This thread is mainly for those born in the 70s or earlier, but everyone is welcome to join.

[Hilldweller]

Baby boomer born in 1955.

Father wasn't much into firearms but inherited a small collection from his dad - my grandfather. My grandfather died at an early age, well before I was born, so I never had the opportunity to meet him.

The family story goes like this…..
Grandpa was a chemist by education living in Chicago in the 30's. At some point he was hired by a bread baking company to refine their recipes. (Baking is very specific when it comes to ingredients and ratios).
While working there he somehow made friends with some of the local police officers, one of which was part of the team on Chicago PD that were tasked with dumping guns used in crimes into Lake Michigan. I guess grandpa liked oddball guns because occasionally his friend would give him one of the guns destined for the lakebed. The officer did remove the mainsprings from most, but not all of the pistols.
Grandpa died when my father was 13 and inherited the small collection which included a nicely nickel and blue .30 RF Marlin Standard XXX pistol, a Remington O/U .41short RF derringer (remember the TV show "The Wild Wild West" ?), a Winchester pump .22 Model 62, and a 1880 hammered Dbl barreled 12 ga shotgun (Damascus bbls), along with a few junkers that were just parts guns.

First gun I shot was the Winchester pump - in the basement of our home of all places. Dad had nailed a bunch of scrap wood together and put it at one end of the ping pong table we had set up down there and let me shoot a couple of rounds. I was 5 or 6 at the time.

Fast forward to when I turned 13 and Dad "gave me" the collection. We shot skeet once with the 12 ga. In my mid teens - throughout my 20's/30's I shot the Winchester extensively.

I guess my first pistol was the derringer but we never had any ammo for it. (Probably a good thing).

First real pistol I shot was a Colt Government model .45 at 16-17 years old.

 

[tbob38]

This thread is mainly for those born in the 70s or earlier, but everyone is welcome to join.

• How did you get into shooting?
• Were guns always around in your home?
• Did your fathers or grandfathers own or carry?
• What was your first gun, and what was the first you really wanted (even if you never got it)?

For me:
No family background with firearms, but I was always drawn to anything that made noise. In the 80s I read gun magazines regularly, and I was heavily influenced by Punisher comics (especially the Weapon Specials). Sledge Hammer and Dirty Harry made me want a .44 Magnum. Later, a 10mm S&W 1076 (Sonny Bonds, Police Quest II), and then a Glock.

My first gun was a S&W PC .45 ACP – like the black one in the picture, but mine has a satin finish. Next came a 629 Classic .44 Mag with a 6" barrel. My third handgun was a Glock 17, though I've always preferred the 19.

Even my Winchester was a compromise: I wanted an 1873 in pistol caliber, but ended up with an 1894 in .30-30.

born on an Iowa farm in 1938, one mile due south of where Jesse James robbed his first train,
always had guns in the home
father and grand fathers owned but never carried, to my knowledge
my first gun was a Stevens model15 single shot .22, age 10

 

[oldgrayone]

Born in March of 1945. Both father and stepfather were WW2 veterans. Stepfather who raised me bought my first gun, a Winchester Model 67, as a Christmas present in 1955. Had already fired a friend's .22 shooting rats in the village dump. In 1956 he bought a Winchester Model 37 20 gauge for me. I still have both of these.

 

[beavis1971]

This thread is mainly for those born in the 70s or earlier, but everyone is welcome to join.

• How did you get into shooting?
• Were guns always around in your home?
• Did your fathers or grandfathers own or carry?
• What was your first gun, and what was the first you really wanted (even if you never got it)?

For me:
No family background with firearms, but I was always drawn to anything that made noise. In the 80s I read gun magazines regularly, and I was heavily influenced by Punisher comics (especially the Weapon Specials). Sledge Hammer and Dirty Harry made me want a .44 Magnum. Later, a 10mm S&W 1076 (Sonny Bonds, Police Quest II), and then a Glock.

My first gun was a S&W PC .45 ACP – like the black one in the picture, but mine has a satin finish. Next came a 629 Classic .44 Mag with a 6" barrel. My third handgun was a Glock 17, though I've always preferred the 19.

Even my Winchester was a compromise: I wanted an 1873 in pistol caliber, but ended up with an 1894 in .30-30.

The Sledgehammer grips are awesome!!

 

[desi2358]

Born in 1958, developed a fascination with guns thanks to TV westerns mainly. Dad had lost interest in hunting after his army service in the early 50's and didn't keep a gun in the house. He did get me a Daisy "Spittin' Image" BB gun that looked just like a 94 Winchester, I wore that gun out. A couple of my uncles & cousins hunted a bit, mainly rabbit & squirrel. First real firearm I got to shoot was a Winchester 1906 22 that belonged to one of moms brothers. Sometimes went hunting with some of them using a borrowed gun. Later got a single shot Stevens shotgun and after trying a few different 22 rifles ended up with a Nylon 66.

