[Jeff Higgins]

Have you considered revolvers? S&W K-22's are wonderful little guns, as are my personal favorite, the Ruger Single Six. K-22's are getting a little spendy these days, but Single Sixes can be had anywhere from around $200 for a used one to about $400 or so for a brand new one.

Single actions are great guns for teaching kids how to handle a handgun. They simply will not shoot without a deliberate move to cock the hammer first. They only hold six, and they are somewhat slow to load and shoot, so it makes the kids slow down a bit. They teach a kid to slow down and aim to get hits, rather than to miss quickly because there are always more in the magazine.