Cavalier Knight
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Yosemite Sam
What got you into firearms?
- Thread starter azhunter12
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redloki
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I was brought into it as far back as I can remember by my Father and all of my Uncles. They were all farm boys and retired military. When I was a boy I can't remember a family gathering when we were not hunting, looking at the new gun one of them bought, talking about guns or shooting. There was a lot of long walks down dusty roads and in the fields with rifles slung over the shoulders. Even when hunting season wasn't in you still carried something with you. I've had a firearm in my hands since they felt I was old enough to shoot one. It was they that gave me my love for firearms. My father has passed on but his 12 gauge sits in the corner and to this day its the only shotgun I have ever owned. One of my uncles has also passed on but I have a knife that he made me sitting here on my computer desk. I still have two uncles left that I don't see as often as I would like. One is in Missouri and still hits the range often and the other is in Montana and serves as a hunting guide, teaches hunter education and from what my mother has told me he recently bought a new set of dress blues and has volenteered for color guard duty for fallen Marines coming home from Iraq. I guess it's in my blood.
Ben Shepherd
Member
Born and rasied in a gun owning family.
Moms side has a rifle that Daniel Boone gave one of thier ancestors.
Dads side? I remember going shooting with dad, grandpa, and great grandpa a few times back when I was young enough to be shooting 22s only.
Two of my nephews names? Gage and Gatlin.
Spelling isn't the same, but you get the point.
Moms side has a rifle that Daniel Boone gave one of thier ancestors.
Dads side? I remember going shooting with dad, grandpa, and great grandpa a few times back when I was young enough to be shooting 22s only.
Two of my nephews names? Gage and Gatlin.
Spelling isn't the same, but you get the point.Silvanus
Member
I have no idea. I liked guns since I was a kid. When other children bought coloring books I bought books and magazines about firearms (seriously
). Only one person in my familily had some guns and I had almost no contact to him. My parents were/are not against firearms, but not interested either, so I had to wait and pass the time with boring soft-air guns until I could get my own weapons permit when I turned 18. I did buy my first handgun when I was 16, but it was on a friends permit and he didn't go to the range very often and of course he kept the gun at his home, so that was pretty much a waste of money at that time. I'm almost 19 now and already bought 6 handguns (the seventh, a model 19 S&W was a gift from my uncle) And yes, I spent all my hard-earned money from previous year's vacation jobs on guns when I was finally old enough
). Only one person in my familily had some guns and I had almost no contact to him. My parents were/are not against firearms, but not interested either, so I had to wait and pass the time with boring soft-air guns until I could get my own weapons permit when I turned 18. I did buy my first handgun when I was 16, but it was on a friends permit and he didn't go to the range very often and of course he kept the gun at his home, so that was pretty much a waste of money at that time. I'm almost 19 now and already bought 6 handguns (the seventh, a model 19 S&W was a gift from my uncle) And yes, I spent all my hard-earned money from previous year's vacation jobs on guns when I was finally old enough Ric in Richmond
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http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/harvey_family/
I realized it was MY responsibility to protect my family...no one else's
I realized it was MY responsibility to protect my family...no one else's
Hokkmike
Member
Deer hunting in PA.
32winspl
Member
When I was a young kid, probably about 4 or so (1962), Dad would go hunting with relatives, and of course, I wanted to go. For Christmas when I was 7, Santa gave me a Daisy 'Spittin' Immage' (model 94) BB gun, and Dad set up a temporary range in the basement. I'm told that after just a few minutes of shooting, I could hit anything. I guess I really "fed on" Dad's praise. I remember staring for long periods of time at his real Mod 94 (in 32 Win Spl). From that, I remember wearing out the sporting goods section of the Sears, Penny's, and Wards Catalogs. Those catalogs also had mini-bikes and Benelli mini-cycles which fueled my other passion... motorcycles.
Interestingly, my younger brother never caught the 'bug'. I guess some people are just wired this way.
Interestingly, my younger brother never caught the 'bug'. I guess some people are just wired this way.
