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- Thread Starter simon99
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My father was completely against having firearms for some unknown reason, he has quite a few guns now though. I was twenty one when I wondered into Discount Gun Sales and fondled a few handguns. There it hit me, I knew this is something that I wanted in my life. Then a co-worker introduced me to ARs and CCW then it snow balled.
Technically I'm no longer a gun owner though
Technically I'm no longer a gun owner though
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so young that I have no memory of being introduced to them or learning to shoot them, just like brushing my teeth
Just about three years now, seriously anyway. Completely self taught.
Dad had hunted before I was born, he had the dust covered antlers in the garage. He never used any guns that I recall in all the years. Kind of odd, as dad had opened a gun shop with his brother when he got out of the service in 1947. He had some very old guns hanging in the basement over the fireplace and on the wall. And some very old revolvers in a cabinet. I never paid much attention to them really.
After I turned 16 he let me take his Colt Woodsman rabbit hunting with buddies. And once I moved out of the house at 20 my wife got me a Ruger 10-22. I didn't shoot that a whole lot, just rabbit hunting on occasion with friends.
Flash forward 35 years. Dad asked if I wanted his guns. My brother, I knew, wouldn't want anything to do with GUNS, so I took them. The only thing shootable among them was grandpa's pre-model 10 police issue revolver, the Woodsman and his 30-06 hunting rifle he said he built from a surplus Springfield, something or other? I still don't know.
I had never shot anything other than the .22s. We grabbed up a box of .38 Special and went to Browns Camp........
I now reload 9mm, .38/.357, .40, .45acp, .44. and and Wifey and I are two year + members at Johnson Creek Gun Club.
I'm not sure why Dad quit shooting before I was born, I remember vaguely, hearing of a negligent discharge when he was in the biz though, and also Dad having a hard time even killing a trout.
Mike
Dad had hunted before I was born, he had the dust covered antlers in the garage. He never used any guns that I recall in all the years. Kind of odd, as dad had opened a gun shop with his brother when he got out of the service in 1947. He had some very old guns hanging in the basement over the fireplace and on the wall. And some very old revolvers in a cabinet. I never paid much attention to them really.
After I turned 16 he let me take his Colt Woodsman rabbit hunting with buddies. And once I moved out of the house at 20 my wife got me a Ruger 10-22. I didn't shoot that a whole lot, just rabbit hunting on occasion with friends.
Flash forward 35 years. Dad asked if I wanted his guns. My brother, I knew, wouldn't want anything to do with GUNS, so I took them. The only thing shootable among them was grandpa's pre-model 10 police issue revolver, the Woodsman and his 30-06 hunting rifle he said he built from a surplus Springfield, something or other? I still don't know.
I had never shot anything other than the .22s. We grabbed up a box of .38 Special and went to Browns Camp........
I now reload 9mm, .38/.357, .40, .45acp, .44. and and Wifey and I are two year + members at Johnson Creek Gun Club.
I'm not sure why Dad quit shooting before I was born, I remember vaguely, hearing of a negligent discharge when he was in the biz though, and also Dad having a hard time even killing a trout.
Mike
Early days and can not even remember how old I was. I remember staying home sick from school and Dad would pull out (at the time to me huge) wheel guns and let me try to hold them. That young it was hard to hold them straight and aim
I remember years and years ago going to the Pit in Vancouver when it was run by the county or ? place was trashed now I understand why it closed. Those were the days.....
Sad part is that when I got a little older(into my 20s) guns did not really do much for me. It took a few more years to snap out of it and well now they are a everyday thing again. Even into reloading now.
I remember years and years ago going to the Pit in Vancouver when it was run by the county or ? place was trashed now I understand why it closed. Those were the days.....Sad part is that when I got a little older(into my 20s) guns did not really do much for me. It took a few more years to snap out of it and well now they are a everyday thing again. Even into reloading now.
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Got my first 10/22 when I was 7 or 8.
Dad had a Marlin .22 LR. Used to go shooting on our own property with the neighbor. Breaking clay pigeons, shooting at targets with the 30-06, shotgun, .22 LR and some pistols since I was 10 years old or so. Got my hunters green card/firearm safety card at the age of 13 and promptly got my own Marlin .22 Anniversary edition for Christmas that year. Got a Remington 870 Express for Christmas when I was 16 as our hunting unit was shotgun only.