The first handgun I ever shot was a Luger that one of my dads American Legion buddies had brought home from WWII. Lugers are still one of my all time favorites alongside the classic Colt SAA that featured in so many of those TV shows I watched! I also got into muzzle loaders after buying an old flintlock pistol followed by long rifles and cap & ball revolvers. My love of history had a lot to do with that as family vacations when I was a kid often included touring Civil War battlefields & museums.

As I grew older I started seriously collecting guns, mainly those of the old west and military guns. Starting a family kind of cut back on fun money and I ended up letting a lot of those guns go to make sure other things were taken care of. Still held on to a few and as things improved started to collect again. After a couple moves and some job changes I ended up going into the gun business with a couple friends. Which expanded my own collection a bit though I quickly realized you can't keep them all so buy, sell or trade became second nature LOL. We had a good run for several years but eventually closed up and we went our separate ways. I did the books for another shop for a while, wanted to retire but couldn't afford it then so took a part time job at the local walmart............ In the sporting goods department! Still selling guns at our store though it's one of the few around that does. I still do a few gun shows, like to visit with people and maybe find something I just have to have. Don't hunt any more, still enjoy target shooting and getting grandkids into shooting. One is really into the history of the old guns. Guns have been a big part of my life for a long, long time.

 

[jimandhank]

I was raised in the late 1950s and didn't have any guns in the house until my father walked into the local outdoor store in New Jersey (yes folks... NJ!) In the early 1960s and walked out with a Winchester model 70 chambered in .308... few questions asked. I was young but still an avid reader of Outdoor Life and in particular articles written by Jack O'Connor's who's favorite rifle, as I'm sure many of readers here will know, was a Winchester model 70 chambered in .270. So I convinced him, or he likely just humored me into thinking I convinced him, into exchanging the .308 for another Winchester model 70 chanbered in .270. The family owned land in northern Vermont where such firearms were common which was probably what motivated my father to buy reasonably powerful guns as his first purchases. Even back then NJ prohibited rifles for hunting. A short time later we were back at the store buying another Winchester model 70 chambered in 30-06... not sure why. That was my first exposure to firearms. I took the required firearms and hunter safety courses, and went varmint hunting in upstate New York and learned from experienced shooters. Ironically, we never hunted the Vermont land that I understood to be loaded with deer and lots of black bear and moose. As I said, I'm thinking that was how my father justified the 30-06.
As I got older I got a Savage 12 gauge pump and a Fox 20 gauge double barrel that I hunted deer and birds, respectively, in NJ and upstate New York.
Another quick story... somehow we came to own a Marlin lever action chambered in .35 caliber... a great short range deer or hog gun, but it almost never got used. Wish I had it today, but we decided to sell it. A schoolmate of mine (it was the 60s and we were teenagers) wanted it, so one day after school I met him in the parking lot, and sold him the rifle. Can you imagine?! There was never a passing thought about posing a threat to anyone because there was no threat! We were just a couple of teenagers selling/buying a gun... might just as well have been a bicycle.
I since moved to Florida many years ago, have a Florida CCW, an M&P Shield 2.0 as my primary (among others) EDC, I enjoy hog hunting with my son, and look forward to going with my grandkids some day. I have a Remington semi auto .22 rifle and a S&W .22 semi auto pistol that will be great guns for them to learn with.

 

[Johnny Ringo]

… I was blessed by a Mother who gave me the gift of reading, which in turn gave me knowledge of our Lord & Savior and also lead me to a love of history. I was blessed by a Dad who gave me the interest in firearms, law enforcement and the knowledge that in America Guns & History are intertwined forever.

Such a beautiful story, I really appreciate you sharing it.

