Need to buy my son his first shot gun. Any suggestion?

[scudmaster]

Also, what are you using it for?  Deer, Birds, Turkeys?  Is he left eye dominant, right or left handed?

[ANDERWAGON]

Wow, thank you all for your response.

Here’s a little more info. My boy is nine and around 85lbs. Right handed and right eye dominate. He just finished hunter safety in September and has dove into hunting head first. He’ll shoot his 7mm-08 all day if you let him as the recoil doesn’t seem to bother him. His big game season is over so I’m going to try and regroup and do a little duck hunting with him. I haven’t hunted ducks in over 15 years so it might be a little interesting.

Thanks again.

[scudmaster]

I would suggest a 3" 20ga for ducks with Hevi-steel or Hevi-shot type ammo. 
If he really can handle the recoil a 12 ga with collapsible/adjustable stock and 24" barrel may be a good start.  Start with 2 3/4 inch shells and he can grow into heavier loads.  Pump guns are more economical and you can get any kind of accessory for a Remington 870 and since he is Right hand and right eye, that will work well.  Good luck.

[BigGoonTuna]

i think the recoil difference between a 12 and a 20 gauge is a little overstated, you'll feel a 20 gauge just as much if it's a lighter gun.  that said, a 20 gauge is a lot nicer to pack around usually and when it comes to shooting at game, he won't probably feel anything anyway

i'd say maybe look for an older wingmaster and fit it with a shorter youth buttstock..  they can be had for less money than a new express, and are a much nicer gun.  i always hear bad things about the fit and finish on the 870 express, and the ones i've handled seemed very rough.

[Special T]

I had a rem 870 20 when i was a kid, just because my father couldn't find a single 12 for me. What about a single 12???

[wildweeds]

The single shot is a good idea for more than one reason,Safety being the first,the second reason is................focus.A cheap single can be had for a little over a hundred bucks,Baikal makes hammerless model with a safety on the trigger guard.Get the kid camped out on some decoys,get their feet down and wings cupped coming in hard and have him pick out greeners and knock em down.You be the backup shooter.

[Special T]

 
I had a pump as a kid but my father only let me have one shell at a time.

[Black Plague]

870 Express and a can of spray-paint for the barrel...they do tend to get surface rust easier with the heavy matte finish....or get one pre-camoed 

[nwwanderer]

I have one of the Baikal single shots.  Get him one and let him dismantle it, refinish the wood, checker it and fine tune the metal fit.  Great way to learn and a decent shoooter.  Should be able to do it for around $100.

[dawei]

Just my $0.02 but I started my son (now 40), and 5 of my 6 grandsons; with an H&R®/NEF® 20ga single shot w/a MOD choke. Purpose is to teach safety first, then shooting skill, then confidence develops. After 2 years, if they still were interested in hunting; I then gave them a Mossberg® Mdl 500C 20ga pump. (My son was an exception in that I gave him a Winchester® Ranger™ Mdl 120 20ga pump.) These guys are all grown men now, yet they all hunt with their 20ga pumps to this day.

[JKEEN33]

I picked up one of the single shot shotguns cheap for my nephews to use. What I found is the hammer on them is to stiff for a kid to pull back safely with their small hands. Not sure if these other models of single shots are the same. I wound up picking up a used moss. 500 youth model for them to use. I've been eyeing it myself for a turkey gun. It's a lot lighter than my full sized guns.

[scudmaster]

One more thought with a single shot.  Make sure it has a hammer safety that allows it to be de-cocked safely without the chance of the hammer slipping.  Nothing will rattle anew shooter like a negligent discharge.  A lot of old timers say it is not necessary, but almost all will have a story of a time when the thing "Went Off".
 

[Black Plague]

     soooo true ....if its cold out and your kids hands are freezing....its not a good combo for anyone involved...I too have seen it happen

[wildweeds]

 Which is exacly why I suggested the hammerless baikal with the trigger guard cross saftey...I  had an unexpected discharge of my browning lever action .22 because my thumb slipped off,it was raining and the attached scope has a little less room than would be liked to de-cock.

One more thought with a single shot.  Make sure it has a hammer safety that allows it to be de-cocked safely without the chance of the hammer slipping.  Nothing will rattle anew shooter like a negligent discharge.  A lot of old timers say it is not necessary, but almost all will have a story of a time when the thing "Went Off".

[LincolnTWilliams]

Can you find a 12g in a youth model? An 870 12g with a 24" tube would be great. Light loads wont belt him as hard as his 7mm-08 I wouldn't think. Then you guys can shoot out of the same box of shells. I think the limiting factor would be weight/being able to shoulder the shot gun. I got my first pump when I was around his age and I had a difficult time with that.... But he wont be a little fella for too much longer.