when was the first time you saw an ar15 or m-16?

[wagoneer1019]

not on tv but in real life, I grew up with hunting rifles and shotguns and just realized the first time I saw one I was in bogota colombia the guards at the tequandama hotel where colombia military police in dress uniform and their ar type wepon at hand, it was one of the few places I 'felt' safe

 

[Treo]

Second or third day of basic M-16 A1. I grew to despise them

 

[TxState101]

Flying right after 9/11 and seeing the Guard posted up all over the airports.

Best time to fly.

 

[jnyork]

Hamilton AFB, CA, late 1965 IIRC, had to qualify before going to Vietnam . This being Air Force, the rifles were Armalites, and as I recall were designated AR15's. They were selective fire and also equiped with a grenade launcher 40MM under the barrel which I only got to fire twice and kicked like a mule!!

 

[CountGlockula]

Two years ago I shot a friend's AR15 at a Range Day. It was great!

 

[TexasRifleman]

My dad bought me a Colt Sporter for Christmas when I was like 14 or so.

That would be 1982 I guess.

Then I spent 3 months begging and mowing lawns to get him to buy me a Lightning Link to go with it Of course that one had to be in his name til I was old enough. Transferred that over to me on my 21st birthday.

I will never forget that he called me an "idiot" for spending $245 on a piece of stamped sheet metal.

Turns out he was right. I was an idiot for only getting him to buy ONE.

 

[jedwi]

Sometime around 1966...A neighbor had one....1st shot one in basic training at Fort Bliss in 1969...M14 was still the Army's basic weapon but some of us were selected to qualify with the M16 after qualifying with the M14..

 

[Shung]

around 5 years ago. in a gunshop !

for 6 months I now own a M4 !

 

[Eric F]

I grew up around naval bases mostly Norfolk oddly enough even in the late 70's and early 80's I do not rember seeing a sailor with an m-16 I saw marines with them though as young as I can remember(I was born in 71)but oddly enough the sailors on guard on the decks of the submarines had 1911's shotguns(short barrles) m-14's and Thompsons yeah you saw that right thompsons but that was for sure in the 70's. I also saw a m-3 grease gun or two even got to hold one once(unloaded of corse)but the m16 as far as I saw wernt on submarines until the mid 80's My dad was on submarines and retired in 86 thats how I got exposure.

 

[glockman19]

1968

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

In real life: I was probably about 8 and we were at the 200 yard range at a gun club and there were a few guys sighting in their accuarized match AR-15s (probably some of the first free-floated designs). I was awestruck by the awesomeness of how those guns looked and shot.
A couple years later in cub scouts, we went to the local national guard armory and got to handle a M-16, M-60, LAW, and some other various goodies. I remember thinking "If all hell ever breaks loose this is where I'm coming!"

 

[rbernie]

My Rich Uncle gave me one shortly after I went to visit and made me carry it around for a while. He also gave me a closet full of funny green suits to wear.

Weird.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

It was about 9 years ago. I was about 22 or 23. My older brother bought a Rock River AK Shorty. Soon after, he asked me if I wanted to build a project AR with him (he was going to build one for himself); I didnt really know much about them, and really wasnt expecting much. To be honest, at the time I really wasnt even looking forward to it. But I went along with it, figuring I could at least sell it to get my money backif I wasnt impressed with it. A close friend of ours also opted to build one with us. I'll never forget putting that rifle together; the three of us sitting around a table, reading assembly instructions off of the internet. It was a 20" A2; at the time we built them I didnt even know that. Little did I know that that black rifle would become the favorite firearm I've ever owned.

Our close friend died not long after we built our rifles; never getting the chance to fire his rifle. His daughter now owns it. My brother scince sold his; I really dont know why. I've still got my rifle, and I shoot it once a month. It is , by far and away, my favorite rifle. I couldnt even dream of selling it. I've had offers to buy it for far more money than it cost me to build. I've got over 20K rounds thru that AR. I've scince built 3 more AR's, and am currently on my fifth build project. But I've never developed a bond with any other firearm I own that comes close to the one I have with that fist AR. I honestly cant think of why I dont keep it on the side of my bed. My next build (after this one) will be another 20" A2. I'll retire the ol' girl, replace a few parts, and keep her for my son.

 

[MD_Willington]

About 20 years ago in Canada.. I was 12, an AR15, later a Norico AK... was ~ 10 when I was introduced to the Canadian C1A1 FAL.

 

[lefteye]

January 1969, basic training, followed quickly by Vietnam.

 

[lwrnc1963]

Basic training, 1981.

 

[workingstiff]

1979

 

[sdra2007]

Basic Training.

 

[davepool]

1971, USMC Infantry Training Regiment at San Onofre, trained and qualified with an M14 at MCRD San Diego...that's where i heard "if it's Mattel ,it's swell" for the first time

 

[cavman]

As a kid on RAF Alconbury in England.

Unbeknownst to me the base was in high alert, cold war and all, as happened a few times a year.

I was walking to play my pinball game at the "Rest" whistling as loud as I could a nameless tune, when a Sargeant came running out of a nearby building yelling at me "What are you doing? We are at Level three! (or something)"

When he found out my mission was a pinball game and who my father was, all he had to say was "Officer's kids"

I was then given a lift by a jeep with four guys with M-16s over to my Dad's office. I remember thinking how "tough and ready" they looked. I was quite proud of our military.

That was my first time.

 

[BrianB]

La Guardia post 9/11

 

[stolivar]

When I was drafted

last year of the draft. Draft number 6.

Got both me and my twin brother.

Yes, I got to go to nam also.


steve

 

[RP88]

About nine years ago. My dad is ex-military, so we'd use the tags to get onto the base beach to escape the tourist-ridden 'public beaches'. The guard has an M16 casually slung over his back.

After 9/11, there were two guards, and another in a sand bunker with an M249 about 30-50 yards away from the booth.

 

[Slotback]

First time I saw one in person I was 13 or so.

 

[3pairs12]

I want to say 1990. That is the first time I can remember right now anyway. It was on the beach in Mexico. The Federallies had them. My buddy and I were in our mid teens blowing stuff up with fireworks and here they came scared the crap out of me until they walked right passed as if they had this a million times.