Sold: Junior .410

Hi all,

I'm after a lightweight 4.10 for my son as his first shotgun. Something cheap, small and light. Aluminium Yildiz or the like. If you have something you would like to move along, kindly PM me. I'm often at Bisley.

Best

James

Elderkin have a yildiz junior as new £375 that’s Lincolnshire ,.

If your ever in Devon I have the same gun which is not being used .

The last thing anyone wants to be told is that they don't want what they say they want. But he I am. My opinion is that a .410 is an expert's gun or a very specialised gun for shooting decoyed pigeons, rabbits back when and how this was done before myxomatosis, and squirrels. For all else I'd beg you to buy the boy a 28 bore. Truly, really, honestly. Because for the most part all .410" guns to teach a child come too tightly choked.

Some will say that a 21 gram 28 bore is little different to a 19 gram .410" but it isn't. It's a whole different theung and going forward to the demise of lead has a whole better future. Indeed I'd almost say buy him a 20 bore and that advice...the 20 bore option...then all of a sudden you've a whole spectrum of good, well made, reliable but inexpensive secondhand guns.

On the clay ground where I now mostly shoot once a week they start kids on a 20 bore. My father back in 1919 on his then twelfth birthday was started on a 12 bore and I have it still today although the stock that was cut down for him then lengthed as he grew with black ebonite I have now had replaced. That may be an extreme example though! But a .410" no.

But the point that I hope does not offend is as in my first paragraph. The .410" is excellent in a particular niche. I have one a Webley & Scott bolt action in the Deluxe version. But starting a child to learn on one will produce misses and that will give disappointment. Leave the .410" to its forte or to the experts. Look for a 28 bore at the minimum but better a 20 bore (with unfashionable twenty-six inch or twenty-eight inch barrels) instead.

enfieldspares said:

The last thing anyone wants to be told is that they don't want what they say they want. But he I am. My opinion is that a .410 is an expert's gun or a very specialised gun for shooting decoyed pigeons, rabbits back when and how this was done before myxomatosis, and squirrels. For all else I'd beg you to buy the boy a 28 bore. Truly, really, honestly. Because for the most part all .410" guns to teach a child come too tightly choked.

Some will say that a 21 gram 28 bore is little different to a 19 gram .410" but it isn't. It's a whole different theung and going forward to the demise of lead has a whole better future. Indeed I'd almost say buy him a 20 bore and that advice...the 20 bore option...then all of a sudden you've a whole spectrum of good, well made, reliable but inexpensive secondhand guns.

On the clay ground where I now mostly shoot once a week they start kids on a 20 bore. My father back in 1919 on his then twelfth birthday was started on a 12 bore and I have it still today although the stock that was cut down for him then lengthed as he grew with black ebonite I have now had replaced. That may be an extreme example though! But a .410" no.

But the point that I hope does not offend is as in my first paragraph. The .410" is excellent in a particular niche. I have one a Webley & Scott bolt action in the Deluxe version. But starting a child to learn on one will produce misses and that will give disappointment. Leave the .410" to its forte or to the experts. Look for a 28 bore at the minimum but better a 20 bore (with unfashionable twenty-six inch or twenty-eight inch barrels) instead.

Click to expand...

Very sound advice, thank you. My boy is on the smaller side though and I assumed that the only gun that would fit would be a 410??

aboynamedjim said:

Very sound advice, thank you. My boy is on the smaller side though and I assumed that the only gun that would fit would be a 410??

Click to expand...

The real problem is barrel weight and action weight and often with cheap side by side guns the things weigh silly daft stupid. I had one that I sold in fact, a .410" Spanish but not and AYA that weighed 6lbs 1oz. For a .410" yes! In over and under guns I don't truly know what the weights are. Aluminium actions are not to be condemned but there was a post on here of someone who had overtightened the bolt that held the stock into the action on his aluminium over and under and split the action.

One gun that the clay ground I frequent do use is an old double trigger over and under Laurona. Theirs is a non-ejector but they did come as ejectors. The same drill is done as with the traditional side by side double trigger. The smaller shooter uses the gun using the back trigger as their trigger. With the old Laurona each trigger fires both barrels. With a side by side of course not so. But it saves money and effort on lengthening pieces for a gun or shortening and lengthening a stock. So maybe worth a think if not too barrel heavy.

The only other advice I'd give is get a gun with multi-chokes or if not with very very open chokes for no point in having a gun that can kill a bird (or clay) at fifty yards if it causes the easy birds at twenty yards to be missed. Thank you for the generous reaction to my advice. And of course modern 12 bore loads go as low nowadays as 21 gram and yet still work most inertia triggers in single trigger O/U guns. Hope it helps. I think that relatively inexpensive "youth" size guns in 28 bore and 20 bore are available?

Finally one last word. My late father's 12 bore is still goung strong and last used used by me in January 2026 just two weeks ago despite having been made in 1919! So buy well made and inexpensive...it's a plain non-engraved Birmingham boxlock ejector...and the gun will last him into adulthood. Buy cheaply made and inexpensive and it won't last him beyond his teens! And it's a thing to look back and for his children to one day say "This was my father's first gun." The only other comment? Short stocked guns are cheap yet for your son they are ideal...so see below.

