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Beiruty wrote:Which one should I consider?

The one she likes best and shoots best. Any 22 pistol from a reputable manufacturer should last many years, if not a lifetime. Get her the 22 that she enjoys shooting and she is more likely to have fun shooting with you now, and when she gets older. Maybe she'll even use it to teach her daughter to shoot.

I've been thinking of a nice pistol for my 10 year-old son and 7 year-old daughter to start out on. I considered starting him right off with the 9 millie, but then realized: "Why the heavy firepower for a KID?" I took a step back and realized I needed a .22 for him to gain confidence putting rounds on target. Nothing that'll knock him over and something that will build confidence when he sees that bullet hit the mark. .22 is totally controllable and damn cheap to fire.

My dad started me out with a Marlin .22 rifle when I was a kid and nothing made me happier than to get that slap on the back when the target disappeared. I still have it, too, and plan to give it to the kids when they're ready for it. But I would really like to get hem going on handguns as well.

That being said, I don't think you could go very wrong with either a Walther P22 or a Ruger Mark III. Both are easy to rack, have safeties and not tough to manage.

I have a 4.5" Berettas NEOS that both of my kids shoot. My daughter is 7 and my son is 5. For my son, I rack the slide and get everything setup for him. My daughter has gotten to the point that she wants to load the magazine and rack the slide. Since this is for a 9 year old, I don't see any reason why you would be looking at anything larger than a 22. They can’t carry it and let’s be honest; they aren’t going to use it for self-defense. They also aren’t going to go hunting with a handgun. So why spend the extra $$'s on ammo or the extra price for a non 22.

Recoil and noise on any of the full sized .22’s is going to be negligible. I’ve been at the range with people that have Bobcat’s and the things are loud and look like they have a little kick (compared to the non-existent kick you would see with a full size). PSC has a dedicated 22 area and anytime I hear someone shooting a Bobcat, I do a double-take because I think someone is shooting something larger.

The downside with the NEOS is they are a little heavy (the 6” even more so). Although I’m not sure how big of a deal it would be for a 9 year old. Because it’s lighter, I really want to pick up the Walther. I think it would be a little easier for my kids to shoot. Unfortunately I just haven’t had the spare $$’s to do it. That and the magazines cost a fortune.

GTRich94 wrote:I have a 4.5" Berettas NEOS that both of my kids shoot. My daughter is 7 and my son is 5. For my son, I rack the slide and get everything setup for him. My daughter has gotten to the point that she wants to load the magazine and rack the slide. Since this is for a 9 year old, I don't see any reason why you would be looking at anything larger than a 22. They can’t carry it and let’s be honest; they aren’t going to use it for self-defense. They also aren’t going to go hunting with a handgun. So why spend the extra $$'s on ammo or the extra price for a non 22.

Recoil and noise on any of the full sized .22’s is going to be negligible. I’ve been at the range with people that have Bobcat’s and the things are loud and look like they have a little kick (compared to the non-existent kick you would see with a full size). PSC has a dedicated 22 area and anytime I hear someone shooting a Bobcat, I do a double-take because I think someone is shooting something larger.

The downside with the NEOS is they are a little heavy (the 6” even more so). Although I’m not sure how big of a deal it would be for a 9 year old. Because it’s lighter, I really want to pick up the Walther. I think it would be a little easier for my kids to shoot. Unfortunately I just haven’t had the spare $$’s to do it. That and the magazines cost a fortune.

...as to your choice of guns...that's choice...I want to encourage you to re-think your statement "...and let's be honest;they aren't going to use it for self-defense."...you would do well to research the Armed Citizen reports that the NRA publishes from newspaper stories...over all the years, a surprising number of 8-year-olds up have saved a sibling or parent's life with a .22 handgun or rifle...so your opinion of "honest" may be based on your knowledge of your children...but you can't speak for ours or for others...since it's been done so many times...a child, like an adult, will often, in times of crisis, do what they've trained to do...fathers who have trained their young children to fight with a handgun, be it only a .22...are doing a good thing...and in my home, "honest" meant that anyone who broke in was going to be dropped with whichever weapon my boys could get to first...since about 8 years old...there is no reason why a
properly trained young child cannot protect home and family...