Gun / handgun / pistol / rifle / revolver ideas for children?

Since it's obvious you know what you're doing here, I'll get straight to the point.

Avoid the little Walther P22's. They're great at first, but after a few bulk packs of ammo they turn into malfunctioning machines of despair. You'd be much better served by a S&W 22A, I sold mine to my neighbor just for him to teach his 11 yr old daughter how to shoot a pistol. I have several 22 pistols anyhow, and the 22A was my least shot. Another good semi to look into would be either a Browning Buckmark, or a Ruger MK III, or a Ruger 22/45. For a revolver I'd like to see you start them with a Ruger single six. If you want to spend some money for a stellar shooter, look at the CZ Kadet. Talk about an easy transition from 22 to 9mm, the CZ Kadet is the exact same feel, weight and controls of the full size CZ 75B 9mm. Another option in the CZ would be to buy a CZ 75B 9mm and then buy a Kadet conversion for it. Start her out with the Kadet conversion on the 75B frame, all the feel, weight and controls would be exactly the same from one caliber to the next. Once you both feel comfortable with her handling and shooting the kadet, simply swap the slide and mag to the 75B and have a 9mm that fit, feels and weighs the same as the kadet did.

Midi, you absolutely rock. Thank you for being such a good parent, the world desperately needs more good parents like you.

You are probably correct with the Walther P22. It is a fantastic, accurate and reliable weapon. Do not listen to those who claim it isn't reliable. They're using the wrong ammo in theirs. Be aware that the P22 (like all Walthers) is ammo fussy and will have problems until you find one that works. After that, the P22 is as reliable as the sun rising. My girlfriends P22 happens to like Remington Thunderbolt shells, but you'll have to find out through trial & error which ammo your gun likes. As a rule, P22 needs high-velocity shells no lighter than 40 grains. These Walthers are extremely precision-built pieces of art and craftsmanship and must work as a system with their ammo.

An unexpected bonus to the "ammo fussy" nature of the P22 is the fact that until you do find a brand of bullet that works well, you and your daughters will experience some jams. This is good, believe it or not because this way, they'll learn how to clear them. This is very important. They should be taught how to clear jams, recycle their weapon, and field strip/reassemble their handgun with their eyes closed.

One of the main reasons I'm suggesting the P22 is the fact that it has an exposed hammer which is a prerequisite for any handgun I'll ever own. It gives you a lot more control over the actual status of your weapon, knowing it's ****** or not for sure. Also, there's a huge element of additional safety involved that spans far beyond the scope of this question, so I'll spare you! :-)

Another nice feature of the P22 is the accessory rail which allows for adding either laser sights or a light. Girls love accessories, after all and a nice Veridian green-dot laser sure would make a great stocking stuffer! Plus, the Veridian is just plain ridiculous. The spot is so bright it looks like someone welding when it's on the target & is intimidating as HELL in a self-defense scenario. The Veridian laser can actually save a life in preventing the need to potentially fire the weapon in self defense - if you've got that bright green spot on your chest you'll freeze up solid...

Interestingly, my girlfriends' P22 is pink carbon-look as well! It gets plenty of "Ohhh cool!" remarks at the range!

Fantastic work, Midi. You're a great parent.

If you think the girls are interested in semi-auto handguns, you should look at the SIG ARMS (Sig Sauer) lineup of pistols. There's the SIG Mosquito in 22LR, it has a very small frame and all the normal safety features of a full size centrefire SIG pistol. SIG also have regular size models in 22LR as well, that are designed to be relatively cheaply converted to centrefire simply by swapping the top end of the pistol with a conversion kit (called "calibre X-change" system, two step process, very easy). If you were to get a compact SIG P229 (very small grip), the girls would be able to start with 22LR and transition to 9mm or 40SW with ease down the road when they're ready.

If that doesn't float your boat, check out the Ruger Mk III. They're a cheap dedicated 22LR pistol that are probably perfect for starters (stripping it can be a PITA though). The grip on the Ruger Mk III is fairly small, but the pistol is a relatively heavy being all steel.

For rifles, I think your idea for a 22LR pump would be a wise start. Then again, you can't go wrong with a Ruger 10/22. But, if you want to go a little more hardcore, check out the AR15s with dedicated 22LR uppers. A 22LR AR15 basically kicks like a 400fps BB gun. It's less than nothing. Spike's Tactical, CMMG and Colt offer decent products. Many AR parts can be swapped out for pink coloured replacements.

