Youth Shotguns?

After seeing the last of our British Lab pups go to their new homes yesterday, the House Commander and I were having a discussion as to where the “extra” funds were going to go. I suggested perhaps we get the boys shotguns for Christmas. They’re 12 & 9. The older boy has been shouldering my old side-by-side 20 this year, and it’s decent for grouse – but it’s a lead-only (old/fixed full choke).

At this point, I’ve been given the green light to do some checking around…so then, is there any reason I wouldn’t just get them 870 Expresses?

No slug-shooting in their future, we have ’em both covered with rifles – so that isn’t a factor.

And I see that Remington has a $30 rebate on them right now.

Thoughts?

borrow one first an shoot it.most youth guns kick like
a mule. an they get out grown fast.good luck with whay ever you do.

You can not go wrong with a 870 express. Depending on his size you may want to go to the adult model for the 12 year old. These resell real well. You should get several years of GREAT use out of them and resell then down the road without any problem.

I agree, hard to be an 870 in any model. Dad picked up a couple noname 20’s last Xmas from his neighbor after the kids out grew them. Now all the grand kids will have something to shoot for years to come.

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At this point, I’ve been given the green light to do some checking around…so then, is there any reason I wouldn’t just get them 870 Expresses?

Thoughts?

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It depends. Is the goal to get them a youth model that will last them until they grow into a full-sized shotgun at which point it will be sold off? Or are you thinking of buying two adult versions that they will presumably keep for a long time?

Youth pump guns are everywhere on the used market. I’d be hard pressed to want to shell out for a new one when the used ones are so common and so cheap.

But you might have a good case for buying new with a $30 rebate.

It’ll be a great thrill for the kids, though. You never forget the first shotgun that was REALLY yours.

My first shotgun was a beautiful 870 20 gauge that I bought new in 1985 with my own money. I was 14 and at that point I had worked almost full time every day of every summer since I was 10. The shotgun cost me $319, which felt like damn near all the money in the world then. I’ll never forget it because I wanted that beautiful, glossy piece of bird-getting firepower so badly that I had practically read the ink off of the Remington catalog that I had gotten the year before.

I shot it for everything. It was terrific. I finally sold it, but not really for the money. There was a kid that I really wanted it to go to, so I gave him a deal. He’s 25 now and just got married. I smile every fall when I see him and see he’s still hunting with it.

Grouse

So where’s a good place to find a used youth gun?

Consider looking at the Mossberg 500 Super Bantam. This gun offers a spacer for the stock to increase the length of pull as your boy grows. The gun comes with a certificate for a reduced cost to purchase a full size stock once your boy outgrows the youth stock.

I purchased the Mossberg because the safety is on top of the receiver. This way I can look to see if the safety is on or off. If it was not for the safety location, my son would most likely be carrying an 870.

My nephew has the Mossberg Super Bantam too. It looks like a nice gun and is probably the direction I’ll look in soon. My son is 10, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be a killer.

I’ll never forget “I’m out of shells!!”

That will very easily go down as one of the funnest days (and nights) ever Kooty!