Small and Cheap Revolver

[utimmer43]

I am trying to find a revolver to get my daughter started. Looking for something in .22lr that is small enough to fit the hands of a 6 year old. Also, I am looking for cheap. Sure there are loads of .22 revolvers out there by the big names, but I seriously don't need to be spending $400+ for something that doesn't need to be very accurate, and won't get very much use in it's lifetime. I'm thinking $200 tops.

So, any suggestions for what brand/ model I should be looking for? So far the cheapest and smallest looking (in the picture anyway) that I have found is a Comanche.

 

[theicemanmpls]

I am trying to find a revolver to get my daughter started. Looking for something in .22lr that is small enough to fit the hands of a 6 year old. Also, I am looking for cheap. Sure there are loads of .22 revolvers out there by the big names, but I seriously don't need to be spending $400+ for something that doesn't need to be very accurate, and won't get very much use in it's lifetime. I'm thinking $200 tops.

So, any suggestions for what brand/ model I should be looking for? So far the cheapest and smallest looking (in the picture anyway) that I have found is a Comanche.

S&W 63, or S&W 317. Neither are cheap. 22's pistols are great for practice. Save $. Especially for youngsters. Great for adults to. You will get your money's worth, and trade in value to.
Age 6, on a pistol? Pistol's are harder to learn if you have limited rifle experience. IMO, start with a 22 rife to learn basics, safety, and sighting.
If you have your heart set on a pistol for your young child, get one with a longer barrel. Easy to sight, and more rewarding. Short barrels are not much for target practice.

 

[NMHunter]

I am trying to find a revolver to get my daughter started. Looking for something in .22lr that is small enough to fit the hands of a 6 year old. Also, I am looking for cheap. Sure there are loads of .22 revolvers out there by the big names, but I seriously don't need to be spending $400+ for something that doesn't need to be very accurate, and won't get very much use in it's lifetime. I'm thinking $200 tops.

So, any suggestions for what brand/ model I should be looking for? So far the cheapest and smallest looking (in the picture anyway) that I have found is a Comanche.

The Heritage line is in your price range and good value. The concept of deliberately introducing a youngster to shooting with an inaccurate gun just makes me shiver. If you want her interested for the rest of your life make darn sure she has some chance of hitting where she's aiming! They even have a birds-head that may be small enough for her hands and should fit you, too. I find them comfortable and have ham-hands-and-bologna-fingers.

I started my daughters a little earlier than you're starting but it is still a good age. Make sure she has eyes and ears her size! I found some silicone ear plugs, they are warmed in your hand and pushed in the ear canal for a form fit each time. Start at short range so she can hit.

Good luck. I just got some empty 9mm back from the elder daughter to refill. I picked them up when visiting the new granddaughter, 13 months. The new granddaughter will be getting her Mom's 22 rifle that I shortened for her when she was 7.:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[ecocks]

Hmmm, I started my children at about that age but it was with SA's mostly. I do have a .32 revolver (H&R) that they learned the wheel gun basics on a bit later.

The SA I started with was the Browning Buckmark. The cost may not be attractive but the longer, heavier barrel gave them a better sense of accomplishment and more consistent hits. The Browning is still in the collection and still gets used regularly on range trips and is packed for camping.

 

[utimmer43]

S&W 63, or S&W 317. Neither are cheap. 22's pistols are great for practice. Save $. Especially for youngsters. Great for adults to. You will get your money's worth, and trade in value to.
Age 6, on a pistol? Pistol's are harder to learn if you have limited rifle experience. IMO, start with a 22 rife to learn basics, safety, and sighting.
If you have your heart set on a pistol for your young child, get one with a longer barrel. Easy to sight, and more rewarding. Short barrels are not much for target practice.

Yeah, I have the rifle already (the "cute" little pink single shot in my albums.) And I should clarify that indeed she will be introduced to shooting with the rifle. I just need to start doing my homework on a revolver now, or else the time will come and I still won't know which one I want to buy.

The S&Ws are nice, but they still seem too large for kid hands. Maybe I am not getting a really good sense of it's size based on pictures. When I say "small", I am talking about the grip. A long barrel is fine, but if she cannot get a firm grip or reach the trigger, that won't work. And as for the expense, my biggest hang-up is if I am going to save up enough to drop 6 or 8 hundred on a gun, it's going to be something with a 26" barrel chambered in .308. The point of it being cheap is so that I can buy it fairly soon, and use it just to start teaching the mechanics of shooting a revolver. The paper won't be but a couple yards downrange at first. Once she has sufficiently learned the basics and is ready to be more competitive, (and once I have my .308:biggrin then I will be ready to consider the better makes.

