Mark, I was started on a hammer single shot, a Winchester 37, and I like hammer guns because they are either safe or not. It is almost impossible to accidentally cock a hammer gun. That said, a double is more complex. The new shooter should practice cocking his gun on the mount, for that is how he should use it it in the field. A double is more complex because it has 2 hammers and any red blooded boy is going to try cocking both hammers on the mount. That can be a difficult trick, depending on the gun and one's hand size/strength. I have accidentally fired a shot trying to cock both hammers on the mount while skeet shooting. Better to let him usr the gun as a single, with only 1 cartridge loaded until he has mastered that skill, then move on to loading both barrels and 2 separate cocking motions.
