[thebohunk]

Single shot 22lr Remington rifle.

Won in a raffle at a high school festivel (for the sturents only) held in the high school building.

Walked 3 miles to home afterwards (at night), through town, carrying the rifle and being passed by police cars who did not stop. Parents almost crapped when I showed them what I had won but they let me keep it.

Amazing how things change huh?

A school raffling off a rifle, cops not stopping you walking home. I can only imagine......

 

[hairball II]

Mossberg 500

 

[thebohunk]

Semi auto .22. Think it was a "Glenfield model 60". Am I remembering right? Bought it on my 18th birthday in 1978 from the Penney's catalog for about 60 bucks. Got to use my associates discount. That was the first rifle I ever owned, shot, or even held. My dad didn't want anything to do with firearms of any kind, so all my brothers and I were strictly on our own when it came to guns. Never got around to asking dad why he was so uptight about guns. Just one of those topics you knew you weren't supposed to bring up around him! Always seemed kinda odd for the WW2 vet, country boy that he was.

Good friend of mine is one of 7 kids. Grew up on a farm, their old man was a big time country boy. He never had a gun on the farm the whole time they were growing up. He said "one of you damn kids woulda ended up dead". Guess I can't argue with him, but I would not want to be living out in the boonies without some sort of protection.

To each his own.

 

[Hauptmann]

Other than a Daisy B.B. gun, first was a Ruger 10/22 for Christmas at 12.

First I bought was an Enfield No.4 Mk1, professionally sporterized, when I was 18 several years ago. Still have it.

 

[Mark Harlin Chaney]

Dad bought us a no name .22 single shot. Had to cut the stock off, I was only 4. The first gun I bought myself was a Savage 16 ga. single shot when I was 13.

 

[sigshr]

M1917 Enfield, bought it in 1967 when I was in the Army. It was in excellent condition, reasonable price.

 

[confederatecaptain]

Good friend of mine is one of 7 kids. Grew up on a farm, their old man was a big time country boy. He never had a gun on the farm the whole time they were growing up. He said "one of you damn kids woulda ended up dead". Guess I can't argue with him, but I would not want to be living out in the boonies without some sort of protection.

To each his own.

I agree. I carry every day, for my own peace of mind. Dad was born in 1913 and grew up on a farm. If Dad were alive today he would call me a pansy (or something much worse!). In his view a "real man" settled any issue with his intelligence or his fists. I'm more of a "God, guns, and guts made America free" frame of mind.

Indeed, to each his own.

 

[MEJ1990TM]

I was bought a Daisy BB gun when I was about 11 or so. My first gun that I actually bought was a byf 44 Mauser K98. About two hours later I "funded" the purchase of a Colt Commander 80 Series.

 

[Tiglath-Pileser]

Pre-teen: my father's Benjamin .177 multi-pump pellet rifle. Best day was when I brought home 54 doves, and Grandpa said "They have been getting too thick since they outlawed hunting them a fews ago, let me show you how to clean them so Ma can cook them for us." At 8 years old, I had no idea that I couldn't hunt certain birds.

On Christmas when I was 13: brand new Winchester Model 94, .30-30. By then I learned and obeyed hunting and gun laws.

 

[Dieter]

Single shot 22lr Remington rifle.

Won in a raffle at a high school festivel (for the sturents only) held in the high school building.

Walked 3 miles to home afterwards (at night), through town, carrying the rifle and being passed by police cars who did not stop. Parents almost crapped when I showed them what I had won but they let me keep it.

I love it!! That's how things should still be!

 

[Texian]

My family had mostly shotguns and .22 rifles. My first was a Daisy BB gun. At 9 I started hunting with a .410 shotgun. Later used Grandpa's 12 gauge. He gave it to me before he died, luckily, because he died in a house fire. His 1890's Winchester .22 short rifle was burned up (real pity).

The first rifle I bought was a .45 black powder replica made in Italy. It was a crooked piece of crap so I sold it. The next one (that I still have) was a Winchester Centennial 30-30 that I found in a pawn shop for $75 in the early 70's.