Preservation of the Second Amendment preservation relies on raising the next generation of children to respect, appreciate, and know how to safely use firearms. For me, this is a must-have life skill, alongside driving, cooking, and responsible financial discipline. With that in mind, most younger shooters aren’t ready for the .308 Remington 700, the 12 gauge Mossberg, or even the 5.56 AR 15.
Where do they start?
Younger, inexperienced shooters should start with weapons that are not intimidating. These weapons should be lightweight with light recoil. Heavy, harsh recoiling weapons have no place in the hands of new shooters. As a matter of safety and for keeping their interest, new shooters should be given firearms tailored to be easy to handle. Only jerks, losers, and (expletive deleted) think it’s funny to hand an eight-year-old a 12 gauge.
With that in mind, what are the best guns for younger or just inexperienced shooters? Well, we have a few suggestions to get you started without breaking the bank. Guns are a lot like clothes; you can grow out of them, so why spend a ton of money? With that in mind, here are a few great youth guns for teaching the next generation of youths safety, respect, and capability.
Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider
Handguns are tough to shoot, so get one that’s fairly easy to learn to shoot. The Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider is an easy-to-shoot revolver that is crazy affordable. This cowboy-style six-shooter comes in numerous sizes with various finishes so it can match anyone’s style. These big guns don’t pack much recoil, and the light single-action trigger makes them easy to shoot.
Single-action triggers are light, but the manual safety ensures you can cock and shoot the gun safely without worrying about having a trigger that’s too light. The Rough Rider’s single-action design ensures every shot is fired slowly and carefully, which will certainly help with good accuracy habits. These guns are fun for everyone, and the low price makes them a great starter weapon.
Ruger 10/22
The Ruger 10/22 has made more riflemen than the United States Marine Corps. This little rimfire rifle came to be in the 1960s, and at this point, millions of them are out there, many decades old and still in service. It is one of the most reliable and easy shooting magazine-fed .22LR rifles. This was one of my first rifles, and it’s one that still gets range time.
The Ruger 10/22 comes in various configurations, from classic to cool. It’s a rifle that is easy to add optics to, easy to accessorize, and magazines are abundant. The platform is perfect for having a little fun and learning how to properly shoot a rifle. This little gun can take a younger shooter far, and they remain an affordable option for a variety of shooters. Plus, you don’t grow out of a 10/22.
Crickett Rifle
If your new shooter tends to be on the small side, then the Crickett series of rifles is absolutely perfect. These guns are designed to offer new shooters an easy-to-handle, very lightweight, and compact rifle. They are very simple in design. It’s a single-shot bolt action rifle, which adds to the safety of the platform. Only being able to fire a single round at a time helps new shooters maintain a good focus on where to put that round.
The Crickett series comes in a wide variety of colors and stock configurations. From bright pink to the classic wood design, not to mention the tactical-looking model designed to replicate the Artic Warfare rifles. They even make an Allow Precision Rifle for the serious youth shooter involved in small bore shooting.
Mossberg 510 Compact Mini Super Bantam
We have to toss a shotgun in the mix. Shotguns and kids can be tricky, but the little .410 round offers you a light-recoiling but capable shotgun round. These ultra-light little guns make it easy to learn the art of the gauge. Mossberg’s 500 series dominate the shotgun market, and the 510C Compact Mini Super Bantam fits the youth-sized needs of kid shooters. Other shotguns likely feature stocks too long for small arms, and the Super Bantam uses a short, reduced length of pull stock.
In fact, it comes with an adjustable stock that uses spacers to change the size of the stock. Additionally, the forend is Mossberg’s EZ-reach design for smaller arms. This allows the gun to grow with the shooter. The 510C is a simple, pump-action shotgun capable of chambering 3-inch shells. It can be used for bird hunting, clay pigeon shooting, and even deer hunting with the right rounds. The .410 is still fairly soft shooting and a great way for young shooters to learn the scattergun.
JR-15
Who knew the gun to get the most attention from anti-gun politicians would be the JR-15? Serious politicians dedicated time to this rifle, and it’s somewhat silly. It’s a semi-auto blowback .22LR dressed up to look like an AR-15. The JR-15, as the name implies, is designed to be a reduced-sized youth rifle that matches the look of an AR-15 but isn’t an AR-15. Wee1Tactical reduced the size of the AR-15 to make it lighter and easier to shoot safely.
The JR-15 has an adjustable stock for different-sized shooters. A magazine that looks like a P-MAG but is a simpler single-stack design. Additionally, the JR-15 is optic-ready and has an M-LOK rail accessory like bipods. The big external difference aside from its size is the addition of an extra safety. It’s a safety designed to allow only adults to take the weapon off safe. It’s a smart feature and perfect for new shooters.
Keep Shooting
The children are the future, right? With that in mind, we should raise them up right. Teach them how to safely and efficiently use firearms. You can’t always do that with a Glock and Mossberg 590. Most aren’t quite ready for that type of firearm, and you need to smartly plan how to introduce new shooters to firearms. This might require a gun just for them, and if so, you have options.
