, a full-sized rifle is a bit of a handful for someone small in stature and might cause some unnecessary issues. I can still picture my son at 13 with a 9 1/2 pound M70 slung over his shoulder trying to unlimber it to shoot a deer. He got it done, but Dad had some anxious moments while he got lined up.
