Colt 1911 with a 4 digit serial number that had been welded shut and painted red.Hit my brother on the head with it and it disappeared.

"My" first gun was and is (see below) an H&R 20 Topper my Dad got for the family when I was 12. The first firearm that I bought with my own money was a Swedish Lahti military pistol in 9mm with Holster and two extra mags and cleaning rod. I was 14 at the time; and, saw the add in F&S from Klien's of Chicago (later, Oswald's supplier). I sent in the order form with my true age and a postal money order for about $25 as I recall and Klien's wrote back that I would have to have a parent sign for it but kept my money. So, I had to tell Dad what I had in mind. He did sign for it but took possession, keeping it with our other guns. He also bought a box of shells for it for $5, big money back then. We shot it in the basement into the coal bin, pretty loud. About 10 years later, I traded it for a Hi Standard target .22.

I got my first gun from my Uncle Sam back in Sept. of 75 in a place call Paris Island. The cheap bastard took it back..

Que pasa aqui???
 

Creo que se escribe "Parris" Island, no es verdad, amigo??:bigbye:

Cateye Marbles single shot. Gary my hunting buddy brother and myself cut the handle off a push lawn mower and whittled a handle out of wood. I would hold the gun upright at a angle and Gary would light a black cat fire cracker, drop it down the tube and then the cateye marble. The first time we did it we didn't see were the marble went so on the next firing I pointed it at the garage and blew a nice hole right through the side. I never did tell our dad how that got there. Thomas

Asi se escribe "Parris" Island. Que bruto!!:rotf:

My first gun was a Stevens Springfield mod.84, too big so quickly followed a Marlin mod.100. The 84 was cut down for my sister who quickly lost interest. It now resides all redone with Chris Dawes' kids. The Marlin was given to a friends son who ironically is the great nephew of the man who gave the gun to my father for me. The first acquired in 1958. First shotgun was a J.C. Higgins .410 SS bolt, probably made by Marlin in 1959 and the first double was a Savage Fox mod. BSE in 1961. That gun resides with, a then boy who my father took under his wing at age 12 and is still my good friend today.
So I know where they are and am damn proud of their places in life. They represent a long history of family and friends.

My first was a Remington .22 clip fed bolt action on Christmas in 1958 because I would be 10 in three more weeks. I and my three brothers had a lot of fun with that rifle. For whatever reason, my two younger brothers are now anti's but my older brother is still an avid shooter. That rifle was a great learning tool and my Dad always said that a BB gun was much too dangerous in the hands of a kid and as far as this "kid" is concerned, he was right.... I may not have respected a BB gun he way I respected that .22

About ten years ago I donated the .22 to the Andover Sportsmen's Club for their youth shooting program.

Mine was an 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge, with English stock.

My first was a Marlin 336 lever rifle in .30 .30. Bought it on closeout at J C Pennys. I think they were shutting down their gun department. Had to get my dad to go with me because I was only 16. Still have it.

A Ithaca model 49 .22 single shot in 1962. I asked my dad for a bb gun and he gave me the .22. I couldn't believe I got a real rifle instead of a bb gun. First shotgun was 1963 a Browning A-5 16ga that belonged to my Uncle Harvey who was completely paralyzed by a stroke at a very young age. He also gave me a deer mount from a 12 pt buck he had killed in the early 30's in the Adirondacks. My parents actually trusted me with the guns in my bedroom----imagine! One day after school I thought I was home alone and a big crow had settled in a tree outside my bedroom window. I whacked him with the Browning but to my surprise my mom was home. I was in big trouble---grounded for a few weeks and the guns were locked away for a few months.

Es de nada, amigo.
 

Lo siento- Yo no soy un Marine, pero uno "Swabie"- Que lastima- estatione de Roosevelt Caminoes en Puerto Rico. Y San Juan, casadador de muchas putas, si???:whistle:

That's pretty good spanish "Swabie", I hope you hunting birds now.:)

The first gun I bought was a Winchester Model 70 in .270, I got it back in 94, used but in excellent condition. The first time at the range the recoil kicked my butt(shoulder) and I have not used it since. Still in the safe in excellent condition. I'll stick to my 30-06.

20 gauge Remington 11-48 with IC choke. Later replaced by a Polychoke. Killed my first duck, a drake ringneck, with it.

As with many others in this thread, it went down the road in some forgotten trade/sale.

Nothing remarkable about it, but would like to have it in the safe today

My first firearms came as a pair. A .22 Winchester 62A and a .410 Winchester 42 both in canvas and leather take down cases which had been prop guns in our family photography business and were given to me when we moved to the Philadelphia suburbs around 1952; I was 10 and the luckiest kid in the world. Still have the .22 now tricked out with a Lyman 103 tang sight adjustable for windage and elevation, with a Merit Disc, and a Lyman 17 globe front sight. It gets to the range to burn up a couple boxes of recently hoarded .22LR every so often. Just before I turned 16 I discovered W. Stokes Kirk Military Surplus way up the trolley line on 5th street in Philadelphia and sold off the 42 to fund the acquisition of an array of Civil War carbines and rifles. I remember one particular event with the 62A. Our next door neighbor at the time worked for Dupont in some capacity and one day he handed me a double fist full of .22 shorts in what looked like flat thin Chicklets chewing gum cellophane wrapped boxes each holding about 20 shells. They were called “Crumble Balls” or some such name, I suppose for use in carnival sideshows. Of course I shot them up as soon as I had a chance. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen or heard of packaging like that since and wonder if I they would be a collectable these days.