 

[rrb357mag]

I grew up in the Midwest, in a town of about 120,000. Dad had a couple shotguns which were mainly used for pheasant hunting, which we did every fall. Dad, my brother & I, an uncle and some friends. Dad also had his grandfather's old revolver. It never worked, and I inherited it when Dad died. I still have it and it's out on display but is a cheap gun not worth repairing.
At 18 I bought a single shot .22 and a single shot 20 ga, both new. My brother and I started deer hunting around that time and decided I needed a better shotgun and bought a new Ithica Model 37 Deerslayer. I also decided to upgrade the .22 and bought a Marlin Golden 39A lever action. Still have them almost 50 years later.
At 21 I bought the first of many handguns. First one was an H&R 38 revolver which was fairly quickly replaced by my first Colt, a .357 magnum Trooper with a 6" barrel. Picked up a Colt Python that I bought new in 1989 and sold during a tough time in 2011. I finally replaced it last year with one made in 1975.
At 22, my dad, my brother and I went on a deer hunt in Wyoming, and I borrowed a 30.06 for the trip. As soon as I got back, I went out and got a Remington 742 in 30.06. Somewhere along the way I picked up a Browning BAR and a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle, both 30.06, and got stupid and sold the 742. Many more have come and gone over the years. I still go shooting a couple times a month, usually handguns but still get some rifle action in.

 

[Kal.38]

Late 70s kid born to a Military, Law enforcement, and hunting family. I can honestly say. Firearms are part of our family history and heritage. From settlement to the founding of this great country. Harmanus Van Inwegen, Samuel Gorton, and Nathaniel Green are direct relatives. Everyone since has done their part.
Even mom was an officer in the Army Nusre Corps. Both of my grandfather's and all the great uncles are WWII vets. Dad, Stepdad, and uncles are Nam, Grenada, Panama, and Desert Storm vets. I gave 10 years and multiple deployments to the Army myself.
Grew up in Orange County NY. Both my granddads carried S&W M10 .38s for work. One was NYSP troop F and the other worked Wallkill Correctional.
My first real firearm was a Steven's 20ga M94 use for hunting. Then a Marlin M60 22. The first handgun was a Llama .45 GI bought at pawn shop on Victory row outside Ft.Benning.
I shoot and reload as much as I can now. I've taught both my sons and now the youngest is going to college for law enforcement. Food allergies have kept him from the service.

 

[Johnny Ringo]

I became enamoured with a shiny Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt and bought that instead. I still have it. These days, I do have a few autoloaders, but I count myself as a revolver guy.

Now that you mention it, the Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt and the Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum used to top my list—along with Freedom Arms revolvers. But then I caught the .45 ACP bug and couldn't resist grabbing a Smith & Wesson 1911.

 

[raljr1]

How did you get into shooting?

My dad was a hunter, rabbits, pheasants and deer. He would take a week of vacation for deer season each year. I got in to shooting when my dad started allowing my brother and I to take the 22 out behind the barn at our sportsman's club farm to plink at tin cans. I was probably 12. HE would give us a box of shells, and no magazine. So one shot at a time. Dad didn't really take me along with him very often when he hunted, so iIn my late teens I became more interested in handguns and shooting because a friend's uncle would take us along, and another, older friend was a collector.

• Were guns always around in your home?

Dad had about 10 guns, mostly for hunting, He had a 3 or 4 rifles, 3 shotguns, and a couple of cheap revolvers. They were kept on the top shelf of the closet until I was in my teens, then mom bought him a glass front gun cabinet.

• Did your fathers or grandfathers own or carry?

The only time I remember my dad carrying was during the riots in the 60's He worked at one of the steel mills in Pittsburgh and put the H&R 22 in the truck for a short time. My uncle was an ex marine (softest spoken guy I knew. Had fought thru four of the bloodiest places, but was a kind as could be.), both he and dad served in the South Pacific during WWII, My uncle had an M1Garand and a Colt 1903 in 32 caliber. He would show them to me on occasion. He left me both after he passed. When dad died, my brother and I split his collection, most of those I still have.

• What was your first gun, and what was the first you really wanted (even if you never got it)?

My first gun was a single barrel 12 gauge that someone had shortened the stock on. Shooting that, I knew that my dad really did dislike me. (LOL) The first gun I really wanted was a Llama Comanche that I saw on the cover of a gun magazine when I was 19. I wisely waited a year or so and bought a 6" nickel plated Model 19. It still lives with me. Over the years I would pick up a gun now and then, always preferring Smith & Wesson revolvers. As my income grew and the nest was empty, (and after I joined this damned forum), my collection really expanded. There was a time when I thought I would never sell a gun, but as my taste matured, and as fellow forum members told me about guns I didn't know I needed, I sold of some earlier purchases to finance more interesting or collectible pieces. I shoot handguns with some frequency, long guns less so. I still hunt deer each year and take my shotgun for long walks in search of pheasants to miss. but my real passion, if I can call it that is Smith & Wesson revolves.

 

[CajunBass]

I was young but still an avid reader of Outdoor Life and in particular articles written by Jack O'Connor's who's favorite rifle, as I'm sure many of readers here will know, was a Winchester model 70 chambered in .270.

