What was your firearms intro?

[peteNW503]

Just thought I’d be creative I like hearing people’s stories! Some people got into firearms through a relative or maybe because you saw an action movie and thought they were cool. What was your introduction to firearms? I started getting into them with FPS Russia in my early teens. Now my days are filled with Colion Noir, Hickon45, TFB TV lol

 

[Andy54Hawken]

My Grandpa and Dad both shot and owned guns...

So I was introduced to firearms and the responsibility of firearm ownership at an early age.
Both grew up with firearms and also saw combat while in the Army , which helped shape their and later , my views of things firearm related.

We shot for fun and also hunted...many of life's lessons , that I learned came from shooting with them.
Respect for one's self as well as , respect for others and the life around you were stressed.

Joining The Boy Scouts , we shot and earned various firearm related merit badges....
This along with hunting and a life long love of history has also shaped my views of firearms.

Much later , Joining the Army and seeing combat myself , has only reinforced much of what I was already taught.

Learning to shoot and learning about firearms , is a large part of who I am.
Remembering , those who taught me , and the experiences that I have earned , has helped me become who I am .
Those who have taught me , but are now passed , live on with me , through the knowledge that they shared.
Andy

 

[srxfan]

Though being from Texas, I only first shot a firearm after I moved out and went to a very liberal college campus in a very firearms-unfriendly state during my grad school years.. but to their credit, they had an official school course, titled Handgun Safety 101. It used to be called Pistol Shooting or Target Shooting or something like that, because that was what we did, but was renamed to emphasize safety and to probably keep the course from being cut (though, the school has a large ROTC contingent so I'm not too worried about that).

Ruger Mk IIs were what we primarily shot. The instructor loved firearms and the last day he brought a ton of his own collection to shoot, bunch of semi-auto pistols, revolvers, etc.. I only remember a .38 snub nose though, because of the intense recoil (after only having shot .22s, of course!).

I never purchased a firearm until well after I moved to Oregon, however. In homage to what I learned on, I made my first firearm a Ruger Mk IV 22/45 Lite.

 

[Frank RW]

Someone died. Left me this gun. My life hasn't been the same since.

 

[peteNW503]

Awesome story Andy! Thank you for your service. I definitely agree with I’m sure you’ve had some cool experiences. The firearms community as a whole is kind of like a family in my opinion. Anytime I go the the range there are people willing to give you a pointer. I enjoy the atmosphere within the community. I don’t reload went to the range one day the older gentleman in the rifle range asked if he could keep my brass. I said sure thing I’m not using it. Probably got like 40-50 brass casings and out of the kindness of his heart he asked if I wanted to shoot shoot his m1 garand the little thing like that. You get to meet some really cool people and interesting people along the way! Those Ruger Mk IIs are awesome I remember the first time I shot! I thought to myself man I’m a really good shot. Not have any context of recoil, grains, velocity. Then I shot a 45 and was like 8 inch grouping lol because I had no clue on grip or stance.

 

[peteNW503]

Someone died. Left me this gun. My life hasn't been the same since.

View attachment 782826

Sorry to hear that man R.I.P. gorgeous gun I like wood grain handle

 

[Helocat]

My Grandfather that swam the last 30' to France on June 6th, 1944, took me to shoot the same .22 single-shot rifle, my mother and uncle, both learned to shoot with. It was the late 70s. I was hooked however I could barely pull back the firing pin each time I loaded a single .22 short with my 6yr old fingers. Eventually my father got an air rifle and we would shoot together on the side of the house. But it was my visits to my Grandfather where I got to shoot the "real gun". Being a kid of the depression he tought me to earn my money by working, that he then took me down to the gun store to "buy my rounds". I would crush cans and when older mow lawns for my ammo cash. Grandfather would then take me in his big Ford LTD outside of town to the open valley area everyone would shoot at, that now you would be arrested if you had a gun in your hand there.

Those are some of the best childhood memories I have spending time with my grandfather shooting. . I just smile when I think about it. If he could have only met his 3 great-grandsons, man he would have had a blast with them over the years.

Note: After my grandfather's passing my grandmother gave that .22 rifle we all learned to shoot with to my sister. She ask for it as more of a value thing, vrs the sentimental value it had for me from all those years. Sad she left it poorly stored when they were stationed in the Army in Louisiana and the humidity about destroyed it. So when my oldest son turned 5, I bought him a similar but new version .22. All three of my boys started with it and now all claim it's one of their favorites in the safe. I think it was $69 new at Bi-Mart in 2005. However, oldest son makes sure bros know its his from his 5th birthday, and HIS.

 

[Flymph]

My dad collected mostly british and commonwealth small arms and uniforms from about 1850 to 1950. He has a fair amount of American military gear as well, where his focus is on the first and second world war. I'd also venture to say he collects police and civilian S&W and Colt revolvers from the first half of the 20th century, tho the numbers pale in comparison. I assume running around at 5 with a PVC pipe furnished with enfield stocks helped a lot.
My first gun was a P226 MK25 tho.

 

[HA556]

When I was 6.

 

[Knute]

Grandpa was a dough boy, a pretty avid Montana elk and Washington duck hunter, and my dad was a deputy sheriff. Dad didn’t hunt but always came and went with a big N-frame Highway Patrolman on his utility belt.

