My wife and I are expecting our first child in the next month or so... Initially I was hoping for a son, but it is going to be a baby girl, and to say the least, I am really excited......

 

To celebrate the occasion, I thought I would buy a firearm, to give her when she gets of age, and to get her interested in firearms when and if she wants.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking a ruger 10/22 with a pink stock? (Could also get an after market black stock) so I could use at the range and not feel "girly"

Save your money... I've heard kids are expensive. Buy a crickett or whatever when the time comes.

I'm sure plenty of folks have told you when the kid comes it's no longer about you. Until your actually in that position it's heard to fully comprehend.

Well while writing this I'm smiling and looking at my 3 month old boy. There's far more important things in life once the kid comes along, atleast from my view. Every ticking second I find myself thinking what can I do differently to make my son's life better.

Save the money for something she'll need and appreciate the ones you have! Good idea though, I can't say I didn't consider the same

Doesn't Henry let you pick a serial number? I thought I saw that somewhere. Order a serial number of her birthday after she's born.

Doesn't Henry let you pick a serial number? I thought I saw that somewhere. Order a serial number of her birthday after she's born.

 

They can do this.

Doesn't Henry let you pick a serial number? I thought I saw that somewhere. Order a serial number of her birthday after she's born.

 

I did this. My son has a Henry lever gun waiting for him in the safe, personalized for him whenever the time comes for him to start shooting.

You could buy a Colt Python as an investment; claim it's to sell when it's time to pay for college.  

 

The plan, of course, will break down in 18 years when you find yourself unable to part with it.

Congrats on the soon to be child...i just use my three kids as an excuse to buy more. I claim they each get part of the collection. The more i have, the more they get

As the father of two girls, my opinion is to hold off until she is old enough to understand what a rifle can do. Maybe that's not the right phrasing, but what I mean is that eventually it can be a bonding experience between you and her when she's mature enough to handle one.

 

I bought my daughter a Rossi .22 single shot, with a switchable .410 shotgun barrel in pink. Bought it for a Christmas present, but it was a week before Newtown, so I've waited to give it to her. She's now 9, so I'll probably wait until late June to try it out with her. My point is, when she is ready, you two can share the experience of trying them out and purchasing one, together, and create memories. Besides, you'll need your cash for late night diaper runs to the store.

 I would not worrie about one for her. When the time comes you will have several and there is no guessing which of them she will prefer. My daughter is six. I'll be starting her out on a single shot pump bb gun. Then i'll work her up to my collection and go from there.

I just bought a browning buckmark for my 15yo daughter to shoot.  She wasn't comfortable with my other guns but likes the .22.

 

But you're daughter's a long way from 15.  I'd stick to the cricket or similar.

Congrats on the forth coming addition.. I have 2 girls. Was slightly terrified of the idea of having a baby girl. Guess what, they are incredible!

 

I would wait until she is older. What happens if she doesn't like shooting? Took me over a year to get my oldest (12) to come with me. She doesn't like loud noises and is very much a girlie, girlie. Didn't want to make her go and if never went that was fine. She eventually came along and had a wonderful time.

 

I would stock up on 22 ammo. By the time she is old enough you may actually have enough!

My daughter is now 15. We bonded with a 22, then 9mm, then 45. She now mainly shoots a Glock 19

 

I agree on waiting.

If it makes you happy and excited , get her a little gun. It can be a surprise gift on a holiday. They are for the most part under 200 bucks. The amount of crap people ( including your wife) are going to buy this child that she'll never use  ...a wee gun is just a drop in the bucket. 

You are only going to prepare for your first child once. The memories of this time will be really nostalgic for you one day. Put your stamp on it , as guys often get left out of the nesting insanity

And congratulations.

Congrats!

 

Id say save your money right now, there will be plenty of .22's to buy for her in the future. I started out my 6 year old on a Daisy Buck BB gun, she loves it!

 

By the way.........you know you have to feed these kids? like everyday?.........and MORE THAN ONCE!!!  Nobody ever told me that!!! ;-)

I did this. My son has a Henry lever gun waiting for him in the safe, personalized for him whenever the time comes for him to start shooting.

holy crap I had no idea you could do this.  I will call them today and order 2!  one for each of my boys. 

 

I have a cz scout that they will learn on however.....

just spoke to Henry and you can indeed do this.

