Your first firearm

[Bindlestiff]

I had a Iver Johnson 410 single barrel with a hammer that put blisters on my thumb because the spring was so strong and I practiced cocking it on the rise whenever I had opportunity. I took my first rabbit with it at the age of 9, walking along side my dad.

It was handed down to me from my brother, who was 14 years older than myself. It was given to him by my Uncle Sam, a lifer U.S. Marine; I didn't know him because he died in the early days of WWII. The gun was stolen in the 70's, I wish I still had it today!

[Bill Tullis]

My grandfather bought me a new Marlin Glenfield .22 single shot. Shortly thereafter, a very nicely finished used H&R Topper in .410. This was around 1966. Both were under $20 each, and I still have them. The .22 has some stock finish loss from the OFF! insect repellant I used squirrel hunting. I used the shotgun last summer to put a water moccasin living under my barn out of business.

[fred]

You are right about the stiff springs. It required both my thumbs to cock, especially with cold hands.

[Big D]

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

[Captain Bob]

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

[Chris T.]

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!