Who else literally grew up WITHOUT firearms?

[nwslopoke]

I grew up in California mostly in the 70 & 80s under largely female driven households. Father not in the home and grandfather died when I was 11. Though I had two uncles that were cops. Neither lived near me. We also had family friends in the FBI and military. We had a positive outlook towards people like that.

But I also had a lot of run ins with criminal elements with illegal guns. Even at a young age I was able to differentiate the two. In high school I wrote an anti gun paper because I was lazy and all the other topics were taken. But seeing how a gun was never going to be purchased by my mother or two older sisters the paper didn't have too much of an impact. The first time I shot a gun was a M-16 in the Air Force. Which as many know, the USAF only test for finger strength. Unless you are going to be a military police or other limited fields they could care less if you can hit a target. How about your chair maintenance skills, son?

Later when I was in a Mobility Unit (3rd Mob in Oklahoma) we did shoot more, but shooting came with cleaning not only our rifles but for some reason racks and racks of rifles. Shooting was always seen as a chore to me so I never thought much about it until much much later. When I joined the Air National guard back in Ca, there were a lot of cops in the unit and one or two would take me shooting hand guns. It was more for hanging out than shooting, for me. Of my friends that weren't cops, if they had a gun it was mainly shotguns that collected dust.

It wasn't until I moved to Oregon and later married with a family that I gave firearms any serious thought. I never had anything worth protecting in my mind prior to that. I always thought myself pretty invincible while I was single. As Al Bundy would say, let's rock! But now with a family and the nation becoming polarized, around 2010 I bought a shotgun and it's been a blur of 30 or more firearms either passed through my hands or kept on hand since.

 

[romeodo300]

Grew up in regular first generation Asian American family. No guns. Always liked them though. First family gun was a Mosin just because I thought they are cheap enough that dad wouldnt mind. Now I got everything from milsurps to NFA items, etc. Still looking for more, still learning. Still looking for my first shotgun too lol.

 

[citizen a]

During the early stages of the pandemic and when the rioting was in full swing I offered to loan my parents a gun, Oregon legal transfer of course, and they declined. Suit yourself, some people just don't see the value in this.

 

[patbob]

We never had guns of any sort, but in talking to my mom recently I found out that everyone on both sides of my family were hunters except my parents. The closest thing we had to a gun was my brother's old BB gun, which I shot tons of BBs through, until I talked them into getting me an air rifle when I was twelve.

As for powder burners, I got to shoot a .22 at camp, and during our PE riflery section in high school, but that was my only exposure until I bought a handgun last year (yes, I'm one of those pandemic new gun owners) and learned what I'd been missing.

The modern air guns are much more capable, and I've picked up one of those too. I'm enjoy practicing with the handgun, but the air gun is quieter and way cheaper to shoot ($.01/round), and I've always loved them, so it sees a lot more rounds.

Today's air gun practice:

 

[citizen a]

Firearms are one of the most consequential inventions in human history. Even if you're a rabid anti gun communist, there is tremendous value in teaching kids how they work and the 4 safety rules. As a parent, this is a must learn skill. I guess it helps that I like me some boom sticks.

 

[It-That]

I got out in 87. I did border patrol along the Communist borders of Czech and E. Germany for two years. I remember watching the wall come down on CNN (before they went Commie). It was one of the most emotional days of my life. The Cold War, indeed.

I saw a documentary in which the deer still don't cross the border even though it's been generations since the electric fence was removed

 

[Stomper]

I'll let you know if I ever grow up.

Toys-R-Us kid, are we?

 

[cigars]

I saw a documentary in which the deer still don't cross the border even though it's been generations since the electric fence was removed

It could also have been the anti personnel mines. Not only were they hanging on the border fences, but they had them buried in the plowed sections behind the fence. (they plowed the ground so that the guard towers could spot fresh footprints of people trying to escape.) In the winter when the ground would freeze, sometimes they would go off. I would imagine that decades of that would spook some deer.

 

[It-That]

It could also have been the anti personnel mines. Not only were they hanging on the border fences, but they had them buried in the plowed sections behind the fence. (they plowed the ground so that the guard towers could spot fresh footprints of people trying to escape.) In the winter when the ground would freeze, sometimes they would go off. I would imagine that decades of that would spook some deer.

Didn't think of that.

 

[tinhorn]

Was raised in a pacifist, religious household, so no guns. Grew up and moved to Eastern Oregon and my Portland friend invited me to go deer hunting in the area. Bought an H&R .30-.30 single shot and a .22 revolver and dropped a 4-point with my first shot. (.22 was for snakes.) As I got to know the locals I was invited on hunts for deer and a variety of birds. My long guns were all single-shots.

Since the small town was isolated, guys would constantly buy, sell, and barter guns. It was a form of recreation. Heck, I owned the same 20 gauge four different times.

When I had to move to the Big City, my job didn't allow a lot of time for recreation, so I sold the hunting guns and a couple revolvers I had. Later I started picking up oddball handguns I found in pawn shops and antique stores. I don't know if any of them were shooters—all of them were just wallhangers to me. Ended up trading them for a Chrysler when I thought I needed a better car in order to sell real estate.

