re: Gun ? for birth of 1st son

I prefer a child's first gun to be one that must be cocked manually. Preferably a .22 or a .410 cause anything else would kick them pretty good at early ages. My reason for a manual cocking action is that children have a tendency to turn around after a shot is fired and the barrel usually swings around with them. With an automatic, there will be a live round in the chamber. I would say hold off on the auto-loaders until they have some experience proving they operate a firearm safely. Its sometimes tough for children to get the hang of muzzle direction safety. When I bring someone shooting for the first time, I stay right behind them. Cause I've noticed some adults have a tendency to swing that muzzle around too.