Pistols for juniors/teens..

My daughter will turn 12 this fall, she's already probably 5' 6" so big enough to handle a bit larger rifles and pistols. She has shot the Daisy BB gun rifle league for 3 years. I've been considering getting a lighter pistol so she can shoot, my pistols are all 3 pounds.

I've looked at several models and the old Ruger Mark Standard with the tapered barrel looks pretty nice and can buy new trigger parts from Volquartsen to get match ready.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

The sig trailside/hammerli excesse (or what ever it's called) is about the lightest 22 I've picked up. The ruger or buckmarcks with aluminium or carbon fiber barrels are light too, but I've no experience e with then. My youngest son is nearly 13 and has been shooting a bull barreled buckmarck for a year or so. He's not big for his age, but tried the trailside and selected the buckmarck

If you are looking at Ruger, take a look at the Ruger 22/45. It has a polymer frame and weighs 34.4 ozs (2.15 lbs.), same grip angle as a 1911. Volquartsen makes trigger kits for these also. Most yoots should be able to handle that.

“Yoots?”

You are too far along, grand señor, to remember what a yoot is.....I am almost there.

https://media.giphy.com/media/oN5U5mdnP8VIA/giphy.gif

The 4.5" trailside/Xesse would be about as light as you could find and still all steel.

The problem I see with the trailside/Xesse is the grip looks huge and they get expensive, even used ones go for about $600. I can get a Ruger Standard for $350 and let her play with it stock for a while. It doesn't have an adjustable rear sight but if she takes to shooting I would probably put a PrimaryArms MD-ADS on it.

zanemoseley wrote:The problem I see with the trailside/Xesse is the grip looks huge and they get expensive, even used ones go for about $600. I can get a Ruger Standard for $350 and let her play with it stock for a while. It doesn't have an adjustable rear sight but if she takes to shooting I would probably put a PrimaryArms MD-ADS on it.

If she can get a comfortable grip on the Ruger,this is what I'd do.Kind of hard to beat the reliability,durability,ammo tolerance, and support of the Ruger MK series.-Mike

Buckmark?

No fair throwing $$ into the mix

There are 1911 style grips for the trailside that are very thin. It is hard to beat the ruger..

The Ruger MkII standard I have that OPA turned the barrel and sleeved it like a LSP HS alumalite barrel is real impressive.  Crowned, drilled and tapped at the same time.

Ok my local shop is getting me a MK IV standard for $375 out the door. Eventually it will get a Tandemcross rail, Primary Arms MD-ADS, G10 grips and a Volquartsen trigger kit. So about $750 for a set up pistol only weighing a bit over 2 pounds.

Advantage Arms or other conversion on an alloy frame?  There are aluminum grip safeties and composite mainspring housings that would make a lightweight setup.

https://www.ruger.com/products/markIV2245Lite/models.html

I considered the 22/45 lite but I don't like the poly frame and they're too tacti"cool" looking. They're only like 2-3 oz lighter than the standard.

I started my son out on a Browning Challenger. That was 29 years ago. Some day he might give it back. Perfect choice for a young shooter. Much lighter then the Buckmark in same picture. They will not break you at the bank either.  https://www.gunbroker.com/item/801782113

N.F.I. On the one on Gunbroker. I just wanted to see what they wanted for one. There are a lot of choices there.

I bought a Ruger 22/45 lite for my 11 year old son.  I wasn't too crazy about the plastic frame either, but it's for him, not me and with the Volquartsen parts it's really a great trigger and lightweight for the money.  What really surprised me was when I casually shot a 91 slowfire with it!

I'd think a Ruger 22/45 frame with Volquartsen innards and a lightweight Tac Sol or Volquartsen barrel  would be as good as it gets..

Zane, check your PM. I have a Ruger you may be interested in.
Kurt

I put together a MK III 22/44 Ruger frame with all Volquartsen innards and a Tactical Solutions upper with the original Ruger bolt.  This thing is so light you don't believe it is in the range bag.  The plain jane 22/45 can be found pretty cheap.  The TS barrel was about $200 from Bud's.  Volquartsen parts another $100 or so.  Not the gun it would be with a Volquartsen lower but a fine little gun as it is.

This is a Ruger Mark III 22/45 Lite with a tank of a scope on it yet it's only 1lb 14oz.  Great for my 11 year old with the Volquartsen accurizing kit.

I'd stay away from the light weight volquatson uppers. I had a customer buy three... all are now cracked and unusable... can't remember what the issue was, but I can find out if there is interest.

I would certainly be curious, thanks.  It would be valuable to know if the failed units are current the design or old models.

Jim,

my guy bought three units probably 4-5 years ago.  they all shot very well initially. all three went on Ruger MKII's  the first one the frame "latch" points worked very loose which in turn made the bolt not line up with the ejector which caused lots of malfunctions.  this happened within the first year, probably about 4-5000 rounds.  the accuracy decreased to about 3 inches at 50 yards when it started around an inch or less.  the second unit was shot for several hundred rounds and is well on it's way to having the same issues as the first unit had.  the third unit is on the wife's gun and gets shot about 200 times per year and is still ok.

The units were "discontinued" and were significantly discounted which is why they were purchased.  Hopefully VQ realized they had an issue and made adjustments accordingly.