YOUR FIRST HANDGUN?

[crazyphil]

My first gun was a .22 single shot rifle. Believe it or not, I was
only 9 years old when I got it. A lot of long guns came after that.

Some time in the early 1960s I bought my first handgun. It was
an H&R 922 9 shot .22 caliber. It was blue, 2.5" barrel and plastic grips.
You had to remove the cylinder to load or unload it.

Around 2000 I had some health issues and thought I was all
through hunting, so I gave all my long guns away. When I told
my wife, she said "you did what? Are you crazy?" That's where
and when I got my name crazyphil.

My Dad had a S&W Model 19 and let me shoot it. I was hooked
and had to have one too. The Model 19 was my first S&W but
it wasn't my last. I still have it...and many more.

 

[lihpster]

First handgun was a Ruger Mk.II 5 1/2" bull barrel.

 

[NY-1]

A well-used, HB S&W Model 10. And I've loved nearly every moment of ownership. Since I took that photo it's now wearing some OEM magna stocks and a BK adapter. No matter how many other handguns I shoot, I always find myself gravitating back toward the Model 10.

 

[Kurusu]

My first handgun was a Beretta 71 .22lr. Bought new in 1979.

I still have it.

 

[RobertJ.]

My first rifle was an 1891 Argentine Mauser, in 7.65x53mm. I was 11 and bought it from one of my dad's friends for $30.

My first pistol was a Walther PPK/S in .22 LR. I traded a Fisher turntable and 50 bucks for it when I was 18.

My first revolver was a brand new Virginian Dragoon in .44 Magnum. I was 19 and asked my dad to make the purchase. I started reloading that same year (1979) and it made me laugh that I couldn't buy ammo for it, but I could buy all the components I needed to keep it fed.

 

[Claymore33]

Model 15. 4" blue. Still have it.

 

[sheppard]

High Standard .22 target pistol. Can't remember the model.

First S&W was a model 15.

 

[nate-dogg]

First handgun was a police trade in Glock G22 40 s&w. First rifle was a new from Bass Pro Savage 110 30-06. First shotgun was an old beat up single shot H&R 12 gauge. There all 3 long gone now. Only one I miss is the 30-06.

 

[Valmet]

1968 mfg S&W Model 17-3 K22. Was a 17th bday present from my dad back in 1998. It's one of the first 17-3s as the yoke is marked 17-2. It's had a zillion rounds thru it and still works great.

 

[Moo Moo]

My first handgun was a .22lr High Standard Victor. I bought it to shoot in ISSF matches.

My first S&W was a Model 14-6. I bought this to shoot in Service Matches (like PPC).

 

[CajunBass]

My first gun was an Ithaca M-66, break action 20 gauge. I got it when I was 13?-14? from "Santa."

My first handgun was a Model 19 (probably a -4, but I knew nothing of such things then.) It went down the road when I got bit by the ISPC bug a couple of years later. That's the start of spiral.

I don't have that Model 19, but I do have one that's pretty close.

 

[Sevens]

Christmas gift from Mom in 1988, the first Christmas after my Dad had died, I had turned 16 and all of my older siblings were jaw-dropped when I unwrapped the six inch S&W Model 17-6. Were they more surprised than I was?! I don't know the answer to that!

 

[kevin in nh]

Union Switch & Signal .45.....It was my Dads who died when I was 17. It will go to my grandson.

 

[Richard Simmons]

Colt Trooper MKIII, .357, 4" nickel purchased new in 1978.

 

[Ruger 13]

My first gun was a brass framed 1851 Colt Navy kit that I bought from an ad in Shooting Times magazine when I was 13 years old for $24.95. My dad and I put it together in my dad's gunsmithing shop in the basement of our house. That was 50 years ago and just last week I had it out shooting!

 

[cracker57]

first handgun was my raging bull 44 mag. bought it to shoot hogs.

 

[.455_Hunter]

My Dad got me a .38 S&W Enfield DAO when I was 14 in 1990. Brought me into the world of defensive carry. I still have it as a primary HD component.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

I bought my first handgun shortly after I starting working once I got out of school. Always wanted a 1911, Colt Series 70 was the perfect choice. It has worn many different sets of shoes over the years, here it is pictured with its current set. Still have the box, papers, original grips tucked away.

