Early 70's kid. Dad was a vietnam vet and 23 yrs in the navy. He was a parole officer. He grew up hunting and shooting. First gun i shot was a mkii ruger. First gun was a single shor 410.
This thread is mainly for those born in the 70s or earlier, but everyone is welcome to join.
- Thread starter Johnny Ringo
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I was born in the mid 50's. Both my parents grew up on farmland and my father hunted small game like squirrel and dove or ducks. I live in the same place as my parents grew up. There were no deer or turkeys back then. I always figured they were hunted out over the depression years. Dad never owned a handgun but he did have a Remington 870 12 gauge, a 410 H&R single shot and a Marlin 100 single shot 22. They were on a gun rack in the house and nobody gave them much thought. I started out with a Crosman bb gun at age 6. The single shots were the guns I carried squirrel hunting with my dad. He was never a big hunter but did take me a few times when I was growing up. Other family members hunted a lot and I learned and hunted with them most of my life. I still have my dads old guns. I did some hunting through mid 20's but did not own any hand guns. I played golf and fished as a hobbies and it did not leave much hunting time. I started collecting older rifles and revolvers about 15 years ago. It started out with Marlin rifles and then S&W revolvers. I taught myself to reload and my son also reloads and shoots a lot. I have a place at my house that I can target practice with any guns I feel like shooting so I shoot a lot at targets. We have a lot of deer and turkeys but I only shoot them with a camera these days.
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Entirely different groups, separated not only by age but, but other factors as well. "Born before 1970" may have meaning but perhaps not significant meaning. There were types of guns that weren't around before 1970 or they were available but did not see widespread use until later years.
Some of us grew up in gun families in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Some of us didn't. However, I doubt there are reliable statistics that show such figures.
Based only on my observations over many years at gun clubs, public ranges, gun shows, and lastly and the Internet (maybe the least accurate predictor), I've seen lots of folks that didn't grow up with guns taking an interest in AR carbines and pistols, striker pistols, pistol grip shotguns, and the accessory/ modification market. The Internet, friends, and films have a definite bearing on all this.
Many of these new gun people in the 25-60 age group have not been exposed to revolvers, hammer-fired semi-auto pistols, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns with full butt stocks and barrels of more than twenty inches. If they handload they do it to save money using a progressive machine. They have little interest in load development. And they don't cast bullets.
These aren't criticisms; it's just the way things are nowadays with many younger shooters and I think we'd best try to understand, maybe even respect their position even if we choose not to participate.
Some of us grew up in gun families in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Some of us didn't. However, I doubt there are reliable statistics that show such figures.
Based only on my observations over many years at gun clubs, public ranges, gun shows, and lastly and the Internet (maybe the least accurate predictor), I've seen lots of folks that didn't grow up with guns taking an interest in AR carbines and pistols, striker pistols, pistol grip shotguns, and the accessory/ modification market. The Internet, friends, and films have a definite bearing on all this.
Many of these new gun people in the 25-60 age group have not been exposed to revolvers, hammer-fired semi-auto pistols, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns with full butt stocks and barrels of more than twenty inches. If they handload they do it to save money using a progressive machine. They have little interest in load development. And they don't cast bullets.
These aren't criticisms; it's just the way things are nowadays with many younger shooters and I think we'd best try to understand, maybe even respect their position even if we choose not to participate.
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Johnny Ringo
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Thank you for your input, and thanks to everyone else who's been participating so actively. These are all fascinating stories that will surely be of interest to history enthusiasts for many years to come. Looking online today, you can really see how much has changed – which makes these firsthand glimpses into the past even more amazing.
I grew up in the late 60-70's in middle of Florida in semi-rural area.
I got into guns because every boy I knew was into or wanted to be into guns and knives...and we all hunted. Two of our neighbors were also into guns and hunting... one was a FHP officer and other was a retired game and fish biologist. My father was also casting bullets and reloading for his handguns so naturally I wanted to be like my dad and shoot, hunt and make bullets. We always had multiple guns in my dad's cabinet. I remember about a dozen revolvers, couple pistols, 22 rimfire rifles, shotguns including my father's favorite Browning Auto-5 and various hunting rifles. From our house we could walk few hundred yards to an open area where my father and couple neighbors built a "shooting range" that was out to about 100 yards.
My father was a country veterinarian and he always kept a revolver in the glove compartment. I don't remember him carrying a gun on him but he did have a Colt Cobra. He worked a lot of hours but always made time for us to go shooting together. Every year he went out of state with friends couple times to hunt deer, pheasants and ducks. Around home we hunted hogs, deer, quails and doves.
When I turned 13 I was allowed to take the 22lr rifle and 410 shotgun out on my own. I was allowed to shoot at the range or take it to our neighbor's ranch property where we hunted. Only rule was that I had to eat anything I killed. My father taught me to shoot when I was about 6 y/o. He had a 22lr single shot that he cut the stock to fit me. When I was about 9 I got to shoot the 410 single shot shotgun... a Mossberg bolt action 410. Soon after I was taught to shoot 22lr handguns. It was Colt Police Positive and a High Standard pistol. When I turned 12 I started to shoot various S&W K frame in 38 special and colt 1911A1 Gold Cup. He introduced me to Bullseye competition shooting and he took me around to shoot local competitions few times a month.