Decades later I find myself in Massachusetts. Never even thought of buying a gun until a couple years ago when a military vet opened a gun training facility within easy earshot of my house. Every darned weekend I listened to guys shooting, and it started making my trigger finger twitch. I bought a couple 1858 Remingtons with conversion cylinders and some laser cartridges. (They're black powder; "not a firearm".)

Surprised to discover that my MA-born wife also enjoyed pew-pewing with the lasers so we both got our MA License to Carry and went shopping for a single action .22. (I've never lost my passion for single actions or single-shots.) She liked the 5.5" Single Six in the store but when we got home, the barrel was too heavy. Okay, a guy was selling a Wrangler so I bought that for her. Much better. Then I found a steal on a Bearcat. Perfect! She shoots that thing like she's Annie Oakley.

I guess I now have a collection that includes a couple revolving rifles—what a gas those are! Just wish we didn't have to drive so far to a range. The local one that tempted me back into shooting is for training classes only—it's not a public range. Hahahaha! What a cruel joke!

 

[Lazyfaire]

Was raised in a pacifist, religious household, so no guns. Grew up and moved to Eastern Oregon and my Portland friend invited me to go deer hunting in the area. Bought an H&R .30-.30 single shot and a .22 revolver and dropped a 4-point with my first shot. (.22 was for snakes.) As I got to know the locals I was invited on hunts for deer and a variety of birds. My long guns were all single-shots.

Since the small town was isolated, guys would constantly buy, sell, and barter guns. It was a form of recreation. Heck, I owned the same 20 gauge four different times.

When I had to move to the Big City, my job didn't allow a lot of time for recreation, so I sold the hunting guns and a couple revolvers I had. Later I started picking up oddball handguns I found in pawn shops and antique stores. I don't know if any of them were shooters—all of them were just wallhangers to me. Ended up trading them for a Chrysler when I thought I needed a better car in order to sell real estate.

Decades later I find myself in Massachusetts. Never even thought of buying a gun until a couple years ago when a military vet opened a gun training facility within easy earshot of my house. Every darned weekend I listened to guys shooting, and it started making my trigger finger twitch. I bought a couple 1858 Remingtons with conversion cylinders and some laser cartridges. (They're black powder; "not a firearm".)

Surprised to discover that my MA-born wife also enjoyed pew-pewing with the lasers so we both got our MA License to Carry and went shopping for a single action .22. (I've never lost my passion for single actions or single-shots.) She liked the 5.5" Single Six in the store but when we got home, the barrel was too heavy. Okay, a guy was selling a Wrangler so I bought that for her. Much better. Then I found a steal on a Bearcat. Perfect! She shoots that thing like she's Annie Oakley.

I guess I now have a collection that includes a couple revolving rifles—what a gas those are! Just wish we didn't have to drive so far to a range. The local one that tempted me back into shooting is for training classes only—it's not a public range. Hahahaha! What a cruel joke!

In Chicago they call that training facility the South Side!

 

[titsonritz]

Then, one day, oh.... 10-ish years ago, someone I barely knew died and left me a GP100.

View attachment 832005

Changed my life.

There has to be more to that story.

 

[titsonritz]

I'm a pacifist...until...

 

[solv3nt]

There has to be more to that story.

Someone had a GP100, then died. Then the gun was received as inheritance.

 

[titsonritz]

During the early stages of the pandemic and when the rioting was in full swing I offered to loan my parents a gun, Oregon legal transfer of course, and they declined. Suit yourself, some people just don't see the value in this.

FYI, you do not need to do a transfer between immediate family members.

 

[It-That]

I'm a pacifist...until...

 

[oremike]

My Dad wasn't into guns or hunting despite doing 4 years in the Navy. He wasn't against them but didn't see the need for one either. Cities were safe back then except for the occasional riot. The first time I shot a firearm it was in Boy Scout summer camp. Must have been about 1966 or so. The first time I shot a pistol was Boot Camp in 1975. I fired one round, saw where the round hit and adjusted accordingly to shoot the center out of the target. I didn't know it was hard and thought that's what I was supposed to do. Heck I didn't even know why when I had to pick a rating I picked Gun Fire Control, it just sounded cool and watching old footage of the Battleships firing made my eyes sparkle. I never did get to a battlewaggon, intead the Navy sent me to an ammunition-oiler where I was a forklift driver. I got out of the Navy in 1979 and very shortly thereafter bought my first handgun and reloading set up. A Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt and a Lee single stage press was what I got while going to school on the GI bill. The rest as they say is history.

 

[salmon creek gary]

I grew up with firearms, but my wife, with one exception, did not. That one exception was an antique revolver that her dad kept in a dresser drawer. No ammo for it, which is a good thing because she occasionally took it out to play with. When we were first dating, she showed it to me and I was duly impressed. I recall it as a spur trigger revolver with a pearl or ivory bird head grip, fluted cylinder, round barrel, and the nickel finish was elaborately engraved and marked 32 caliber. Searching on-line pictures, the closest match we can find (to what we both recall) is a Hopkins & Allen Blue Jacket 32 caliber.

We were still assigned to Germany when her dad passed away in the mid-1980s; the gun sort of "vanished" according to family members who helped her mom move into a retirement home.

Pics of someone else's Hopkins & Allen Blue Jacket 32 lifted from the internet: