What was your First Firearm?
- Thread starter oneshooter
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vito
Member
As a young, newly married 2LT serving in my first assignment in El Paso, Texas, I purchased a new Browning 25 cal semiautomatic for $40 in 1966. Knowing little to nothing about handguns at the time I thought this little gun would be perfect for home defense, carrying when home on leave in NYC, and not intimidating enough to scare my new bride (who feared and hated guns, and 38 years later, still does). I really loved that little pistol, and used to just slip it into my pocket when catching a flight home to New York. In those days, for you younger guys who never had the opportunity, you could board a plane with no metal detectors, no security or hassle of any kind. Even then it was illegal to carry on a plane, but on the one occasion when it fell out of my pocket onto the seat, I told a startled passenger who observed this happen to not worry, it was just a cigarette lighter! A few years later I traded it for a Browning 380 which ended up being stolen from me during a home burglarly. I would never consider now trusting my life to a little 25 cal, but part of me would like to find another of these little "pocket Brownie" handguns.
Ivy Mike
Member
My first time shooting was with a lever action Browning .22 my dad still has.
The first real gun I ever owned was the Ruger 10/22 carbine (blued, synthetic stock) that I bought on my 18th b-day. Still own it and still goes with me nearly every time I go shoot. Took my first jack rabbit with it too.
The first real gun I ever owned was the Ruger 10/22 carbine (blued, synthetic stock) that I bought on my 18th b-day. Still own it and still goes with me nearly every time I go shoot. Took my first jack rabbit with it too.
Zaire
Member
Glock 19 9mm, got it for my 17th birthday. 1991, not sure which generation it was but had to sell in 94 for money to fix my car. Wish I still had it though.
12-34hom
Member
First gun
Stevens 311a side by side 410 my dad bought me. Man i killed alot of pheasants Quail and raggits with that gun!
12-34hom
Stevens 311a side by side 410 my dad bought me. Man i killed alot of pheasants Quail and raggits with that gun!
12-34hom
one45auto
Member
A Colt Police Positive .38 Special. I still have it, too. 
zx-12r
Member
The first gun I owned was a JC Higgens 12gauge (used) that my father had gave me. The first I actually bought was a S&W model 57 .41mag 8 3/8 in bbl. I was really looking for a model 29 at the time but could not find one locally, but I liked the idea of a .41. I wish I still had that one.
12 Volt Man
Member
Ruger 10/22.
I believe all young men (and yound women if they have the interest) should be issued one of those on their 12th birthday.
I believe all young men (and yound women if they have the interest) should be issued one of those on their 12th birthday.
Sam
Member
My first was a Stevens #12 "Marksman" in 22lr. Early on in my gunsmithing efforts I converted it to 32 S&W long to make it a fit better game gun. It was and is a wonderful piece. It will be my last firearm too. It stays till I die.
Sam
Sam
gulogulo1970
Member
My first gun, I bought it the day I turned 18 in 1988, was a Mossberg 500 12ga with the 28" VR barrel and the 18" police barrel. It was the first gun I ever shot as well.
I still have it, now it has a 20" rifle sight barrel with a 7-shot magazine instead of the 5 it came with. Of course it now has many other friends in the safe. Out of all the cool guns I have it would be the last gun I would ever sell.
I still have it, now it has a 20" rifle sight barrel with a 7-shot magazine instead of the 5 it came with. Of course it now has many other friends in the safe. Out of all the cool guns I have it would be the last gun I would ever sell.
Pumpkinheaver
Member
My first was a Marlin model 60.
mbs357
Member
My first gun was a Remington 522 Viper .22 LR rifle.
It was a gift from someone a few years back, still have it. Good little rifle. Magazine fed, 11 rounds. Got a 3-9x power scope on it by Tasco. ^.^
It was a gift from someone a few years back, still have it. Good little rifle. Magazine fed, 11 rounds. Got a 3-9x power scope on it by Tasco. ^.^
Ringer
Member
Mid 80's bought myself a .357 Mag. A S&W 6" 586 that is still in the safe.
mmike87
Member
I was 15 years old and bought a Marlin bolt action .22 magnum. I forget the model number, as unfourtunately sold it years ago.
Remington 514 BR
A cut down single shot bolt action with an "H" carved in the stock by its former owner. It got traded for a Marlin 60 which I flat wore out.
A cut down single shot bolt action with an "H" carved in the stock by its former owner. It got traded for a Marlin 60 which I flat wore out.
eagle45
Member
Mine was a Mossberg bolt action 12 gauge shotgun, model 395KA with Mossberg's C-lect-choke. I got it in 65, I was 12. I took many rabbits, squirrel, quail and pheasant with it as a youngster and killed my first deer with it as an adult. Still have it.