Bob

We had a number of family guns that sort of rotated households when I was a kid, but the first gun my dad gave me was a Rossi model 62. I picked it out at the Kittery Trading Post months before Christmas and it sat in the grandfather clock in mom and dad's room until the big day. I remember shooting it Christmas day when it was about 2 degrees outside. I still have it, the boys will be ready soon!

Mine was a Remington 341 my father had bought in the 30s. I came to me by default. We always had gun around and nobody thought anything of kids riding their bikes with a 22 across the handlebars. My oldest friend and I used to ride our bikes out to an old sand pit and shoot whatever. We may have been 12. I still have the rifle as well as a Rem model 12 given to my father by the owner of the American Chickle Company (Adams Chicklets). He was a close friend in the 1930s. My brother was the one who had "gun fever". He spent every waking moment at the house of our neighbor 2 houses down-a gunsmith. John still has a 1941 Remington 513S he bought for $30 in 1955 from Ed Cole. It has both a Lyman peep and a Weaver scope on it mounted so either can be used. My father gave him an LC Smith 20 ga (1906) for his 14th birthday. It cost $35 in 1957 and was bought from the original owner.

NO HABLA: But, yes, I did matriculate thru Roosevelt Roads when doing 5" 38 bombardment of Vieques & Culebra and the putas in Old San Juan were memorable to say the least. We tied up in Charagumus (sic) where we did battle with the Jarhead contingent from the EM Club back to the ship.

Best Regards, George:rotf:

Mine was a 16 ga Mossberg bolt action. In 1955 I Saw it,in the window of the local furniture store that also sold shotgun shells individually. I thought it was a wonder gun wit a clip that hels two shells and tha miraculous poly choke. None of my friends had anything so advanced. Still have it and use it for my first Dove hunt every year.

Remember "Bacardi Night"?? Every thursday night
 

At the base "Acey-Deucey" NCO club, every Thursday night was Bacardi night at Rosie Roads-all you paid for was your set-up- I liked Bacardi white with club soda, ice and a big slice of lime-- Back then, when I was a machinist mate first class, we were rebuilding from the original installation of the WW2 era-We were working with some Sea-Bees on Vieqas Island , which was used for both gunnery and EOD practice, and it was outstanding and easy duty- we secured at 1500 each day, had 1 & 1/2 hours noon break, and the week-end started at 1200 on Fridays, and were were off duty until 0730 hrs. on Monday.

You could charter a boat all day for $25, the deep sea fishing was super, a case of Red Stripe in a iced up big cooler, plus sandwiches and apples and cold water was $10- so four of us would split that- beautiful clear diamond blue waters, clear cloudless skies, I'd go back in a heartbeat if I could--

Mine was a Sears single shot 20 gauge (from around 1970). Kicked like a mule!

Grantham: Another interesting aside was when our ship arrived in San Juan waiting for on the pier was none other than Louis Armstrong and his band. He did a full concert for us and our sister ship, the Gearing DD-710. Singing with Satchmo was Bessie Smith who, i understand, passed away shortly thereafter.

Best Regards, George

One day my father brought home a Winchester model 67 22. I thought i owned the world that day. Dad didn't hunt or fish so him getting me a gun was the best thing ever.

First gun
 

A ruger 44 Magnum auto loader 79.99 , a Remington ylon 66, black, 46.50, a Remington 660, .308, ugly dog leg bolt handle, really cracked your knuckles when you shot it, replaced bolt in 1970, local gunsmith TC Kennon did job, I made friends with him and eventually learned how to work on guns with him, now collection stands at 117 guns, to many for some not enough for me. TC taught me to restock guns and checker, polish and blue. Great old man, lost him in 1988 I think.
Got my FFL in 1989, been working on guns ever since. Great hobby and bussiness.

Ron Moore
Rons Custom Guns.

.410
 

.410 Single shot from Western Auto. My 8 year old nephew killed his first dove with it a few days ago.

First Firearm
 

.22 Mossberg 46B in 1940 before my father went overseas. BB-guns were forbidden in the family.

That was my second gun, I shot thousands and thousands of rounds through it. What a great gun it was! It was also stolen at the same time my first gun was lost :cuss:

Mine was a Montgomery Wards 12ga S x S, still have it in my safe. It was given to me by my great uncle Pete on my 12th birthday. He was an avid hunter and my parents were a little nervious about the gift. My uncle explained "give him a gun and get him in the woods hunting an you'll never have to worry about him". He was a wise man.

