Selection advice needed for air rifle (BB gun) for 9 year old

[IHateMyJob2004]

UPDATE: now my kid wants an RC car. He still wants a BB gun but that might be put off till Santa comes.

ORIG:
Fist off. This is not a thread about why to not get a kid a gun.

I am looking at getting my 9 year old an airgun for his birthday next month. I found the model I had as a kid. Crossman The 2100B.

http://www.airgundepot.com/2100b.html

The thing I remember is that it was a pain to pump up when I was 10.

So, I'm looking at this list and think I want to get a model from the list:
http://www.airgundepot.com/bb-guns-for-kids.html

Anyone here familiar with bb guns?

 

[Rakehellion]

He'll shoot his eye out.

 

[waggy]

just go to walmart or target and get whatever they have. i got my kids nice red ryder BB guns for x-mas. we have shot a 1000 package of bb's this summer! the kids had a blast.

my daughter (12) wants a .22 now.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Ya, Wal-Mart had some on an end cap when we were there last. I put it in the shopping cart to tease my wife. I forget what it was. Either a Daisy or a Crossman.

I think I need to not get the 2100b. I'm going to head off to Wal Mart and Dicks Sporting Goods after work some night to see what they have.

I might get it at Cabelas though. Basically make it a special trip for my son.

 

[smackababy]

Whatever you do, don't open it in Walmart!

 

[poofyhairguy]

He'll shoot his eye out.

Dammit, beat me to it.

 

[highland145]

Whatever you do, don't open it in Walmart!

What's the worst that could happen....:whiste:

 

[waggy]

Whatever you do, don't open it in Walmart!

LOL

 

[phucheneh]

The other kids will laugh at him if you don't get him a truly bitchin' pellet gun.

 

[mizzou]

I had many BB guns as a kid, and some were a complete pain in the ass to cock. The ones that take multiple lever pumps seem to work well. Plus you can vary the amount of pressure in them and control the FPS.

I'd say go with anything that is lever action pump, not a break barrel or CO2

one like this was my goto for many years, the others just collected dust.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/15730096

 

[waggy]

I had many BB guns as a kid, and some were a complete pain in the ass to cock. The ones that take multiple lever pumps seem to work well. Plus you can vary the amount of pressure in them and control the FPS.

I'd say go with anything that is lever action pump, not a break barrel or CO2

one like this was my goto for many years, the others just collected dust.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/15730096

ohh good advice.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Daisy-Red-...ingMethod=p13n

is the one we got my son. got my daughter the pink one. $29 and it is a great way to teach kids gun safety

 

[smackababy]

The other kids will laugh at him if you don't get him a truly bitchin' pellet gun.

I can buy real guys and I still want that!


Just get the standard Daisy single pump BB gun. Can't do any real damage, and will be a good primer into better, more powerful guns.

 

[thomsbrain]

 

[lxskllr]

I had a Daisy 880. A very quick search indicates they aren't made anymore. It was much easier to pump than Crossman due to have a handle to grab. Break barrels aren't so bad, but it might be a bit much for a kid if he wants to shoot a lot.

Edit:
Correction. I think it was an 880, and it looks like they're still available...

http://www.amazon.com/Daisy-Outdoor...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0018LER90

 

[highland145]

I can buy real guys and I still want that!

TMI.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Whatever you do, don't open it in Walmart!

Why, it's not like I'm taking my shirt off or anything.

 

[TXHokie]

This one has been sitting in my wishlist on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0062B4PQQ

 

[_Rick_]

Is your kid some type of pansy, instead of a real, red-blooded American?

Real American kids shoot full-auto Uzis at that age (while complaining about sloppy import build quality), and don't play with baby toys.

You don't fight off the King's Men/Indians/Nazis/Japs/Soviets/Islamists/Tax man with a BB gun! (My excuses to all enemies of the state that I didn't put on the list)

 

[DrPizza]

I'd go with pellets instead of BBs though. Maybe it's just that when I was a kid, my bb gun sucked; but it wasn't accurate at all compared to a better pellet gun. When my kids were little, I bought them a bb gun that seemed okay enough; but then we were at a camp with some of my friends, and my kids were shooting pellets from their guns. ($100 neighborhood of guns). MUCH tighter grouping of shots. A good pellet gun has been on my wish list since then. (Though, around that time, my kids graduated to .22s and youth compound bows.)

 

[Phoenix86]

I can buy real guys and I still want that!

OK man, we're not here to judge you.

 

[moonbogg]

I'd suggest a break barrel pellet gun. BBs ricochet like crazy and pellets are more accurate. Go to your local sporting goods store and check out their break barrel pellet guns.

 

[jcwagers]

I've had a Daisy 880 for many years. It's still holding up fine and has had thousands of BBs put through it. I know that several folks have mentioned that they would go for pellets over BBs. I would stick with the BBs. While neither are particularly expensive, you'll get a lot more BBs than pellets for the price. Just using Amazon as an example.....you can get close to 10,000 BBs for the price of 1250 pellets. Sure the pellets are more accurate but a lot of the fun is in plinking and that's a LOT of plinking practice for the money. Accuracy will depend somewhat on the rifle you choose but if you go with the Daisy 880, it's been pretty accurate for me over the years. I've had no issues with the iron sights and I would recommend that over a scope.....at least for beginning. I honestly can't say how accurate my rifle would be with a scope, as I've never put a scope on it. Just giving my .02 on the matter. Whatever you pick, I'm sure he'll have fun with it and you can teach him some good gun safety while he's learning.

 

[MiniDoom]

I bought a crossman 2100 a couple years ago and it was cheap crap compared to the one I had as a kid. It lasted about 6 months before the seal went and I never pumped it over 8 times.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Great ... now my kid wants an RC car. He still wants a BB gun but that might be put off till Santa comes.

 

[alkemyst]

The Crosman 2100 was a hell of a BB/pellet rifle. Near .22 FPS out of the barrel at 10 pumps. It's a hard to pump gun even for adults.

The Daisy 880 my friend had wasn't as powerful, but much easier to pump.

In reality, 3-4 pumps is more than enough for most target practice.

For a 10 year old, the Red Ryder is still the gun of choice: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=749973

It's an easy to use and fun gun.

Edit: and that said, all these guns are nothing like the one's made 10-20 years ago They are using much inferior parts now which is probably why they sell for a fraction of what they cost all those years ago. I believe my 2100 was $80 when I was bought it in 1986.