Self taught with the help of fellow competitors in bowling pin and steel matches about 35 years ago. Back then these matches , at least in my area, were always well attended and a large percentage of the people who shot them used revolvers. I even got my brand new model 610-0 that I was very unhappy with slicked up by a couple of of guys from S&W in their van before a match. They did an outstanding job.

My old man had me in his lap shooting those white glass inserts in Mason Jar lids with his IJ Sealed-8 at 3yr old. Should have said shooting at them.
When kid we had several 32 & 38S&W Owlheads. Didn’t shoot much 22 pistol until old man bought me a Buffalo Scout SA when I was 10. I shot it all the time. Then got S-6 Ruger and finally got ruinated when got a K22.
From there it went down hill. I cant begin to remember the revolvers and pistols I’ve owned since.

Very interesting replies and than you everybody for sharing. This is what I have to add to the discussion.

In Defense Of The Defensive Revolver - American Handgunner
... from the American Handgunner. A great read with great tips for the Defensive Revolver.

My late brother.

He was one of the best natural shooters I've ever seen, and not just because he was my brother.

He taught me how to shoot a revolver, how to clean a S&W, and how to reload.

I don't shoot as much as I'd like to any more. but when I pick up a Smith wheelgun, I always think of him.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

I put down self-taught. First time I shot a revolver would have been in about 1958, I was about 13 and my older brother was a detective for the Burlington Railroad and he let me shoot his .38 special carry revolver. I bought my first revolver used when I was 19. I literally devoured any gun magazine that I could lay my hands on. My brother in law was 6 years older than me and we would shoot together.

My dad taught me and my siblings. Started us around age 5. We were shooting Ruger Single Sixes and a S&W M34 Kit Gun, nickel finish. Later (around age 8 or 9, we graduated to a Super Blackhawk.
We didn’t have a gun range. We drove out to the town trash dump and shot old tin cans. Such fond memories, thanks for reminding me.


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My father took me to the range when I was seven and placed a k38 in my hands and spent entire morning teaching me. I still have my K38 fifty five years later.

Dad started me off with his K22. He had a couple of hard-and-fast rules that he was very strict about. That must have kept me out of trouble because I was fairly young when he trusted me to roam around unsupervised with it, and remarkably no harm or trouble ensued. I still try to remember and observe those two rules (in addition to the usual four) to this day.

I taught myself how to shoot and clean revolvers. Same for reloading on a press.

Self taught, however watching westerns on tv taught me to push forward as I pulled the trigger, once I stopped anticipating the recoil my groups got smaller.

Combination of reading gun magazines and other gun-related literature and self-taught.

My foster dad taught me how to shoot a rifle. But he asked his brother, Uncle George, to teach me how to shoot a M&P 38 Special. I was about 10/12 years old. We shot paper plates tacked to stumps on the hillside from Uncle George's back porch. Range days in the military was an easy fun day. With the Police Department, I would qualify first and then the instructors would allow me to help some of the other officers.

Everything I know about firearms I either learned in the military or taught myself. Since we didn't have revolvers in the Army, I selected other; Self taught.

When I was sixteen my father received permission for me to attend a class at Chapman academy. Although we were shooting 1911’s. Others were shooting revolvers. Ray Chapman took the time to also instruct me on how to shoot a revolver.

While my dad ( god rest his beautiful soul) toaught me shooting in general, my older brother ( a cop during the golden age of wheel guns) taught me revolver shooting. I did it so well, I now easily beat him with both speed and accuracy.

Self taught. I had a ton of experience over a lifetime of rifle and shotgun shooting, but wanted a handgun for daily carry. Having experienced enough misfires and FTF's in various semi auto rifles over the years, I knew out of the gate I wanted a revolver as my first EDC. I looked at a bunch of online reviews and talked to my FIL (a Vietnam vet with a lifetime of handgun experience) and he pointed me to a Centenial. With DAO I had to learn the proper trigger control, and just practiced like crazy. After a year or so shooting nothing but the 642 I finally shot some semi auto handguns and thought WOW, this is stupid-easy! Still, as easy as the semiautomatic are to get quick, accurate shots, I carry my 642 every day because I'm so comfortable with it, I know it will work, and I'm now nearly as quick with it. Besides, it'll never have a FTF failure!

El Paso Police Department

Taught myself I guess. Started with a Ruger Old Army. A very accurate revolver. My next was a Colt Trooper .22. Still have the Colt.

I learned gun safety from my father on a bolt action .22 rifle and 12 gauge pump, the only guns he owned. I later developed an interest in muzzleloaders and read up on cap and ball revolvers before buying a Belgian .44 Remington clone. When I graduated to Colt Frontier Scout .22 Mag the manual of arms was simplicity itself. A few years later I picked up a .38 M&P. By then I had absorbed the writings of Elmer, Skeeter, Bill and Fitz and seen video demonstrations by Jack Webb. The foundation laid at the town dump in the fundamentals of sight picture and trigger control transferred easily to other platforms. The police academy was my first formal training.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Self taught when I bought my Ruger Blackhawk in 1978. Had several rifles, but that was the first handgun. Purchased and thoroughly read books and magazines before buying it. No internet back then.

