How old were you when you first fired a firearm?

[orpington]

Bonus points if you know what it was. Also can break down as to rimfire, centrefire, handgun, longarm, etc.

13 years old, Marlin Golden 39A. .22LR

13 or 14 years old, Ithaca side by side 16ga

14 years old, Winchester 1894 carbine in .32 Special. Might have fired a Winchester 1892 in .25-20 previous to that.

Handgun, both centrefire and rimfire, age 14 during hunter safety classes.

I’m extremely embarrassed with my late start in life, as in other threads, I noted many of you have been firing firearms and experimenting with incendiary devices since about kindergarten.

I’ll forgive y’all if I’m forever banished from this forum because of it. . My late start has a reason. My father was a LEO and we were not allowed to play with toy guns as kids as my father reasoned correctly there’s no place for toy guns and “when it’s time” I could have a real firearm. And, one Christmas, there was a Marlin Golden 39A, which I still have. Bought used and with condition, the same thing I do today (I’ve never bought a brand new firearm).

 

[jmorris]

My 392 was a Christmas gift when I was eleven, I had shot my Fathers SA-22 by then and my Grandfathers 1903.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

A little uncertain, maybe 8 or 9 at a midway shooting gallery. I was around 9 or 10 when I first shot grandpa's .22 -- also got to drive his tractor on that visit.

 

[badkarmamib]

I was 9 or 10, Marlin 336 .30-30. My boys started at 4 with a Crickett .22LR. Daughter shot the same Crickett when she was 6 (took a little longer for her to get there). All my kids have been able to recite the 4 Rules since they were 3. Guns were taboo when I was a kid, so I was naturally curious. I wasn't doing that with mine. Since they could recite the Rules, it has always been, you want to see one, just ask, I will clear it, you check it, and follow the Rules. Never had an issue since.

 

[tubeshooter]

Not until I was 21 years old and bought my own Taurus model 85.
At least for a true firearm.
Dad had guns - but was already dead by then and never shot anything with me.
Do I still get my bonus points ?

Got my first .22 rifle and center-fire rifle about 6 years later.
Marlin 60, Marlin 336.
More bonus points?


My folks did get me a BB gun upon request around 10 or 11 years old.
My brother has a Polaroid picture of me opening the gift.
My grin is literally as wide as Texas...
That was a good Christmas!
Taught me the greatest lesson about hunting as well...

 

[wayneinFL]

I was 30. First time I fired a gun was one shot with a revolver at a gun show CCW course.

 

[ksh]

12. They were a .44mag revolver and full auto M16.

 

[EMC45]

6 years old. It was a blued Ruger Single Six with the LR cylinder. Later that year my older brother got a KMart .410 for his birthday (he turned 11) and I shot that too. It's been all downhill since

 

[tubeshooter]

It's been all downhill since

Yeah, brother...

 

[REWTEX]

8 years old, it was my dad’s Stevens 22 single shot rifle with 22 shorts. Shortly after that it was on, many rounds of 22s and even started dove hunting with his Stevens single shot 410 that also had a 22 barrel on top.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

1.13, Boy Scout Camp, Summer of 1963, 22 rifle.
2. 17, BCT at Fort Dix, M-14
3. Christmas Leave 1969, 45 ACP
Nothing wrong with a late start I had no father or grandfather or uncle or other adult/mentor to show me the way, when it came to firearms I was a self starter and self taught.

 

[tubeshooter]

Nothing wrong with a late start I had no father or grandfather or uncle or other adult/mentor to show me the way, when it came to firearms I was a self starter and self taught.

Another reason I truly appreciate and support this message board, along with TFL and other good boards as well.

 

[Hugger-4641]

7yrs old, Winchester Model 62 22lr. Started out shooting turtles and took many rabbits and squirrels with it.

7yrs old, Sears & Roebuck 12ga double. Took many quail and rabbits with it.

8yrs old, High Standard 22lr semi auto pistol.

9yrs old, late 1800's vintage Winchester 94 WCF (30-30). Took my first deer at age 10 with it.

10yrs old, 686 stainless .357.

10yrs old, 1930's vintage Rem model 11.

12yrs old, mil issue 1903 Springfield 30-06, 4 rifling. First rifle I hunted with that had a scope.

All these were my grandad's, and are just a fraction of what he owned that I hunted with throughout my teens. He passed when I was a senior in High School. Due to 15 greedy aunts and uncles, I didn't end up a single one of his guns.
I do still have the first gun I bought myself at age 13 with his direction. I still hunt with it, Model 94ae 30-30, and also the first gun he taught me to reload for.

 

[Soonerpesek]

August 2014…..
I was 46…..
About 1 1/2 months before qualifying for our CHP in mid OCT…

9mm Glock 19 and 44MAG Smith 29 ( both my oldest daughter’s boyfriends guns)..

Qualified with a rented gun from the instructor’s shop, a S&W M&P40…

Didn’t have my first gun til late DEC 2014, a S&W M&P Shield 40….


As @EMC45 stated:

It's been all downhill since

 

[gwpercle]

In Louisiana ... hunting is a way-of-life .
When you can walk well enough to keep up with your old Paw-Paw ... you tag along with him ...
He's old and slow and tolerates youngins ... and he knows a lot about hunting .

I would go with my Paw-Paw and after he killed a few rabbits or squirrel or that meat hog , he would let me shoot his Single Shot Winchester bolt action 22 LR Rifle and instruct me on hitting what I was aiming at and where to place a bullet to take game .
He always admonished me to " Make The First Shot Count !"

