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Ours was not a shooting family, but I found out as a teenager that my dad was pro-2nd Amendment. He was a pastor who's first charge, way before my time, was a rural church in SoDak. He joined his parishioners for several pheasant hunts and came away with the opinion that he wasn't qualified to safely operate a firearm! (He related a couple of humorous stories to me, one of which was a close call, but it sounded like he was being too hard on himself.)
I always like guns, and when I was 19 I bought an Enfield #2. Then I went to a sporting-goods store and asked for .303 ammo. The guy shoved some premium hunting ammo across the counter, and the price tag (remember those?) nearly gave me a heart attack. I never bought any ammo, never fired it. I finally sold it to a customer at the lumber yard where I worked.
It was another 10 years before I tried shooting again, and I've enjoyed it ever since. I often think about that event, and how much of a head start I'd have if that sporting goods salesman had told me about all the surplus ammo available cheap back in 1981; or if I'd walked into one of the army surplus stores that were still plentiful back then. (OK, or if I'd just been a little more inquisitive and not given up at the first disappointment.)
The upshot is that forums like this are invaluable for the ease and speed with which we can share information. Glad to be here!
I always like guns, and when I was 19 I bought an Enfield #2. Then I went to a sporting-goods store and asked for .303 ammo. The guy shoved some premium hunting ammo across the counter, and the price tag (remember those?) nearly gave me a heart attack. I never bought any ammo, never fired it. I finally sold it to a customer at the lumber yard where I worked.
It was another 10 years before I tried shooting again, and I've enjoyed it ever since. I often think about that event, and how much of a head start I'd have if that sporting goods salesman had told me about all the surplus ammo available cheap back in 1981; or if I'd walked into one of the army surplus stores that were still plentiful back then. (OK, or if I'd just been a little more inquisitive and not given up at the first disappointment.)
The upshot is that forums like this are invaluable for the ease and speed with which we can share information. Glad to be here!