What was the first handgun you ever owned and how old were you when you got it?

hemiram said:

My first was a Taurus 83 in nickel. Terrible gun. I was 21 the day I bought it in 1977. Looked exactly like this one.

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A good friend of mine's first handgun was one of those, but blued. He was born in Ireland, and is still a resident alien today. He bought it when he turned 21, still has it in his mid 50's. The one gun he would never sell.

1973, a few months after my 21st birthday.

NIB blue 4" 150-model Ruger Security Six serial number (from memory ) 150-33573.

Ingliss Hi-Power at a gun show in Belton, TX 1986

Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag, I bought it when I was 16 or 17 in 1985 (with the help of my dad) and I still have it. I had to special order it, so I think I ordered it when I was 16 and it came in a few months later after my 17th birthday. It shoots great and my son is now using it.

Taurus gaucho in 45 colt, purchased new from a golfing store in Sevierville TN , 2005. I was 21. Yeah, I still have it but hardly ever shoot it.

Browning High Power, I was 18, in the Army, Fall, 1967. Still have it.

Rich1939 said:

Your story reminded me that my first post was in error! This was my first pistol. I was about 14 or 15. The gun used a cap meant for cap guns and would lob a BB about 10 feet. A bit further with some powder from a fire cracker in the barrel behind the BB

View attachment 980960 .

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I had the same gun, I thought it was smaller than BB (.177) . IIRC it seemed to be like # 8 or smaller bird shot.
My brothers got that for me, at what age I don't remember but a few years later they got me a SS BP percussion pistol. It could actually hit the side of a barn if you were standing inside!
The first pistol I bought when I was 18 (1972) was a Colt GM 45.
When I got home from the gun store (Leslie Edelman's) my father was waiting and told me they wanted for me to call them ASAP. We had shotguns in the house but he was not really a "gun guy" I guess after his cousin shot him while rabbit hunting, he had a different outlook.
When I called the store, they begged me to please bring back the gun, I, at the time did not know a FFL could not sell a pistol to anyone under 21.
I thought they would have picked up on the fact because I had a NJ pistol permit with my dob on it.
So I returned the gun and had to reapply for a new permit, I then bought a Ruger MKl bull barrel from a friend of mine, still have it today.

Wish I got as early a start as you guys. I bought a Sig 226 Legion 9mm 4 1/2 years at the age of 65. I've learned a great deal lurking on this forum.

RG-25. 25 ACP. Had to replace the magazine and clean up a lot of corrosion/zinc-pest to get it to work.

Purchased my first handgun at age 15 in 1963 .My older brother asked if I wanted to ride along as he was going to the next town to buy a revolver. On the 14 mile drive over he explained that at their generator plant they were selling the police departments old guns.
When we arrives a man in the plant came over an my brother asked about the guns. The man reached under some stairs and retrieved a carboard box. He said it was our choice for $15 ea. Their was abought 15 guns in the box and my brother picked out a Colt to purchase. I had some funds in my pocket from working for a local farmer so I picked out a S&W M&P. We paid the man in cash and walked out.

My first pistol was bought in 1987 I was 24 and I got the old High Standard Marshall 9 shot .22 D.A. revolver for the princely sum of around 85 U.S. Dollars out the door . I still have it .

Taurus Model 66 (.357 Magnum), in 1987, the day after I turned 21. I remember it being around $180 at Oshman's Sporting Goods. I still own it.

C.R. said:

My first pistol was bought in 1987 I was 24 and I got the old High Standard Marshall 9 shot .22 D.A. revolver for the princely sum of around 85 U.S. Dollars out the door . I still have it .

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My first was also a High Standard Marshall. I was 18 and bought it from my brother in law for $60. He had never shot it.
I kept it 2 years, sold it for $70 and bought a new S&W Model 17 for $145. This was in 1975.

High Standard Sentinel Deluxe, 9 shot double action revolver in 22LR. I got it for Christmas when I was about 14 and still have it. It's a fun little gun to shoot.

First handgun I owned was a two revolvers that were willed to me by my uncle when he passed. I was just out of the military and was around 24 years old. I was given a very nice S&W M15-3, which was my uncles side arm when he was a local LE back in the early 60s. Also was given a S&W K22 that was pretty beat up looking, but shot great. It was his practice gun from the 60s as well and you could tell it had seen some use. Still have both of them today and will be leaving them to a nephew when I pass.

I had 2 at basically the same time. My great uncle had passed who was about the only member of my family into guns, and after taking me shooting a couple times he knew I was as well. Before he passed he had told my Grandpa I could pick one of his guns, as well as a bow since he knew I was into archery. I really wanted a sweet 20 ga side-by-side he had, but one of his nephews he was much closer to wanted that one. I picked a T/C Contender with a 14" .223 barrel because it was modern, while everything else he had was muzzleloaders or rolling blocks which I wasn't really into at the time. Everything else was to be sold at his estate auction with the proceeds going to his church. Well, I don't think I had noticed this old revolver with it's nickel plating chipping off in his collection, but later I heard my mom and dad talk about backpacking with him while that revolver was strapped to his hip. Then my uncle and grandpa mentioned going on canoeing trips with him while that same revolver was on his side, and I knew I had made the wrong choice. So at his auction I outbid everyone else to get this High Standard Double Nine. I never cared much for the Contender, but I still shoot this revolver. I was 19 or 20 at the time.

13YO .. A cheap 8 shot German made 22lr .. my Dad bought me , to take fishing , camping & hiking
I wore it out .. and traded it for a Bolt action 12ga shotgun

Taurus .38 revolver... (Model 82?). I must have been 21. I purchased it in CA for the drive out to TX. Didn't even shoot it until I got to TX. I remember the first time I shot it. My wife's grandfather took me for a drive in the Midland area, some distance down a two-lane road we pulled over. We walked off the road about 25 yards and there was an area behind the bushes that was being used as a dump location - bottles, cans, small appliances, etc. It was a blast - much better than paper targets.

My grandpa bought this one for me when i was 13 or 14.



First purchased with my own cash was a glock 20.

Ruger P95

Remember the brother telling me all the reasons not to get that gun almost 30 years ago, his prophecy back then has proven untrue today.

.455 Webley from Kleins (main order) when I was 12 and didn't know anything about handguns. I bought it because it was the cheapest handgun they sold. I think it was less than $10.00. Fired it once and the recoil planted the front sight in my forehead.

Traded it to another kid for a .22 Colt because he wanted a more powerful handgun. I ended up with the better end of that deal.

Really enjoyed this thread!

sgt127 said:

Bricks of .22’s for $9.00. Gibsons

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Yup, I remember Gibson's...Remember buying a 50 round box of .22LR for 99 cents plus tax........

stonebuster said:

Wish I got as early a start as you guys.

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Me too!

My first handgun was somewhere around the early to mid 1980's. A T.C. Contender in .44 Rem. Mag.

NIB Ruger Standard model, 6", 21YO.

Bersa thunder 380 duo tone, 21 years old

Colt Peacekeeper .357---24----probably paid too much but I was young and clueless about handguns----having only owned a .22 rifle and 870 shotgun before.