Jack Suber Posted February 21, 2006 Share Posted February 21, 2006 (edited) p/s I have attached a picture of him shooting weak-handed last weekend at our classifier match Jack, the kid has good forum! Whats with all the mittens and clothes? Arent you way down south where it doesnt get cold? Chuck, That was one of those weird days we get where its raining and about 38 degrees. We "Southern Boys" think that is sort of cold. Actually, I blame the weather on some guys from Virginia whom I will not name (Paul Deel). He brough it with him and his crew. It seems every time we have a classifier match, these guys show up and bring cold rain with them. Gotta be a conspiracy. BTW, John loves the rig. Thanks for your help. Jack Edited February 21, 2006 by Jack Suber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 (edited) Yeah, what Jack, Nick, Sr. and Car$ said... I can tell you that Glocks work fine for small kids to start with. Their simple operation and lack of levers and buttons make them very friendly. If my 11yo could, your 13yo should have no problem handling one. My experience with the 10-round divisions for the kids was that since they tend to miss a bit more all the mag-changing takes away the shooting's fun factor. So after they got the hang of the G17's in production I upgraded them to limited G22's. The 2nd generation frame fit them better since the finger grooves are not designed for kids hands. The attached pic is from Camp Shootout last year, where my kids and I had a blast together with Lil' Nick and Chuck's Austin. Francisco at the time was about 75 pounds and the smallest of the bunch and was already doing good with the Glock. Check out his grip BTW, they both now shoot limited STI's with no problem whatsoever. I'm left with whatever is left in the safe. ALL OUR KIDS HAVE THE BEST SPONSORS EVER!! Let us know which way you go. Good luck! Edited February 23, 2006 by Nemo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Nemo, I can tell from the picture that little dude has already got some strong arms on him. Looks like he's off to a great start! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Well, she ain't THAT young, but.... My new wife wants to start shooting, and I concur with those on here who said G34 and Limited Minor. I bought the +4 Arredondo Pads so she'll have the same number of rounds as my Limited gun in .40 and we can cut up courses the same. The controls are simple. Lots of BB's Low recoil. Smooth Sotelo trigger, mini magwell, DOH holster. Wally World Ammo. The plan is to see how much she likes it, before I jump off the cash for the Bedell Open gun she really wants. Then it will be minor factor 9mm for a while and then moving up to full on 9mm HE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRNinTX Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 BJ started shooting when he was 11. We started with a G34 for several reasons. When we first started, we had no reloading equipment and the recoil of factory .40 loads was very uncomfortable for an 11 yr old. Cost of equipment was another factor. We have always made the boys put some investment into their equipment for "pride of ownership" and to make sure it was really what they wanted to do. BJ paid for half of his first gun with his savings. The extended controls on the 34 were another reason for starting with the Glock. His hands were small and he could reach the mag release and slide release without a lot of trouble. A Glock Sport Combat Holster, several Glock mag pouches and extra mags and he was shooting for under $1000. Production was where he started due to the 9mm. Mag changes became as much as a challenge as the shooting and he wore out the bottom of two frames practicing reloads, so the 10 round issue was never a problem. Since Prod was just getting started and the rules were still shaking out at that time, we were not sure how changing controls would fit in the rules had we bought a G17 that was the reason for the extra cost for a 34. Now I would suggest a new young shooter start with a used 17 or 34, change the controls, get some UM gear and for $500-$600 your in the game. If Dad has a press then a 22 or 35 and load to minor, that allows the opportunity to move up to major. If he/she decides it is not the game for them, then there is very little invested and most of the money can be recouped by selling the Glock. If your new shooter wants to experiment in other divisions, then I have found that there are some of the best people in this sport that will loan kids guns, gear, ammo and expertise to try the more expensive divisions before parents outlay a bunch of cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzogun Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Glad to see this thread I also am looking to get my 14 year old son started. But what to start him with. I liked the XD and how it fit his hand, and thought Production. I like the ideas of less reloading though. Could he should an XD 9mm (15+1) in Limited? I don't have the $$ for an STI or a