What was your first handgun purchase?

[wellthought1]

I bought a Smith & Wesson model 686-3 6" .357 magnum brand new in 1991. It had the smoothest action that I've ever experienced right out of the box. It was extremely accurate too. I carried it everyday. I only paid around $400 for it. I foolishly threw away the box and papers. I took off the goncalo Alves wood grips and replaced them with Hogue grips. That was another mistake. Years later I threw away the wood grips and then my biggest mistake of all was selling it for $300. I WISH I still had it! I even tried to contact the person that I sold it to in an attempt to buy it back; but, I never got in touch with the person.

What is your first handgun purchase?

[MikeR90S]

Ruger MKII 6 7/8 taper bull. 1987. No longer have it but I do have the Government Target I replaced it with.

[Chuck24]

Ruger MK1, 1971, even sprang the extra 5 bucks for the fancy target grips.

[22lrfan]

I saved up money from cutting yards and got this 1977 H&R 929 after I graduated from high school in 1976. It's had tens of thousands of rounds fired through it. Still have it.

[bigwheelzip]

4" 686-6.
When we retired to SC, I took an intro to handguns course that included access to all the range's rentals, for only the cost of ammo.
Liked the 686 best and bought one shortly after.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

[Sub sailor]

Back about 1974 I purchased a Ruger Super Single Six 22LR/22mag single action revolver. I have probably put 20-25,000 rounds through that little pistol over the years and it always functioned 100%. The blueing has a little bit of wear, but the gun still shoots great!

[Laketime]

Brand new Smith & Wesson model 28-3 with a four inch barrel.Paid $260.00 1984

[ars1876]

A 4 1/2" High standard H-D Military in 1965 for $ 20. Back then Colt & Browning .25 's were trading on the streets of Chicago for $ 15.- 20. I owned 2 or 3 of those off & on. In 1967 I bought a Herter's . 401 Power Mag mailed to me for $ 47.00. In 1966 I bought my first new S & W , a model 36 which I still have. I think the price was in the $ 60.'s

[Kitgun]

S&W Mod 34-2 Kitgun purchased 1969 or 70, still have

[Buick]

Ruger Super Single Six. Bought it from my Dad at age 10 for 60.00. Later sold it for 120.00 when i was in college, thinking i made a killing. Lol, looking back, maybe i shouldn't have been in college.

[max]

High Standard Dura-Matic bought at the Western Auto in Rantoul, IL. It was $69 and I put it on lay-away for several months to get it paid off. My wife would let me put aside $1.00 every day I didn't eat lunch.

I still have it and shoot it every now and then.

[lihpster]

Ruger MKII 5.5" bull barrel. Had to sell it to pay some bills. Still regret that.

[Rustyt1953]

My dad gave me a Ruger Standard in 1971 as a graduation present. It was stolen in a burglary 9 years ago.

[rockquarry]

A new S&W snubnose blue Model 36 .38 Special in 1970. I think it was around $90.00 but I probably could have bought it for less if I had shopped around. Can't remember if I bought a box of Super Vel at the same time or later.

[luvsmiths]

6 inch Colt Python made in 1969. 99% condition. Bought it in 1984 with box for 275.00.

[BB57]

A Randall Combat Model 1911. “the only stainless steel fit for duty”.

[dwh]

As a wise 21 year old I purchased a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44mag along with brass and dies. My next handgun was a S&W model 17 6in 22lr. That’s when I learned how to shoot instead of just making noise. I still have both.

[rogerwnuss]

First legal purchase was a Ruger Blackhawk 45...
However, in high school I bought a type 14 Nambu from a classmate for 15 bucks.....

[VaTom]

S&W Model 64 2" in 1976 as my off duty carry revolver when I became a LEO. Still have it and the box / papers. $145 in 1976.

[Donn]

S&W Model 29, 6.5" barrel in 1978. It was all Harry Callahan's fault.

[30-30remchester]

Ruger Mark 1 22 handgun bought when I was 14. Picked it up at gun store at lunch break from school. Brought it home on the school bus. Was told by the driver to not load it till I was off the bus. Different times for sure.

[mk70ss]

Roger GP100 .357 four inch in 1987

[31FordA]

The first handgun I bought with my own money was a 625-6 .45 Colt Mountain Gun in 1996. I read an article about it in Handguns magazine and went right out and ordered one. I’ve still got it.

If you count using my Dad’s money it would be the police trade in 10-5 4” that I convinced my Dad to buy for me at a gun show when I was in high school. I’ve still got that one too.

[THE PILGRIM]

As I have posted - was down at Walker AFB, Roswell, NM.
Got into Jack Rabbit shooting with borrowed guns.
Get a Gun! You got money, get a Gun!
So I bought a Pot Metal 22 Convertible.
Didn’t take long to figure out that was a bad move.
Went back to the same store and traded it for a Ruger.
When the Jack Rabbits heard this, they all headed for Texas!

[Kevin J.]

