Marlin Papoose .22 is great, no striker to pull back
has a large manual safety, great kid length stock, bolt action,grooved for scope, fiber sights. Comes either blued or stainless. We let youngest grandkid practice prone shooting(dry-firing) countless hundreds of snaps on our living room floor , aiming out storm door @ birds, squirrels & rabbits wandering thru our neighborhood. The Marlin cocks by working the bolt, the chipmunk & others work by pulling back a striker & those littlehands are weak & it is easy for them to slip off the striker before it engages.
We are on our 2nd Marlin Papoose now, got 1 for the youngest daughter when she was 5 or 6(21 & has kid now), got the 2nd 4 her nephews use.
If you can find 1, an old Win 67, 69 makes a pretty good kids gun 2.
be safe, enjoy life
da gimp
OFC, Mo. Chapter