ORIGINAL: Ridge Runner
the trigger guard on them is molded into the stock, making it prone to breakage, only way to fix it once broken is with a new stock. the barrel isn't changable, the magazine is plastic.
My advise is get a regular model 7, have a smith drill the back of the stock with a 1/4 oversized bit, then take off rndom pieces till it fits the child, then as the child grows add 1/4" back here and there, then remove 1/4" and add 1/2" to keep up with growth, use the predrilled holes as dowel guides to keep everything kinda in-line.as the child approaches full size, let them pick out a new aftermarket stock, this way they have a rifle that will serve them a lifetime, not just a so-so gun to serve them through a diffacult period. my 8 yo has a remmy model 600 set up like described, there is also a new bedded brown precision stock awaiting her adulthood.
RR
I see your point, I did this with a Mossberg 500 20g. for him, but a rifle in my opinion is a little differant. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesnt the barrel on a youth model differ in length then that of the real deal of an adult model? If not, then I wouldn't have a problem with that route. But if the adult model has a longer barrel, then that's what I'm trying to stay away from. He has problems with the weight of my Rem 700 in 25-06, so my thought was the youth model to reduce weight in the over all gun via a shorter barrel. Help, need more info! Thanks, Scott.