Self taught. Introduced to long guns at an early age but did not shoot a pistol until mid 20's. Now own several and am a fairly good shot. Have 3 revolvers and 3 semi's and would not hesitate to use any of them on whatever needed dead!

Me taught me

I learned from my dad, a police chief. He was never a big gun guy; it was just one of his many job related tools. He would take me to the quarterly qualifications. I learned to shoot a handgun using his duty gun, a 6” Colt Official Police.

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213th FBINA

It's kinda difficult to wrap my mind around the verbage of "learned to shoot"

My Father worked as a Phoenix cop as soon as he came home from Vietnam. A model 10 got him through alot, and ensured my conception.

At a child of the 80's, it was an interesting time for revolvers. In the early 80's alot of folks in my rural Georgia hometown still clung to revolvers. autoloaders weren't quite where they are now as far as reliability. But...by the late 80's the police transition to autoloaders was a real thing, and Shotgun News constantly had ads for police turn in revolvers for ridiculously cheap prices. This was an amazing time for wheelgunners!

My Father and his buddies spent several nights a week hanging out and shooting. Frequently discussing the ups and downs of S&W, Colt, Ruger, etc. Us kids were content to chase lightning bugs in the yard, play tag, or other childish games. Whenever the grown ups would invite us to shoot a gun...especially a handgun it was pretty darn special. Not that my Father didn't let me shoot, just...not much during those particular times.

I feel like I kinda grew up with them. The last gun I shot with my Grandpappy was a 586 No dash. the first "magnum" handgun I fired was that same pistol during the same shooting session It remains one of my most cherished possessions.

Even though I feel kinda like I was born into revolvers, that only goes so far. When my Father went through the police academy, he was taught to always thumb cock a revolver for accuracy. Double action shooting was just for shooting lots of panicked shots off fast. Full on Weaver stance, holding the flashlight up high and far out in the dark, loading from a dump pouch, etc. That is honestly where I started for a good while. I did progress through that with the prolific study of the revolver. Now, I'm at a point where I shoot Steel Challenge with the latest and greatest 8 shot, unobtainium revolvers out there and my Father grumbles and says I should trade them in for a REAL revolver.

I once got my hands on a pristine heavy barrel Model 10 from that era. I forget the dash. As soon as he saw it, he started pestering me night and day about it. Wanted to buy it, wanted to trade it...He was incessant. Of course, when the old man wants a gun that badly, I just give it to him, but I had to hold him off 4-6 weeks until his Birthday. I finally told him it was out of time and I needed to fix that before I traded it.

The day finally came, and I gave it to him. He got all kinda misty eyed. He felt the weight of the gun and commented on how it was the perfect combat revolver. Them tapered barrel Model 10's had a tendency to bend when you smacked a criminal upside the head with them. The Model 19's always got a broken sight when you were wrestling with a suspect and gotcha in trouble with Lt. But that model 10...a simple fixed sight, and a heavy barrel...perfection! Law enforcement sure was alot different during his time, I suppose.

so....please forgive the long winded pontification. In short, I inherited the passion and the basics from wonderful family members, but I inherited my current level through lots of self guided study and experience.

My Dad took me to shoot his .22 H&R revolver when I was about 8 or 9. He really only showed me the bare minimum - how to grip it, how to squeeze the trigger smoothly. The rest of what I know I pretty much taught myself. I already knew how to aim from shooting BB guns and my .22 rifle by the time he let me shoot the revolver. I was a pretty good shot at that age, easily besting all my friends and cousins.

He never let me shoot his Model 15-2, though until about 10 years ago. Dad is 93 and in failing health. He still has that 15-2 despite selling or giving away all his other firearms.

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Or something like that . . .

.....reading books and later some you tube videos helped me improve.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

My father was an aerial gunnery instructor during WW 2. He grew up duck hunting in Beach Haven,NJ so leading an airplane came naturally. He was an avid collector of military small arms so I started shooting Lugers, P-38's, 1917's,and 1911's at the age of 7 (1968). My first revolver was a cap and ball. That was a lot of fun. Coal mining we used to call it. I had a 6" S&W .22 revolver that I used to shoot the daylights out of. Don't know the model number, it didn't matter back then. Unfortunately all those guns are long gone. Today it's a 686-0 and a 67-1. At 62 I'm still a wheel gun guy.

Oh wow, I totally forgot I had a Crossman Co2 revolver! I just dug around and found I still own it. I hadn't laid eyes on it in years, and had completely forgotten I had it. It's the model 38T (looks a lot like an classic S&W M29). It's actually got a secent feeling DA/SA trigger. I remember trading with a kid for it in Junior High. It had a broken return spring so I had to make a new one. With that it was a good gun and I did a lot of backyard can shooting.

