That`s a great gun, one every kid should have some where along the way. I`m sure you have your reasons for that choice and I don`t mean to interfere. That said, I`ll throw this out there anyway. As a rifle to "learn on", it`s tough to beat a 10-22 Ruger. These are light and easy to handle for a kid, not so short that they`re considered a toy but if short is desired there is the youth model. I`d probably do the bolt release mod to make it easier for small hands to manipulate. That`s a 20 minute job and requires no special parts though you can buy a release for it as well. The reliability factor is virtually unsurpassed.
I have a couple of .22`s based on the AR platform and though it isn`t a show stopper, they seem to have quirks, usually with the mags. Kids don`t need anything that won`t go bang when they pull the trigger. Playing around with a jammed .22 can be dangerous. I`d probably feel entirely different if it were going to a 15 year old. Another consideration is that the Ruger has several mods after the fact that can turn them into a Bull Pup configuration or other clones.
Bookmarks