I mentioned earlier that my Grandfather passed his Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines down to me (Sports Afield too). Jack O'Connor was one of my favorite writers, and I have three or four of his books to this day. I was never much of a rifleman, but I did sucumb to the sirens call once, when I bought a Winchester Model 70 in 30/06 from Sears and Roebuck. (I went with 30/06 because even O'Connor admitted it handled heavier bullets better, and who knew? I might go elk or moose hunting some day.) I sprung the extra money to get an actual Winchester too, not the less expensive "Ted Williams" model. I did put a 3X9 Ted Williams scope on it. Man, I thought I was ready to take on anything in North America.

Truth is I fired about 100 rounds through that rifle. Never killed anything but a bank of red Virginia clay with it. I did buy a Lee Loader for 30/06 and started to learn to reload. Another long and boring story.

 

[TheInnovationGarage]

Some of this was shared on a previous thread, but is quite appropriate for this one.


As for my background, Gen X, born 1971.

I learned trigger management from my Dad who owned mostly S&W's. The first time I was at the range I was 7 or 8 years old and he had to get special permission from the range owner to get us out there.

I learned proper trigger management on a what is now an old S&W Model 49 in .38 caliber, which still resides in my collection today. Firearms were part of everyday life as my Dad had a Private Investigation and Security business.

Everyday he came home from work he placed his loaded carry gun on a shelf in the kitchen. Storage of firearms was a bit different back then as was his approach with us. At that young age, both my younger brother (who was 5 or 6) and I were told "Unless I'm with you, don't touch this, ever. Anytime you want to look at, all you need to do is just ask me."

Those instructions easy to follow and my Dad's approach also took the "mystery" out of a firearm. I can look at it any time I want and all I have to do is ask. Simple.

I would never advocate that approach today. My instructions to my son's were the exact same when they were young, but the firearms storage was enhanced a bit either in a safe or a gun-vault with a full mag, but never chambered. When either of them asked, I showed, just like my Dad did. My boys are both in their mid 20's now and are both great shooters.

When I was turning 21, in the early 90's I wanted a semi auto as my first adult purchase.

With a policeman colleague, my Dad set up a trial of semi autos.

On the table was a S&W 645 (45 .ACP) a Gen 2 G19 (9mm) and if I recall a S&W 6906 (9mm). The policeman's agency was evaluating all three to move away from revolver carry as I was given a great opportunity to learn something that would have been difficult to do on my own at the time. I really wanted an S&W semi auto at the time but elected to let it go.

That said, my decision process at the time was based on three factors.

1) How reliable is it?
2) Will I be able to work the safety system effectively under stress?
3) How many parts are in the gun?

I bought a G19 after that side by side. Primarily because of point #2 and being a young man.

I figured if I have good trigger management, and if I'm under stress, and all I have to do is point and shoot, that's a good choice for me.
That G19 I've had for 33 years and still carry that.

I also now have that sought after S&W 645 in .45 ACP in my collection.

I now make it a point to carry the 645 every chance I get.

 

[stu1ritter]

Here's the Curtis and the Giles. They really are quite the pair. When I was on Army teams we had a lot of Giles guns...........everyone knew you could count on them.

Stu

 

[eb07]

Dad was patrolman took me shooting all the time. Revolvers and 22 rifles . Also was a collector and reloader. I still have his model 19.

Grandfather was world war two vet. He's my reason for loving the 1911.

First rifle savage single shot. Still have it.

Savage model 72 crack shot

First handgun was a Springfield armory 1911. My friend owns it now

 

[ColoCoug]

I got my first .22 rifle at age 14 in 1964. My dad taught Engineering but was born in 1919 and grew up acquainted with guns. I shot a lot of .22 growing up, and later got into handguns.

My daughters were born in 1987 and 1989. They both were introduced to firearms in their early teens, and they both own shotguns, but they are not as interested in them as I am and I doubt they would miss them if they weren't there.

Today's 30-somethings and younger adults don't have the cultural background we do. They have grown upon in an atmosphere where many have never touched firearms and school shootings are a big concern. I think they will change the discussion and political setting around firearms substantially as the 2000s go on.

 

[komodo5379]

Born April 1954, Washington DC Metro area.