Dad taught me safety first and how to shoot his S&W model 10 “US Army” stamped 38 when I was really young, and then he taught me how to clean it

Good memories

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

My mother is fond of telling a story about a young 2Wheels.

I was 5 years old and a stated that I did not like going to school. When asked "what is it that you like?" I responded with, "Guns, Knives, and Motors."

I've never changed really, and I'm the only one in my family with these interests.

 

[Hardcore_rucke]

Dad took me quail hunting when I was about 11, not the first time by any stretch, but this time he gave me his 12 gauge to try out. Skinny preteen me got knocked on my bubblegum by the recoil. Dad thought it was pretty funny, my shoulder was sore.

 

[Medic!]

Around age five I discovered that putting a few holes into something, made it much more compliant at becoming dinner.


This revelation came to me shortly after my Fathers gift of a handy little 67 Winchester bolt action single shot rifle.
A straight shooting rifle and a little kid with good eye's and time on his hand's was just what the pantry needed.









Today it is my belief that this was Dad's plan all along.

 

[sobo]

Dad took me quail hunting when I was about 11, not the first time by any stretch, but this time he gave me his 12 gauge to try out. Skinny preteen me got knocked on my bubblegum by the recoil. Dad thought it was pretty funny, my shoulder was sore.

Similar story for me at about age 8, although it was pheasants. Same outcome.

 

[peteNW503]

My Grandfather that swam the last 30' to France on June 6th, 1944, took me to shoot the same .22 single-shot rifle, my mother and uncle, both learned to shoot with. It was the late 70s. I was hooked however I could barely pull back the firing pin each time I loaded a single .22 short with my 6yr old fingers. Eventually my father got an air rifle and we would shoot together on the side of the house. But it was my visits to my Grandfather where I got to shoot the "real gun". Being a kid of the depression he tought me to earn my money by working, that he then took me down to the gun store to "buy my rounds". I would crush cans and when older mow lawns for my ammo cash. Grandfather would then take me in his big Ford LTD outside of town to the open valley area everyone would shoot at, that now you would be arrested if you had a gun in your hand there.

Those are some of the best childhood memories I have spending time with my grandfather shooting. . I just smile when I think about it. If he could have only met his 3 great-grandsons, man he would have had a blast with them over the years.

Note: After my grandfather's passing my grandmother gave that .22 rifle we all learned to shoot with to my sister. She ask for it as more of a value thing, vrs the sentimental value it had for me from all those years. Sad she left it poorly stored when they were stationed in the Army in Louisiana and the humidity about destroyed it. So when my oldest son turned 5, I bought him a similar but new version .22. All three of my boys started with it and now all claim it's one of their favorites in the safe. I think it was $69 new at Bi-Mart in 2005. However, oldest son makes sure bros know its his from his 5th birthday, and HIS.

Unfortunately that it was left in poor condition but it is also cool that you get to recreate that type of experience for them from scratch.

 

[Flymph]

My mother is fond of telling a story about a young 2Wheels.

I was 5 years old and a stated that I did not like going to school. When asked "what is it that you like?" I responded with, "Guns, Knives, and Motors."

I've never changed really, and I'm the only one in my family with these interests.

i was the same except with fishing, and actually taught the whole family.

 

[peteNW503]

My dad collected mostly british and commonwealth small arms and uniforms from about 1850 to 1950. He has a fair amount of American military gear as well, where his focus is on the first and second world war. I'd also venture to say he collects police and civilian S&W and Colt revolvers from the first half of the 20th century, tho the numbers pale in comparison. I assume running around at 5 with a PVC pipe furnished with enfield stocks helped a lot.
My first gun was a P226 MK25 tho.

Sounds like a cool dad I honestly haven’t seen anything that earlier in person except for probably a museum. P226 is a nice gun. My first was a Glock 44 all I knew about it was it was a Glock and the ammo was cheap lmao

 

[peteNW503]

Grandpa was a dough boy, a pretty avid Montana elk and Washington duck hunter, and my dad was a deputy sheriff. Dad didn’t hunt but always came and went with a big N-frame Highway Patrolman on his utility belt.

Dad taught me safety first and how to shoot his S&W model 10 “US Army” stamped 38 when I was really young, and then he taught me how to clean it

Good memories

I think everybody be taught at some point how safely use a firearm and I think cleaning your gun is such an overlooked aspect. I personally clean after every range use.

 

[Flymph]

Sounds like a cool dad I honestly haven’t seen anything that earlier in person except for probably a museum. P226 is a nice gun. My first was a Glock 44 all I knew about it was it was a Glock and the ammo was cheap lmao

It's really cool to see the development of modern arms chronologically laid on a table before you.
Hope your first pistol is treating you well!

 

[HA556]

Similar story for me at about age 8, although it was pheasants. Same outcome.

Your lucky it wasn't a snipe hunt! "Course I've got a story to tell you on how I got over on my Dad and my cousin Rick when they took me on mine at 12:30 in the am and left me out there in the dark woods. I was 11 but, I had the last laugh and when my Dad wanted to punish me for it, my step mom put the kaibosh on that real quick like!