Off topic, Sorry! I need a used Marlin 30/30

Hello, Sorry for posting this here, but I thought this might be a good place to ask. I am looking for a used Marlin 30/30 for my son. It's his first time hunting and I thought a 30/30 would be a good start for him. He is a little small for his age and didn't want to crush him with something bigger. Any help would be appreciated. I live North of Pittsburgh, in Beaver.
Thanks, Jim

cawk blocked
but i agree i learned and we usually teach our kids on .22's with a safety then the exitement of that first deer comes and you go to flip the safety of and and oops gotta cawk the 30-30
ok it happened to me
 
 

I can see both sides of the safety concern on the hammer.
 
Most of my friends started out with the 30/30 at age 12 or 13 and never had any issues either.  I got a .30/.30 when I was 16 and never had any problems. But, my dad was absolutely anal about gun safety.  The reason why . . . he had a .30/.30 round laid between his feet as a young man, from his buddy's gun.  Buddy was ejecting the shells after the hunt and the drawstring from the hood of his parka got wrapped around the trigger. 
 
Of course if he had been practicing the number 1 rule of gun safety that round would've never ended up between my dad's feet.
 
The relative safety of any gun in the hands of a youngster is primarily the responsibility of the adult educating the kid in gun safety.  You know your kid, and his level of responsibility and safety and you know how much you've taught him.  I think having a 30/30 with the rear hammer made me focus even more on gun safety than I would have otherwise.   
 
Why do you want a 30/30 for him though, and not some other caliber or type of rifle?  If it's a cost issue, that makes sense.  They are usually cheaper, and there is an abundance of used ones out there. 
 
Performance wise though, I'd look for something along the lines of the .243 especially if he is on the small side.  I inherited one from my uncle a few years ago, and it is a sweet shooting gun.  The 30/30 is a fine gun for the PA woods, but IMO the .243 is more versatile and as he gets older and more skilled, will allow him to take shots that are out of the 30/30's league. 
 
Sounds like you're looking for something used though. Take a look at some used gun shops in your area, and see what fits him and what he is comfortable with.  I don't know what's in the Beaver area, but I know that Sportsman's Supply near Butler on Rt. 356 has a very nice selection of used firearms.  They often have guns that have seen moderate to heave use and can be had at reasonable prices. 
 
 

I concur with the external hammer being mechanically safer than a "safety". And there is no dispute that loading and unloading any gun can be dangerous. However, when loading a lever action the hammer will end up in the cawked position and must be let down on a live round. This certainly increases the possibility of an unintentional discharge.

I have always attached the add on piece to the hammer. Dont know the accurate word for it. This allows much easier lowering of said hammer when releasing it and makes a huge difference in cold weather or wearing a glove. Especially effective if the gun has a scope right over the hammer.
 Presently have it in place on all there of my scoped hammer guns.