Ahhhhhhh, a Glenfield Mod.# 10 single-shot .22 purchased at the new K-Mart in town on Dec. 23rd, 1972, a date that will live in infamy!! Brow-beat poor Mom into making it my Xmas present. Slept with it (a la Ralphy) all through the holidays! She had to call my older brother for the OK. He and my Dad constructed a range in the garage (.22 shorts only) that made for many memorable Saturday nights! ADAM-12, EMERGENCY, Clam-strip TV dinners and target practice.....what could be finer? :corn:

I was forbidden to shoot the gun without supervision but one afternoon I just couldn't resist and tried a few shots on my own. Well, you guessed it, the spring bolt somehow slipped from my sweaty fingers and the gun fired prematurely. Luckily, I had it pointed skyward and the round tore through the garage ceiling and lodged in a 2 x 10 floor joist. The hole is still there and I have since bronzed the Twinkie that I left in my shorts immediately following the report...:rotf: The best of times!!

In the early 1950's; my Grandfather took me to a neighboring cattle ranchers home, where we borrowed a single-shot 16 gauge and 4 or 5 shells: He had me shoot it at a coffee can which I hit, and he said "You're ready." He took me duck hunting to a swamp, letting me out at one end while he drove to the other end. Someone had said "You gotta lead those Widgeons a box car if the wind's behind them." So, a lone duck came by with the wind, and I shot....the fore-end came off in my hand, the barrel went up in the air, and I'll be danged: the duck dropped like a stone. I am in my 70's now, but will always remember that first shot at a bird.
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, Ne

First gun received was a single shot Reminton 22 bolt action. You loaded the round and then had to pull back on the striker on the end of the bolt to cock it. I did have use of all the old family guns though. First deer hunt was with a stevens 311 12 guage. Buckshot in the right barrel and a slug in the left. My dad made me carry it open until I saw a deer. Graduated to my great grandfathers 1873 38-40. Almost a smooth bore with a horrible barrel. First gun purchaes....Springfield 1903 re-chambered to 30-338....luckly I lived through that one as it was my first time re-loading....I was 14....could only find load data for 4350 powder....could only find 4320......first shot blew the primer completelty out of the casing.....second shot threw the scope completely off the rifle. Should have looked at the casing from the first shot before shooting the second! Thank god those old Springfields were sturdy!

Bronzed Twinkies??
 

I have heard tell of deep fried twinkies- a true cholesterol gut bomb, but have a Twinkie bronzed, like baby shoes for display on your mantle perhaps? Only in America, I guess..:rolleyes::rolleyes::p:p:p

Other than a Daisy Eagle BB gun that I got for my 8th birthday......My first purchase was a 9 shot .22 revolver that I bought from a friend in 1961. He brought it to school in a brown paper bag and it went home with me the same way. We were in 7th grade. We still keep in touch, but he has a "bad" character flaw now.......he likes Winchester 101s. I keep telling him, "barrels do not belong on top of one and other!"

Things were different back then!

I'm glad this thread was brought back around. It was great reading about everyone's first guns.

My first was a Winchester model 370 20ga. The 370 was like the model 37 of some Winchester fame and importance but was made in Canada. That little gun killed a tremendous amount of game and was given to my grand daughter on her 16th birthday. A grand daughter that, by the way, just made me a great grand father about 8 hours ago.

PopPop

I too started with a used Winchester Model 67 Single Shot, bought from a neighbor kid, I think I paid $7.00 back in 1953. My first Shotgun was a Savage hammerless 20Ga single shot, bought brand new from Custom Gun Shop in Grand Rapids MI. Grew up on a little dairy farm NW of GR, we would milk a cow and watch a ringneck fly in by the creek, then walk down and flush him out. One neighbor kid had some little Twenty Bore side by side that all the rest of us lusted after. My first SxS was a Spanish 20Ga that somehow has multiplied. I only have one Parker at the moment, have had four over the years.

Chistmas 1969 I found a box under the Christmas tree with a Savage-Springfield 187 semi-automatic 22. To go with it my dad had a bullet trap made from boiler plate where he worked. He set up in the basement and we spent the afternoon with me learning to shoot. I still have the gun, I wish I still had the bullet trap.

First gun for me was also a Savage 22/410 and the local squirrel population was none too pleased. I got that gun on my 8th birthday and my father took me out showed me how to shoot it and drilled me on the safety rules of a firearm. I killed many a squirrel and rabbit with that gun and even folded up a few dove. My Dad told me to only kill what I was going to eat and I would start a little campfire in the woods and cook up my kills. The first squirrel I ever ate was skinned and dressed in a way only an 8 year old can manage but to me it was the most delicious meal in the world despite all the hair, dirt and ash from the fire. My second gun was a Miroku 20ga over/under and that is the gun I used at age 10 for all my bird hunting trips. Both those guns were stolen when I was 13 after someone broke into our home. All of the other family guns, including the Parker gun I now have were in our safe but because I always cleaned and polished the other two they were in my bedroom and thus available for the thieves. It still saddens me today to think about that but they were my first and most loved guns. This is a great thread and all of your stories are great to read.
Thanks for sharing your memories,
John