Chicken-Farmer
Member
Marlin 39A
When I was 10 I inhereted my Grandfathers Marlin 39A from my Father. I had completed a hunter safety course and proved to be responsible.
When my oldest daughter was 3 we started going to the range together. The Marlin 39A was right there with me once again teaching responsible firearm practices. My daughter is now 6 1/2 and schools her Dad every time we go to the range, which is 2-3 times a month. She loves shooting so much that she now has 3 ".22 Guns" as she calls them. For show and tell she takes in her Junior Rifle targets. She's quite proud, as am I.
My Marlin has put many rabbits, squirel, & praire dog into the game bag over the years. It will be passed onto my son as it was passed onto me and the legacy will continue into a new generation.
When I was 10 I inhereted my Grandfathers Marlin 39A from my Father. I had completed a hunter safety course and proved to be responsible.
When my oldest daughter was 3 we started going to the range together. The Marlin 39A was right there with me once again teaching responsible firearm practices. My daughter is now 6 1/2 and schools her Dad every time we go to the range, which is 2-3 times a month. She loves shooting so much that she now has 3 ".22 Guns" as she calls them. For show and tell she takes in her Junior Rifle targets. She's quite proud, as am I.
My Marlin has put many rabbits, squirel, & praire dog into the game bag over the years. It will be passed onto my son as it was passed onto me and the legacy will continue into a new generation.
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Darkside852003
Member
My first was an AR-10 it was a late 18th birthday gift to myself. My buddie bought me the aimpoint and two twenty rounds mags for it. I sold it a few months ago.
Jeff
Jeff
Guy B. Meredith
Member
The first firearm in our house was a $25 third hand Remington 514 single shot .22 lr that my brother and I shared. We mounted a J. C. Higgens 4X scope on it. My brother was probably 11 and I 13 years of age.
The first firearm of my own was a brand new $49 Mossberg 195K-A bolt action 12 GA with C-lect choke that I purchased by myself at age 18 at, I believe, Sears and Roebuck. You could still do that in California 41 years ago. I later mounted a Weaver 1X scope on a Pachmayr quick-removal mount, a setup that cost more than the Mossberg.
Both scope mountings were poorly done.
Moving forward 34 years from the Mossberg the next purchase was my first handgun, a S&W 6 inch 686+. Like the Mossberg, it was selected as being an "all around" gun.
Still have all the above.
The first firearm of my own was a brand new $49 Mossberg 195K-A bolt action 12 GA with C-lect choke that I purchased by myself at age 18 at, I believe, Sears and Roebuck. You could still do that in California 41 years ago. I later mounted a Weaver 1X scope on a Pachmayr quick-removal mount, a setup that cost more than the Mossberg.
Both scope mountings were poorly done.
Moving forward 34 years from the Mossberg the next purchase was my first handgun, a S&W 6 inch 686+. Like the Mossberg, it was selected as being an "all around" gun.
Still have all the above.
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bobs1066
Member
The first gun I owned was a 20 gauge single-shot Eastern Arms shotgun I inherited from Grandpa. The first firearm I bought for myself was a Colt Lightweight Commander in 38 Super. Still have both.
Guy L Johnson
Member
22 Simi
Sears 22 (Repackaged Marlin/glenfield) at age 11 o12 although i had always had since walking access to rifles and shotguns, grew up in the country(FL) on a farm/ranch, I guess the folks got tired of being out of shotgun shells. prehaps the earliest job/chore i had was dispatching snakes that came to the high ground(Where the house is) after the rains. Not much scares my mom but snakes do and my job was to waste em with a shotgun.
Guy
As you get older you remember some of the earlier stuff
Sears 22 (Repackaged Marlin/glenfield) at age 11 o12 although i had always had since walking access to rifles and shotguns, grew up in the country(FL) on a farm/ranch, I guess the folks got tired of being out of shotgun shells. prehaps the earliest job/chore i had was dispatching snakes that came to the high ground(Where the house is) after the rains. Not much scares my mom but snakes do and my job was to waste em with a shotgun.
Guy
As you get older you remember some of the earlier stuff
Stickjockey
Member
First rifle: Remington dropping-block single shot .22. Dangerous little gun that would fire if the hammer wasn't in the right place when you closed the action. Our old house has two holes in the deck (one mine, one Dad's) from it. Traded it and $75 for a Plainfield M1 carbine and a box of cartridges.
First handgun: Colt Series 70 Gold Cup National Match. Still have it; my carry piece for the time being.
First handgun: Colt Series 70 Gold Cup National Match. Still have it; my carry piece for the time being.
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