How old were you?

The Annoyed Man · #31

Lots of BB guns belonging to friends when I was growing up, although my own parents would not permit me to have one........."You'll put your eye out!"

First firearm I fired was a friend's .22 rifle when I was about 17 or 18. I never fired a handgun until I inherited my dad's service .45 from WW2, on his death in 1990.

speedsix · #32

...Daisey BB gun at about 8...Dad never took me out to shoot, though he had a Rem .22 pump...and a .35 Rem...and knew that I would have died to shoot either just one time...after he died, Mom moved us back to La...her family were all gunners...and I fired my first rifle, shotgun, .22 pistol at 13 1/2...by the time I was 18, I had 15 handguns in my desk drawer that I'd signed Mama's name for in the State book at my local gunstore...that was before the '68 gun law and cash money ruled...I'd shot and owned up to a .41 Magnum Model 58 before I went into the Corps...life was simpler then....

gwashorn · #33

As many here, got my first BB gun when I was about 7 years old. My Dad made me a target trap out of wood, with a spinning tin can lid target and a sheet covered frame in the bottom to collect and reuse my BBs. Then I prayed, begged and asked for a 22 rifle from Santa Claus. I was 10 years old and got my J.C. Higgins 22 single shot bolt action rifle. I was never so proud of anything. Shot my first rabbit with it on Easter Day. Took his ears right off. Still have that first BB gun and that first 22 rifle. Have had many others since but these two are still with me today, some 50 years later.

speedsix · #34

...awesome story...tell us about your .22...

karateclarinet · #35

I was 11 or 12 and out in the woods with my parents and my mom's brothers. My father had no opinions on firearms, and my mother was extremely anti-gun, so I didn't have any exposure to firearms at home. My uncles decided it was time to introduce me to shooting. They chose a 12-gauge shotgun as the first gun I would shoot. I took one shot and decided that I didn't like shooting because it hurt my shoulder.

I wasn't until 12 years later that I had another chance to shoot a gun. Some friends and I were camping on private land and one of them brought out a Ruger .22. He showed me how to load the magazine and hold the pistol correctly. By the end of the trip, I had probably gone through about 500 rounds of .22. I didn't get another chance to shoot until a year later when I was 25. Another friend of mine offered to take me to the range and let me shoot his pistol collection. He taught me how semi-auto pistols operated and gave me pointers on shooting. I shot .22, 9mm and .45 that day. His 9mm was a Glock 17. It was the one that I liked shooting the most. That afternoon, I purchased my first gun, a Glock 17. That was 9 months ago.

I now own five handguns, have my CHL and enjoy taking friends to the range and introducing them to shooting. I can honestly say that I have become addicted to shooting, and it's an addiction to which I don't mind admitting.

Wysiwyg101 · #36

I had a pellet gun when I was about 12 or so. When I was about 15 or 16 my Dad bought my step-mom a .357 magnum and we took all the guns out to shoot. So I got to fire the .357, the 12 gauge, the 30-30 Winchester and his Ruger Mark I's and his Ruger Mark II. When I was 17 he bought me my first gun which was a Ruger 10/22 which I am deeply ashamed to say I didn't take care of it and ruined it. Later on I joined the Army and got to shoot the M16, M203, M72 LAW, M60, Colt 1011, M3 Grease Gun, M2 .50 cal, M109 155MM and M110 8" for training purposes only. Never saw combat. To all of those who did, I thank you for your service to our country.

The Mad Moderate · #37

I had a Daisy BB gun when I was about 7, taught myself a lesson about rule 4 when I shot myself in the foot. Then at 13 I get a Ruger 10/22 and learned with that.

steveincowtown · #38

When I was real young, Dad purchased a BB Gun and (much to my mother's disappointment) set up a indoor plinking range in our attic. It was one of those side attics in a over the garage bonus room. At the target end of it he hung carpet. Uncle owned a gun shop in AZ, so we pretty much could shoot whatever used guns we wanted to take out (with him). I remember the first time I shot a 1911 and how beautiful I thought everything about it was. Even though I am pretty young guy, even then it was a different day and age. We are allowed to go plink in the desert with .22's by ourselves, from the time my cousin and I were 12-13ish.

Somehow we managed to never have one ND, never shoot one another, never have a run in with the law, never shoot something we shouldn't have, etc. etc. I think personal responsibility (and the extreme fear of an adult's backhand) were things that were easy to find then, and hard to come by now.

v-rog · #39

Wow, I just got back from the range. I took my 9 year-old son, Blaine, today and it was his first time shooting a real gun. We had a blast! I rented a P-22 and he loved it. Just finished hanging up the silouette in his room. Now he wants his own .22 Pistol. I think I have a new shooting buddy.

Terlingueno · #40

I was probably 5 or so years old. My dad taught me how to shoot his Winchester Model 90 in .22 WRF. That was 46 years ago. I still have the WInchester...

michael e · #41

Dont remember not shooting. Seriously, my grandfather lived in the country and I spent my summers there. Remember when I was about 10 him yelling at me to grab the shotgun, I get it he tells me to shoot at the poll , I do he says empty out the gun at the poll. After that he tells me to go check and see if anything is there. Come to find out it was a grass snake I was shooting at, he is terrifed of snakes and wouldnt even get close enuff to shoot at one. Know I got a bb gun for christmas when was 6, so sure the 22 was the following summer.

