Why?

I'd contend that a new shooter gets more benefit from his/her practice sessions if they spent less time pumping an airgun and more time shooting a .22LR rimfire rifle. If air rifles are your thing, more power to you. I had several as a kid, but once I got my first .22LR I never seriously shot an air rifle again. The average .22 is more accurate than all but the finest air rifles, has much greater range, and when used as a hunting weapon, more power to humanely take game of reasonable size. And if report is a concern, one can buy gallery ammo like the CCI .22 CB Long ammo. These are very accurate, sub-sonic rounds that make the same amount or LESS noise in a rifle than an air rifle, yet are still just as accurate as their standard and high velocity counterparts.

As far as suitability of giving a 12 year old an air rifle or .22, consider that many people, including myself, had a SHOTGUN by age 12 and were out with our dads hunting pheasants and rabbits with such, a pellet gun or .22 is nothing by comparison.

Mike