The Browning Mini Bolt is a single-shot .22 LR bolt action scaled for a child: 3.25 pounds, 30.5 inches overall, and an 11.5-inch length of pull on a one-piece synthetic stock. The 16-inch barrel is stainless steel under the blue and black finish, and the sights are Williams Fire Sights, a red fiber-optic front bead with two green fiber-optic dots on an adjustable rear. The safety is a manual tang lever. Loading one round at a time is the point: the shooter works the bolt, loads, fires and clears before the next shot.

This is a first rifle for a young North Carolina shooter, light enough to hold steady and simple enough that an adult can watch every step. Bright sights make it easier to teach sight alignment, and the short stock fits before a full-size rifle does. Many families start a child on the range with a rifle like this, and it keeps its place for plinking after the shooter has moved up to a centerfire.

Key features

• .22 LR single-shot bolt action
• 3.25 pounds, 30.5 inches overall
• 11.5-inch length of pull, one-piece synthetic stock
• 16-inch stainless steel barrel
• Williams fiber-optic sights, manual tang safety

The rifle ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer; the adult purchaser completes Form 4473 and the NICS check at pickup.