Poll: Who else literally grew up with firearms?

[DuneHopper]

Yep, grew up with a firearm, and was legal in California back then to be a youth and have one.
Miss those days.....

 

[WoodsPlinker]

I think I was 10yo, first time out was shooting a 22lr galil replica. I got envy watching my dad shoot larger calibers next to me seeing the dust fly up.

My dad didn't like to shoot his guns much, just collect them. When I got older mom ended up taking us to the range and I got my first pistol which she kept until I could legally own it.

I was a city boy... Had a few bad experiences with firearms and idiot friends too. Thankfully because of my parents I knew firearm safety enough to chew their butts out.

Firearms safety in schools should be mandatory at a young age. If you don't teach your kids about guns they will find them and do stupid things with them at friends houses.

 

[RVTECH]

Yep, grew up with a firearm, and was legal in California back then to be a youth and have one.

Ditto this verbatim.

 

[Flymph]

Didn't shoot much, or even see them often for that matter, but they were always locked away.
My toy guns were fashioned from old enfield stocks and hand guards tho.
You asked "around" not shooting them...

 

[Boboclown]

Yep, grew up with a firearm, and was legal in California back then to be a youth and have one.
Miss those days.....

There was a time when cali wasn't just fines and taxes? Tell me more of these long forgotten times...

 

[DuneHopper]

There was a time when cali wasn't just fines and taxes? Tell me more of these long forgotten times...

Oh I have found memories, Bondfire, at the beach, cruising. Drive in's.
Empty camp grounds, empty beaches. Firearms were cheap, not because they were made cheap.
You could carry in your car, a loaded firearm. I loved that state, amazing memories.
I can see Oregon about 7-10 years behind all the California BS. I know some people here I am from there and
say go home, I say I am, that why I moved to Oregon..........I found I was more conservative then many were that lived here.
I was born in California, my home is here. I won't move no matter what changes, moved once because of draconian rules, not again.

 

[osprey]

I grew up with guns around the house. If I asked I was allowed to handle them so there was no mystique around them. Learned to shoot a .22 around 6 or 7 and progressed to shotguns and larger calibers as I got older. I was a duck hunting fool from 13-20 years of age and then big game hunting took over as my main focus for sporting with guns. Have been immersed in the gun culture from a young age and will leave this world just as engaged with firearms.

 

[RVTECH]

Oh I have found memories, Bondfire, at the beach, cruising. Drive in's.
Empty camp grounds, empty beaches. Firearms were cheap, not because they were made cheap.
You could carry in your car, a loaded firearm. I loved that state, amazing memories.

Again ditto verbatim. I remember being able to drive out to public land going shooting, camping etc - and not terribly far from home.
Being able to go nearly anywhere without
Always having to look over your shoulder.
I left CA about five minutes after graduating high school as I had already visited Oregon several times and knew I wanted to live here.

 

[Kruel J]

I've never really "grown up". But yeah, always had some sort of pea shooter as a kid. You know, for pesky critter control.

 

[Boboclown]

Oh I have found memories, Bondfire, at the beach, cruising. Drive in's.
Empty camp grounds, empty beaches. Firearms were cheap, not because they were made cheap.
You could carry in your car, a loaded firearm. I loved that state, amazing memories.
I can see Oregon about 7-10 years behind all the California BS. I know some people here I am from there and
say go home, I say I am, that why I moved to Oregon..........I found I was more conservative then many were that lived here.
I was born in California, my home is here. I won't move no matter what changes, moved once because of draconian rules, not again.

This sounds like a fairy tale compared to california. Truly this couldn't be a real story.

 

[RVTECH]

This sounds like a fairy tale compared to california.

Yes, it really 'Was' California - back in the 'good ol days'

 

[DuneHopper]

This sounds like a fairy tale compared to california. Truly this couldn't be a real story.

Ya I know, trust me....its hard to watch.....it turn in to a turd soup.