 

[utimmer43]

NMH and ecocks, thanks for the advice. I'll have to look into that Heritage line. Funny, I actually just saw a used H&R chambered in 32 S&W at Cabelas for $175. Then I tried to find some ammo to go with it. The H&R stayed under the glass.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Small handgun

Please...pardon my sarcasm, insensitivity, etc...ok?

As such,

Me thinks putting a gun in the hand of a 6 yo child (regardless of level of maturity) is not a good thing. Why not wait until the child is 12? In meantime, do a lot of "educating" etc., about guns.

If you want to teach shooting, why not get the child a BB Pistol or a Daisy Red Rider rifle? That's what I had when I was a youngster. I turned out ok...and am still alive...lol.

JMO

 

[wolfhunter]

A .22LR in the hands of a SUPERVISED 6 year old is no more likely to be harmful than a BB gun in her supervised hands, so why not start with the 22?

 

[utimmer43]

Please...pardon my sarcasm, insensitivity, etc...ok?

As such,

Me thinks putting a gun in the hand of a 6 yo child (regardless of level of maturity) is not a good thing. Why not wait until the child is 12? In meantime, do a lot of "educating" etc., about guns.

If you want to teach shooting, why not get the child a BB Pistol or a Daisy Red Rider rifle? That's what I had when I was a youngster. I turned out ok...and am still alive...lol.

JMO

Pardon my terse reply to your advice. I'm not looking for parenting tips, nor do I intend to send her out back with a gun and a brick of 22s and tell her to go to town. I'll worry about education and deciding when the time is right for her to pick up the gun. And who knows? Maybe that will end up being age 12.

I'm really just looking for suggestions addressing the question I actually did ask.

 

[kn1080]

Hey Tim. My 9 and 7 year olds handle the Smith and wesson model 22 a-1 perfectly fine. Mackenzie, my 7 year old has a hand just big enough for it, it cost me about $230 and its accurate as you could ever believe. I think I hit a home run with that one personally. Great gun, great price. My kids also have their Henry mini-bolt 22s which, if I recall correctly, is what your kids have.

only thing about the model 22 a-1... its a semi-auto.

 

[MNBlackjack]

North American Arms makes some small, cheap 22 pistols in a small package. My wife has the little fold up model.

Link Removed

 

[utimmer43]

Hey Tim. My 9 and 7 year olds handle the Smith and wesson model 22 a-1 perfectly fine. Mackenzie, my 7 year old has a hand just big enough for it, it cost me about $230 and its accurate as you could ever believe. I think I hit a home run with that one personally. Great gun, great price. My kids also have their Henry mini-bolt 22s which, if I recall correctly, is what your kids have.

only thing about the model 22 a-1... its a semi-auto.

Cool. My dad actually has something similar to that. I'm not sure what brand it is, but I know it isn't a S&W. I do know it was dead-on accurate when I shot it last year. I'll have to look at it a little closer next time I visit him.

I had been thinking a SA revolver for the intro to handgun mostly for the single shot effect, but I suppose I could just start out by only loading one round into the magazine of the semi auto.

The rifle I have for her is a pink Davey Cricket single shot (pictured in my album). She was so excited when I opened the box to show her. My 3YO boy was too, but I think he'll be learning on the natural wood Mossberg instead. :sarcastic:

 

[JSDinTexas]

6 is a little young - I was 8 and came from a military family for my 1st 22 lr single shot

 

[njsportsman]

Well I have a Taurus model 617 which is a .357 and I love it. Taurus makes a solid gun and you can get a model 941 in .22 for under $350 new. A lot of people put these Taurus' down but, I love mine. It may not be as pretty as a S&W or Ruger but, a well made gun for the price. Taurus makes a bunch of models in .22 look around on there site. Good luck and be safe.

 

[LGH]

I like the Taurus 941 in 22 mag. It is a good gun and with its 4 inch barrel is very accurate. I think I got it for about $300 to $350 for it. It is a little big for my 6 year old but my 11 year old claims it for her's. Let us know what you settle on always looking for reports on 22's that are used for training.