Your first five firearms purchases...

[Vitamin G]

I was thinking about another thread, and it got me to thinking "If i could go back in time and change my gun purchases, what would I change, what would I change them to, and why?"

I bought, in order... (and i had to think really hard about it, and it was only 4 years!)
Bersa .380
Glock 26
Kimber TLE II (Trading the Bersa in on it)
Colt Delta Elite (Trading the Glock 26 + $100 for it )
FM Browning Hi-Power

If i could go back, i'd avoid .380 as a first caliber. It was snappier than I anticipated, and I couldn't practice alot with it for cost.

I'd also skip the glock 26. Sometimes. Occasionally I miss it, but i think that "gee, i can get a 29 and practically double the potency in nearly the same package" the thickness was also a turn-off for me, especially in early CCW, knowing little about quality holsters.

I'd have moved the Hi-power up to maybe my first gun. It would have afforded me lots of practice to become competent in basic shooting, and easily doubled as a carry gun.

How about everyone else? Any regrets when you look at your first 5 purchases? What would you do again, JUST in terms of shootability...
Answers such as "I would have bought 5 H&K P7M13's for $500 each and put them all in a safe" are cheating

 

[M2 Carbine]

When you could buy through the mail I bought a,
Beretta 25cal Jetfire, $20
38 S&W Webley revolver, $18
S&W 2 inch Model 10. $65
NIB Remington GI 1911A1, $17 (through the NRA)
M1 Carbine, $20 (through the NRA.


If I could change the purchases, I'd buy every 1911A1 and M1 Carbine I could get my hands on.

Also I'd buy a bunch of Lugers, P-38s , Thompsons, etc.

Yes it's cheating, but I'd but a P-51 Mustang to. They were affordable back then.

 

[Aggie's Revenge]

My First 4...

1) Ruger P90DC
2) L&E No4 Mk1
3) M1 Garand
4) S&W Sigma .40

I would have skipped the Ruger and Sigma and bought the Sig 220 I have now, first. Ah but we live and learn. Wouldn't trade either rifle for anything in the world.

 

[Brian Williams]

I moved the thread to General Gun sbecause it will incompass more guns that way not just handguns.

My first 5 were
22lr Higgins Sears bolt action
36 cal 1851 Navy clone
22year hiatus
Winchester Model 70 Classic compact
357 Taurus 7 shot 6"
Glock 19 Won in raffle
A bunch of other junk.

WouldaShouldaCoulda
What I really should have gotten
Marlin 39M
1911a1 from NRA
No hiatus
Win 70 pre-64, before they got expensive
S&W 58 or 13 3"
Stevens 311 in 28gauge

 

[Starter52]

As I recall the first 3 guns I bought (not gifts) were

Remington 11-48 12 ga. (favorite uncle's gun)
Stevens 20 gauge single shot
Marlin Model 60 .22

All gone, sadly.

 

[clown714]

1)taurus pt99

2)charter arms bulldog .44sp

3)gp100 6"

4)colt 1991A1

5)colt commando

these are the ones,I bought.

choose overprobably skip the pt99,nice pistol,still have it(20yrs.old),it's
just to big for my hand.

clown

 

[loki.fish]

The best of my memory
1. Star Firestar 9mm
2. Glock 26 (no longer have)
3. Bushmaster AR-15 (before AWB expired)
4. Savage Bolt Action .22lr
5. H&K USP .45 full size

Only thing I'd change is the Glock, I didn't like the feel of it so I ended up selling it earlier this year. I think I would have been better off getting a 1911 as one of my first 5 guns. Oh well, so long as I don't end up selling another gun, I'm happy.

 

[RNB65]

That's a good one. As far as I can remember, I think they were:

1. S&W Mod 60
2. Remington 11-87
3. SIG 228
4. Ruger Red Label
5. Browning 425

The only one I regret was the Red Label. It's wasn't a bad gun at all, but it just made me want the Browning O/U even more.

The only ones I still have are the Mod 60 and the 425.

 

[tenbase]

1. Norinco SKS (still have it)
2. Glock 21 (1st gen, sold)
3. Ruger P89 (sold)
4. Remington 870 (sold, kicking self)
5. Springfield 1911 GI (keeper)

Wish I'd hung on to the shotgun. G21 probably wasn't the best choice as a first handgun but I liked it. Not enough to hang on to it though.

Also wouldn't mind still having the p89 as a cheap plinker.

 

[JesseL]

These Were my first 5

1. Ruger 10/22
2. WUM-1 Romanian AK clone
3. Ruger 22/45
4. Bulgarian Makarov
5. Ballester Molina

This is what I get for living less than a mile from J&G Sales.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

1) Ithaca M-49 single shot .22 lever action
2) Stainless steel Mini-14 with factory folder
3) Cobray M-11 pistol
4) Cobray M-11 SMG
5) AR-15

I still have all but 3 & 4.

 

[md7]

Winchester 1300 12 ga.
Ruger 22/45 .22lr
Remington m700 Mt. rifle .270 win
Ruger .22 carbine
Glock 23

I got these guns in that order. the only one i would change is the rem. mt. rifle. i would change it to a rem. m700 cdl in .270 win. the cdl just fits me so good! got the mt. rifle when i was younger and smaller. great gun though. still have em all.