1976. 4” nickel Colt Python. Sold it and a Ruger Single Six in 1983 to raise money for a down payment on my first house. Back in the day when you needed a down payment for a loan. Good thing is sold the python to a good friend and he still has it. Bad news, other than I sold it, he still has it and reminds me often.

[AJ]

A British Webley MK IV .38. I paid 415 for it from a friend in 1968, I was 16 at the time.

[URIT]

S&W 4" Model 15-3. It was my duty weapon for nine years.

I traded it for a S&W 4" nickel Model 19-4. I carried it until I retired nearly 25 years later.

Both the model 15 and 19 were great guns.

Today, my EDC is a S&W Model 3953. I like the brand.

[malph]

The first pistol I bought was a Smith 422. It was a good gun. I wish I still had it.

[Old cop]

First off duty gun, 1968 Colt Cobra @ $85. Still have it, shoots great.

[pawncop]

Ruger Bearcat in 1973. $54.00 from K-Mart.

[flagaman1950]

First gun I paid for was in 1965 and was an astra 400. Shortly after that it was a Belgium Browning challenger. It was an awesome pistol, but like an idiot I sold it a few years later.

[nutsforsmiths]

Mine was a 1939 Mauser made Luger back in 1991. Still have it too!

[Bumpus13]

Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer (.45acp)

Still have it and shoot often.

[JohnRippert]

A stainless Colt Officers ACP.

[growr]

Ruger Super Single Six 22LR/22mag single action revolver purchased in 1968 for the princely sum of $50.00 and it had a nice Hunter belt and holster. Still set up as an Old Model.

Earned the money by helping my Dad with his firewood sales. He cut, I stacked and unloaded for his customers. Dad charged $10.00 a truck load of which I got $2.00

Took a long time and a lot of firewood, but I EARNED it myself. Pretty good for a 12 year old I think. Learned a valuable life lesson on that.

Has fired thousands and thousands of rounds with NO malfunctions ever.
I still have it and still use it.

Randy

[ron 57]

Bought a slightly used Security-Six in 1978. It was my first duty weapon. When the department began issuing model 66’s the next year I sold it to a reserve officer who left the force shortly afterward. No idea where it is but I still have the price tag. I think I got $10.00 off for a LEO discount.

[bbqncigars]

A Ruger SBH with factory brass grip frame that I bought in '72 from an owner that dropped it on his second shot. I took it off his hands for $65.00.

[hoytx10]

A Taurus PT 1911. Bought it in 2006? I sold it on gunbroker last year.

[deadin]

Sometime in the mid 1950's I traded (I was only 12 or 13) into a BSR that had been sleeved to 22LRRF. The first gun I actually paid money for was 45/70 Trapdoor. I was either 16 or 17 and paid $35.00 for it.

[nate-dogg]

Glock 22 Gen 2 40s&w police trade in

[teletech]

Everybody made better choices than I did for sure. Between a lack of gun people around me and being fairly young and poor, I made the mistake of buying a Jennings J-22. I'd like to say that was the last garbage gun I bought but sadly it went from bad to worse... Thinking the problem was the rimfire round, I bought a Pheonix HP-25. Luckily, there's no place to go but up from such humble beginnings. There was an awful-but-adorable Lama .22 that looked like a 1911 and then I finally got wise and bought a Hi-Power. No more junk after that!

[samandglove1]

With my own money? It was a well used 1974 4" S&W 28-2 that I bought in a pawn shop in 1989 when I was in college in New Orleans. I was leaning towards a Beretta 92, but my fraternity brother (from Ft Worth) pointed at the Highway Patrolman and said I would like it more.

I still have it!!!

[tops]

At 16 all I could afford was a .25 auto. I think it was a Spanish gun. At 19 I bought S&W .44 Spec. I guess at 16 I bought something that kind of resembled a pistol but at 19 I bought a real pistol. Larry

[skywag]

1967 Woodsman 3rd gen from GI Joes, in Portland

[ISCS Yoda]

Smith & Wesson Model 19 4" in 1980 or 81.

Gorgeous gun.

I blew it up in 1997. Long, sad story but nobody got hurt!

[Golddollar]

A stainless steel Ruger Super Single Six .22 LR/.22 Magnum. Got in in the late 1970s-early 1980s from a big sporting goods store in Newtown Square, PA. I still have it.

[lihpster]

Originally Posted by skywag

1967 Woodsman 3rd gen from GI Joes, in Portland

Miss that store.

[spin132]

Bought my first hand gun used in 1985 and still have it all these years later. A 19-3 that shipped in 1969. She's been shot a lot but we'll cared for. The old girl still looks pretty good.

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[bamabiker]

Colt Combat Commander about a year out of high school but not with stocks shown.

[ameridaddy]

Ruger Single Six with .22 and .22 Mag cylinders about 1966. Had fun with it until I sold it in the '70's to a friend who pestered me for ages to sell it to him.
Got serious with a 6" Mod 28 in 1972; it was stolen from my house in 1975, and was replaced with a 2-1/2" Mod 19 which I still had until a couple years ago when the canoe capsized in Lake Tahoe with all my guns as I was fleeing California - or was it fleeing Oregon and Crater Lake?