Thread: First Gun

I wonder if any one of us will forget our first guns (rifle, revolver, pistol, shotgun). Here is mine:
Must have been around 1957. My father grew up hunting and trapping (muskrat for pelts). He told me stories and I was anxious to get my own gun and go hunting. He lost interest in guns after his service as a Seabee in WWII. Still he liked to tell the stories of bygone years. The Christmas of 1957 or thereabouts I got a single shot .410 shotgun which he said was the best first gun. I got the gun and a promise to go hunting. He would borrow a shotgun and he and I would hunt squirrels. Opening your first gun on Christmas morning was double the fun so to speak.
First day hunting: Up in the dark and into the woods. Strolling as quiet as possible, Big Bill then points to a tree and says, 'right up there, he's watching us.' I could not see the squirrel and we were whispering back and forth until he lost patience and said...see that fork up there? Yeah. Aim at it and pull the trigger. I did and a squirrel dropped what seemed like a long ways. I was filled with pride, excitement, a dream come true as they say. We hunted some more without any luck. I retold the story to Pat (mom): I got this one but we didn't see any more squirrels. Big Bill smiles and says: 'of course we didn't see any more squirrels, you yelled so loud when the squirrel fell that you scared the rest of 'em out of the woods.'

My first was in 1965 my uncle gave me a 410/22 over under, I was king of the young hunters! Gave it to my son when he was of age , it now resides with his son my grandson. Tc

My first gun was also a Stevens 410/22 O/U. Got an awful lot of game with that squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, partridge. One of my nephews has it now.

Marlin 39 .22LR lever action - Dad gave it to my brother, he to me and, many year later, I gave it back to my brother (who still has it). Magnificent rifle.

Walther PP in .32auto - my first self-purchased firearm; still have it and still love to shoot it.

Marlin lever action .22 that dad bought me, when I was 6.
A slough of others through out the years.
But the 1st gun I bought and paid myself. A Magnum Research Dessert Egale Mk VII in .44 mag.

Winchester Mod 12,my dad gave me at age 12,my first duck gun,gave it to my son.

My dad gave me my first gun at age 10, it was a .22LR rifle that I still have. It currently resides at my dad's house with all of our other rifles and shot guns. The first gun I purchased was a Ruger 9mm.

Remington mod. 514. single shot, first with cocking on bolt close. I was seven (1948) and was allowed to hunt with the adults. Lots of small pot meat from that one. Anything that didn't have tooth marks after a meal went into the deep well pot in the back of the cooking range.

~Richard

Cool thread. I started about 8 or 9 with .22 cal and .177 cal pump air rifles and shot quite a few rabbits. Shortly after my Dad gave me a Savage 410/22 single shot over under. I also shot a lot of small game with that. I hunted alone most of the time at that young age. I never recall being overly irresponsible. Great times.

ChrisL

I was 10. New England firearms single shot youth 20 gauge.

Although we had lots of guns, that was my very first gun that was purchased specifically for me. I still have it and assume my son will one day use it as well.