I was about 8 - 9 years old ... 1957

I loved that old man .
Gary

 

[ironworkerwill]

Bonus points if you know what it was. Also can break down as to rimfire, centrefire, handgun, longarm, etc.

13 years old, Marlin Golden 39A. .22LR

13 or 14 years old, Ithaca side by side 16ga

14 years old, Winchester 1894 carbine in .32 Special. Might have fired a Winchester 1892 in .25-20 previous to that.

Handgun, both centrefire and rimfire, age 14 during hunter safety classes.

I’m extremely embarrassed with my late start in life, as in other threads, I noted many of you have been firing firearms and experimenting with incendiary devices since about kindergarten.

I’ll forgive y’all if I’m forever banished from this forum because of it. . My late start has a reason. My father was a LEO and we were not allowed to play with toy guns as kids as my father reasoned correctly there’s no place for toy guns and “when it’s time” I could have a real firearm. And, one Christmas, there was a Marlin Golden 39A, which I still have. Bought used and with condition, the same thing I do today (I’ve never bought a brand new firearm).

I remember, many times, my father helping me hold a rifle or shotgun before staring school. It was well over 40 years ago but I couldn't tell you how old I was.

My ex- mother in law (I still love this lady dearly she has a heart of gold) , got both of my boys Cricket rifles about the time they started the first grade. I still have both rifles and wouldn't part with them.

 

[ojh]

At the age of 19, between gymnasium and university, I went to conscript service and a Valmet RK62 assault rifle was my bride for 11 months. Did quite well with it, I had already learnt the basics of shooting with another Valmet, the Airis air rifle.

 

[.308 Norma]

Don't remember - about 5, maybe. Dad, Mom and I were on a fishing trip with my uncle Audie and aunt Amanda up on the Big Wood River here in Idaho. One afternoon, Dad and uncle Audie were target practicing with their .22 rifles, and Dad let me shoot his a few times. He had to help me hold it of course, and I couldn't see through the scope worth a darn. So, I didn't hit anywhere close to the tin can I was shooting at.
Dad and Mom gave me a .22 rifle of my own (a Winchester Model 55) for my 10th birthday in 1958. I wasn't allowed to take it out and shoot it by myself until I was about 15 though. I still have it, and it still works.

 

[dannyd]

6 years old Savage single shot 22 (still have it) also a pair of boots, pocket knife and a job. Started working in my dad's cabinet company cleaning up every Saturday until I joined the Navy at 17. Fun times, also learned how a coal furnace worked too.

 

[Ethan Verity]

Nobody in my family was into guns, but my mom had a friend who took me shooting a few times when I was 10. It was a Ruger 10/22 loaded with 22 short I believe, which had to be manually cycled each time. I really enjoyed it!

I would not shoot a firearm again until I was ~21, and was able to buy my very first handgun. I've made up for that gap in shooting since then, by shooting so much that I've worn out a few guns in the process.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I was 7 or 8 and the gun was a Winchester 69A, which I still have.

6 years old Savage single shot 22 (still have it) also a pair of boots, pocket knife and a job. Started working in my dad's cabinet company cleaning up every Saturday until I joined the Navy at 17. Fun times, also learned how a coal furnace worked too.

He can make a post without talking about an LNL

 

[.38 Special]

Seven, with a .45 caplock kit assembled by my grandfather. He remembered the occasion in his will, and the rifle now resides in my safe.

First smokeless rifle was a few years later, some sort of .22 single shot rifle, at summer camp.

First handgun was around age twelve; a Beretta 92 in 9mm, which belonged to an uncle.

First centerfire rifle was my father's Remington 721 in .30-'06, also at age twelve. (Also the first gun and round for which I handloaded.)

 

[JmacD]

I was 5 or so when I pulled the trigger on my dad’s Steven’s 20 guage single shot.
I had my first BB gun at 6 or 7. We weren’t allowed toy guns until we were well into BB guns. And if! We! Ever! Pretended! To! Point! A! Gun! At ! Someone!!!!! It was a “memorable” experience!!! A gun is life and death and needs respect! It has something that comes out the end! Before we could do anything with that BB gun we had to memorize the commandments of gun saftey from the daisy manual. So, we never had any mishaps or broken windows… and all love to hunt and shoot.by the time I was 12, sighting in rifles was my job. When i was 16 and could hunt alone, my dad was gone to my great grandmothers funeral on the deer opener; he was far more concerned about my driving to the place than my gun habits.

 

[kimberkid]

First firearm I shot, I was 10 and it was my dads Beretta model 70 pistol in 32acp, and he gave it to me before he died and I still have it. It was the only firearm that I shot until I was a junior or senior in high school, then I shot a friends Mossberg 500 12ga.
The first rifle, I was 24 and getting divorced for the first time and a friend took me out to shoot his SKS, I liked it so much I bought one and that’s when the fever hit.

 

[GBExpat]

How old were you when you first fired a firearm?​

Probably 7. Dad bought a kid-size single shot .22rf bolt rifle for teaching me the fundamentals. A JC Higgins-branded Marlin Mod101. It currently lives in my north gunsafe.

As I recall, he started those lessons out in front of the old farmhouse, 4-500 yards ENE from where I am currently sitting in my kitchen while typing this.

I did not own a firearm until I was 12. A gift from Santa. My, how times have changed.