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Author Topic: Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range  (Read 1325 times)

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Offline Sourdough

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Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range
« on: February 19, 2004, 08:30:39 PM »
When my son turned five, I bought him a little Chipmunk .22LR.  My wife, who is a certified NRA Instructor started teaching him to shoot that summer.  She really liked the peep sight to start him with.  Later I got one of those little short 1" Bushnell .22 scopes and mounted it.  By the time he was 10 he was pretty proficient with this little gun.  We enroled him in the local 4-H shooting program when he was 10 so he could take the NRA shooting course, and get some experience shooting with other kids.  When we took the Chipmuck to the range, the Range monitor placed him on the end of the line.  At the end of the session the Range Monitor came over to talk to me.  He pointed out a real concern of his with the Chipmuck.  After a round is loaded into the chamber, when a small kid tries to cock the gun using the knurled cocking piece there is a possiability that they can let it slip half way back.  This piece is hard to pull back, especially for a small child.  If the cocking piece is let fall from the half way position the gun will fire.  The Range Monitor pointed out that my son was having trouble cocking the gun, even at the age of 10.  At this point my wife admitted she had always cocked it for him.  The wife commendered my Contender, ordered a youth stock and a .22 match grade barrel.  The Chipmuck became a wall hanger.

Oh Yes!  They gave me an Encore to replace my Contender.  I can't complain.
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Offline KN

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Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2004, 12:22:40 PM »
Sounds like you came out OK. I am surprised that the gun will fire without the trigger being pulled. Are you sure about this?  KN
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Offline Questor

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Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2004, 09:22:49 AM »
I looked at the Chipmunk too when I was shopping for a youth gun. I tried the cocking mechanism and wrote it off as dangerous.  It's a case where putting in too many safety features makes the thing more dangerous.  I don't think very highly of the contender as a kid's gun either. My son shoots an Encore rifle and it took him quite a while to get used to the hammer, and that was shooting from a bench. I wouldn't want him to have that in the field until at least 14, perhaps older.  My vote for a good kids gun is a conventional bolt action.
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Safety first

Offline Jeff Vicars

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Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2004, 06:03:23 PM »
Folks, I have tried to cause both the Chipmunk and Crickett rifles to fire by partially pulling the cocking piece and letting go, without success. These guns will not fire unless the trigger is pulled. Both have rebounding firing pins that are automatically blocked.
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Offline K2

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Re: Asked Not To Bring Chipmunk To Range
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2004, 08:18:05 AM »
While this is an interesting discussion, many guns can be fired when cocking if something goes wrong.  This is why teh muzzle should always be in a safe direction when handling the gun.  PS The TC can be fired if a user releases the trigger before cocking the hammer.  In this case the moment the hammer is released by the thumb the gun will fire so be aware of this.  If tripped by mistake the TC should be opened and closed before proceeding to cock the hammer.  For this reason I consider the TC a gun for experienced shooters or to be used under teh watchful eye of an experienced TC user.  

Finger off the trigger until ready to fire, action open unless actually shooting, muzzle always in a safe direction = no accident!!

Have fun and train em right.  
Quote from: Sourdough
When my son turned five, I bought him a little Chipmunk .22LR.  My wife, who is a certified NRA Instructor started teaching him to shoot that summer.  She really liked the peep sight to start him with.  Later I got one of those little short 1" Bushnell .22 scopes and mounted it.  By the time he was 10 he was pretty proficient with this little gun.  We enroled him in the local 4-H shooting program when he was 10 so he could take the NRA shooting course, and get some experience shooting with other kids.  When we took the Chipmuck to the range, the Range monitor placed him on the end of the line.  At the end of the session the Range Monitor came over to talk to me.  He pointed out a real concern of his with the Chipmuck.  After a round is loaded into the chamber, when a small kid tries to cock the gun using the knurled cocking piece there is a possiability that they can let it slip half way back.  This piece is hard to pull back, especially for a small child.  If the cocking piece is let fall from the half way position the gun will fire.  The Range Monitor pointed out that my son was having trouble cocking the gun, even at the age of 10.  At this point my wife admitted she had always cocked it for him.  The wife commendered my Contender, ordered a youth stock and a .22 match grade barrel.  The Chipmuck became a wall hanger.

Oh Yes!  They gave me an Encore to replace my Contender.  I can't complain.
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