Browning Buckmark makes one of the best shooting auto loader 223's out there. The Ruger's are really nice too but I like the triggers a little more om my Browning. I have a MKIII and a Buckmark and would not want to get rid of either.

If a revolver is to your liking there are several. THe S&W's are at the top of my list in that area but I'm really fond of those old High Standards too.

A 10-22 Ruger rifle is also a must have for kids young and old alike.

Recommend:

Beretta Neos w/the short barrel. Small grip would suit the kids well.
Walther P22, which although is not really worth the money it takes to buy one, is small enough to easily be used by your kids. They aren't greatly accurate by any means, but can be reliable once you find the ammo it likes.

Stay away:

S&W 22A -- a great pistol, especially for the money, but has the largest grip of the commonly available pistols.

Possibles:

The Browning Buckmark is a great pistol, and has the best trigger of anything you can find under $350. If your kids can hold one, it's worth buying. The Ruger MKIII and 22/45 are also very good, but might be too heavy.

If you would consider a revolver, then look at the S&W 63 and 317. These are light in weight, and can also be easily handled by kids. Also, I think a revolver is a bit safer with kids too. The only drawback is their cost.

well, i will have to make a plug for the sig mosquito here. the pistol has the similar safties, decocker, mag release as most sigs. it is suppose to be sized 90% of a full sized auto loader. this will make it easier for smaller hands to use. the 10 shot mags will keep your shot count down, and allow slower reloads between practice.

new, the mosquito only likes cci minimags until a proper wear-in period. i can still get 100 count boxes at less than 9 bucks at dicks or gander mountain. i think that is cheap enough for a practice session. bulk ammo work, just expect some FTF or FTL, no big deal during practice imho.

i like the hammer fired autos, personally. and with the saftey, decocker, and built in locks (will not fire if mag is removed, and special key lock to disable) it can be unloaded, locked and stored to prevent all but the most ingeneous children from unauthorized access. A gun safe would also be recommended if you have children in the house.

sig make a great little "plinker" not to be overlooked

ymmv

john

Thanks for the feedback I will look into all of these as options.

Sorry for puting this into the wrong section, I wasn't sure how to do this so I put one into pistol and also revolver. The mods' moved it and added the revolver bit into this post.

Host it doesn't confuse anyone to much.

My 22lr list
DA REVOLVER
S&W 617 in 4 or 6” barrel
S&W 317 in 1 7/8” barrel
Or any S&W Jframe in 22lr
SA REVOLVER
Ruger New Model single six
Ruger Bearcat for the small kids hands
SEMIAUTO
Ruger Mkiii
Browning Buckmark
Sig-Sauer Mosquito
Walther P22
ALSO
Ruger Charger
NAA 22lr mini
RIFLE
Ruger 10/22
S&W AR M&P 15-22

OH
I left off the S&W model 41 - $1100
and the Kimber Rimfire Super - 1911 in 22lr - $1100

For kids the ages of yours, I think the best gun to get them started is the S&W 63. The current 63-4 has a 5” barrel and weighs about 30 oz, which should be light enough for the kids and not so light that they can’t hold it steady.
In April, S&W is supposed to release another version of the 63 with a 3” barrel.

I bought a Browning Buckmark last year and man is it a great gun.



I shot it for a while w/o the optic's and boy is it easy to shoot and very accurate.

Then just for fun I added the optic's - I enjoy it even more now.

Whenever I go to the range to shoot my .45 or .40 or 9mm, I always tote this along/

The only revolver in .22 I own is a Ruger single six, which i love, but if I was going to recommend a .22 to anyone (assuming the grip fits well in their hand) is a browning buckmark. I have owned my buckmark for about 8 yrs and goes to the range with me every time I go. She has thousands of rounds through it and i have only found one brand of ammo that wont feed (winchester wildcat). I've even shot 1000 rounds through it between cleanings and it still cycled well...just to see if it would do it!

You will absolutely love a 22LR.

My opinion.............. everyone needs at least one 22LR pistol.

With that written... I LOVE my Ruger Mark III. Looks beautiful, shoots like a dream, has a world of aftermarket parts available (from replacement parts to upgrades). Only pain initially is learning how to take it apart for cleaning and more importantly, putting it back together correctly.

I own a couple Browning Buck Marks and I believe that they are the most fun, reliable, and easy to maintain pistols out there.

The Beretta NEOS series is also quite good and popular although the looks are either really hated or really admired. They are EXTREMELY accurate for the money, easy to take down, and reliable.

The Walther models all seemingly have smaller grips / frames but seem flimsy.

Just purchase a S&W 22a and although it seems good, don't consider it to be anything more than a cheaper plinker. NEOS shoots better.

A great forum for 22LR shooting is RimFireCentral.com