Some years later I saw Colt Pythons and S&W model 27 in his cabinet. I think the model 27 was procured through his FHP neighbor as it was their issued weapon for few years before that. Many years later I realized my father had very good taste in guns as I saw more fancy and custom guns in his cabinet.
My first gun was a Winchester 9422 lever actions rifle I purchased when I was 16 with money I earned one summer working at the local supermarket as stocking boy and occasionally as laborer for a construction company unloading building supplies. That Christmas my father got me a S&W model 15 revolver...my first handgun. In my senior year of high school I saw my first IPSC match and caught the bug. My father saw my enthusiasm so he let me use one of his Colt 1911A1 pistol. I purchased a Bianchi IPSC crossdraw holster and some mag pouch and I was ready. He and I would load 500 rounds of 45ACP every week in the garage using a pair of single stage press. We had a system where we would perform a single process each night and on the 4th night we would finish. By the time I was going off to UF I was pretty good.
When I had my own children we purchased a farm about an hour away from the city where we lived. I put up some tree stands and ground blinds to hunt hogs, deer and turkey and built a shooting range and a reloading/shooting shed where I taught my children to shoot. They were all eager to shoot until they got older and then lost all desire to shoot. I have a decent collection of handguns, rifles and shotguns I had hoped my children would appreciate but they have no interest.
My father is in his 90's now and hasn't shot in many years due to his mental acuity and physical disabilities. He still like to look and talk about his gun collection with me or his friends. Unfortunately, I don't see any family member who will carry on with our shooting culture after my father is gone and I'm gone.
I got into guns because every boy I knew was into or wanted to be into guns and knives...and we all hunted. Two of our neighbors were also into guns and hunting... one was a FHP officer and other was a retired game and fish biologist. My father was also casting bullets and reloading for his handguns so naturally I wanted to be like my dad and shoot, hunt and make bullets. We always had multiple guns in my dad's cabinet. I remember about a dozen revolvers, couple pistols, 22 rimfire rifles, shotguns including my father's favorite Browning Auto-5 and various hunting rifles. From our house we could walk few hundred yards to an open area where my father and couple neighbors built a "shooting range" that was out to about 100 yards.
My father was a country veterinarian and he always kept a revolver in the glove compartment. I don't remember him carrying a gun on him but he did have a Colt Cobra. He worked a lot of hours but always made time for us to go shooting together. Every year he went out of state with friends couple times to hunt deer, pheasants and ducks. Around home we hunted hogs, deer, quails and doves.
When I turned 13 I was allowed to take the 22lr rifle and 410 shotgun out on my own. I was allowed to shoot at the range or take it to our neighbor's ranch property where we hunted. Only rule was that I had to eat anything I killed. My father taught me to shoot when I was about 6 y/o. He had a 22lr single shot that he cut the stock to fit me. When I was about 9 I got to shoot the 410 single shot shotgun... a Mossberg bolt action 410. Soon after I was taught to shoot 22lr handguns. It was Colt Police Positive and a High Standard pistol. When I turned 12 I started to shoot various S&W K frame in 38 special and colt 1911A1 Gold Cup. He introduced me to Bullseye competition shooting and he took me around to shoot local competitions few times a month.
Some years later I saw Colt Pythons and S&W model 27 in his cabinet. I think the model 27 was procured through his FHP neighbor as it was their issued weapon for few years before that. Many years later I realized my father had very good taste in guns as I saw more fancy and custom guns in his cabinet.
My first gun was a Winchester 9422 lever actions rifle I purchased when I was 16 with money I earned one summer working at the local supermarket as stocking boy and occasionally as laborer for a construction company unloading building supplies. That Christmas my father got me a S&W model 15 revolver...my first handgun. In my senior year of high school I saw my first IPSC match and caught the bug. My father saw my enthusiasm so he let me use one of his Colt 1911A1 pistol. I purchased a Bianchi IPSC crossdraw holster and some mag pouch and I was ready. He and I would load 500 rounds of 45ACP every week in the garage using a pair of single stage press. We had a system where we would perform a single process each night and on the 4th night we would finish. By the time I was going off to UF I was pretty good.
When I had my own children we purchased a farm about an hour away from the city where we lived. I put up some tree stands and ground blinds to hunt hogs, deer and turkey and built a shooting range and a reloading/shooting shed where I taught my children to shoot. They were all eager to shoot until they got older and then lost all desire to shoot. I have a decent collection of handguns, rifles and shotguns I had hoped my children would appreciate but they have no interest.
My father is in his 90's now and hasn't shot in many years due to his mental acuity and physical disabilities. He still like to look and talk about his gun collection with me or his friends. Unfortunately, I don't see any family member who will carry on with our shooting culture after my father is gone and I'm gone.
