The hammer on most American single shots (which many of us learned on as kids) aren't all that easy for a kid to cock (especially in weather cold enough to require gloves--and potentially try and decock if they get the hammer back but don't shoot. (The Winchester 37 is something of an exception.) But if I were choosing a single shot for a youth, I'd look for a Savage Model 220. (You'll probably have to do some looking to find one in 20ga, which is what I'd recommend for a beginner.) It has a top tang safety as do most doubles, which makes conversion to either a sxs or OU pretty easy. But decocking a hammergun while pointing it at the ground seems relatively safe . . . although potentially not for your dog if you don't know where he is.
Last edited by L. Brown; 03/21/23 04:59 PM.