• How did you get into shooting?
I shot .22 rifle postal matches at the NRA HQ basement range when they were in Washington, DC on Rhode Island Ave.
• Were guns always around in your home?
No. My maternal grandfather committed suicide during the depression, he had depressive issues for years before that. He used a shotgun in his barn after breakfast. So mom was not keen on guns but she did not stop me from competing but none in the home.
• Did your fathers or grandfathers own or carry?
No, My father was a Sgt. clerk in WW2 2nd Army. He saw no action per se. He didn't hunt; wasn't outdoorsy at all. our Next door neighbor was quite the collector of S&W and Colt handguns. He gave me the bug during our chats. He also had two real Thompson Subs. I wish I had some of the ones he would show me back then
• What was your first gun, and what was the first you really wanted (even if you never got it)?
First was a 1980 Model 27-2. Soon after, I started shooting Bullseye with a Mod. 52-2 and a Mod. 41. I still like 5 and 4 screw S&W N and K frames. I really admired the pristine colt "hammerless" 1903 and 1908 semi-autos neighbor had. I now have one of each but not in the condition his were in. I have a decent collection of Smiths.

 

[JackInCt]

I was born when FDR was president and 3 weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Being born in the Bronx, NYC, there was no such thing as a gun culture around my apartment. Or my block, or my neighborhood, or the city for that matter.

My first experience handling any guns was when my father took me with him when he went to do some on site picture framing work for Robert Ripley (Ripley's Believe It Or Not) who was a great collector. Robert let me handle many of his current guns and I was enthralled at age 7.

In 1955 I joined my high school rifle team (Stuyvesant HS in Manhattan) and used to practice at the Manhattan Rifle and Revolver Association at 24 Murray St.. The rifle team would ride the subways with our rifles for away matches and it never bothered anyone. Try that today! We shot at the old 33rd St. Armory (no longer there) where the Police detectives practiced. I would always arrive early and the detective instructors would let me shoot their snubs and I was just hooked on handguns. When in high school, NYC had a summer program for high school kids that sent them to working farms in upstate NY for 8 weeks. I saved and saved and bought my first gun, a rifle, and had it sent up to the farm I had worked on the previous summer as I was going back. The rifle was a BSA in 222 Remington and the farmer taught me how to hunt varmints around the farm from a good distance.

In the Army I shot on the 1st Cav Division Pistol Team, the 2nd Army Pistol Team and started collecting. When I was at Army secondary schooling at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland I bought my first handgun, at age 17, a new Colt Python ser # 6306. I later sold it to a German friend, in Germany, and he kept it the rest of his life. I would shoot it on visits there. Shot competitive bullseye for years and years (Expert Indoors/Outdoors). Still enjoy going to my club and shooting a few National Matches by myself. I now shoot a Nelson conversion and either a Curtis or a Giles .45 for targets and an assortment of S&W's for fun.

Stu

Hi Stu,
I was born in 1948. I graduated from Brooklyn Tech in 1965. I was not on the rifle team, but I remember that we had one. There's a photo of the team in my yearbook. I remember well that the team members could travel on the subway with their cased rifles and no one batted an eye. Btw, to see an example of a bunch of fellas with their shotguns at (a movie version of) Grand Central, see one of my favorite movies, Palm Beach Story with Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert. Though it was a movie version of the Terminal, I know it portrayed what would have been a common scene, a bunch of people head out to the field for hunting via the NY Central.
The Tech rifle team was eliminated by '67, in an early manifestation of political correctness.

My first introduction to guns was in '63 when we visited friends in Waterbury, CT.
I still live in CT and it has changed, like everything else for the worse, including gun laws.
It's nice to communicate with another grad of NYC's greatest schools. In fact, having attended the City's schools from K thru 12, looking b back I feel blessed to have had the education that even before high school was superb by today's standards.

 

[arjay]

My dad kept a rifle for protection but only hunted a few times.I became friends with a pair of twins who came from a hunting background when I was in high school and learned to shoot and hunt from them.My first gun was a cap and ball revolver quickly followed by a 22 rifle. Rabbits were hard to hit with that muzzle loader lol

 

[NYHawk]

Hello everyone. Haven't really posted much, but read the threads alot.

I was born in the mid 60s and grew up just north of Bronx, NY.

As a kid, my father taught me to shoot with a Daisy pellet rifle. That's it. No other guns in my house, and no relatives had guns.
When I turned 17/18, I hung around with a couple of guys in The Bronx that hunted a lot. At 18, my first rifle, Browning BAR. I also purchased an Ithaca slug shotgun. Then just because, a Colt AR-15 A2.
At age 21, I applied for my CCW at a local City owned gun range, and my first handgun was a Ruger GP100 4". My second gun was a Colt Delta Elite 10mm. It was at the time when 9mm was all over the news, so I needed to up one!
As a side note, I got married in 1990s. I got my first dog, and planned on using her as a hunting dog. I fell in love with her (the dog and my wife), became an animal lover, and never shot an animal again. The good news though, my wife loves to target shoot rifles, and ccw her own handguns.