Acquired some other pistols after my wifes grandfather passed away quite a few years ago. They were in plastic Zip Lock bags in her fathers garage and I asked if we could keep them since they were beginning to rust and her Dad wasn't a gun person. After that, bought another pistol, got a concealed carry license, wife is getting hers soon and we will both be taking a Utah/Oregon course in the next few months. Might even add in an AR-15 soon.......
Acquired some other pistols after my wifes grandfather passed away quite a few years ago. They were in plastic Zip Lock bags in her fathers garage and I asked if we could keep them since they were beginning to rust and her Dad wasn't a gun person. After that, bought another pistol, got a concealed carry license, wife is getting hers soon and we will both be taking a Utah/Oregon course in the next few months. Might even add in an AR-15 soon.......
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3 1/2 years ago, when i was 36. I've always had an interest but never did anything about it. I hate to give him credit for anything,but it had mostly to do with obma. He's one helluva gun salesman. The Kenyan n chief's constant assault on the constitution,shaky financial circumstances & those bearded religion of peace folk,made me decide it was time to take some personal action.
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So mine is definitely the most different (so far, at least)
My first firearms experience was at the age of 8, double barrel, clays, at a country fair, in England.
If i remember correctly, i hit 5/8 straight flyers, but i had to ask what i was firing, as i didn't know how to aim
Then, nothing, not one thing, until i was 24, firearms are generally unobtanium in England, but i visited the states and was taken to an indoor range, rented a few guns and allowed me to access my curiosity
Let's just say that some of my friends ended up having money donated to them to buy toys i could use when i visited. That of course meant i had to eventually move here
My first firearms experience was at the age of 8, double barrel, clays, at a country fair, in England.
If i remember correctly, i hit 5/8 straight flyers, but i had to ask what i was firing, as i didn't know how to aim
Then, nothing, not one thing, until i was 24, firearms are generally unobtanium in England, but i visited the states and was taken to an indoor range, rented a few guns and allowed me to access my curiosity
Let's just say that some of my friends ended up having money donated to them to buy toys i could use when i visited. That of course meant i had to eventually move here
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I was born under a lucky star shooting wise. I came from a long line of hunters and shooters in rural Washington and Oregon. My grandpas, uncles, cousins on both sides. Later my friends growing up as well. I have to give by far the most credit to my dad, a genuine gun guy if there ever was one. My earliest memories are of him loading shells in his basement shop or turning barrels on a lathe or finishing stocks. I remember the walls adorned with rifles and shotguns.
He always took me with him whenever he shot with his buddys ( frequently) and took me deer hunting before I could even read. He taught me to shoot with a. 22 bolt action Winchester around age 6. I was always allowed to handle his guns if he was around. Soon he bought me a .22 and a single shot 12 guage, soon followed by an 870. We shot hand thrown clays a lot in those days. There was hardly a weekend I didnt burn up 500 .22 shells and 4 or 5 boxes of shotgun shells. He also started me into reloading about that time, at least shotgun shells.
Around 9 or 10 he got me into shooting centerfire rifles and handguns. Again there was hardly a weekend we didnt shoot several hundred rounds. Logically I was introduced to rifle and pistol reloading. I also learned to cast bullets. We shot a LOT of cast pistol bullets to keep costs down. By this time I had a few centerfire rifles and was taught how to use a chronograph to work up accurate loads. I learned to bed actions, float barrels, and adjust triggers.
My teens came along and now I owned a couple handguns too, plus shot trap once or twice a week. We hunted a lot and I got half *** decent at finding game. My dad always encouraged my shooting and happily payed for all of it. I swear he used to cringe when the UPS truck would stop and offload at our house. Must have taken Herters and Speer a week to fill those orders.
God it was a wonderful time, you could shoot just about anywhere and institutional firearm paranoia as we know it today did not exist. Thank you God and Montana here I come.
He always took me with him whenever he shot with his buddys ( frequently) and took me deer hunting before I could even read. He taught me to shoot with a. 22 bolt action Winchester around age 6. I was always allowed to handle his guns if he was around. Soon he bought me a .22 and a single shot 12 guage, soon followed by an 870. We shot hand thrown clays a lot in those days. There was hardly a weekend I didnt burn up 500 .22 shells and 4 or 5 boxes of shotgun shells. He also started me into reloading about that time, at least shotgun shells.
Around 9 or 10 he got me into shooting centerfire rifles and handguns. Again there was hardly a weekend we didnt shoot several hundred rounds. Logically I was introduced to rifle and pistol reloading. I also learned to cast bullets. We shot a LOT of cast pistol bullets to keep costs down. By this time I had a few centerfire rifles and was taught how to use a chronograph to work up accurate loads. I learned to bed actions, float barrels, and adjust triggers.