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Johnny Ringo
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That's funny – 1973 is my birth year, and one of my first toy guns was an Interpol .38. Now I can see which model it was. The moment I saw the photo, it all came rushing back. That was way back in the late '70s, early '80s.
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I was born in 1966. I was interested in guns for as long as I can remember. My father instilled the interest in guns and shooting in me and his father was also a gun owner and hunter, though nowhere near as avid as my father. He took me to the shooting range often, and he was a big deer hunter. He took me on my first deer hunt with him when I was 7, and I was hooked ever since. Also at around 6 or 7, he had me help him reload ammo on the coffee table in the living room, polishing and chamfering cases. My father owned a gas station and tire shop, so he made tons of semi-wadcutter .357 bullets out of melted wheel counterbalance weights. My first "gun" was a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun that my dad gave me. My first CF rifle I ever shot much was a Remington M600 Mohawk in .222. I carried that rifle with me when deer hunting with my dad, but I never fired a shot from it while in the field hunting. My first "real" rifle that was truly mine was a Ruger M77 tang safety in .243 that my dad gave me for Christmas at 13, with which I killed my first 5 deer. I still have that rifle and still hunt with it on occasion, though in my 20s I restocked it in a fancier piece of walnut and installed a Timney trigger.
For some reason, despite the fact my dad shot handguns a fair amount, he never gave me any handguns, and I seldom ever shot handguns as a kid. It was only until I reached my 20s that I bought my first handgun, which was a Ruger P90. Since then, I've bought lots of revolvers and semiauto pistols, with S&W revolvers comprising the biggest proportion of them by far.
For some reason, despite the fact my dad shot handguns a fair amount, he never gave me any handguns, and I seldom ever shot handguns as a kid. It was only until I reached my 20s that I bought my first handgun, which was a Ruger P90. Since then, I've bought lots of revolvers and semiauto pistols, with S&W revolvers comprising the biggest proportion of them by far.
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Johnny Ringo
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Great story, and thanks so much for sharing! The Colt Cobra really got me interested in snub-nose revolvers. I only have a S&W Model 60, and even though it's not really for target shooting and a bit small for my hands, it's still one of my favorite guns. Definitely also the shiniest one!
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Born in 1950. My dad hunted some, mostly quail, not a big deer hunter. Rifles and shotgun were in the house, no handguns.
A Remington 582 bolt action rifle with a K-Mart brand scope was my first firearm for Christmas 1966. First handgun was a Ruger Bearcat. Still have both.
Not sure why, but the handgun bug bit me and bit me hard. Became a reserve deputy sheriff in 1979 and the race was on. Transferred to the police department in 1984. Carried S&W for the vast majority of career (40 years), but have been accumulating seriously (wide variety) since 2000. Retired in 2019, am allowed to carry as a retired officer.
I have reached the point in my life where I know I should be downsizing, but I am not doing a good job, as I have my eye on a 6 inch 586 that is calling my name.
A Remington 582 bolt action rifle with a K-Mart brand scope was my first firearm for Christmas 1966. First handgun was a Ruger Bearcat. Still have both.
Not sure why, but the handgun bug bit me and bit me hard. Became a reserve deputy sheriff in 1979 and the race was on. Transferred to the police department in 1984. Carried S&W for the vast majority of career (40 years), but have been accumulating seriously (wide variety) since 2000. Retired in 2019, am allowed to carry as a retired officer.
I have reached the point in my life where I know I should be downsizing, but I am not doing a good job, as I have my eye on a 6 inch 586 that is calling my name.
I have been carrying a model 38 in my front pocket every day for past 20+ years. Yes, original wood grip is too small for most men so I've always used an Uncle Mike boot grip.
Getting strapped, by my Uncle, at age 4, '51.
Sold that rig, at age 5, and bought two Thompsons.
Sold that rig, at age 5, and bought two Thompsons.
Born 1949. My maternal grandfather got me into shooting and hunting. He gave me my first guns: a Savage/Springfield single-shot 22, a Wnchester Model 37 shotgun, a Marlin deer rifle, a Marlin clip-fed 22, and an Eastern Arms/Meriden 32 revolver. The first gun I purchased was a sporterized 03A3. Always wanted that or a similar Mauser. Second gun I purchased was a S&W Model 10. That's how I spent my first two summer job paychecks. Pretty sure my third one went fot the Mauser, but I can't be sure. My folks had no objections. My dad hunted, but he always borrowed the gun from one of his sportsmen friends. I kept my guns in a locked gun rack in my room. I stored them at my grandfathers when I went off to college, since my dad changed jobs and moved to Philly suburbs.
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Johnny Ringo
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What an awesome story! You were literally right at the source while the rest of us only had the TV shows to feed our imaginations. I love the part about your dad carrying "non-LEO" guns for undercover work – it really brings that era to life.
I got my son a CZ when he turned 14, a beautiful wood-stocked 452. He's a good shooter, but the spark never really caught. We really should take it out again sometime.
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