Crickett My First Rifle 22 LR 16.1 in. – Proven Blue Synthetic Youth Single Shot

Description

The Crickett My First Rifle is the rifle most American kids learn on, and it has held that position for close to thirty years by being deliberately simple. It is a single shot, manual cocking, bolt action .22, built at 11.5 inches of length of pull and under three pounds, so a child can actually hold it up and work it without an adult propping the muzzle.

This Crickett My First Rifle is the blue synthetic version with a blued barrel, Keystone part number KSA2302. The stock is molded in color rather than painted, so scratches do not show as bright plastic, and the “My First Rifle” banner is molded into the side of the forend.

Two things make the Crickett My First Rifle a teaching tool rather than just a small rifle. It holds one round, so every shot is a deliberate act of loading. And the striker has to be cocked by hand at the rear of the bolt, which means the rifle cannot fire until a second, separate decision is made. Neither of those is a marketing feature. They are the reason instructors keep recommending it.

Crickett My First Rifle at a glance

• Single shot, manual cocking, bolt action rifle chambered for .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle.
• 16.1 inch blued barrel with a 1:16 twist, on a blued receiver drilled and tapped for Crickett scope mounts.
• Blue synthetic stock with an 11.5 inch length of pull and sling swivel studs fitted.
• Adjustable rear peep sight and a fixed front post.
• Rebounding firing pin safety, which blocks the pin automatically unless the trigger is being pulled.
• Under three pounds and 30 inches overall, with a Keystone lifetime warranty.

Why a single shot is the right first rifle

• One round at a time means the shooter reloads between every shot, and reloading is where a new shooter learns muzzle discipline. A magazine removes that pause.
• Manual cocking puts a deliberate step between a loaded chamber and a live rifle, which is easy for an adult standing behind the shooter to see and to check.
• The 11.5 inch length of pull fits a child’s arms. A shortened adult rifle usually does not, and a stock that is too long forces a head position that makes the sights impossible to use properly.
• Under three pounds means the rifle can be held on target long enough to take a considered shot rather than a rushed one.
• The peep rear sight teaches sight alignment better than a notch does, because the eye centers the post in the aperture on its own.

Crickett My First Rifle specifications

• Manufacturer part number: KSA2302
• Chambering: .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle
• Capacity: single shot
• Action: manual cocking bolt action
• Barrel: 16.1 inches, blued
• Rifling: 1:16 twist
• Receiver: blued, drilled and tapped for Crickett scope mounts
• Sights: adjustable rear peep, fixed front post
• Stock: blue synthetic, molded in color, with sling swivel studs
• Length of pull: 11.5 inches
• Overall length: 30 inches
• Weight: under 3 pounds
• Trigger: single stage, roughly 2.5 to 3 pounds
• Safety: rebounding firing pin
• Warranty: Keystone lifetime
• MSRP: $169

Feeding and setting up the Crickett My First Rifle

The Crickett My First Rifle is chambered for .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle, which is worth knowing because the shorter cartridges are quieter and gentler and used to be the traditional starting point. In practice, we stock .22 Long Rifle and not .22 Short, so if you specifically want the quietest possible first shots, tell us and we will look at bringing some in.

For .22 Long Rifle, Federal AutoMatch 40 grain lead round nose is the sensible bulk choice: it is standard velocity, clean enough, and cheap enough that a first shooter can put real rounds downrange rather than counting them. Standard velocity also makes less noise than high velocity, which matters more to a new shooter than most adults remember.

The receiver is drilled and tapped, and Keystone makes the base for it. Our Crickett 3/8 inch scope mount base kit is the correct part rather than a generic rail, and a small rimfire scope on a Crickett My First Rifle helps a young shooter connect with the target much faster than irons do. Keep the irons on the rifle either way; learning both is the point.

Keystone also builds a Generation 2 Crickett with its EZ Loader loading aid, which we stock as the Crickett G2 in blue. If easier single round loading matters for the hands that will be using it, compare the two before you choose.

Supervision, storage and the honest part

This is a firearm, not a toy, and nothing about its size changes that. A Crickett My First Rifle should be used under direct adult supervision every time it comes out, and it should be stored locked and separate from its ammunition when it is not in use. The rebounding firing pin safety prevents a drop from discharging the rifle; it does not supervise anybody.

The manual cocking piece on the Crickett My First Rifle is the feature to teach first. The rifle is loaded, the bolt is closed, and it still cannot fire until the cocking piece is pulled back. That gives an adult standing behind a young shooter a clear visual state check, and it gives the shooter a habit that transfers to every other rifle they will ever handle.

Buying a Crickett My First Rifle is a normal firearm transfer. Federal law sets who may purchase and who may possess a rifle, and the purchase here is made by the adult, not by the child it is intended for. Your transferring dealer will run the paperwork the same way as for any other rifle.

Who the Crickett My First Rifle suits

• Parents and grandparents teaching a first shooter, who want a rifle that fits rather than an adult .22 with a shortened stock.
• Scout troops, 4-H programs and youth ranges that need something simple, light and hard to misuse.
• Anyone who wants an inexpensive, accurate single shot for close range small game or pest control on a small property.
• Collectors of a piece of Americana, since these have been built in Milton, Pennsylvania since 1996.

The Crickett My First Rifle is not trying to be a precision rifle or a plinker for adults. It is a teaching tool that happens to be a genuinely good little rifle, and it is priced so a family can buy one without much thought. Specifications here come from the distributor record and from Keystone Sporting Arms’ own product page.

This is a serialized firearm and ships to a licensed dealer for transfer. We are holding just under two hundred of them, so colors and finishes are worth asking about if blue is not the one you want.