GUNS Magazine December 1955 - Jeffersonian's Home Page

BSA-Martini was shot by Miguel Jackie O'Donnell, junior trap champ, Nick Egan, Flushing, L. I., teen-ager,Swanswick, 11, in Canadian matches. found Winchester M12 "right gun." won Grand American with Model 12.IHe welcomes your advice. Whether he knows it ornot, he wants a gun to help him develop all the skill that'slatent in him. Kids like to excel. The more commonsense you show in helping him, the more likely he is toconsult you when time and need bring up the selectionof a second gun, or a third.Usually the first one is a .22. If he joins a junior rifleclub, he needs one. Oh sure, he can borrow a friend's rifleat the range or use a club gun, but pride of ownershipcomes close to self-respect itself. He'll take care of hisown if you show him the why and how, and he'll get toknow it as a rifleman should.If there's hunting as well as target work, he may needsomething lighter than the 8 to 9 pound junior matchrifles like the Mossberg 144 LS, Winchester 75 andRemington 513 T, dual-purpose though they are for a bigfellow who can tote one all day and still be in form whenthe sun gets low. A gunsling means everything in proneor sitting, or offhand when a cross-wind buffets the rifle.The pinhole disc of the peep sight can be turned out toleave a big aperture close enough to the eye for snapshooting.Except in shady woods or swampland theblack post insert of the front sight works well, and forthose places a neat dab of white paint does wonders.Another target and game rifle, the short-stocked Remington521 TL, goes about 7 pounds and was built for juniors.Less expensive .22's can be cut to size. In this age ofplastics and home workshops, it's easy to put fillers underthe buttplate for extra length as the kid's arms creep outpast the cuffs of last year's windbreaker.In lower price brackets, the cheaper grade is preferable.Detachable box magazines are easier to unload (and besure that they are unloaded) than tubular magazines are.Sometimes a last cartridge lands in the tube, waiting tomake trouble. And the forestock bedding of the "clip"type is snugger. You never want the beginner to feel thatMarlin lever-action 336 in .219 Zipper has "big gun feel"but is handy for young shooters because of light recoil.Typical of popular single-shots in .22 made especiallyfor junior beginning shooters is Marlin MlOO bolt rifle.