Slugless
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Learning to shoot .22 rifles in the Boy Scouts.
Mousegun
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- 738
While living in N.J. in my early 30's, I went to a "social gathering" (a party) where I could see I was very much out of place. In a room full of yuppies a conversation broke out about guns and self defense. I have never seen so many bobble heads bouncing up and down when someone said that guns should be taken away from everyone except --- fill in the blank.
I felt very neutral about guns and never read anything pro or con up to that point in life but I felt a bit spunky that night and posed the question, "does anyone feel they have the right to defend their home with a gun"?
Very few in the room except my wife, who I never talked to about this before, said yes. Many suggested that if I had a gun there would be a good chance I would use it on a family member.
That about did it. I told those people that was the most appalling thing I have ever heard and gave it the ole' who do you think I am and who do you think you are even suggesting something like that?
Then I nearly cleared the room by saying (not true at the time but great effect), "I am going to join the pistol club here in town tomorrow". That led to even more spirited discussion which ended by me saying, "I will never rely on a telephone, even one with 911 on speed dial to protect my home".
The fun part was that I was making this up as I went along and enjoying the reactions from the bobble heads but later when my wife asked me about joining the pistol club, I said, "yeah I was serious", still having some fun but the thinking process had already begun. I didn't even own a gun at the time.
A year later I was president of that club and an active match shooter. A year after that "she" was a full fledge member too.
Now the (911) I use for protection has a (1) in front of it.
I felt very neutral about guns and never read anything pro or con up to that point in life but I felt a bit spunky that night and posed the question, "does anyone feel they have the right to defend their home with a gun"?
Very few in the room except my wife, who I never talked to about this before, said yes. Many suggested that if I had a gun there would be a good chance I would use it on a family member.
That about did it. I told those people that was the most appalling thing I have ever heard and gave it the ole' who do you think I am and who do you think you are even suggesting something like that?
Then I nearly cleared the room by saying (not true at the time but great effect), "I am going to join the pistol club here in town tomorrow". That led to even more spirited discussion which ended by me saying, "I will never rely on a telephone, even one with 911 on speed dial to protect my home".
The fun part was that I was making this up as I went along and enjoying the reactions from the bobble heads but later when my wife asked me about joining the pistol club, I said, "yeah I was serious", still having some fun but the thinking process had already begun. I didn't even own a gun at the time.
A year later I was president of that club and an active match shooter. A year after that "she" was a full fledge member too.
Now the (911) I use for protection has a (1) in front of it.
romma
Member
Reading enough articles about people being herded into back rooms, closets, and walk-in regridgerators and being executed.
Reading too many articles about some law abiding citizen trying to get money from an ATM to buy a gallon of milk for their family being robbed and murdered at gun point...
My eyes were opened to the fact that if you don't arm yourself, you are at the mercy of criminals.
Reading too many articles about some law abiding citizen trying to get money from an ATM to buy a gallon of milk for their family being robbed and murdered at gun point...
My eyes were opened to the fact that if you don't arm yourself, you are at the mercy of criminals.
CypherNinja
Member
LOL. A manga, of all things.
Rally Vincent FTW, for anybody who cares.
Rally Vincent FTW, for anybody who cares.
Grizzly Adams
Member
Born on a farm in the hills of Tenn. Nothing more to say.
Smokewagon45
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Hopalong Cassidy!
JesseL
Member
My Grandfather was a gunsmith after he retired from the USAF. I spent many hours in his shop (which I've now inherited) watching and helping him at his trade. When I was 8 years old he made me an NRA Life Member. After that I spent a lot of time reading 'American Hunter' and 'Insights'.
I also have an Uncle who took me out hunting/fishing/hiking/etc. quite a bit when I was young.
By the time I was 14 my friends and I spent most of our free time tramping around the woods with air-rifles, keeping the starling population in check. When I was 18 I bought my first real gun; a Ruger 10/22.
I also have an Uncle who took me out hunting/fishing/hiking/etc. quite a bit when I was young.
