What was your first gun?

[AFhack]

My first was a Browning M-2 50 cal tripod mounted in it's very own little red wagon, my parents were the greatest


Though, I didn't get invited to many birthday parties in the neighborhood

 

[Working Man]

First non-air gun I shot was either my dad's Sterling .22 or Ruger Single Six...
I think he brought both to the range that day long ago.

Thanks dad.

The first bought was a Ruger P95 followed quickly by a Ruger Redhawk .44.

 

[Average Joe]

A Sears & Roebuck .22 single shot bolt action rifle. I still have it. I cost me $16 dollars from my paperboy money. That was in 1968.

 

[COK]

A .410 single shot shotgun when I was about 6 , I can’t be sure of the make as it was over 40 years ago, My Dad gave it to me as a Birthday present and spend a lot of time with me making sure I understood all the rules of gun safety, We then spent many years together shooting countless boxes of ammo through it before I moved up to a Remington 1100 12 ga which I still have. We then gave the gun to my Grandmother who wanted a small gauge shotgun as she was in her late 70’s. She was one of the best shots I have ever seen with a shotgun and rifle, She used to pick off snakes in her garden with a .22 from 30- 40 ft when she was in her 80’s and hardly ever missed. No longer have the .410 but have her .22.

 

[bulbboy]

Aaahh, my first gun. I saved and saved and scraped and scraped and got me a sweet Davis .380! You can only go downhill from there...

 

[Stevie-Ray]

First shot was from a Mossberg .22, 7 shot semi-automatic with a unique fold down forend. (seems like we pay a bunch extra for these on ARs ) It was Heaven on Earth. Thank you Jim, my former brother-in-law, marine Vietnam Vet, and all-around great guy. I still miss you.

A year or so later, (at 12) I got my own; a Stevens bolt action with a 5 shot magazine. Still have it and it still amazes me with it's accuracy.

 

[KodeFore]

First Gun

M16A1 first ever fired First ever owned was a bargain brand single shot 12 ga. The stock broke before it was ever fired, 45$ straight to the trash can.
m16 aint no gun, m198 155mm, now THAT is a gun.

 

[Atticus]

My first was a 16 gauge Revelation from Western Auto.

 

[redneck2]

Anybody else notice...

probably 90% of the replies are a .22 of some type. When we get threads from newbies "what should be my first gun", maybe we should all think of this

 

[Invisible Swordsman]

First gun I shot was a single shot bolt action .22 in Boy Scout summer camp. My recollection is that we were shooting some kind of .22 shot shell. 1st purchase was a Ruger 10/22. 1st handgun was a Ruger Super Single Six. I still have both.

 

[chrisTx]

a blued lightweight colt double eagle officer's model.

i should NOT have sold it!

 

[Legionnaire]

First gun I ever shot was a magazine fed bolt action .22; I have no idea of the make or model. It belonged to family friends and I shot it as a kid on their farm.

First gun I ever owned was a Mossberg 500 combo shotgun purchased for me by my wife and father-in-law. FIL and I have been hunting together ever since. Still have that 500.

 

[Wags]

First firearm I ever fired was my fathers H&R .22lr Sportsman (inherited to me and still have it). First firearm I ever purchased was a Colt MKIV 70 Series .45ACP Government model. Still kick myself for selling that one 20+ years ago.

 

[airmonkey]

First one shot my Grandpa's Marlin .22 lr. first one I ever owned Mossberg 500 in 20 ga. that my Grandpa bought me for my 16th birthday.

 

[Kodiaz]

A lot of our first guns are .22's because our daddy's started us shooting when we were little kids. People that post here asking for a first gun usually specify for self defense. But if it's a first gun for junior by all means a .22.

 

[only1asterisk]

Dad started me off on BB guns at 4 or 5... Daisy Red Ryder. Graduated to his Marlin Golden 39A @ around 8 or so. Was

Red Ryder and Marlin .22 here as well. By 10 it a Marlin 336 and various 12 and 16ga shotguns. First gun of my own was 12ga 870 Express I bought with money I earned bailing hay when I was 13.

David

 

[nucstl1]

First fired: Garand
First purchased: M1a loaded

Own both and will probably never part with either of them.

 

[Rpriestlyjr]

Outside of BB guns, the first gun I ever shot was my dad's 20 ga. Ithaca 37 while rabbit hunting with him, and not long after that he gave me his first gun. A Stevens M59B bolt action .410. First pistol was his Single Six, and the first gun I bought was a Nylon 66 w/ 500 rds. Still have them all.

 

[Radjxf]

First air rifle owned: Daisy 881 BB/Pellet gun (Xmas gift)
First rifle owned: Marlin model 60 .22LR (still have one)
First handgun fired: Grandpa's Colt Python firing .38sp's
First handgun owned: EAA Witness 9mm--not terribly missed !

 

[Herself]

For newbie guns, the .22 is good idea even for an adult:

1. The price is lower than other guns
2. The recoil is gentle.
3. The trajectory is flat.
4. Because of 2 and 3, it's easier to shoot accurately with a .22. Hitting what you're aiming at early in the learning process is a good thing. It provides lots of positive feedback.
5. The ammunition is inexpensive.

If a newbie buys a .22 and turns out to not like shooting, he's not out much. A decent .22 is not difficult to sell used. And the same thing applies if the newbie enjoys shooting and wants something bigger: he hasn't spent that much and can likely recover at least half of it to apply to his next gun.

And the .22LR is not a total loss as a self-defense round. The velocity is high (and you can get hollowpoints) and they make a nice loud sound. It's probably not going to stop Mongo the Man-Mountain with one shot; but the bulk of instances of defensive gun use don't involve firing even one shot. You can't do much worse than a .22 (though my little .25 Eibar-type pistol comes to mind...) but it's better than nothing.

Flip side, if you shoot .22s well, you'll shoot accurately with .38 Super, too, and that's not cheap at all. Drat!

--Herself

 

[packerfan]

Quite a good assortment of "starters" here =)

Mine:

First gun technically was a Daisy BB gun. First real shooting experience was a mil. spec. hvy barrel .22 bolt at my middle school shooting club...we actually practiced in the school gymnasium...imagine trying to do that these days. First purchase was a Remington 1100 20 ga. which has lead to may others over the years...first handgun a Glock 21...first rifle a Marlin 336 30-30. Now into tactical type stuff (or at least tactical for CA)...Savage 10fp .223 20", stainless mini-14, Remington 1100 comp master, SA M1A Socom 16, etc...most missed is the Steyr Mannlicher Model M pro I sold for rent 20 years ago!

 

[gp911]

BB guns aside,

First shot: single shot .410
First owned: bolt-action .410(!), wish my brother hadn't cut the barrel and stock down and ruined it...
First bought myself: Glock foh-tay (G23) sold to finance a car repair (paging Jeff Foxworthy)


gp911

 

[Gun_nut]

my first gun

My first gun i shot was a .22 bolt action rifle and the first gun i owned was a savage model 340a 30-30 bolt action shes sure a beauty..

 

[gsmith]

First gun I shot was with the Boys Scouts. It was a .22 bolt.

First gun I purchased was a S&W 681, .357 magnum. I still take this with me to the range more than any other gun. Lots of fun!

G

 

[DevLcL]

1st owned and shot: Marlin Mod 60, 22lr.

I traded a cheap set of golf clubs for it. (I dislike golf ) It's still sittin in the safe.

My friend who owned a 10/22 and a .45 got me into shooting. He has since moved to other hobbies... while I'm on #9.

-Dev