 

[AirResq]

Yes. Raised in the AZ desert where Dad taught me to shoot .22s. A regular Sunday activity was to go shoot and learn new inventive ways of getting a 2WD truck out of the sand. Went through the local NRA safety course with the others kids on my block at 12 yrs old and was then allowed to pay for my own Stevens .22. A core group of us kids camped out in the desert many nights with only Mr. Stevens, Mr. Remington, and Mr. Winchester to supervise. Damn that was fun.

 

[thorborg]

I rode my bike from Beaverton to Hillsboro high school (sometimes with my Winchester 60A 22 rifle) to shoot
basement range of their school as Beaverton didn't have one .
Shot my first "big gun" a 300 Savage model 99 the summer I was 12.

 

[Alex V]

I'm kind of in between on this one. My mom got me a BB/Pellet gun for my birthday when I was like 10. My much older stepbrother who did not live with us, took me to shoot on a rare occasion. First his .22 and then later his 12 gauge. His buddy had an SKS that I got to shoot as well. But I really didn't grow up with firearms. I remember the History Channel had a series called Tales of the Gun which I always watched when it came on or anything that to do with firearms really. I've always had a fascination with them, both as machines and the history behind them. When I was in college, I was usually too broke to afford anything. It wasn't until I actually had disposable income, that I began to buy them first just for fun. Even today, I certainly enjoy shooting, but I almost get more satisfaction out of customizing them. I'm also comforted by the fact that if something does go wrong, whether it be a burglar or a true SHTF situation, I'm not completely defenseless.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Ive had tinnitus since i was knee high to a grass hopper. Thanks dad and grand dad..

 

[2A-Jay]

my Father would not allow even a BB gun in the house. He was in the Navy in the South Pacific during WWII. I never shot a gun other than a fanner 50 until I joined the Navy at 17. Been a Gun Nut ever since.

 

[Used To Hunt]

I guess I never put much thought into how much guns have been a part of my life. I grew up watching GI Joe with a toy gun in my hand. After that it was BB guns, pellet guns and rifles. Shot on the high school rifle team and played paintball on the weekends. When I turned 21 I purchased a pistol before legally buying beer. I have always preached about the importance of everyone legally harvesting a game animal at least once to fully respect the fact that something died for your hamburger, so you better be grateful. I sleep with a loaded gun in a rapid response safe within arms reach and walk the earth with a concealed gun on my hip. When my child is old enough they will darn sure know how to safely use and store a firearm. Writing this down put a big smile on my face, I love my American Freedoms.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Started out about 6 years old, got my first at the age of 12, a beautiful old Winchester Mod 52 Olympic match. Grew up around them since I can first remember. Dad or Grand dad field stripping and cleaning their 1911s or Smith wheelies. Grand dad always had a 1855 Colt hanging on the mantle above the fireplace, it wasn't a shooter, but it soon will be ( he gave it to me when I was 18). We had a full glass front display case full of Grandparents collection of neato rifles and shotguns, it was never locked while we were around and all we had to do was ask to see something and it was no problem! I remember asking Grand dad if I could try out his M-1 Garand when i was 7 years old, and he said ok and we went out to the back field and I learned all about Garand Thumb with out any loss of blood!

 

[Used To Hunt]

Started out about 6 years old, got my first at the age of 12, a beautiful old Winchester Mod 52 Olympic match. Grew up around them since I can first remember. Dad or Grand dad field stripping and cleaning their 1911s or Smith wheelies. Grand dad always had a 1855 Colt hanging on the mantle above the fireplace, it wasn't a shooter, but it soon will be ( he gave it to me when I was 18). We had a full glass front display case full of Grandparents collection of neato rifles and shotguns, it was never locked while we were around and all we had to do was ask to see something and it was no problem! I remember asking Grand dad if I could try out his M-1 Garand when i was 7 years old, and he said ok and we went out to the back field and I learned all about Garand Thumb with out any loss of blood!

I sure miss the days of gun cabinet's that displayed firearms like the works of art they are, damn criminals ruin everything.