The more I hear know it alls complain, the more I know I am doing ti right.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

Me, too...bought my first at the Thule, Greenland BX. 20 years old.

Prior to joining the Marine Corps C I D unit, I enjoyed recreational shooting using a model 1911, at 25 or 50 yards. Since my issue firearm as an Investigator was a Smith model 15, the boss thought I should have someone teach me how to become proficient with it; he persuaded our local FBI agent, Mr. John Worsham, to meet me at the pistol range.

When I arrived, I set up my gear on the 25-yard line. John told me to move up to the 10-yard line. When I told him I was proficient at the longer range, he said that I would miss the target (a full-size silhouette) with the first 6 rounds! I tried to bet him a steak dinner, but he declined.

Now, in those days the drill was to draw from the holster, place the left arm diagonally across the torso to protect vital organs, and fire before the sights came to eye level. When I did that - as close to the target as I was - I put 6 shots way over the target's right shoulder, just as John had predicted!

Fortunately, I never had to draw my revolver while on duty, and after a while I went back to bullseye competition style shooting, with semi-automatic pistols rather than revolvers.

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George Hood #758
Brimfield MA

NYPD Police Academy 1980
I was just 21 and the S&W Model 10 Heavy barrel was my service revolver. Trained with that and a model 36 snub. Way before the 9mm craze that hit later that decade. ** Wish I would have had the sense to keep them.

Self-taught with a Ruger Security-Six with a 6" barrel. Club member told me, "If you can hit the target shooting a revolver double action, you can hit the target shooting anything." I taught myself the basics of sight alignment and a solid steady grip while pulling the trigger.

I eventually beat the club member in the shooting league we participated in.

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S&WHF 366

Self taught with a 17-3.

Maybe you could straighten up by strapping one on your left for a while.

Same here. Being nostalgic I enjoy shooting my 686. The last four years the 686 has been my most fired handgun. On the reloading bench my most produced round is the 38 Special.

Self taught from reading books and magazines years ago. Augmented with what I have picked up on this thing called the internet since it's inception.

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balin
NRA Life Member

Self Taught other than CCW course. Practice and watching YouTube videos/reading articles.

I taught myself with the help of Elmer Keith Charles Askins Skeeter Skelton among other. I read any thing on firearms that I could find. Then for my 14th birthday my parent bought me a 22.lr Herbert Schmidt revolver. I still have it that was 60 years ago this month. I still shoot when I can

Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy - Nashville TN - 1985

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Blaine
SWCA 3490 SWHF 586

I learned how to shoot a revolver (the first firearm I ever held), in the summer of 1967 as a basic cadet. The Smith&Wesson Model 15.

Two years later, at age 19, I was teaching and range officering the incoming basic cadets how to shoot this same revolver.

Still love the Model 15, always have, always will.

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Frosty
S&WCA # 2816

Who were both heads of local police department firearms instruction.
This being a good while back, when revolvers were still being used.

One has passed, the other I still see now and again. Couldn't have been luckier.

SGT. Fred Miller of the Westchester Illinois Police Department taught me back in 1974 before I was sent off to the Chicago Police Department Academy for basic law enforcement training. Fred did such a great job that one of our guys ended up 3rd in firearm proficiency out of the basic class which included about 20 suburban police departments and some Chicago PD special undercover units officers.A great time in my life and it seems like yesterday.Thanks to Fred for the introduction to revolvers which I shoot exclusively today with a passion.May God rest his soul.

My father- grew up shooting his K22, which became mine on my 17th bday. That was a lot of years ago and I still have it. An early -3 (so early it’s marked -2) from 1968.

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Some Might Say.

I learned the fundamentals as a 17 year old Airman Basic from the "Red Hats" at Lackland AFB TX in 1973. First, I couldn't believe that the M15 Combat Masterpiece was an "issue item"-- deep bright blue finish and walnut stocks--adjustable sights, target trigger and target hammer- wow what a nice gun! Then the basics--crush grip, front sight focus, make the gun go bang without disturbing the sights. I'd say I was a solid "practitioner" level. After I retired from the Air Force in 1993 then I became a "master" level with the wheelgun by competing in NRA Action Pistol matches and the Bianchi Cup--which places a premium on accuracy and consistency.

My dad in the 90s. It was a 6" 686.

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Back around 1976 my Grandfather taught me how to shoot with his High Standard 22 kit gun , I still have it .

None of the above.
Non shooting family.
In high school finally got a SA 22.
Figured it out myself.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Mostly self-taught but I learned a lot from reading The Handbook of Handgunning by Paul B. Weston. Great book - but pretty old school now...

His advice to load some empties in a revolver during practice was a simple but effective way for me to see my own mistakes. When you dip the muzzle on an empty it really shows the importance of a good trigger pull!

Elmer Keith, john Taffin, Duke Venturino, Larry Weishun & Mark Hampton