Who Taught You Revolver Shooting? - Poll

[LittleCooner]

Skeeter Skelton! That's my best answer. Back in the 70s when I bought a revolver, there was no one around to tell me what to do or how. I bumbled thru the beginning and got it loaded and managed to hit some of the stuff I shot towards. Somewhere along the way, subscribed to Shooting times and became a profound follower of Skeeter Skelton. It could be Jugs Johnson had a little to do with my shooting. When you live in the sticks and no one else knows anything about revolvers or pistols, I guess the Appalachian mountain hooger in me managed to do ok, sometime you just have to back your ears and "just do it".

 

[BAM-BAM]

My Dad; at the time a Lt. on our Twp.'s Police Dept. He was also "Captain" of the Department's Pistol Team, shooting "Master" [scoring >640 out of 700] He retired in 1977 after 39 years as the Dept.'s Captain. [ The Chief was a political appointee]

Spent 4 years on the High School Rifle Team.... Sr Year winning WPIAL AAAA and Second in State. Followed by 4 years on my College Rifle Team. Got to take Dad's S&W Model 41 to College and would shoot it after practice! A different time!

 

[Inland7-45]

Model 15

The United States Air Force taught me how to shoot and qualify on a S&W Model 15 Combat Masterpiece with 4" standard barrel in 1973 (the year I went on active duty). I found the revolver easy to shoot and very accurate if I did my part. As a teenager in the 60's, I had taught myself how to shoot the Ruger Bearcat and the Colt Huntsman that I owned (well before the 1968 gun control act). Nevertheless, I had never shot a double action S&W centerfire revolver. The Model 15 is still my favorite; proud to say I own a nice one today. Late in my military career, we switched from the revolver to the Beretta M9. I also was able to continually qualify expert with that weapon, but I always thought the Model 15 fit me better.

I share your opinion of the Model 15. I have a model 67 from the second year of production. I learned how to shoot with a model 18-3. I still have this gun today and over the countless rounds that I put through it I was able to master DA shooting.

 

[Inland7-45]

Model 10 HB

Messrs. Smith & Wesson I suppose, in the form of a Model 10 Heavy Barrel. I got the revolver at 18 and had unlimited shooting opportunities and endless supply of ammunition.

It was enough to teach me all sorts of bad habits soon discovered, but taking near a lifetime to properly unlearn.

I can't kill it so I still have it.

Very nice model 10. I have one of the last of the pinned Model 64 HB.

 

[fdover]

My first revolver is a Colt Python 4" blue. I had shot a Model 10 as a kid with no ear protection-dumb!. So I have to say self taught. Did fairly well during the first session with a friend. Next gun was a Colt 45 automatic. Couldn't any thing on the target!

 

[Roofuss]

My late father taught me. he was a tank driver under Gen. Patton in WWII
This picture is him , Gods Speed, Pop !

 

[robvious]

My late father taught me.. started about age 5(?) standing in between his arms standing on the creek bank shooting his K22 at cans and bottles on my uncle's farm.. eventually I was able to watch him shoot IPSC in the early days with his nickel M15.. until it was stolen with the K22.. then watching and shagging brass with his new M66 4 inch (little brother has that one) but was given a 19-4 4 inch by my father.. he bought it for me when I was 12 and gave it to me a decade later... the basics were taught to me by dad.. the finer points have to be self taught... I assume that this is a pretty common path.

 

[The Mighty S&W]

Self taught. I spent 20 years as an LEO, but got into that business after the semiauto pistol had become the standard issue sidearm. It wasn't until years later that I took an interest in revolvers, and have used every resource at my disposal to learn from. I've found the most helpful of those resources to be simply taking a couple of revolvers to the range and firing them. It doesn't take long to figure out the basics.

 

[NYlakesider]

I live in the peoples republic of NY, and pistol permits were harder to get back then. (late 60s -early 70s) That meant that other than LEOS not much pistol shooting going on in my urban area.

With that said after about two years of legal BS I finely was able to buy a pistol. I got my permit in February and outside was dam cold and the only organized pistol shooting was bullseye.

So me and my Ruger Security Six joined the indoor league. Now if you know how bullseye works you do not get that many shots in that time frame. Some of the people there were serious shooters and they helped me out a lot.

The weather got better and I bought as much .38 ammo as I could afford to. I lived close to the club and I practiced on the outdone range as often as I could. Did hours of dry firing at home.

One of my friends was a armorer and RO for our town police and he helped out when he could. Cost of ammo being a sore spot I practiced as much as I could!
To be honest Bullseye bored me and I quit the league and I was doing much better just casual shooting.

PPC was getting to be a big thing in the mid 1970s and I realy liked it, so I picked the brains of anyone that could help me and for the most part I was getting better quite fast.

So there it is a Hodge-podge of things but as a gun guy I did quite well in my varied learning experiences. I was a RO and rifle/shotgun instructor after a while I was also a pistol instructor.

I'm A tinkerer and my fried in the police department showed me some "smithing things" and I did a lot of revolver work.

A rather unusual pedigree but thats the way I started getting good with a revolver.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

In your survey I said police but I really knew my way around revolvers going into the job. But it was tuned up in the academy. Then twelve years later it was fine tuned in a FBI firearms instructors school. That was some high level double action shooting.

Retired now for over twenty years I own some pretty plush auto loaders, Sig P210 probably the best. But D/A on the range is my happy place and a 442 gives me carry peace of mind. I'm a revolver gun.

 

[RGPM1A]

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.

 

[Drm50]

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.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

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.

 

[quikdraw67]

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.

 

[wproct]

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.

 

[19leben]

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Stee]

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.

 

[M29since14]

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.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

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

 

[Spurdann]

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.