Keystone Crickett (My First Rifle)

The Keystone Crickett is the rifle that defined the youth .22 category. Marketed as "My First Rifle," it is a single-shot bolt gun built around the smallest shooters: 2.5 pounds, an 11.5-inch length of pull, and a 16.125-inch barrel that keep the whole package manageable for a child who cannot yet hold up a full-size rifle.

The Crickett's defining safety feature is its manual-cock striker. After the bolt is closed on a chambered round, the shooter must manually cock the striker before the trigger will fire, which adds a deliberate, supervised step between loading and firing. Combined with single-shot loading and a fixed peep rear sight, the design is built to slow a first range session down to one carefully coached shot at a time.

It is a basic rifle and honest about it. The trigger is heavier than a Savage Rascal's AccuTrigger, there is no magazine, and the short stock is outgrown quickly. But at well under $180, in a dozen stock colors, the Crickett is the cheapest credible way to put a properly sized first rifle in a child's hands, and millions have started on one.