Gun for a 7 year old future Black Widow
I've got a moment coming up where my character, a young woman who was taken to be part of a secret Soviet operative program when she was little more than a toddler (yes, Natasha Romanoff), makes reference to her very early experiences with firearms. I want her to mention a specific make, as she's trying to hammer home just what her upbringing was
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First, children as young as 7 can learn to fire full-power handguns...but you are correct that it is best to start them with lighter loads, so as to develop proper technique without worrying about handling recoil.
The best gun I can find (Russian-made) to start with would be the Baikal Margolin .22 target pistol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCM_pistol
However, once she mastered the basic principles of marksmanship, I'd imagine they would rapidly move her to a pistol she might conceivably use under combat circumstances. Here are 2 suggestions that fit that category, without being unduly harsh in recoil.
1.) The Makarov (PM); it was the standard Soviet sidearm for a long time, and was used by the KGB. It's chambered in the 9x18mm Makarov round, which is somewhere between a .380 (9mm short) and the standard 9mm Parabellum in size and power. I'm told that the Makarov is actually fairly mild in recoil, because it is a straight blowback pistol, and is thus heavier for its size than many other pistols (but I can't verify that from personal experience).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarov_pistol
2.) The Walther PPK; while not Russian-made, I am reasonably sure it would have been available in Russia at that time, as it was a very ubiquitous pistol in Europe, and I believe was manufactured on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Chambered in what the Russians would call 7.65mm, it is a relatively light-recoiling gun, and very concealable, so a fine weapon for covert activities. Later they could move her to a model chambered in 9mm Short or even 9mm Parabellum, so she could use the same gun, just with a more potent load.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_PP
One last thought; while I am not 100% certain on availability, the Spanish company Llama-Gabilondo did manufacture some .22 pistols that were essentially "scaled down" versions of the Colt 1911A1, but chambered in .22 LR and .25 ACP. This would be an EXCELLENT pistol for teaching a young shooter, because not only is the caliber small, the gun itself is smaller. I know that Llama did manufacture guns for export to the Americas and Asia; if available on the Asian market, I would expect the KGB (or similar group) to be able to get ahold of one. According to IMFDB, Llama pistols were used in the James Bond movie "From Russia With Love", but that doesn't necessarily mean it's accurate.
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