). I think Santa Claus gave it to me on Christmas. Was roughly 7 years old give or take (memory is bad). First firearm was a Winchester Model 74 in .22 short given to me by my maternal grandfather when I was about 10 years old. He showed me how to load it, unload it, clean it etc. But I did most of my shooting at my paternal grandfather's ranch. Still have the rifle, but it hasn't really been very functional the last 15 years or so. Have had it "fixed" three times by gunsmiths, only for it to break again within 50 rounds each time (firing pin keeps breaking at the tip and gun is so old, the smiths are having to fabricate new pins themselves - gets expensive). If I can get it running again, I'd love to hand it down to my kids. It's still the best, most accurate iron-sighted .22 rifle I've ever shot. Solid wood stock and adult-size length of pull make it as solid and heavy as most deer rifles. Very light trigger, well worn in mechanism. As a kid, BEFORE eyeglasses, I could shoot soda cans off fence posts at 75+ yards no problem.
First handgun was a Colt Mustang Plus II aluminum frame .380. Purchased it myself about 6 months before I got my CHL in 1998. Sweet-shootin' gun. Had a longer grip and longer barrel than the standard Mustang - looked more like a miniature Government model 1911 whereas the standard Mustang looked more like a miniature Officers model. Traded that gun in for $350 toward my first Glock (an early Gen 3 model 23) in late 1998. Now that Mustang gun is worth close to $900
oh well ...