While visiting Mossberg's booth, I couldn't help but notice how significant their youth lineup is. I've introduced quite a few young ones to the joys of shooting sports, I have to say, at times it was difficult to find just the right firearm for some of them. So it's an aspect of the industry which does matter to me.
You have rimfires, centerfires and shotguns in there; single shot, repeaters; some with adjustable ergonomics. One which I didn't know about is the "Patriot Bantam Walnut"; with a 20 inch fluted barrel, a 12 inch LOP, and an adjustable trigger. I would imagine that the .243 version would be ideal for most smaller shooters; it's also available in 308 and 7mm-08, but I'm not sure my 110 pounds younger son would prefer one of these two calibers rather than the 243 version...
And then, there's this contraption - I know it's not new, but it does fit in a "guns for youth"thread; the 464 SPX :
The concept of a tacticool lever action isn't one that I particularly feel attracted to. BUT, the idea of having an adjustable buttstock going from a short 11.25 inches to a long 15 inches, in a light 30-30 lever action (also exists in 22lr), has to receive some sort of praise. Here's the same rifle with stock fully extended:
And one more with stock fully retracted with a wood stocked 464 for comparison:
It's great to see a major company offering such a complete lineup to help older shooters share their passion with the next generation!