My teens came along and now I owned a couple handguns too, plus shot trap once or twice a week. We hunted a lot and I got half *** decent at finding game. My dad always encouraged my shooting and happily payed for all of it. I swear he used to cringe when the UPS truck would stop and offload at our house. Must have taken Herters and Speer a week to fill those orders.
God it was a wonderful time, you could shoot just about anywhere and institutional firearm paranoia as we know it today did not exist. Thank you God and Montana here I come.
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Started shooting around 5 years old. Started helping with reloading at about 11 years old and got my first .22 (completely under my control) at 14 years of age (Winchester model 121 single shot) . Started hunting deer at 11 (with a model 94 30-30)got my first deer rifle a Sporterized Eddystone 1917 Enfield at 19, Bought my first handgun at 21 (a Lyman branded Remington 1858 New Model Army cap and ball)
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I grew up in Southern California in a city of 130,000 surrounded by some really big cities and very little open land. I starting reading hunting and fishing magazines before I could really understand all of the words and articles. I started bugging my parents for a .22 and I finally received a bolt action with a tube fed magazine for my ninth birthday. My mom used to take me to an indoor range somewhere in L.A. to shoot and I loved it. I have always owned firearms, hunted or shot since then.
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My best friend's dad let us shoot a 22 at his farm in Hiram Maine when I was about 12. Found out that I was pretty good for a rookie. My Mom was/is fearful of guns so no chance of owning.
When I was a senior in high school I was 18 and bought (and hid) a 12 gauge shotgun and a 32 Fromer Stop.
My wife has learned to deal with the fact that she has no influence over my choice of hobby.
When I was a senior in high school I was 18 and bought (and hid) a 12 gauge shotgun and a 32 Fromer Stop.
My wife has learned to deal with the fact that she has no influence over my choice of hobby.
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First fired a shotgun at 10 on new years off our porch. Ouch.
First purchase was a (1991) Taurus 9mm right after watching people get pulled out of their vehicles in LA after the Rodney King riots.
Second Purchase (1991) was an SKS for $99 right before the AWB.
Third purchase (1991-2) was a Tek-9 piece of garbage that couldn't get through a magazine without jamming. I took it to my gunsmith buddy to see if he could fix it (He was a 'Nam era Navy Seal turned gunsmith.)
He said "Sure" and called me 3 weeks later and said "I got it all fixed"
I drove to his place and he handed me a 1956 Parker Hale (Enfield) 30-06 and said "There, all better"... he traded that Tek-9 at a gun show for something that wasn't garbage.
He tuned it up and put my initials in it with Walnut.
That 30-06 is my best, favorite and most reliable firearm to date. My children will fight to the death over it when I go.
First purchase was a (1991) Taurus 9mm right after watching people get pulled out of their vehicles in LA after the Rodney King riots.
Second Purchase (1991) was an SKS for $99 right before the AWB.
Third purchase (1991-2) was a Tek-9 piece of garbage that couldn't get through a magazine without jamming. I took it to my gunsmith buddy to see if he could fix it (He was a 'Nam era Navy Seal turned gunsmith.)
He said "Sure" and called me 3 weeks later and said "I got it all fixed"
I drove to his place and he handed me a 1956 Parker Hale (Enfield) 30-06 and said "There, all better"... he traded that Tek-9 at a gun show for something that wasn't garbage.
He tuned it up and put my initials in it with Walnut.
That 30-06 is my best, favorite and most reliable firearm to date. My children will fight to the death over it when I go.
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- Thread Starter
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These have all been awesome experiences so far....thanks for sharing everyone!
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My father was responsible for my early firearms experiences, he was a life long hunter, and started shooting at a very young age in North Dakota, where he was raised in the '20's and early '30's.
He told me that he used to shoot prairie dogs for the one cent bounty, and had made money for school clothes quite a bit.
He started me out at the age of 4 or so, that would have been around 1961 or so, by kneeling down, balancing his .22 JC Higgins rifle in the palm of his hand and letting me line up the sights and pulling the trigger.
I know I had a BB gun by the time I was 5-6, because I remember walking down to the corner store and buying BBs in small round containers.
We moved to the country when I just finished 1st grade, so I'm pretty sure of the age I was.
Moved up to his .22 JC Higgins around 7 or so, carrying it alone into the woods, along with my cousins, who were about the same age I was, it didn't seem odd at all that we were allowed to carry guns into the woods at that age.