So to begin maybe treat him and enjoy the event yourself with a trip to Northolt for a fitting for him at Holland & Holland's ground. They know what they are doing and will give you measurements that will help you choose a first gun with correct initial stock length and cast etc. And just like an eye test you take that piece of paper away and a free to go anywhere else to use when buying a gun, new or used, or to have the stock length adjusted.

Holt's and Lonsdale's are gun auction houses. What they do both post is length of pull and weight of gun. That can help in giving you an idea of what that gun of that make and model will be in those measurements at a shop nearer to you will be suitable or not. A nine pound over and under is maybe not a boy's best first gun!

Yildiz has an Aluminium action ,not to everyones taste I know but are featherlight ,built for junior sizes ie short barrel and stock ,and come with a full set of chokes ,so not too tight oh and I almost forgot steel proofed ,not that you will be able to find any steel cartridges for it .Things have moved on a lot .
Having said that I wouldn’t disagree with anything that Enfield spares has posted his views are always respected .

The best cartridge for a new starter for the .410"? Eley Trap .410" that come in 2 1/2" and in 3" both with plaswad and in English 7 1/2" shot. Whatever you do if you go the .410" path don't start him with English #5 shot or, if at all it can be avoided English #6 shot EVEN IF GIVEN THEM FREE as the pattern has the risk of too many voids in it if shooting clays past twenty yards.

Get a nice little 28 bore

Based on the advice of ES and HJ, I'll also look at a little 28 bore. Am I correct in thinking that larger stocks for Yildiz/Koffs can be bought so as he grows, the gun can be adapted to suit?

aboynamedjim said:

Based on the advice of ES and HJ, I'll also look at a little 28 bore. Am I correct in thinking that larger stocks for Yildiz/Koffs can be bought so as he grows, the gun can be adapted to suit?

Click to expand...

You are better on a gun with that offered to buy both at the same time. To 1) have both tried in the gun to see if they do fit and that neither split when the used (so have the gunship swap them over if at all possible to try before the junior stock goes on and 2) so you don't, find three years later that the adult stick is no longer available.

But on a modern O/U the rear of the stock will be covered with a buttplate cut square. It is possibly a cheaper option to insert a 1/2" piece of plywood cut in a bandsaw to the outline of the buttplate between buttplate and stock and screw buttplate back using longer screws.

The above won't look wholly bloomin' awful and in any case when he stops growing a piece of matching and properly shaped timber or a KickEez pad ground and shaped can then be fitted it may be even with the £120 some charge to fit such a KickEez cheaper? A timber extension could be £175.

So it depends on the price of the adult stock if bought with the gun. If I were doing it I used the plywood method to extend and extend and then when his growth spurt has done it's thing finally fit the adult stock safely kept and not put away and then lost in the years between.

There are many beautifully cut, and extended 28 bores out there, often in nice little SXS’s too. Seen a fair few where the stock was shortened for a youngster, and the cut off was then kept and used to relengthen as they grew, keeping the original wood and grain.

That’s what I’d be looking for personally.

This is turning into a discussion thread rather than a Wanted Ad. However, I can’t spot that anyone has asked the age of your son or his stature. Having been through the same process some years ago, I can advise that youngsters get tired quickly and can’t hold guns for prolonged periods. I started my son when he was about 8 years old with a Yildiz youth .410. It was perfect for him at the time. You just need to select .410 friendly stands and targets to make sure he can hit stuff.

The window when a .410 is appropriate is finite and he will soon progress. My son leap frogged the 28/20 bores and went up to a 12 auto with confidence very quickly. He’s now approaching 19 years old and is a good 6’ 1”.

T

Have DM’d you.

I have one you can have free of charge, its rough, could do with a new spring which I might try and sort this weekend, if you head down the A1 to Bisley you'll likely pass me, I only used it for HD but now have a moderated 12b, but it goes bang when you pull the trigger and you won't mind if it gets scratched, only condition I put on, you also pass it on when its outgrown

Ah Greenmist, that is very kind of you, but I have just sourced one! Thank you kindly for your offer

aboynamedjim said:

Ah Greenmist, that is very kind of you, but I have just sourced one! Thank you kindly for your offer

Click to expand...

What did you manage to get? As next all us experts can advise on best cartridge choice. LOL! Which if it's a .410" for clays is Eley Trap .410" in either 2 1/2" or if the gun is so chambered 3". Though to be honest the 2 1/2" is more than good enough when used on sensible clays shown at sensible distances and that's most defintely not "mini" clays quartering away at fifty yards.

enfieldspares said:

What did you manage to get? As next all us experts can advise on best cartridge choice. LOL! Which if it's a .410" for clays is Eley Trap .410" in either 2 1/2" or if the gun is so chambered 3". Though to be honest the 2 1/2" is more than good enough when used on sensible clays shown at sensible distances and that's most defintely not "mini" clays quartering away at fifty yards.

Click to expand...

I was lucky enough to be gifted a Webley Scott bolt action single shot, which would be just the thing to get him started on clays and squirrels. The offer was very kindly sent by a fellow SD member after seeing my post.
I will certainly be taking your advice on the cartridges. Thanks ES