As a continuation to this story, and a natural question to be asked, my first S&W handgun was a Nickel 6" Model 19 (TT, TH, TS) that caught my eye while unsuccessfully seeking the newly released 4" Model 66, which were mainly going to fill law enforcement orders at the time. Beautiful pistol, and a real shooter, and shoot it I did which resulted in some flaking of the nickel on the cylinder. That went down the road so I could buy my SECOND S&W, which I still have. I have pictured it next to my 1911. 6" 629-1 .44MAG (make my day stainless style), this hand cannon has killed game all over the world. When hunting it wears Pachy's (for durability and comfort) but ain't she pretty with the factory targets?

From that point the addiction has never waned...

P.S. I did eventually buy that 4" 66 I was looking for, that one IS my FAVORITE S&W revolver!!

 

[30-30remchester]

Bought my first handgun when I was 15. Brought it home on the school bus. Different times for sure. It was a Ruger Mark 1 6" barrel. Still have it 52 years later. No bluing left at all. Grips finally wore thru and fell apart a few years ago so had to buy new one. Looks out of place for sure. I can say with reasonable certainty that my gun has been under water longer than most guns have been out of the safe. Dang TV and the show Rat Patrol got me thinking you can jump anything in a Jeep. Didn't have enough speed to jump an irrigation ditch and ended up upside down. A month later I couldn't find my pistol. A thorough search of the ditch found the Ruger. After that episode the little 22 didn't get much TLC.

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

My 1st handgun was a 1972 S&W 29-2 with 8-3/8" barrel bought used from coworker with presentation box and Bianchi shoulder holster for $250 in 1983. Bought it to go hog hunting which never happened. Sold it to my best friend for the same $250 in 2007.

 

[jake1945]

It was a Ruger Blackhawk, .357 mag with 6.5 inch barrel. I bought it at Montgomery Wards in 1967 for about $60. There was no paper work to fill out and Ward's policy was to have only my thumb print on their copy of the receipt. I started reloading with that revolver and shot hundreds of rounds thru it. I still have it too!

 

[brian686]

My first gun was a Beretta 92 FS (still have it). My first Smith and Wesson was a police trade-in 686 no dash with 4" barrel. (still have).

 

[dwh]

December of 1989 I turned 21 and purchased a Ruger SBH 44 mag. for my birthday,against my uncles advice. After months of shooting it I still couldn't hit anything with it. It may have had to do something with the recoil. So I followed my uncle advice and bought a S&W model 17. I eventually learned to shoot both very well out to 100yard. I still have both and have learned from the discretions of my youth.

 

[kraynky]

My first was a Ruger MKI, bought from a buddy. It got pawned when I got hungry in the "High interest rate/low to no jobs" of about 1978' to 80'. Moved from small town Kentucky to Houston TX! Jobs were everywhere in ?Boom Town" USA. I bought my first brand new gun at a gun shop in Houston.

It was a satin nickel Colt 45 with black rubber grips. Back to KY a couple of years later and I had to eat that one two. My first S&W was a police trade in 66-1 4", an I still have it. Also have another Ruger MKII and another Colt, but a lot more S&W revolvers and 3rd Gens now.

 

[arjay]

My first handgun was a 36 caliber cap and ball revolver when I was 18 (long gone) My second was either a sa Excam 22 or a Stoeger Luger.
None of them were very accurate and I switched to rifles for the next 15 years

 

[NYlakesider]

My first handgun. It was 1972 and after more than 2 years and moving out of the city to a suburb and doing all the BS NYS demands I finely got a permit to own and purchase a handgun!


Tying to find a Smith 19, 27-28 new or used was quite frustrating. I wanted a adjustable sighted .357 4'' for my first hand gun.

Went into a garage/basement gun shop and the owner, a person I shoot skeet with told me as usual the gun I was looking for he did not have. He did tell me that he had in a new pistol I might be interested in. It wad a brand new on the market Ruger Security Six .357 with adjustable sights. He said he would take $20 off the MSRP because it would be my first pistol

As I really wanted a Smith I reluctantly checked out the gun. It seemed decent, felt good in my hand and I bought it. Guess it was a good decision as I still have it.

 

[Donn]

S&W Model 29 in 1978. It was Harry Callahan's fault. Still have it.

 

[OLDSTER]

Colt Frontier Scout. 1964

 

[stu1ritter]

My first handgun was a Colt Python serial # 6306 bought in 1959 when I was 17, while I was in Ordnance school at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. Took two months to pay the $125 for it on a clean sleeve private's pay of $78/month. I sold it to a German friend just before I rotated home in 1964 and was able to continue shooting it through the years every time I visited.

Stu

 

[Rocket3]

About 30 years ago. 29-3 10 5/8. Go big or go home. Also still have it still shoot it.