Got my first rifle, a '94 Winchester in .30 WCF at around 9 or so, my father bought it for $40, as I recall.
Got my first deer with it at around 11 or so.
First shotgun of my own, a .410 H&R single shot, I think dad paid $15 for it.
After that, I kept shooting, and added guns along the line, .22 Colt Peacemaker, Mossberg 500, 12 ga. etct etc.
I've tried to have a gun in the safe for every year I am old, but I think I owe myself one for this year...
He told me that he used to shoot prairie dogs for the one cent bounty, and had made money for school clothes quite a bit.
He started me out at the age of 4 or so, that would have been around 1961 or so, by kneeling down, balancing his .22 JC Higgins rifle in the palm of his hand and letting me line up the sights and pulling the trigger.
I know I had a BB gun by the time I was 5-6, because I remember walking down to the corner store and buying BBs in small round containers.
We moved to the country when I just finished 1st grade, so I'm pretty sure of the age I was.
Moved up to his .22 JC Higgins around 7 or so, carrying it alone into the woods, along with my cousins, who were about the same age I was, it didn't seem odd at all that we were allowed to carry guns into the woods at that age.
Got my first rifle, a '94 Winchester in .30 WCF at around 9 or so, my father bought it for $40, as I recall.
Got my first deer with it at around 11 or so.
First shotgun of my own, a .410 H&R single shot, I think dad paid $15 for it.
After that, I kept shooting, and added guns along the line, .22 Colt Peacemaker, Mossberg 500, 12 ga. etct etc.
I've tried to have a gun in the safe for every year I am old, but I think I owe myself one for this year...
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I was an anti until early 2010. Long story short: realized my views weren't based on education or understanding. Began objectively researching the gun debate, and Top Shot hit TV that year, providing me with a totally different context in which to view gun owners. During that time, I discovered that some very normal people I knew were shooters, and I met Iain Harrison (Top Shot S1 winner). It was very much like waking up from a vivid dream and connecting with the real world.
I'm a voracious learner. Since starting my journey, I've aggressively pursued education, and have put tens of thousands of rounds downrange. I have formal training, OR and WA CHLs, shoot at least 100 rounds per week, and dry fire 2-3 times each week. I have devoted a LOT of time to connecting with- and converting antis.
You could say I've had a lifestyle change.
Sent from my ME302C using Tapatalk 4
I'm a voracious learner. Since starting my journey, I've aggressively pursued education, and have put tens of thousands of rounds downrange. I have formal training, OR and WA CHLs, shoot at least 100 rounds per week, and dry fire 2-3 times each week. I have devoted a LOT of time to connecting with- and converting antis.
You could say I've had a lifestyle change.
Sent from my ME302C using Tapatalk 4
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My dad and his dad would harvest several 100 (if not 1000) birds a year, deer and antelope w/a Maxum silenced Savage 99 and anything else that was legal to feed a family of 14.
My dad saw his uncle accidently blow his head off w/a Win. 97 while duck hunting so he stopped shooting until I was 10 or so. I learned on an ancient SS 22 LR bolt gun. I carried extra cartridges between my fingers and also in my teeth for faster reloads. I was deadly with the single shot but w/ a semi-auto I only wasted ammo until I had to pay for my own ammo.
My dad saw his uncle accidently blow his head off w/a Win. 97 while duck hunting so he stopped shooting until I was 10 or so. I learned on an ancient SS 22 LR bolt gun. I carried extra cartridges between my fingers and also in my teeth for faster reloads. I was deadly with the single shot but w/ a semi-auto I only wasted ammo until I had to pay for my own ammo.
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All my life! Toy guns when I was little, my first real one, a family heirloom, on my 16th birthday.
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Moved to Oregon from Hawaii 11 years ago. It was summer time and my son, 12 at the time, and I had no friends up here. I was trying to keep him busy doing stuff together. I decided to get him a 22 rifle and we could go up in the hills and shoot pop cans. Visited Keith's and picked him up a Ruger 10/22 and of course that G19 sitting in the case was calling my name. We went home with both.
We had so much fun going out in the woods and shooting together, that I started buying more toys to take with us. The rest is history.
PS, he is now 23 and we still love to go shoot together. Good times with my son is what make it happen for me.
We had so much fun going out in the woods and shooting together, that I started buying more toys to take with us. The rest is history.
PS, he is now 23 and we still love to go shoot together. Good times with my son is what make it happen for me.
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