First experience w/ guns, & does it affect your choices now

[1911fan]

My first experience and one of my earliest memories is watching my mom shoot bunnies in the garden and then my brother and I racing out to see who got to haul it into the house for her to clean....She had a .22 savage pump, I still have it. For years I carried that gun everywhere I hunted, and now more recently, I have retired it as I can't bear to damage it or wear it out.

IT was her gun going thru the depression and it fed her family an awful lot then too.

This is a pic off the net, as I dont have a working camera right now

My dad had a Remington 25 rifle, it was a 32-20 and he shot a lot of deer with that all over Minnesota during the depression and later. My brother has it now.

Rem Model 25.jpg (10.49 KB) Viewed 5018 times

Both were small and light, both did the job they needed to do at the minimum side of the power level, and both were accurate enough to reward a good shot.

[meddin]

I'm not sure that my early gun experience (shooting my Dad's Savage .410) affects my choices much now, but certainly is the reason I am into guns now. I shot that .410 when I was 12 or so, then didn't shoot again until last year. When my dad passed I inherited that gun, and my love was sparked. I used to be an almost anti-type before (my ex certainly was). Then, after shooting that .410 again, I realized just how much fun firearms could be.

Now I own several, and look forward to more.

If you had asked me a year ago if I would have ever imagined myself going to the Burnsville Winter League new shooters oreintation, I would have said you were crazy. Lookt at me now .

Thanks Dad.

[White Horseradish]

My grandpa had a shotgun I've never seen. When I was a kid I went to a judo class for a while, on the way back from the class I would always hit the airgun shooting gallery that was on the way. I am better at shooting than at judo, go figure.

The first real gun I fired was a Mosin. I couldn't figure out what people found so hard about shooting them.

[old guy]

Back about 1948 my Dad bought a new Stevens 12 Ga. singleshot it had the plastic stock and forend,I think it cost a whole $18.95,it may have been only $9.00, I think my brother still has it. I recently saw one at a gun show, the plastic front was still there but the butstock was replaced with wood. I really don't remember a first experience with guns.

John

[timwarner]

I got a marlin 7000 for my birthday from the grandparents when I was about 10. I have at LEAST 500,000 rounds through it, with almost no cleaning until I got into my 20's. The carrier is shot and the recoil spring is toast, but it's still an awesome gun. Just gotta get some replacements someday from brownells.

Same as the 795's today, only with a better stock and a bull barrel.

Far as how it affected me now, I still like the short/heavy bull guns in just about any cal.
All the AR's I build are front heavy.

[photogpat]

I shot my Grandpa's break action .410 with my Dad in a ravine at G'Pa's cabin. Dad set up a couple of Coke cans on a fallen log...I think I was 8.

After that I didn't touch much until Boy Scouts and the .22 range at Tomahawk.

I'm trying to bring the boys up right... .22's at age 5, .22 pistol at 6, .410's at 7....should be ready for highpower by 8.

[Rodentman]

In about 1970 a coworker at my PT college job took me to a range in Englishtown NJ and I fired my first firearm, a .70 rifle. I don't remember the model. I still correspond with that buddy and I think he still has it. I thought it was great fun and when I moved to AZ in 1972 I bought a .308 rifle, not sure of the model, and an S&W 28 which like a fool I sold. Sold the rifle too quite a while ago. I since have reacquired a 98% 28-2 dating to 1976 and my interest in handguns has been renewed. I started handloading back in 1972 but I don't have continuous experience over all those years like Sam does. Glad to be back in the handgun hobby again!

[Spike]

I'm pretty sure that the first gun I shot was a Remington 12CS .22 Special pump that was my grandfathers. Later on we always had trouble with it feeding. In hindsight I don't think we realized it was .22 Special (WRF) and were probably trying feed it .22 LR. I still have it but it's in pretty rough shape. I may have to order some ammo and take it out just for old times sake.

The 12cs looks a lot like the model 25 that 1911fan posted a picture of.

I can't say it really influenced what I shot later in life as I've mostly been into handguns and revolvers. Though I have been having a lot of fun with the Mosin's that I recently picked up.

- Spike

[Dave Pendleton]

My first experience was in the Marines, which is why I own a Colt 6550. With the exception of the fire-control group, it is identical to the rifle I was issued. I also have a 6551.

I honestly don't remember the reasoning behind buying my first GLOCK, but I'm glad I did.

[sawgrass]

Growing up in the country and shooting a lot of what went on the table, having guns around was very natural.
I had bb guns when I was six or so, and shot my first .22 when I was nine. It was a Winchester 67 that belonged to my Papaw.
My Dad gave me my own .22 when I was 15. He bought it at the Western Auto. I still have it along with a collection of 67's.

I guess the only thing that has changed is that now I carry and more aware of personal defense.

[Sherry]

My first experience with a gun was my dad's shot gun. He set up a can and told me to aim and pull the trigger. Recoil hurt and I had no further interest... Until I met Tim. I have shot most of his guns (that I know of), but I most enjoyed the hand guns because my girl arms didn't get tired holding them. I think it probably shaped my choices. I like the glocks a lot. I shot strad's 1911 once and it was nice. I am just so used of shooting 9mm now that shooting 45's is like getting poked when you are half asleep (not quite like getting kicked though). Some day I will probably get into the 45's, but for not I am more interested in getting better with my glock. BTW, I shot the 19 for the first time, until I had a squib... That was my fault because I had reloaded the bullets.

[Hanns]

Does Tim still have his P7? Those are amazing fun to shoot.

[cobb]

Not an experience with a particular gun, but my dad always encouraged me to practice and become a good shot. Many years ago on the farm he use to set up some cans for me shoot at with his single shot .22 rimfire. In the beginning this was always done when he was working on a piece of farm equipment and I was basically by his side. That old .22 rimfire single shot was very well worn and even had a cracked stock. Many years prior, my dad's younger brother wounded a feral tom cat with this rifle, the cat supposedly attacked him and he used the rifle as a club to finish off that tom. That old rifle was a farm tool, I learned on it, it was used to head shoot many of the farm's free roaming chickens for soup or the freezer, it also prepared much pork and beef for the freezer.

So maybe an experience with this first gun did have an effect on me. But I don't think it had an effect on my choice of firearm, but did form my opinion that a firearm is a tool that can be used effectively in many ways.

[monschman]

My first shot was taken with an SA-80. Other than sentimental experiences, I dont want one, jam-o-matic. Shortly afterwards I got to shoot a very well kept browning hi-power, those I want one of.
Next up, H&K G3, those I really want one of (two actually).

[plblark]

hmmm... first gun exprerience was in 4H with BB-guns. That was fun. First memorable experience, coming from a house where guns were not allowed, was the babysitter's fiance taking me out to a gravel pit.

I seem to remember a .22 rifle, a .22 revolver, and a 10 Ga featherweight shotgun. Yes, in that order. Without instruction on how to hold the shotgun... it HURT. as in dislocated shoulder level hurt.

I had interest but little practical experience for several years after that. I got into it late in life because a buddy was into guns and he shared his self defense story with me.