Para (trying to save up for ME) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Glad to see this threadI also am looking to get my 14 year old son started. But what to start him with. I liked the XD and how it fit his hand, and thought Production. I like the ideas of less reloading though. Could he should an XD 9mm (15+1) in Limited? I don't have the $$ for an STI or a Para (trying to save up for ME) Yes, he could shoot the XD in Limited - just minor. I think its a good way to go and I probably would have gone that way too. Just happens that I had an STi (backup) that worked. Otherwise, he would have shot my Hipower or and XD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzogun Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Are there any magazine pads for the XD's to get more rounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Are there any magazine pads for the XD's to get more rounds? Don't know. Its still a relatively new pistol and aftermarket parts a few. The only negative to the XD at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmcnx2 Posted March 2, 2006 Author Share Posted March 2, 2006 Guys, thanks for all the input. We rented a few at a local range last week and have decides on a para 1640 for him. A little more money than I had hoped but I'll download it to make minor for him to start and then work him up to major. It fit him well and he could shoot it the best. I like the idea he can grow with it and will not be loking to swap it in two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Nemo, I can tell from the picture that little dude has already got some strong arms on him. Looks like he's off to a great start! Mike Thanx Mike! Sorry I didn't catch your reply earlier. Lil' Fran is a very active kid, a super in-line skater and a very passionate competitor. He's gained some weight and grown a couple of inches and yes, although he's still a lightweight he's got good arm strength. Looking forward for my boys to meet Sam sometime. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Guys, thanks for all the input. We rented a few at a local range last week and have decides on a para 1640 for him. A little more money than I had hoped but I'll download it to make minor for him to start and then work him up to major. It fit him well and he could shoot it the best. I like the idea he can grow with it and will not be loking to swap it in two years. Hey, nothing wrong with that choice. It can be a really good pistol and he can shoot Limited or download to L10. The good thing is you tried the gun out first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Guys, thanks for all the input. We rented a few at a local range last week and have decides on a para 1640 for him. A little more money than I had hoped but I'll download it to make minor for him to start and then work him up to major. It fit him well and he could shoot it the best. I like the idea he can grow with it and will not be loking to swap it in two years. Hey, nothing wrong with that choice. It can be a really good pistol and he can shoot Limited or download to L10. The good thing is you tried the gun out first. One discovery - My son has VERY small hands. I noticed that with standard length triggers, he needed to completely take his finger off of the trigger to allow it to reset. This was causing him some accuracy problems. So, I bought an STI Blank trigger and cut it down to a flat, VERY short trigger (even shorter that the SV modular trigger with a short flat insert). This made all the difference in the world. Now, his finger fits comfortably and properly on the trigger. As he grows, I can always change triggers - the next step will be back to the SV modular system. Just something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Friday Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I think there is a lot of merit in the .40 cal so they can grow with the gun and go minor to major with it. Nobody else mentioned this, but you can always get a Glock 35, and drop an aftermarket 9mm barrel into it to start with. You get the best of both worlds in this; start out bangin real cheap ammo, but can always drop the 40 barrel in it and move up to major. Really wont have to invest much to add to or modify the gun either. It's pretty much all handy-man stuff. There IS a definate advantage to the 1911 style trigger over the glock though. I own multiple of both and every new shooter I work with, regardless of age, chooses the 1911 style over the glock. This is usually for two reasons; single stack mag makes the grip easier (thus lesser apparent recoil) and the trigger pull is easier. Last thing then I'll shut-up. My wife, although not a child, is very small: 5'1" on a tall day, with small hands. She weak-wrist jams my glock 23 every shot. The grip is too big and the gun's weight just isn't enough. She bought herself a Kimber pro-carry fur things that go bump in the night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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