By the time I was 14 my friends and I spent most of our free time tramping around the woods with air-rifles, keeping the starling population in check. When I was 18 I bought my first real gun; a Ruger 10/22.
Dad had a handgun when I grew up, and I started shooting a .22LR rifle at the range when I was around 10 yrs old. He would shoot his Sig P230. Of course, I was never allowed to have my own .22, because my mom was anti-gun, so we always rented. I never really thought much of guns. I mean, I enjoyed going to the range, and dad and I probbaly went...let's say 5 or 6 times from the time that I was 10 till I was about 17. Then I went away to college in a very liberal school in Boston. People always spoke about how evil guns are. I disagreed. Their fervent attitude against them crystalized me in my appreciation for guns. Then...I found Kim duToit. A VERY pro-2A gun blogger, and started getting into politics, and actually learning about guns. It turned into a love. I started a target shooting club at my college. I have since graduated, and own several guns, and CCW every day. My mother and sister strongly disapprove. My father is one of those guys who owns a handgun and a shotgun, and goes to the range once every year and a half. He thinks that he is "prepared" in case something happens. I go to the range about once every 3 weeks now, and try to get him to come with me but he's always too busy. To be fair, he is a busy guy. He just doesn't understand that trusting himself to rise to the occasion with a gun he hasn't shot in over a year is a very bad tactics. He thinks I am wasting my time by carrying daily, yet every time he thinks of terrorists he talks about going and loading up the gun...unfortunately, it's just talk.
Anyway, long story short, I was ok with guns because my father had a moderate interest and exposed me to them, and then my love of guns was crystalized by the strong anti-gun sentements of the students at Brandies University.
Anyway, long story short, I was ok with guns because my father had a moderate interest and exposed me to them, and then my love of guns was crystalized by the strong anti-gun sentements of the students at Brandies University.
mhillsing23
Member
My grandpa game me a Remmy 552 .22 when I was about 7 or so. He took me out to shoot my first squirrel. He gave me my first .410, and my first 12 gauge shotgun. He had a weekend place with quite a few acres and would take us down there often. We would hunt or shoot cans on the fence posts. I got my first handgun last year when I moved into my own home and wanted to protect myself, my wife and my home.
Day camp in PA when I was 9 (1964). Shooting was one of the regular activities at camp. We all joined NRA as junior members ($5.00/year). We shot BB guns for scores/prizes, and also .22s, but I don't remember anything about scores. They were single shot bolt actions. I also remember a demo of shotgun reloading using some kind of hand reloading tool (Lee?), and then the counselor firing the shotgun. One of the most memorable experiences of my childhood.
After that my Dad started buying guns, joined a gun club, set up a basement range, and took us to the club every so often.
After that my Dad started buying guns, joined a gun club, set up a basement range, and took us to the club every so often.
1911NM
Member
Born and raised in Northwest Colorado. Sometimes if it hadn't been for venison or elk, there might not have been meat on the table. I have been shooting/hunting since I could keep both ends of a long gun off the ground at the same time.
Snapping Twig
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Growing up in the 60's, toy guns were sold and encouraged by TV westerns and detective shows - good guys overcoming evil and all that.
Living in California in a liberal family, their paranoia over guns was astonishing and without basis.
I bought my first pellet rifle on the QT, and later bought my first .22 rifle the same way.
As soon as I could I bought a 6" 586 in the early 80's and learned to reload.
My own family is alive today due to me having a gun one dark and lonely night, so I suppose having firearms has already paid dividends which wouldn't have happened if I had obeyed my family.
Gun control is hitting your target.
Living in California in a liberal family, their paranoia over guns was astonishing and without basis.
I bought my first pellet rifle on the QT, and later bought my first .22 rifle the same way.
As soon as I could I bought a 6" 586 in the early 80's and learned to reload.
My own family is alive today due to me having a gun one dark and lonely night, so I suppose having firearms has already paid dividends which wouldn't have happened if I had obeyed my family.
Gun control is hitting your target.
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