CEOofEVIL · #42

USA1 wrote:I never had the advantage of being introduced to firearms from my dad. He was just never into guns.

It wasn't until my early twenties that I bought and shot my first gun...a sweet little stainless .25 with pearl grips.

I made sure to get my kids started young. My son has been shooting since he was big enough to level a gun.

Same here. My Father, (and my family in general) were never Gun or Hunting Folk, so I really missed that type of unbringing. I received a Red Ryder as a birthday present when I was 12-13, I believe.

I consider myself lucky though, which I didn't have my dad teach me to shoot, my Grandfather (Dads side) took me out to the range one day when I was about 14. My Grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and had somehow managed to get a nice collection of weapons from his time in the service (Trophy weapons/bring homes). He had an assorted collection of Mausers, Arisaka's, and maybe even a Springfield M1903. The coolest of his collection was an old liberator pistol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator) complete with the old cardboard box, Pictogram instructions, and a few rounds of .45ACP. Hell it even had the stick/dowel that was packaged with it to eject the empties! As neat as that all was, the rifle that would change my life would be an old Winchester Model 62A .22LR. We went to K-Mart, picked up a few boxes of Lightning .22LR, and headed to our local range, the Fort Bliss Rod & Gun Club. He taught me the basics of shooting and safety and we went through all of the ammo we brought with us. I just remember thinking of how GREAT this was, and I had an absolute blast! After packing the gun up and heading out, my grandfather decided that we should get a year membership at the club. He took me home and taught me how to clean it, after that. The gun stayed in his possession though, for reasons I'm not sure of. Probably because my dad wasn't a gun guy.

We made it back to the range every now and then as a special treat. One of those visits I got to fire another .22, a Stevens Model 15A Single Shot Bolt Action that he'd actually found in my Aunts Garage. Last time I remember shooting with him was when I was probably 15 or so. Subsequently, we went to a gun show one day to sell off his collection, keeping only the .22's. He sold all of it for a couple of hundred (200ish) bucks, as neither of use really "knew" what anything was. I wish I knew then what I know now about some of those old weapons (especially the liberator, which is rare and can be worth tons of cash!). Thinking back, I think it's pretty odd because even though my grandfather had shooting experience, and a nice collection of weapons, he never shot them.

Fast forward to my 21st birthday. Being generally occupied with life, I hadn't been seriously shooting in years. Maybe squeezing off a few rounds from a gun savy friends AR every now and then, but thats it. As soon as I turned 21, my first order of Business was to get myself back into the sport and I picked up a Glock 17. Been shooting regularly ever since that day. I've only added a few guns to my collection since then, due to funds, so I imagine compared to most serious shooters than I don't have a lot. Know what the most prized guns I own are though? That old Winchester and Stevens... I wouldn't trade those for a MR556A1 or any other gun in the world, if given the chance. 'Gramps' died back in 2004 from Cancer, and I inherited both the rifles from him.

Great stories everyone. They really strike the point that hits me right in the heart - to me, shooting is just about family as any other event. Someday I'll teach my children how to shoot on those two old .22's.

Weg · #43

9 years old, summer of 1977, my dad took me down to the lake behind our property and let me shoot water moccasins with his .22 pistol. I remember it like yesterday.

lonestarmedic · #44

I love reading how people were introduced to firearms. I was about 10 and it was a lever-action 22. Brand unknown. I loved the
feeling of hitting those cans and working the lever. First shotgun was a Savabe-Stevens 311. Yep a double side by 12gauge.
It was my grandfathers until he gave it to me at 12. I hunted rabbit with him unti he was 88 years old. And it is in the closet
ready to go to this day. He was 5'2" and had cut about 3 inches off the stock and refinished it. Great for a young guy but kinda
cramped as I grew older. However, I will not ever change that stock. Kicks like a mule through the 30" barrels!! Now, my first pistol
experience was a 1943 Walther P-38. Dad was a corpman in WW2 and brought it home. Had original magazines and holster. We
shot cans, gourds, and believe it or not, rats at a local dump. It is hard to hit a rat at 50 feet with a 9mm running fixed sights!
First centerfire rifle was the venerable Winchester 30-30. Hooded iron sights and all. Took my first deer with it at 14. The
Winchester got sold by my uncle, the Walther disappeared when my dad passed away. I suspect a cousin inherited it from
my aunt as the story is told. But the memories are there and my love of firearms was carefully cultured on back porches in
the hills of Virgina as I listened to the menfolk talk as we cleaned, oiled, and prepared for the fall season. As a result I cannot
stay away from the following: Good leather items, mink oil, bourbon, cigars, and lever action rifles. Oh, and a baseball game
coming over an AM radio on a late Saturday afternoon!

I hope this brought back memories for other as well as making me smile as I type and sip on my Knob Creek Single Barrel.

JB

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