I got a old Ruger MI or Standard for my kids. Sure at frist they couldn't shoot one handed because of their size but they grew into it. Teach them to hold it with both hands at frist. Bought this gun in 1977 and it's still going strong. Teaching the grandkids. Good luck.

The Walther P22 has a fairly small grip, and comes with two different backstraps so that you can change the grip size. I think that even an elementary school-aged person could use this one without any problems.

Keep in mind that the P22 makes a good plinker, but that's about all I would use one for. They can also be somewhat picky in what types of ammo they will feed, but overall they are decent pistols.

PhilR.

Thanks for the advice. I looked at both the Ruger and Walther today. Hard choice! The light weight of the Walther was very nice but I am thinking the Ruger Mark III will make a better target pistol.

Both of my children learned to shoot with a Llama .22. It's a miniature 1911. Fits small hands well, has the same manual of arms as the 1911, so when they got older, it was an easy transition.

http://securityarms.com/20010315/gal.../2300/2349.htm

P22 is a great plinker, just be sure you use high velocity rounds in it. They won't go supersonic but you shouldn't use subsonic cartridges in it regardless. As soon as I can take my 4-hour range section of my hunter's education and get the card, mine'll be put to the test at rabbit/squirrel hunting.

The Walther P22 is a nice little gun. I bought one Thanksgiving Day from gander mountain for 249.00 plus they gave me back 40.00 in gander cash to use sometime before Christmas Day.

how young?
best to start is the ruger bobcat single action built for the first gun for kids to learn
agree with what is already posted as I own a walther P22 also and wife and i love it, but also the S&W model 317 (?) in scanadium at 11oz is hard to pass up also