As for hearing protection, get a set of electronic muffs that only cancel noises above 60dB. They make it easier for rookies to listen to what you're saying because they can still hear you loud and clear when the gun isn't firing. This is an important aspect for your girls. Protecting their hearing is important, and making sure they can quickly acknowledge your instructions is also crucial with very young shooters. Most companies offer ladies models that come in pink, or have replaceable shells in pink.

Also, if things just have to be pink, you may need to use paint. Check out Duracoat and Armacoat for finishing guns.

I think the younger girl needs an upgrade in her rifle, she is probably not ready for a handgun yet. my wife has a small revolver and because of the size it has more kick to it, the smaller the gun the more effect the bullet will have. Ruger makes a .22 in pink that says shoot like a girl is you can. it is pink/wood grain semi auto. very nicely made gun that any girl would love. for the older girl if you want to stay with a .22 sig makes a pink .22 but if you want o step up to a 380 beretta makes a nice gun that she could use for the rest of her life.(model 84/85) pink shooting gear along with these guns can be found at gander mountain or gandermountain.com

The Walther seems like a good way but Revolvers are a little better for the first time handgunner. Plus sometimes if not careful or get a little over confident you could limp wrist and get a stove pipe jam. If it were my daughters I would look for a nice Taurus or Rossi .22 revolver with a four or six inch barrel and get some pink grips. As you said before the Walther would be better to switch to 9x19 but she should get into a comfort zone before going to 9mm. I would wait almost a year before letting her shoot a 9x19 on a regular basis. The Revolver will work good for now.

As for the little on I would consider a Ruger 10/22. I'm pretty sure they have after market stock avlible for the 10/22. You could also look around for another youth gun. What I think might be nice is to take the Cricket to a gun smith and have him drill and tap it and put on a nice low power scope. Have him mount it a little high so she can still use the iron sights too.

First off, I commend you for starting your girls at a young age with not only shooting, but gun safety. I also commend you for telling those whinyass liberals off before they could get started.

Now to your question: I think that a revolver would be a better choice for a first time pistol. I have a Ruger Bearcat .22 that my step dad shot when he was a kid, and I have taught a couple of girlfriends to shoot with it. If your set on a semi, the Walther is a good one.

You might look at a Ruger 10/22 or Marlin Model 60 if your interested in a semi-auto rifle.

You can find some of what you're looking for at www.packinginpink.com. I'm not sure of sizing for children but they do have pink......obviously. My own daughter can't stand pink and when I found that site she just shook her head and said "Only you Mom". I state there is not reason not to incorporate your own style in whatever you do. Men like camp/green and wear it everywhere not just in the woods.

Also look at: girlsplaytoo.net

There are multiple places that you should be able to find what you are looking for.

As for anyone who criticizes------most likely you won't see these girls "accidentally" fire a weapon and hurt someone. When taught young, you are aware of when you can put your hands on a gun and how to do it safely. I've had all types of guns since age 2 and knew from day one I didn't touch any of them unless I was supervised. If I miss handled, even an unloaded gun it was dealt with immediately. (Even with toy guns, it was same rules) You always treated a gun as if it were loaded. Unless you've checked yourself you don't know. Even then rules still applied. There were many rules and it wasn't an option not to know them. I was taught. It's called hometraining. My girls are aware that unless my father, husband or myself are with them....they are not to mess with them. They have never breached that rule and after 15 years with the oldest and 8 years with the youngest.

Good luck.

I agree with the CZ 75 B with the optional Kadet barrel and slide. Once they have mastered the .22lr Kadet adjusting to the 9mm barrel and slide will be a piece of cake. The link below is for pink shooting accessories.

If a good .22 is not challenging enough, go with a decent .38 revolver. Mild loads to train with, and a lifetime carry piece, dependable in almost all circumstances. Economical, too.

Wish my parents started me out early.Anyways if you want a handgun for your 9 year old a .22 revolver with say a 4 inch barrel would be great.You can shoot Calibre (not sure how to spell that one) ammo and you don't even hear it.Has no recoil its simple just load n go.Only down side for it is it holds between 5-7 rounds but for plinking who cares.Check out ableammo.com i wouldn't buy from them but that's where i find my price range/models.Have fun hope you find what your looking for.

Also let them shoot handguns first because i personally don't like handguns other then for protection or shooting maybe 100 rounds through a year.My .38 i have had for 7 months i have shot 12 rounds through it.Most people like shooting shotguns and rifles more,you could also try a singleshot 410.