Tell us about your first one

[Adam Helmer]

YukonGirl,

In 1958, I was 13 and bought an "Army Gun" deer rifle for $13.88 to hunt PA deer. I bought an Italian M1938 7.35mm carbine and it is still in my vault. The next year I bought a No4 Mk1 .303 British and the collection grew from there.

Adam

[Mr. 16 gauge]

First 'real' gun: Mossberg 500 pump that I bought from Kmart in 1975 with money I saved doing odd jobs & such (I was 14).

First rifle: .22 Remington Nylon 66 that my dad bought me for deer hunting.....got it for Christmas in 1975 because he didn't know I couldn't legally hunt deer with it (hence why I was allowed to buy the Mossberg).

First centerfire rifle: Winchester 94 in 30/30.....a Christmas present from my folks in 1976.

First handgun: Colt Trooper Mk III, 6" barrel, blued, in .357 magnum. Bought it for myself for my 21st Birthday!

....and yes, I still have all of them.

[YukonGirl]

Great stories-- all, and I appreciate everyone sharing them. I'm hoping more will add to the thread.

I'm seeing a theme that's not surprising to me-- as fond as we are of our first gun purchases, for some, it's just as special to pass them on to the next generation.

[skeet]

My first long gun I bought was a Winchester M-12 in as new condition. It was a 12 ga 26 inch imp cyl field gun..paid 35 bucks for it. I was 9 years old. Sold it a few days later for 50 bucks. Hey 15 dollars was a lot of money back then. First handgun was a Colt SAA 38-40..Made in 1900 and about 65%. Paid 15 bucks..I was 11 and I hid it from my parents till I was 18. They would have probably taken it away from me. One of the few guns from my early years I still have. The first 22 was a Winchester 69 I bought for 10 bucks when I was 12. Still have it too. And boy oh boy...has it had a "few" rounds through it. Probably over 150,000 of all sizes. Whatever I could afford at the time.

[gd357]

Hmm... The gun I'll never beat was the first one I "owned". Dad got me a Crosman model 66 when I was 9 years old. That thing shot better than I could - which is weird for an air rifle. Killed countless birds, chipmunks, and even a few squirrels. Longest shot I made with that thing was... well, you wouldn't believe what the rangefinder said when I ranged it years later (rest and target position being stationary...). Long story short, I could hunt big game for the rest of my life, and not come close to the kill tally that thing owned (I was heartbroken when it finally wore out). Had a few .22LRs that were readily available shortly thereafter - much to the distress of the local groundhog population. When I finally bought my first "real gun" it was a Winchester pump 12 gauge. Killed my first whitetail buck with that shotgun (as well as my first tom turkey), and I'll never part with it. I may have better firearms in my arsenal, but none will hold as much intrinsic value.

gd

[TreeDoc]

BB guns weren't allowed, I'd shoot my eye out!

First gun was a Remington 1100, 20 gauge, Standard Receiver and Mag Tube, 26" skeet choke barrel. I bought it from JC Penney right after I turned 18. A year or so later they gave up guns and their entire sporting goods dept. My brother was working there at the time so I got his employee discount making it more affordable.

I still have that gun today. The cat pi$$ed on it once but fortunately he hit the additional full choke barrel that I had mounted on it at the time so I had to have that reblued. Shot a lot of Quail and Dove with that gun in my early days. Now I have to wade through all the shotguns, rifles, and pistols in the safe just to get a glimpse of it way in the back!

[skeet]

Tell us about your first pink tutu..oh and the first tinfoil helmet!!

[maineguy110]

mine was a 410 single shot my moms boyfriend bought it for me for xmas have killed alot of rabbits with it i allways think of lenny when i use that gun he has sinced pasted away

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Stevens 22/410 over and under when I was 9...it had a broken stock so my dad had a gunsmith make a new one for me and the gunsmith added free a raccoon one one side and a pheasant on the other side of the stock for birthday...still own it....first deer rifle...30/30 marlin..gave it to daughter and she still uses it..

[Wolfwoman]

M16 in the Army, and believe me you OWNED that gun, if you think you didn't, ask the Drill Sgt...lol

[GOLD-PAN]

At first it was a red rider bb gun my parent's bought for x-mas , then it was a .22 magnum (steven's) brandname from my grandmother which got my 1st deer with then it was a burned in a fire .308 savage that i traded and i bought a Colt ar-15 .223 got a few varment's and a deer till i traded it for a 12ga with a folding stock , pistol grip....from an army buddy....Now almost 30 years later i got a lil'black rifle AR-15 (Tricked-out) , a few shot-gun's and just added to my toy-box a Thompson / Center .308 Encore Pistol that never get's out of my sight (hopefully ill be takin a moose with it this fall )......if luck goes my way !!!!!!