A BB gun will put yer eye out
. I was never allowed to have one. But I had a shotgun at eleven, pellet gun, Marlin 30-30, and a few pistols before I was 21.
BBs ricochet off of walls, rocks, etc. ...some truth there imo. Get a nice pellet gun after airsoft imo. A single shot, break bbl...until he's big/strong enough to cock it by himself, he should be supervised. Just my .02...
I have a Diana/RWS air rifle....it's simply an awesome rifle...not cheap (300 or so), but it's a spoon a kid would keep and cherish for a lifetime....would be a fantastic first "real gun" too...
Don't have to spend that much, but a pellet gun...hands down...no ricochets.