Do you still have the gun you learned to shoot with?

[TheLastBoyScout]

I was doing an ammo inventory today when I came across the .22LR my grampa used to teach me to shoot (Marlin 880)... I haven't shot it for at least 3 years.

Grampa moved into a nursing home a few years ago, and all his rifles (he was a big .22 fan) ended up in our basement. He still gets to the range fairly often, weather permitting, but he always takes his Remington 597 when he goes.

I decided to handle my/his old rifle, just for the hell of it... it still fit me well enough, and after heavy barrel semis for the past few years, it felt light as a feather. I saw that the barrel was still dirty from God knows when, so I cleaned the rifle and gave the metal some CLP.

That rifle really helps me identify with the Japanese attitude toward sword care; "Your sword can exist for a thousand years, if you do your part; You are only its caretaker, not its owner."

 

[jefnvk]

Nope, never had it. That particular gun is going to my brother. Dad, being the smart guy that he is, did go out and get the same gun for each of us though, so we all will have one, even if it isn't the particular gun.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Nope.

First gun I ever shot was a bolt action 16 guage shotgun. I have no idea of the make but it was my first.

First gun I personally purchased was a S&W 686 but that has since departed my collection.

 

[secluded]

Yep! I have a Marlin Model 60 .22 that is approaching 20 years old and still running great! I bought a pair of Savage Youth .22 Single Shots for my kids (Age 5 and 2,) for them too learn on when the time comes. I'll end up passing the gun onto one of them. It has next to no resale value so-to-speak, but quite of bit of "history"

 

[Old Fud]

I had it.
Inherited it when my dad died.

But then my sister --- errr --- "Mentioned" ---- that she'd been trained on it too and loved it just as much as her big brother, everything of Dad's had gone to the SON and nothing to the daughter and - - - -

I gave it to her for two reasons:
1) peace in the family,
2) I love her

The fact that she was right had nothing to do with it.

 

[Black Snowman]

Nope . . .

The Beeman pellet gun my Dad still has, the AirWeight 22 he gave to his brother quite a while back, the 10/22 that was my first rifle I sold to my brother because he enjoyed it more than I did.

 

[grimlock]

The poll doesn't really have my option. Both my first BB gun and the .22 rifle I learned on are still at my Dad's house.

 

[El Tejon]

Father still has it. Stevens .22 bolt action with a sling made from one of his belts [insert banjo music here].

 

[MilsurpShooter]

.22 Chipmunk. Still sitting in my room, was about 9 years ago when I was 11.

 

[jlwatts3]

I have the Daisy BB gun and my remington .22. Still plink with both of them occasionaly.

 

[Rockrivr1]

My first rifle was a Crossman pump BB gun. I actually still have it in the closet somewhere. It hasn't worked in a long time and I'm not sure why I keep it, but I do. When you pump it you can hear the air leaking out somewhere. I should probably take it apart and see if I can fix it one of these days.

The first handgun I learned how to shoot was my uncles S&W M15-2. It was his police issue revolver when he was a local PO back in the late 1960s. When he unfortunately passed away a few years back I was given his revolver. It's probably my least shot hangun, but it's definitely the most cherished.

 

[mfree]

Nope.

Why would my father give away a perfectly good .22lr lever action rifle when he gets far more use out of it than I do?

 

[charby]

I can't remember what I learned to shoot with, but I did a lot of shooting with my grandma's k-22 that I will inherit someday, so I guess I could call that the one I learned to shoot with.

One of my brothers has one of the first handguns we shot as kids, a breakaction .22 single shot that was our great granddad's. I wish my Dad still had his Python that we all shot the crap out of as kids, I asked Dad a few months ago that I wish he sold it to me when he sold it 12 years ago, he told me I didn't want it because the barrel was shot out and the gun itself was pretty worn. I remember it would be nothing for us to go shoot 500-1000 rounds on a Saturday at the range. That Python also had a steady diet of hot .357 loads through it. I just remember watching bowling pins exploding when they got hit. I like this thread gave me a little jog down memory lane.

charby

 

[Old Dog]

Wish I did. My dad had a single shot .22 Stevens rifle passed on to him by his dad ... probably made in the '20s or '30s. Learned to shoot a rifle with this gun.

Still have my first BB gun, a Crossman M-1 carbine replica, and it still shoots, some ... ahem ... 30-plus years later ...

 

[Boats]

Count me among those that never owned that which he was trained upon. Dad might give it to me yet, but he is still using it.

 

[mcmoyer]

Nope...had it for a long time but passed it on to my brother to train his son with. It was a little Ithaca single shot .22 made to look like a saddle rifle & would shoot short, long, long rifle. Great little shooter!!

 

[Tory]

My first gun was also an Ithaca Saddle Gun

(Model 49, as I recall). Mine is the Deluxe model; fantastic walnut with 6 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer, gold-plated hammer and trigger and a leather sling.

Better believe I still have it!

 

[bean357]

Yep! I got a BLR .22 from Dad for Christmas about 28 yrs ago. Still have it, and it's as accurate as I could ask for.

As far as handguns, the S&W 357 Dad taught me with shortly after learning to shoot the .22, that got stolen with his pickup (along with two other S&W's). Pickup recovered smashed up, with, of course no smittys.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I learned with the Beretta type M. Loved it so much I let my Dad buy the other compact, and I bought another to replace it.

However, I've bought him the Walther P99 and the Ruger GP this week so I might have room for another favorite shooter...

 

[dakotasin]

when i turned 18 i bought a tired old ruger 10/22 - but i could afford it, and i wanted a gun.

still have the gun (14 years later), shoot it maybe once every few years. the gun has a manufacture date of 1973, i believe...

 

[Roadrunner]

Yes, a scoped .22 cal Winchester rifle.

The rifle has past from my grandfather in the early/mid 1950s to my dad then to me (in the mid 1970s) and will continue to my daugther when she is old enough. Not bad for a 50+ year old rifle.

 

[Winters]

Yes a .410 single shot Newport. Which was the first shotgun my sons shot and the first my grand children shot. Just this spring I got it out detail striped,cleaned, and lubed it and my son and I took the grand kids out to shoot it. Huge grins!!!

This summer my other son and grand kids visited and they got to shoot it too.
Also huge grins.

They all got a kick ot of shooting the gun grandpa and their fathers learned to shoot with.

This weekend I am taking a lady out to shoot that has never shot before. A .22 single shot and the old .410 wil come out again!

Too good a gun to teach new shooters with to ever get rid of.

I have had it since I was 15.

Winters

 

[Jubjub]

Remington 514 single shot .22, was an early (in time for squirrel season) Christmas gift when I was 10. It was $20.50 cents at the PX. I still have one of the two boxes of Winchester shorts that I was given along with it. Switched to long rifle as soon as possible. Bagged many squirrels, a couple of rabbits, a few groundhogs, and one coyote with it. When I was 14, I got a Remington 552 and a Weaver D4, and the single shot's been pretty much retired since.

 

[patent]

>>>Do you still have the gun you learned to shoot with?

I actually still have every gun I've ever owned (or hunted with, or trained with, etc.). My dad has a couple I got to try once or twice. I'll get them someday.

patent

 

[g56]

It's a family heirloom now, and old Remington single shot 22 that my dad bought in the 30's when he was a teenager.