Poll: Who else literally grew up with firearms?

[bbbass]

H&R did make some quality stuff from time to time. I have an H&R M1 Garand from the '50s.

I had no idea they were in on the production of those... yours was after the war tho.

 

[DeanMk]

The build quality of my 088 Topper is just as good as any other gun out there.

 

[CLT65]

Sorry, I didn't mean to impugn the quality of H&R guns. Quality was the wrong word to use. I have a couple break-open H&R rifles too (45-70 and .22 Hornet), and I like them a lot. Quality for them is not a problem.

H&R was just often considered a bit of a lesser brand because they typically made inexpensive guns, and a lot of people are surprised that they made a large quantity of M1s, M14s, and M16s back in the day.

 

[DeanMk]

No problem here, but exactly why I posted what I did...because who could build a "good" gun at such a price, or so one might be led to believe.

 

[jlhopwo]

I grew up in rural Eastern Shore, Maryland, about 20 miles west of the main town, Salisbury. We lived on a 60-acre space, about 1/3 each fields, woods, and marsh Google Maps. That area was generally called "Wetipquin".

My dad and I used to patrol the woods and the edge of the marsh. I remember walking behind him holding an empty .410 shotgun when I was young.

Then it was BB gun, .22 rifle, shooting the .410. He had a 30-06 that I was really afraid of! So loud!

When I joined the Army in 1985, marksmanship was a breeze. I'll always remember and thank my dad for that.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

When we went fishing we also brought along the .22 rifle. I was a fair shot by the time this picture was taken.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

When we went fishing we also brought along the .22 rifle. I was a fair shot by the time this picture was taken.
View attachment 586170

BTW, the picture was taken about 1952, and if you include my avatar that is three generations of us. Dad's first job upon arriving in CA in the 1930's was as a cowboy. He was the best sharpshooter I ever encountered.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Grew up in England, so let's say most people didn't know about firearms, though i shot trap at a county fair when i was 8, hot most of them, and i had no idea what i was doing!

 

[Hemlock]

I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Daisy model 25 was the starter. Then a Remington model 552 Speedmaster when I was 10. Dad's Marlin 22 always hung in the milkhouse to dispatch unwanted birds. I've seen a lot of empty red and white Remington Kleenbore 22 short boxes. Pheasant season was when the 16 gauges came out of the closet.

 

[CountryGent]

When we went fishing we also brought along the .22 rifle. I was a fair shot by the time this picture was taken.
View attachment 586170

BTW, the picture was taken about 1952, and if you include my avatar that is three generations of us. Dad's first job upon arriving in CA in the 1930's was as a cowboy. He was the best sharpshooter I ever encountered.

Very cool family history. Cheers, amigo.

 

[DeanMk]

I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Daisy model 25 was the starter. Then a Remington model 552 Speedmaster when I was 10. Dad's Marlin 22 always hung in the milkhouse to dispatch unwanted birds. I've seen a lot of empty red and white Remington Kleenbore 22 short boxes. Pheasant season was when the 16 gauges came out of the closet.

That's a nice synopsis of an early part of one's life.
I wouldn't have minded living it myself!

 

[Hemlock]

Thanks for the applause DeanMK. Seams the older I get, the more I appreciate my younger life. Although, my older life has been pretty good too.

 

[DeanMk]

You're welcome Hemlock....and I'm right there with you.
Some days, I would give anything to be 6 years old for just one more day, where my biggest decision was whether I'd go and play in the creek or dig holes in the back yard, and then end up doing both. =)

 

[Flatfish]

Dad always had shotguns around.

I got into rifles and handguns on my own, starting in my late teens.

 

[Kid@Heart]

Childhood in Montana...

 

[Ironbar]

The answer to the OP's original question is yes to both.

I grew up with guns the HH so it was really no big deal for me to have them around.

I also inherited the very first firearm I ever shot- a J.C. Higgins 12ga pump shotgun. It's probably worth nothing, but I keep it as a safe queen for sentimental reasons.

 

[DeanMk]

Ironbar,

The way I understand things, your model 20 was designed by High Standard, for Sears, and was later marketed by High Standard as the Flite-King.
Fans for those guns might be interested in the Model 20, seeing it as a precursor to the later gun.


Dean

 

[Ironbar]

Ironbar,

The way I understand things, your model 20 was designed by High Standard, for Sears, and was later marketed by High Standard as the Flite-King.
Fans for those guns might be interested in the Model 20, seeing it as a precursor to the later gun.


Dean

Correct! The J.C. Higgins Model 20 was the High Standard Model 200. Mine is the one without the modified choke, and according to the literature I have, was $59.97 brand new back in the day! I'll bet my dad had to save a while to get that! I found as much info online as I could, and printed it out into a booklet.

 

[Pandaz3]

I did come up around guns we had them on a ranch in South Dakota about 30 miles north of Wall, the nearest town, and e0 miles from White Owl, where we got our mail at times.. Dad had a older lever gun, older than a Model 92, and 41 Colt. I did not get to shoot those, but was attracted to them like a bear to honey. I remember being paddled several times a day as a slow learner for touching a gun or drinking the prime water (We had a hand pump at the kitchen sink, but it needed to be primed before you could use it. We kept a full glass of water next to it to prime it, I drank that glass) Anyway I did get a 22 when twelve and in Idaho, near Coeur d' Alene. Also shot with my grandad a good bit. I was never really trained much, but was a good shot I think with my JC Higgins bolt gun.
I went in the Army at 17 and did well with a M-14 with the Expert Badge. I did not do as well layer with the easier M-16, Sharp Shooter, but when they changed to the 'Quick Kill' course, I was back to Expert, I also was trained on the M2 and M-60 Machineguns and barely qualified with the M-14A1 automatic rifle (I was slow on magazine changes and fired last round just before the buzzer. accuracy was great.)
I have now been through many civil courses with handgun and rifle

 

[Hueco]

Casting my vote for "later in adulthood" though the reality would have been "early in adulthood" .

Dad grew up in Arizona farm country doing that which was typical at the time: hunting, fishing, off-roading. But, dad wasn't really a part of my youth, so I was left to find my own hobbies. So, though there was a rifle in the closet through my entire life, I never touched it and to this day can't tell you anything about it.

In high school, I put myself on a path to joining the military and started rubbing shoulders with other like-minded individuals and kids of military families. But, tragedy struck me and I had to switch gears as far as life career choices are concerned. But, not before taking an interest in shooting.

Continued to shoot other people's firearms until getting financially able to support my own a bit later. So, I'd say that that is smack in the "early adulthood phase".