Author Topic: length of pull for a youth model (Read 6665 times)

TMerkley · « **on:** April 30, 2012, 03:36:20 PM »

What is a good average length of pull for a youth model. Let's say a boy about 4 ft tall?
I was thinking about the same as a red ryder bb gun. Any suggestions?

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:34:15 PM »

Kids grow really fast. If you are not a fast builder, the gun will be too short by the time the child gets to use it.

TMerkley · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:47:01 PM »

All the more reason for him hold on to it for his kids!

rich pierce · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2012, 05:03:55 PM »

I have seen a kids trade gun before that looked great, about 5 pounds. Smoothbore obviously, maybe .45 or so, can be loaded down to 25 grains and teach kids safety, loading and shooting out to 25 yards. Should be able to build something simple like that in a couple of weekends. I built a small rifle for my wife and son back in 1982 or so when Matt was 11, with a 11.5" pull.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2012, 06:01:54 PM »

A gun for my oldest boy, Sam, when he was 10. Now he's 21.

Pull, 9 1/2", barrel 20", 32 cal.

I can shoot this, not comfortably, but I can squish myself up enough to hold and get on the sights. The .32 is plenty snotty for a kid.

Eric Smith · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2012, 06:52:17 PM »

I would imagine you could measure a kids LOP same as a mans, but I would add a bit to compensate for growth.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2012, 07:08:45 PM »

Kids have bigger heads in proportion to their bodies than adults do. Varies with the kid. Often more drop is needed. A kid just can't get far enough down, nor shoulder up high enough, on a straight pull gun for a good sight picture.

JoeG · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2012, 09:53:50 PM »

I'd built it with a 12-13 inch pull
boys grow fast and it takes longer to build a gun than a pair of moccassins
arms grow about as fast as feet
Both of my sons grew up using the rifle I built for my wife with a 12 1/2" pull as one outgrew it they passed it down to the next

its not too short and they shot it for a long time
I think that anything shorter would be out grown too fast

even if it is a little too long they can still shoot and learn the basics of loading and safe gun handling this year and have grown into it by next year.

My oldest sons first .22 was a single shot rolling block with a 12 1/2" pull
he started sooting it at age 5 or 6 and I still shoot it now

James Rogers · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2012, 11:37:50 PM »

It is not critical to be ultra precise in length of pull. It just needs to be comfortable to mount easily and not so short he is bumping the nose with the thumb.
My son's LOP was 12 5/8" with 2 1/4" drop at heel and 1 3/8" drop at comb nose on his little gun. He is now 22 and shoots a 15" pull on competition guns but can still plink with that little gun.

Acer mentioned "drop" and I agree with him but want to define that a bit more. As kids are growing, different parts are growing at different rates as he mentioned. Many have long necks and need some drop at heel to compensate. That said, many of those same kids will need less drop at the comb nose because of higher cheekbones. Adding drop overall without seeing how it will fit the youngster could have his head way off the gun to see thru the sights or cause him to raise the butt too high above the shoulder to get his face on the gun.

I would choose the longest LOP you can get away with and him still be able to mount it now. Then fit him with the correct drops based on that chosen LOP. Changing the LOP will change all the drops unless you are running a parallel comb line. LOP is is the least important as far as exactness is concerned but everything is built around it.

Here is a pic of my son's gun. It has a high comb line like an early 18th century fowling piece. Not the prettiest lines but fit and function was chosen over style and grace in this instance. If architecture is having a disagreement with gun fit (it often does) you can get the heel drop established and create a pleasing comb line then add moleskin to the face contact area to build it up.

James Wilson Everett · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2012, 06:13:36 AM »

Guys,

This is a gun I let the kids handle when I am doing a gunsmithing show-n-tell. It has a LOP of about 10 inches and it fits the kids who are about 6-8 years old.

Jim

Bob Roller · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2012, 07:02:37 AM »

An outstanding little rifle.

Bob Roller

Larry Luck · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2012, 03:51:52 PM »

Here's the one I'm working on and need to finish before my son quickly outgrows it.
LOP 11 7/8
Drop at comb 1 1/4
Drop at heel 3 1/4

Larry Luck

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2012, 04:19:53 PM »

Larry, al that gun needs is the touch hole drilled. What's taking you so long?

Tom

Larry Luck · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2012, 07:49:32 PM »

Sloth. Principally sloth. With occasional additional lapses of industry and character.

Hope to get 'er done by Dixon's.

Larry

T*O*F · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2012, 08:06:44 PM »

I would suggest if making a youth's gun, that one make the LOP at 13" and use a hooked buttplate designed to be bicep mounted, rather than shoulder mounted. By raising or lowering the off arm, as well as moving it forward or back, one can naturally adapt to this style of rifle for a span of several decades.

Long John · « **Reply #15 on:** May 04, 2012, 02:16:02 AM »

There is a lot more than LOP to consider in designing a rifle for kids.

I built 2 a few years back.

They were both built with 40 caliber barrels, 13/16 straight octag cut to 28 inches.

A child's head is much larger in proportion to its body than adult so your ratio of LOP to drop is about 1/2 for that of an adult gun. Some of that can be made up by making sights taller, but not all. Weight is the critical issue. A child does not have the upper body strength of an adult, even a weak adult. All too often kids are turned-off by shooting because they have to adopt bad shooting form just to hold up the gun.

In my family we have a tradition of handing things down. When a child out-grows a rifle, she/he gives it to a younger sibling, friend or what ever.

I have 2 "Button-Buck" rifles on the bench right now. The will have a LOP of 9 inches, 36 caliber swamped barrels cut to 28 inches. They will weigh about 4.5 pounds each. I only wish there was a left-hand small Siler lock. One third of the little girls out there are lefties and there isn't a small lock for them! I have 3 great nieces all waiting for a little rifle but they have to wait until I can find a little left-hand lock.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

TMerkley · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2012, 06:35:17 AM »

I have been looking for small left handed locks as well, they are hard to find.

I appreciate all of the feedback. I am learning alot. I just need more time to dedicate to working on this stuff. Hard to do with a full-time job and two part-times.

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