Deuce Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Hey all, My buddy's trying to get his 8yr-old into shooting USPSA with us. I realize this a bit premature, but he asked and I was curious if anyone had any other ideas. He's startin' him out with a Walther P22 for rest of the summer ... that's done so no need to worry about that. But, he'd like to get him goin' with a 9mm either this winter or next spring. I recommended a Kahr T9 (anyone have any idea if anyone makes an extended comped bbl for that?) and a S&W CS9 provided he could find someone to make an extended comped bbl for that. (I'm not sure about the proper terminology ... what I mean by "extended" is that the ports are past the front of the slide so no slide cuts are necessary). I have seen an 11yr-old shooting, what appeared to be, a G34 ... but it looked kinda big for him ... the thing hung down to his knees. I think my buddy is thinking he could get by with a Tanfoglio EAA Witness (I thought that was a double-stack?). I'd be particularly interested in hearing from those who actually have 7yr-old to 11yr-olds who've shot 9mm ... particularly for IPSC/IDPA. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 A 1911 in 9mm with suitable modifications for small hands is a good choice for anyone. Slim grip panels, a short trigger, and a few other things and it's good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 If he's going to continue, start him out with what he'll most likely end up using as an adult: a 1911. If you swap the grips out for the smallest/thinnest possible, install a lowered thumb safety, and make sure it works 100% (maybe even go .38 super) anyone with hands bigger than an infants can use it. My wife is 5'4" and I built her a single-stack Colt Super that way. Its so small I can't even shoot it, but she has no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted July 7, 2004 Author Share Posted July 7, 2004 First off, change my recommendation for S&W CS9 to S&W 3913TSW. This thin 1911 thing sounds interesting. I guess I'm having a hard time figuring just how small this'd feel. Hey Sweeney, any chance of gettin' a close-up pic of your wife's? One other thing ... I think we're lookin' at fairly inexpensive here. I'm not sure how much the T9 is, but I'm guessin' closer to $600 than $1000. Anyhow, I guess I'd be thinkin' more along the lines of gettin' the SA mil-spec and gettin' the short trigger, thin grips, and, hey Sweeney, where do you get that safety you're talkin' about and do they call it somethin' special or just "low-rise thumb-safety"? But, that'd still be .45acp ... which, I'm quite sure, is not an option. So, presuming he were to go the 9mm 1911 route, where can you get one to start with for under $500? Or, if not, what's the cheapest? Keep in mind, we're definately talkin' 9x19 here ... no handloading. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Brownells carries a Low Mount Gun Safety that is made by Gunsite Custom Gunshop. Or if you're handy w/ a welder, you can make one yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 So, presuming he were to go the 9mm 1911 route, where can you get one to start with for under $500? Or, if not, what's the cheapest? Keep in mind, we're definately talkin' 9x19 here ... no handloading. I'd go with a Springfield loaded 1911A1 with adjustable rear sight. All you need then is the grips, bushings & screws, a short trigger, and a mag well. All of those can be purchased from Brownells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerjg Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I would also recommend the 1911 for a younger shooter. The T9 would be a good shooter but the trigger is a little bit long to pull through. I bought one for my wife, who has really small hands, and she could reach the trigger fine. But by the time the shot had broken she was pulling the gun down. She did end up with a Springfield XD-9, it still had a small enough grip and the trigger was alot eisier. I would have gotten her a 1911 but she didnt like the 'look' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven t Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I just bought a Springfield XD-9 for my daughters 13 and 8 years old. Neither have any problems with grip size or length of pull. I really like the XD and if either decides she really wants to shoot seriously, then I will upgrade to a 1911 for them. The XD has a lot going for it Ergonomic, inexpensive, and a really nice little pistol. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old shooter Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 When my son was young, he would run the stopwatch for me at the practice range. It wasn't long before he was asking to shoot. He was quite able to shoot my 1911 45 acp with bianchi type loads and a plaxco comp. Yea, it was some time ago, and his thumbs overlapped only an inch or so, but he shot it well. Make sure he has the Best of ear protection.. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roby Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 id suggest a 9mm 1911, maybe a sig 225, which in my regards is a gun perfect for small hands. a smaller glock might work as well. i think the khars have a trigger that is too strange for a youngster to improve with. it breaks to surprisingly, almost mid stroke in some of the khars ive seen. try the 1911 w/ thin grips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 This thin 1911 thing sounds interesting. I guess I'm having a hard time figuring just how small this'd feel. Hey Sweeney, any chance of gettin' a close-up pic of your wife's? Hey Deuce, Check out the Springfield I had built for my Wife. It is Super Slim. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6901 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 when I started shooting competition at the age of 8 I used a springfield 1911 with a comp in .45 with bullseye loads(very minor). At about 10 or so I switched to a single stack super with major loads. I started at that age so any particular questions hit me up. DRifting: to bad I stopped 10 years ago(kicking self in head) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 Yes, the Gunsite safety from Brownells. As I recall, everything I did to it could be had from Brownells. An adjustable sight would be nice, but not neccesary. If you're looking to keep the cost down, a box stock 9mm/.38 Super from Springfield, with the bolt-on stuff to make it smaller (grips, trigger, safety) should be do-able well under that $1000 mark you're avoiding. Depending on how har dyou shop around, you could do a lot better than that. Nice link, and yes Ned does gorgeous work. But just having him apply his mastery to your gun will eat up a lot of that grand. And take longer than next year. (You want Art, you have to pay for Art.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 Nice link, and yes Ned does gorgeous work. But just having him apply his mastery to your gun will eat up a lot of that grand. And take longer than next year. (You want Art, you have to pay for Art.) It would eat up a grand ++. I was on his waiting list for about 18 months. I am almost embarrassed to tell how much I have in that pistol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I am almost embarrassed to tell how much I have in that pistol. If it shoots as well as it looks good, then it was probably worth whatever you paid! Those of us with hands like raccoons understand the beauty and functionality of a gun customized for the likes of us! It's worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted July 8, 2004 Author Share Posted July 8, 2004 I've talked it over with my buddy and shown him this thread and the pics. I think he's pretty-well dead-set on a 9mm 1911 ... probably a SA "loaded". One thing I had never considered was that with a non-SA trigger-pull, a longer reach would be required ... or, put another way, an SA-only trigger allows for much smaller hands. Thanks gentlemen! You've been a tremendous help! Any info on the particulars would be great. Like how to swap the grip bushings, trigger, and safety. Of course, that's not expected ... he'll probably just take it to Ahlman's anyhow. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 If it shoots as well as it looks good, then it was probably worth whatever you paid!Those of us with hands like raccoons understand the beauty and functionality of a gun customized for the likes of us! It's worth it! It is a tack driver and my wife is very proud to have a pistol that was built just for her instead of just shooting one of mine. So all things considered, it was well worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 As Kelly and others have said, Brownells is your friend. They have just about every 1911 part on the planet. The grip bushing on a 1911 comes out w/ a screw driver. To take the trigger out, remove the thumb saftey, grip safety, hammer, disconnect and sear. The trigger then slides right out. Here are instructions on how to dissassemble a 1911. Another one. -David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBaneACP Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 At the risk of sounding really weird here, before you drop heaps of money on a gun for a kid who might not stick with it, consider the lowly Star BM 9mm. They're dirt cheap ($150-250), have equally dirt cheap 8-round magazines, are surprisingly ergonomic (moreso than a 1911 and especially for people with small hands) and, in my experience, fiercely reliable and pretty accurate. I know some serious gunny guys who carry the BM as back-ups. The advantage is that they're single action guns that work just like a 1911, so if there's a lot of interest in progressing on in the sport you can "port" the skills over to a competition 1911 pretty easily. Right now, Bruce Gray has my current BM adding some tricks to it for a HANDGUNS article on "The Best Cheap Gun On Earth." mb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 If you want to install the thin grips and their bushings in your gun, it's a good idea to get the special screwdriver bits from Brownells. They make one for the standard bushings and one for the thin grip bushing and having one of each (they're about $8) is a really good idea. They will save you some headaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1011 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Deuce, I would make it a point to avoid aluminum. My 11 year old has been shooting my Para P16, 40 S&W (All Steel Gun with full length barrel) and enjoying it. Although he scoffed at the weight when he first picked it up, the heavier gun reduces the recoil and makes for a more pleasent shooting experience. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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