The only gun I owned before the age of 54 was a top break Iver and Johnson that my Great Grandmother owned that was passed down to me. She used it to protect herself from banditos on the Texas border. My Grandparents usually had a shotgun in the closet and we had a rifle available to hunt with when visiting. I never even thought of owning a gun until my 40s. Even then, I did not think I should have one as I thought I might use it on my wife at the time. I also never thought of actually needing one as I am not afraid of much of anything.
In my teens, I was in the ROTC and our High School had a shooting range under the school swimming pool. I was a pretty good shot and was asked to be on the rifle team but I thought, at the time, that it was boring, so did not join.
It wasn't until this year that a few things came together to put my mind in the frame of gun ownership. First, my daughter joined the Marines. Second, I live alone now. Third, the current political environment and past pushes for gun control (good for gun sales). Forth, I felt I am responsible enough to own one (see ex wife). All of this together and the thought of going to the range with my daughter (my only child and one who is good with firearms) led me to buy a 45 to use for target practice.
Since then, I have purchased five more pistols, a couple of lever action rifles, and one Evil Black Rifle in .308. I love em! I am hooked!
I now have my Carry License and have learned all of the responsibility that comes with that privilege (given by God).
I did have some limited training on an M16 in the Air Force, but in the 70s, that was not a lot.
By the way. My daughter loves going to the range with me and shooting paper. On a side note, I told her that people use the EBR (Evil Black Rifles) for hunting, and she stated that, "I never thought of hunting animals with one". We laughed!
So my question is, who of you started late in life, like me, and why?
In my teens, I was in the ROTC and our High School had a shooting range under the school swimming pool. I was a pretty good shot and was asked to be on the rifle team but I thought, at the time, that it was boring, so did not join.
It wasn't until this year that a few things came together to put my mind in the frame of gun ownership. First, my daughter joined the Marines. Second, I live alone now. Third, the current political environment and past pushes for gun control (good for gun sales). Forth, I felt I am responsible enough to own one (see ex wife). All of this together and the thought of going to the range with my daughter (my only child and one who is good with firearms) led me to buy a 45 to use for target practice.
Since then, I have purchased five more pistols, a couple of lever action rifles, and one Evil Black Rifle in .308. I love em! I am hooked!
I now have my Carry License and have learned all of the responsibility that comes with that privilege (given by God).
I did have some limited training on an M16 in the Air Force, but in the 70s, that was not a lot.
By the way. My daughter loves going to the range with me and shooting paper. On a side note, I told her that people use the EBR (Evil Black Rifles) for hunting, and she stated that, "I never thought of hunting animals with one". We laughed!
So my question is, who of you started late in life, like me, and why?