 

[davera]

First 5

In the early 70's
Winchester Model 70 in 30-06
Ithaca Model 37 in 12 guage
(still have both of them)

In the last 5 years
Sig P228 in 9mm
S&W 686 in .357
Browning Buckmark Camper

 

[Red Tornado]

To the best of my memory, my first five purchases were:

10/22
Mosin 91/30
Mossberg 500A 12Ga
***Got C&R***
CZ52
M1 Garand

The only one I don't have is the Mossberg. When I got an 11-48 in 12 gauge from Dakotasin, it became expendable and I decided I'd rather have a Savage .223 than the Mossy, so I traded. I don't regret it yet. (I really wanted a double barrel anyway, but only had about $200 at the time.)
RT

 

[dk-corriveau]

Since I only have a few guns, here is the order in which I purchased them:

- Springfield Armory M1 Garand (.308)
- Kimber Custom Target II (.45)
- Browning Buckmark Hunter (.22)
- Para LTC (.45)
- FN HiPower (9mm)
- Henry Lever Action Octagon (.22)


If I was doing things over again here is what I would change.

1. The HiPower would be higher on the list. It’s a great gun that is accurate, is relatively inexpensive to shoot, and is completely reliable.

2. I would have purchased a different .22 pistol. The Buckmark is reliable and fairly accurate, but the barrel on the Hunter is a bit long when just plinking from a weight and gun balance point of view, and since I’m not out shooting varmints it is a bit much.

3. Finally, I would probably trade one of my .45s for something else. I like both guns, but I am not head over heals in love with either. Perhaps a SIG or a wheel gun instead.

 

[SlimeDog]

Inherited my first 3:

Winchester Model 62a .22LR
S&W Model 17 .22LR
Winchester Model 70 (1958) 30-06

My first 5 purchases:

Ruger M77 (tang safety) .270
Walther P99 9mm
Glock 19 9mm
Ruger Mark II .22LR
CZ-452 .22LR

 

[Rumble]

In order:

CZ P01
Mosin M44
Taurus PT111
Sig P232
Taurus PT145

 

[Tommygunn]

My first five:
1. Winchester 1894 AE in .30-30
2. Winchester 9422
3. Ruger 1022
4. Colt Official Police .38SPL
5. Walther PP in .32ACP

In an act of stupidity, I sold the Ruger a number of years ago.
But I have inherited and purchased a number of other firearms since then.

 

[doggscube]

1. Maverick 88.
2. Bersa .380, now sold.
3. Kimber Custom II.
4. Ruger 10/22.
5. S&W Model 19-5.

I'd make the Smith the first handgun purchase, eliminating the Bersa and moving my Single Six into #5.

-Jeff

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

IIRC:
-Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm revolver
-Winchester Model 70 .308
-Browning Hi-Power 9mm
-Browning Nomad .22
-Herters .22 SA revolver

The Herters revolver was so bad that I put it out of my misery with a few rounds from the Blackhawk. It's probably still in the woods somewhere up at Lake Pillsbury, CA.

 

[gsmith]

my first five

1) S&W 681 (.357)
2) S&W Model 13, nickel (.357)
3) Taurus 94 (.22lr)
4) CZ 40 (.40)
5) Bersa 380

Still have the 681 & the Bersa.

 

[SolaScriptura139]

I only have 2 guns right now, but I have about 3 that I plan on buying over the next year or so.

1. Savage Model III in 7mm Remington Magnum
2. Springfield XD-9 OD Green Ported 4 inch

Future purchases:
3. Ruger 10/22
4. Either an SP-101 or Smith & Wesson Lady Smith (for my wife)
5. Either a Springfield or Kimber 1911 (depends on my budget at the time)

 

[MikeH]

Wouldn't have to go back too far to change anything, because I started shooting and buying guns only last year. Here's the first 5:

1. Ruger 10/22 - only regret was having traded it for #2
2. Savage 10FP .223 - tack driver
3. GLOCK 19 - sold, replaced by CZ75B
4. Yugo M59/66 - favorite plinker
5. RC Kar98k - shot it so frequently, that I cracked the stock

 

[Stickjockey]

My first five:

#1) Traded a Remington single-shot .22 and $75 for an M-1 carbine and a box of ammo.

#2) Saved up and bought a Colt Gold Cup 1911.

#3) Many years later, I found a deal on Swedish Mausers and picked myself up
an Oberndorf 1899.

#4) A bit after that, I picked up a S&W Model 10.

#5) And after that was the Star Firestar M45 I picked up as a carry gun.

At least that's how I think it went.

 

[Davo]

My first 5...
1. Winchester 1300 defender (Had to keep it in my buddies dad's gun safe because I was 18, still lived at home, and mom wouldnt have a gun in the house)
2. Marlin 25N-Spent hours shooting, tuning, and admiring this gun-still love it.
3. Ruger 22/45 target model-cheap plinking but also highly accurate.
4. Yugo SKS-Always liked these rifles, I need to get it out again but Im playing with my new AR right now
4. Mosin Nagant M91-30-Cheap and with lots of power. I can never get more than 40 rounds through this guy before I stop.

Looking back Im happy with my first purchases...They are humble guns but I bought them all for "strategic" reasons, and since I was a dirt poor college student and EMT when I got them, each one was a major purchase to me. The hours of enjoyment from shooting these guns, spending time with friends, and reading about and improving these guns is really priceless.
Come to think of it that new AR I built this week cost more than all of these guns combined.