Cricket 22’s?

[Mathieu18]

Anyone use one of the $150 Crickets from Walmart etc and are they any good or at least serviceable? Tried to break out the Crosman 1077 and teach the kids a bit but it’s still to big with a too heavy trigger for my 7 year old, and it has a valve problem or something and doesn’t seem worth fussing with. Only got a couple shots out of it but didn’t seem to be leaking so dunno. Anyway, looking at cost for even moderate air gun, thought I might look at a Cricket. I have a 10/22 as well but was thinking something smaller too.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

Solid little rifles. Surprisingly accurate too.

 

[Mathieu18]

Solid little rifles. Surprisingly accurate too.

Thanks, any better or worse etc? Or just pick a color?

 

[DRFury]

It is a PIA to load a round with adult fingers, no feed ramp. Sturdy construction, fairly heavy trigger but serviceable.

 

[Mathieu18]

Savage Rascal any better or worse? Also wouldn’t mind something with a couple round mag but I know that get pricier.

 

[beamernc]

All 3 of my children learned on Chipmonks, Crickets are basically the same thing. All 3 have their own walnut stocked rifle that they can pass down. They started shooting around 3 y/o.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

Thanks, any better or worse etc? Or just pick a color?

Pretty much. You can shoot Colibri out of them and use a sheet of Plywood to stop the rounds.

 

[Mathieu18]

I’d never looked at the specs on that. It’s a freakin BB. Thanks.

 

[HandyDave]

The chipmunks, rascals and cricket single shots are great little rifles specially for the price and perfect place to start a young shooter. I learned on a winchester 67 that I still love to shoot and will be buryed with. I helped teach all my little sister's to shoot on my 67 and now teaching my nieces and nephews how to shoot with same 67. I like the single shot rifles cause they really help slow kids down and help drill in the safety needed in shooting. They have some really fixed up crickets and rascal rifles online with floated barrels and adjustable stocks and cheek welds which would be a nice plus so the rifles can grow with the kids until there ready to move to bigger lead slingers.

 

[Red Marley]

Solid little rifles. Surprisingly accurate too.

What NCLB said. They are better than you’d expect

 

[Average Joe]

Used a cricket to help teach my son in early 2000s. It’s now being used to teach my cousins grandson. I expect it will be in the family a lot longer than I will be. But like @DRFury said, if you got beefy man hands, it can be a PITA to load.

 

[Dale Gribble]

Started my kids off on a Rogue Chipmunk…yeah, they still have them and still shoot them.

 

[nbkky71]

I much preferred the Rascal over the other brands because of the accu-trigger, cock on open and ease of loading due to the feed ramp. Money well spent as it feels more “refined” than the others

 

[BlueGecko]

If you want to tinker or want your kid to potential tinker with it, skip to a basic 10/22

 

[Mathieu18]

If you want to tinker or want your kid to potential tinker with it, skip to a basic 10/22

already have a 10/22 TD, just too big for my younger one. Seems like the Rascal with Colibri is the ticket.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

I’d never looked at the specs on that. It’s a freakin BB. Thanks.

I used to shoot them out of a revolver at a biscuit tin backstop laying in bed.

 

[GoWolfpack]

I used to shoot them out of a revolver at a biscuit tin backstop laying in bed.

Every once in a while, single life sounds awesome

 

[Mathieu18]

Anyone have a good place to get Colibri? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it locally. Academy has Super Colibri shipped but no Colibri.

 

[dbarale]

I much preferred the Rascal over the other brands because of the accu-trigger, cock on open and ease of loading due to the feed ramp. Money well spent as it feels “refined” than the others

Another vote for the Rascal. I love that thing. It really feels like a miniature precision bolt gun.

 

[dman24]

Brownells has a walnut youth 10/22 stock. Not sure how to post links but it’s easy to find with a google search. We started my stepson with a cricket and when he could handle it we moved him to the 10/22 with the youth stock. I don’t think it is available for the take down model.

 

[mostly22lately]

Anyone have a good place to get Colibri? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it locally. Academy has Super Colibri shipped but no Colibri.

I was looking as well. I saw on Ammoseek what was available, and, yikes.

 

[45/70fan]

The super are a little faster (590 fps vs 420 fps) but just as quiet. Deadly on squirrels inside 20 yards.

 

[Hellquest]

We bought the rossi single shots. That way as they grow we can swap barrels to bigger rounds or gauges.

 

[rufrdr]

All 3 of my children learned on Chipmonks, Crickets are basically the same thing. All 3 have their own walnut stocked rifle that they can pass down. They started shooting around 3 y/o.

Same here, 4 kids and 1 niece grew up shooting our Chipmunk. Still have it, waiting for my grandson to try it.

 

[Exspiravit]

Crickett makes a neat little "survival rifle" that you can find for around twofiddy.

CRICKETT PRECISION RIFLE .22LR OVERLANDER CARBON FBR THREADED

www.familyfirearms.com

 

[Combat Diver]

I bought my youngest son a green/black laminated Crickett for his 5th birthday back in 98'. His son who will be 6 next week now has it. Bought 3 more synthetic stocked ones for my other three grandkids when they were each 5 yo. It does take strength for the youngster to pull back that cocking piece on their own but then they have the pride of accomplishment of doing themselves.

Second thing on Crickett is that there are two different actions ie safety that locks the action. Oldest son lost that key and it stayed locked for a long period till he finally got around to buying another key. Other ones I bought did not have that feature.

Third, after the kids outgrow the rifle, Crickett does sell larger adult sized stocks.

 

[commiecuriocollector]

Anyone use one of the $150 Crickets from Walmart etc and are they any good or at least serviceable? Tried to break out the Crosman 1077 and teach the kids a bit but it’s still to big with a too heavy trigger for my 7 year old, and it has a valve problem or something and doesn’t seem worth fussing with. Only got a couple shots out of it but didn’t seem to be leaking so dunno. Anyway, looking at cost for even moderate air gun, thought I might look at a Cricket. I have a 10/22 as well but was thinking something smaller too.

If they're built like the chipmunks, I happen to know they can tolerate a serious overpressure round and not blow up. Never had a crosman that could do that.