It took me until I was about 35 years old to come to the realization that each time you purchase a firearm that it needed to be “in addition to the one I already have” instead of trading in the one I already had. It was more a case of having the enough funds so I could afford the new gun without the price offset of trading in the one I currently owned.

I visit all the time with parents who are considering a gun purchase for a youngster in their family.  There is always the temptation of buying the kid an adult sized gun and hoping they will grow into it. This is a poor path to choose. 

Young would be hunters and shooters do not have arms long enough in almost all cases to properly hold and handle an adult size gun. The first gun needs to be a youth model in almost all cases unless the youth is already 6 foot tall at the age of 14.

Parents often opt for a single shot shotgun. This is a break open style action that only holds one shell.  No follow up shot makes the young gunner pick their targets more precisely and makes safe gun handling a little less intimidating as the gun is empty after that lone shot. These types of guns have a hammer on the back that requires the shooter to pull it back with their thumb. There is usually no manual safety on a gun of this nature.  The biggest problem with this set up and the big reason I don’t recommend any parent purchase one is that if the hammer is cocked into the shooting position, and the decision to shoot has vanished, the only way to lower the hammer into a safe non-shooting position is to pull the trigger and use your thumb to slowly and gently lower the hammer back into a resting position. Many adults even have a hard time doing this. If the hammer slips it will discharge the gun. Now add cold hands and fingers and a bulky pair of gloves and this issue is magnified.

The answer is the selection of a youth pump shotgun. These firearms have a manual trigger safety and no exposed hammer. They can hold up to 4 rounds but you fix this by simply loading only one shell at a time. With no exposed hammer there is no need to pull the trigger to release the hammer to be repositioned to a safe position. 

Youth guns are usually purchased in a 20-gauge version. The 20 gauge is smaller and lighter than a 12-gauge counterpart. The smaller gauge also has less recoil, kick to the shoulder, than the bigger gauges. I have had lots of experience with both the Mossberg and Remington manufacturers in the youth category. The Mossberg’s are slightly cheaper and work fine but the Remington version can last through the hand me down process of 30 years or more and still work. I bought my first youth gun for my son Brandon from a guy whose kid had outgrown it and that gun has passed through the lives of at least 5 other kids that have each used it for 2-3 years. Come to think of it I better figure out who still has it. 

They should not be all that hard to find used as the life span of the kids in your family that it fits normally doesn’t last more then about 10 years. Here is a fact that most people don’t know. Recreational shooting is the safest school sport your son or daughter can participate in.  Even golf and tennis have more high school student injuries then trap shooting. Thousands of kids in Minnesota participate in trap shooting every year and to date there has not been one single accident or injury. A testament to the coaches and staff and well-trained gun safety students.

As we parents grow older, we cannot play football or soccer or many other traditional sports with our kids.  Recreational shooting requires no special physical skill and can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike. I know 85-year-olds that shoot well and on a regular basis. Next time you think a new electronic gadget for your child is the fad of the day, pause and consider an activity you can enjoy with your kids for decades, it might very well begin with a youth shotgun.

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If you have any questions, reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.