Your first firearm

[full choke 16]

Dad got me a Westernfield 20 gauge bolt action, that I absolutely hated, because my Grandfather convinced me that a proper bird gun should have 2 barrels. Two years later I bought my own gun (SxS spanish 20 ga.) and Dad traded the bolt action for a Stevens for my younger brother. Fifteen years later, I was fortunate enough to inherit Grand Paps 16 gauge Steringworth and find out what good doubles was all about. I like bolt action rifles but have never touched a bolt action shotgun since the Westernfield.

[Bob K]

My first one was a used JC Higgins 16 gauge bolt action that my Dad gave me on my 10th birthday. He got me a hunting license that year(1957) and put down on the application that I was 12. The following year I was 13. Then I went back to 12 the next year when I was actually 12. The owner of the hardware store where we bought our licenses didn't seem to care. That's where we bought most of our firearms and ammo for years.

[gunho]

I'm also one that my 1st gun was a Savage .22/.410 o/u that I still have. The next one was a Win. M97 of my grandfather's that he gave me and I still have it. My grandfather traded a bushel of Black Walnuts and a bicycle for the 97 around 1910. I'd like to know how many rabbits that old 97 killed; I've seen some pics.
Whenever I went back home my uncle would let me use an L.C. Smith, 20 ga. of his to hunt grouse and squirrels with.

[Bill Zachow]

Mine was a Mossberg "Chuckster" in .22 mag. Bought it in 1958 with money I made working at neighboring farms for a $1 per hour. I mounted a 6X Weaver scope on it and pretty near wiped out the woodchuck population in a 4 square mile area surrounding our home farm. Sold it when I left for college in 1960. Don't really miss it cause I have a .22 mag Winchester model 61 with a "baby Redfield" and a model 9422 in the same caliber. Both superb weapons. Talk about a different time--in those days I could earn $5 in an afternoon. I would pick up my now wife Sylvia in my dad's 56 Ford F100, stop for gas ($1 got close to 6 gallons) and go to the movies in Oneonta, NY. I would buy us snacks at the movies and then afterwards, a pizza. After taking Sylvia home, i would still have money left over from the $5.