Poll: At What Age Did You Take Interest In Firearms?

[FrontierFritz]

4th Grade.
My older brother gave me his 7,65 1934 Mauser pistol.

 

[tac]

<< now I'm 151 with bad sight and cranky....

Fer sure you're the oldest member on THIS forum! :huh:

Oregon wasn't even in the United states when you were born!

tac, missing Oregon

 

[GED]

<< an interest at 20 .... no guns or hunting in family history.... now I'm 151 with bad sight and cranky.... What They Say: don't mess with the old dude

If bad eyesight and crankiness are your only problems at age 151-you are one lucky fellow!

 

[raindog]

If bad eyesight and crankiness are your only problems at age 151-you are one lucky fellow!

I'm envisioning someone that looks like Dumbledore, but in "tactical" camoflauge Depends...

 

[pdxjohann]

quit making me laugh bubblegumHEAD

<< oops I crapped my pants>>

 

[pdxjohann]

(double entry eliminated)

 

[n47587]

Just curious to find out at what age people became enthusiasts when it came to there guns. I didn't really grow up with guns But recently, thanks to my dear brother caliber bob, have become an unsatisfied addict (I'll never have enough) Anywho, I didn't get interested until about a year ago at age 26.

grew up with guns and started shooting at a very young age. began reloading in jr high. as far as gun collections are concerned, when I have one of each I will be close too being satisfied. lets replace free health care with free ammo!

 

[jmh119]

I got started early as well. Found my Dad's pistol, (1935 S French Mac), and was hooked from there. He got me a Crossman BBgun. Then when I was 12, for Christmas I received my first 410ga shotgun.

 

[Ding]

was born with a 22 in one hand and my pee pee in the other.

 

[speelyei]

my brothers and I grew up with firearms. Dad had a few bolt action rifles, a shotgun, and a couple handguns. He got interested in building black powder kits, and over the years probably built 20 of them. Several of those he built fitted presentation cases for. We would go to the Houston Gun Show every year, and it was a big one... it took all day to see it all. I can't remember how old I was when I first fired a shot, but I was probably about ten. The rifle was a sporterized Mauser, and I just remember it was loud, even with hearing protection.
We got the ubiquitous pellet rifles and a .22 on our birthdays, and then Dad bought a 20 gauge shotgun so we could tag along to go quail hunting.
My interest in firearms dropped off to almost nothing in my mid teens and twenties, but picked back up with a vengeance in my 30's.

 

[TyPercy]

I don't remember why, but at 11 years old, I begged my parents to let me spend some of my paper route money on a Crossman 760 pellet/BB rifle. They finally gave in and I have been hooked ever since. My 10 year old son has the same bug (or is it a feature?).

 

[M.Link]

Got my first 22 when I was about 4 from my grandpa. We use to go to his property in Prinville to camp and go shooting in the area. On my 7th birthday he got my my NEF 410. First shot it knocked m back into his truck then the empty shell went down my shirt and I didn't want to shoot it anymore. The made me shoot 2 boxes of shells or said he was going to keep it... Still have both guns. I guess that's not to long ago, I'm only 21...

 

[TAT2D]

In those days there were still battlefield shops that sold freshly dug up minie balls(still got 'em) which I would take to class for “show and tell”...

Today, the ZT rules would probably get you expelled. 8*(

My dad hunted (and fished) before I was born, so there were a couple rifles in the back of the closet that he'd let me get out occasionally. No shooting, just a little dry-firing in the house. That was age 10, maybe.

Later, after college I bought my first gun, a Ruger .22 revolver, which was lost in a burglary a year or two later. (Roommate's 9mm was also taken; his was recovered in a drug-raid later, mine never came back.) So I've done w/o guns and not really thought much about 'em for the following 25 years. City kid, only went hunting once, with bro-in-law, long ago.

Now as I start to daydream about flying myself to AK, and requisite firearms for that trip, I contemplate what would be suitable in long guns.

And even more recently made a case to the wife that anarchy is coming in shades of gray and what with the economy as it is (this was six or eight months ago) maybe we ought to get better prepared for home defense. That's what I've been working on since, practicing/learning with the gun she brought to the union (a Ruger Mk-II) inherited from her dad, while looking for the right time to suggest something in a 'more appropriate' caliber for the task.

So I suppose I've been interested in firearms three distinct times -- teens, twenties and now in my fifties.

MrB

 

[ORBrit]

I started military weapons training at 11 as an army cadet in England.

Most kids start with BB guns and .22s. We went straight to the good old .303

We used the Lee Enfield No.4 as our primary training rifle initially before it was replaced with the L98 A1 Cadet General Purpose Rifle.

 

[BigBull 301]

Shot my 1st handgun at age 5. Bought my first shotgun at age 11 from a neighbor for $40.00, worked all summer to pay for it. A Winchester Model 12, 1912 with a full rib, 16 Ga.....still have it 43 years later.
Some of my best memories of my Dad were shooting, hunting and guns.

 

[61henry]

I remember sitting on the back porch when I was 5 or 6 waiting for Dad to get home from hunting, this was in north east Oregon, so I was interested when I was pretty young. When I was 10 he had me take the hunter safety class and when I passed he started taking me shooting with him and letting me go hunting with him. As early as I can remember there was a lot of interest in guns and hunting.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

...I started liking guns at a very young age.

 

[Starship]

Okay, I'm the one in the 50's. No family background with guns, hunting, fishing etc etc

In 2001 (at 51) I went to a corporate event that happned to be a Sporting Clays shoot.
I thought "gee, looks like fun bet I could do that."

Went home and told my wife I was having a mid-life crisis but it was okay as it didn't involve blondes or convertibles but I did have to go buy a gun.

Bought a shotgun, took a couple of lessons and turned out to be something I was pretty good at. A few years later bought a trap shotgun and also enjoy that.

About 3 months ago bought my first handgun. Took a lesson and well me thinks I need another lesson. Actually not doing too bad. Got my second handgun as an xmas present. Slight problem having started on shotguns then going to hand guns.

Shotgun -- don't look at the sights, don't look at the sights, don't look at the sights.
Handgun -- look at the sight, look at the sight, look at the sight.

For cryin out loud, make up your minds....

 

[rusobr2]

i started in 1959-i was 10 when my dad gave me my first real gun -rem 22 bolt-we had 10 acres in spanaway washington, and there was a bounty on crows at .25 each-used to make about 5 bucks a week-big money for me,in those days-just never thought it would become an addiction. i gotta tell ya though- every gun i own puts a smile on my face when i shoot it-
steven