 

You need to go through the FFL and the the FFL's dealer to do this however

Congrats.  Hold off on the gun. Get her a life membership to the NRA instead. Even you get the EPL plan and just pay it quarterly.  All done buy the time she's ready to learn the sport.  Then go look for a firearm.

On an unrelated note, I stumbled across the parody Twitter feed for Los Feliz Day Care ("we do not accept immunized children"). It's a pretty funny spoof of all of the new-age yuppified pre-schools out there. Twitter.com/losfelizdaycare

Congratulations! Personaly I see no harm in buying it now.  We have no Idea what the future holds.

Congrats.  Hold off on the gun. Get her a life membership to the NRA instead. Even you get the EPL plan and just pay it quarterly.  All done buy the time she's ready to learn the sport.  Then go look for a firearm.

 

HOME RUN!

 

^^^^^THIS is EXACTLY what I did a quarter-century ago!  Did the Easy-Pay-Life Plan at $25 per Quarter.  The week of his fifth birthday his NRA Life Member credentials showed-up in a 9" x 12" envelope (I still have the envelope saved to this day)!  

 

Also started a 529 account for college and made sure to write them an extra check every time I wrote one for his Life Membership.

 

Now, before I forget, congratulations are in order to the OP!  Also, the OP may wanna consider obtaining a membership at a private shooting club only minutes from his home.  That way, you can "introduce" the safe handling of firearms in a QUIET place such as your own "private" OUTDOOR shooting pit, where ya won't have to scream over the bark of high powered rifles in the next lane over at an indoor range......  Besides, it's probably past time that you took-off your training wheels and became your own R-O, since she'll be looking up to YOU for guidance and at EVERY move you make.  Going to the range is also a great way to "escape" by yourself for a coupla hours and de-stress.

 

Take care.  Your World is about to get smaller, and congrats once again.

 

Dave

Thanks for all the responses guys!

 

Not sure what I am gonna do, but am excited to become a father in a few weeks.

 

And of course, I plan to sneak away at least once a month to keep shooting.

 

When either of the new ranges in Monroe open, I do plan to join because they will be way closer to home (old bridge)

I love the idea of getting a Henry with her initials and birthdate as the serial number, but as others have stated, I might need the cash.

 

I am gonna keep my eyes on the Black Friday sales, or wait to see if local venders have any great Black Friday offerings

Maybe Steve can get a ruger 10/22 really cheap for me! (Hint hint )

I would wait...there will be better firearms out there when she is able to shoot.

Henry Golden Boy .22lr with custom/personalized serial number.

it's what I just did.

 

PM me if you want the details on how to do it. It's pretty simple.

I would just wait.  You have years and years ahead of you to buy something. While my 7 year old daughter is interested,  I know she isnt yet mature enough.  Getting a 7 year old to sit down and talk about something serious for more than a couple minutes is a huge challenge.  At least for me it is, and my daughter is very intelligent.  She just isnt ready yet.  Some are at earlier ages, but you will have more than enough time to pick up something for her before she is ready...

Agreed. my 7yr old son has been wanting to go shooting since he was 5, but every time I consider taking him my little voice says "not quite yet." I can't put a precise reason as to why, but he's just NOT quite there yet. He is however quite disciplined with his nerf weapons; excellent finger indexing prowess.

I guess I just got lucky.  Started my son when he was FOUR.  Bought him a bolt-action single-shot .22 Boys rifle.  The type with a loading tray and not a magazine.  Taught him SAFETY at home, and then how to bench-rest the tiny rifle he couldn't hold-up himself.  On a Caldwell rifle rest.  21 years later he's got a small collection for himself.

 

Best advice I can give is bring them to an outdoor range so they get used to being there.  Eventually they'll wanna put-down the electronics and try the real thing.  And the sooner you get them to the range, the quicker all of the curiosity is satisfied, thus making the home situation easier as far as firearms are concerned.  Every case is different, I'll admit, but how many here with kids are knowledgeable enough to undertake such a responsibility?  In other words, do YOU have any training?  There's an "art" to teaching SAFETY.  Being responsible enough to do it all by yourself, without the need to go to a commercial range so that their R-O can do it for you, takes a certain level of trust in yourself.  So make sure that YOU know what you're doing, and if you need any help or advice, just ask for it.  Plenty of proud parents around here have done it already..........

Invest it instead.  Wait for a pull-back in Q12015, put the money in...  when the time comes, you'll have more $ to use.