In the search for a starter .410 for my son, we found this little gem. It's the Rossi Tuffy Poly single shot. It is small in every manner of the word. 31 inches overall, under 12" length of pull (reach to the trigger) and just a hair less the 3 pounds. Yep. My scale says 45 ounces. It's chambered for 3" shells and is stamped Modified Choke.
The weight is due to mainly the polymer receiver. The pistol grip or technically a thumbhole stock is small enough for kids hands but still fits my big mitts pretty good. Speaking of the stock, it has 4 built in shell holders on each side. They hold the shells snuggly and require a little umph to get them in and out but it helps you slide them in as straight as possible. You do not "snap" them in, rather you slide them in as you would a chamber.
The Tuffy has a transfer bar safety, just like most modern wheel guns. It also has a nice manual safety. It's recessed on the right side or the "On" position. This seems like a good design as it's far less likely to be bumped to the off position. With the safety on, the hammer is locked into place, wether it's at rest or cocked. Pulling the trigger with the hammer back and the safety on allows it to drop just a little, enough to need to be cocked again. With the safety on, it keeps the hammer from being cocked. But when it's off, it protrudes out a good distance and is easy to see.
The trigger isn't horrible, about what you'd expect for a shotgun. To break open the action, there is a button atop the right side of the reciever, right next to the hammer. The gun was pretty tight when it was brand new but it's loosening up a little bit with use. The barrel also has the auto eject feature to throw the empty shell about 10 feet over your shoulder. The swing swivels are included.
Breaking it down is simple. Unscrew the front captured sling swivel and pull off the fore end. Break the action and it's done. Broken down, this gun can be stored in less than 19" of length. This would be a great back packing, camp, trunk gun. With the light weight and compact size, it's just a tiny package. I'm working on finding a case that will work for it. I'm sure the 10/22 takedown case would be good.
It shoots good. My son is under 5' and less 70 pounds. It gives a him some good recoil, but he still shot about 50 rounds through it (2 1/2") in one outing without a complaint. The 3" does have a little bit of punch to them. For an adult to shoulder it, monkey on a football comes to mind. You can do it, but it will take a little getting use to. But you can always shoot it like a pistol without issue.
They come in four colors. Black, grey, tan and OD green. Ours was bought at Dunham's for about $150. I have seen them as high as $199 in a LGS.
https://rossiusa.com/firearms/tuffy-shotgun
The weight is due to mainly the polymer receiver. The pistol grip or technically a thumbhole stock is small enough for kids hands but still fits my big mitts pretty good. Speaking of the stock, it has 4 built in shell holders on each side. They hold the shells snuggly and require a little umph to get them in and out but it helps you slide them in as straight as possible. You do not "snap" them in, rather you slide them in as you would a chamber.
The Tuffy has a transfer bar safety, just like most modern wheel guns. It also has a nice manual safety. It's recessed on the right side or the "On" position. This seems like a good design as it's far less likely to be bumped to the off position. With the safety on, the hammer is locked into place, wether it's at rest or cocked. Pulling the trigger with the hammer back and the safety on allows it to drop just a little, enough to need to be cocked again. With the safety on, it keeps the hammer from being cocked. But when it's off, it protrudes out a good distance and is easy to see.
The trigger isn't horrible, about what you'd expect for a shotgun. To break open the action, there is a button atop the right side of the reciever, right next to the hammer. The gun was pretty tight when it was brand new but it's loosening up a little bit with use. The barrel also has the auto eject feature to throw the empty shell about 10 feet over your shoulder. The swing swivels are included.
Breaking it down is simple. Unscrew the front captured sling swivel and pull off the fore end. Break the action and it's done. Broken down, this gun can be stored in less than 19" of length. This would be a great back packing, camp, trunk gun. With the light weight and compact size, it's just a tiny package. I'm working on finding a case that will work for it. I'm sure the 10/22 takedown case would be good.
It shoots good. My son is under 5' and less 70 pounds. It gives a him some good recoil, but he still shot about 50 rounds through it (2 1/2") in one outing without a complaint. The 3" does have a little bit of punch to them. For an adult to shoulder it, monkey on a football comes to mind. You can do it, but it will take a little getting use to. But you can always shoot it like a pistol without issue.
They come in four colors. Black, grey, tan and OD green. Ours was bought at Dunham's for about $150. I have seen them as high as $199 in a LGS.
https://rossiusa.com/firearms/tuffy-shotgun
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