Mike, as is many times the case when opening a topic on this forum, there is no prevailing wisdom except for the admonition to proceed carefully.
I still favor the idea of a break-open gun, as at a glance its readiness to fire is easy to ascertain. Since a double with 2Ts can be used as a single with the convenience of a built-in shortened LOP to the rear trigger, that is my leaning. Also, many more are available with slender, open grips for smaller hands. Having said that, I would sieze the opportunity to experiment with a youth-sized soft-shooting autoloader, but only after we get the basics of gun safety down pat.
It occurred to me after reading some of the posts that in a relatively few short years when a 6 1/2 pound gun is manageable, my 26" skeet/skeet 12b 2 1/2" could become a suitable field gun with the 7/8 or 1 oz. loads. It's balanced behind the pin and feels lighter than it is.
My friend's 20 comes with .410 inserts, I may take it along to the practice field with some 2 1/2" and let my son touch off a few, the recoil should be minimal. After reading the posts about girls getting into the sport, at some point I think I'll bring my teenage daughters and let them try out with the little gun. They've never shown the slightest interest but how do I know they wouldn't enjoy the experience? Who knows they might be shooting the old man's doves for him this season.
