First gun

[Nick87]

Some other recent threads got me thinking. What did you guys learn to shoot with and/or what was your first gun?

I learned to shoot with an old rolling block Remington .22 not sure the model have to look next time I'm at my dad's. First of my own was a rlbeat up remington 572 fieldmaster. So proud when I handed over that money. I shot those two rifles I swear for an hour every day after getting off the bus for hours.

Edit the single shot was a reminton model no.4 with an octagon barrel.

 

[Dougfirtree]

A used Mossberg 500 from the 70's. It's a 20 gauge and I was 13. It's still my primary bird hunting gun.

 

[Bullshot]

Crosman 2100 Christmas present. One of the best days of my life. I do feel terrible sometimes though about those early days. Young boys can be worse than house cats on backyard birds.

First hunting was with a double barrel 20 gauge Mercury Magnum. Shot a deer at 100 yards through the heart on sheer dumb luck.

Then a 12 ga Rem 870 Express with which I have killed more game than all
my other guns combined.

Then a Rem 700 BDL in 7mm Magnum as a college graduation present.

 

[DouglasR]

Crosman .177 pump BB gun
The neighbors 410/.22 o/u
Mossberg 500 20 gauge

 

[rwc101]

Daisy .177 pump gun.
Marlin bolt action .22.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. single shot .410.

 

[Nick87]

Young boys can be worse than house cats on backyard birds.

No apologies for the birds as a youngster.

 

[Otto Matic]

First was a Fox .410 dbl barrel.
From there to a Stecens single shot 20 gauge.
First gun I BOUGHT was a Win M1200.
Thought I had a real jewel. It was NOT a Win M12. Swapped it for a Stevens 20 ga pump.

Guess the first "gun" was a Daisy BB.

 

[Bullshot]

Daisy .177 pump gun.
Marlin bolt action .22.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. single shot .410.

I have one of those Sears 410’s!

 

[Pucky Freak]

A youth model .22 with iron sights I got as a gift, from my uncle I think. Then he also got me a break action single shot 20 gauge with the front bead broken off.

I remember my first year grouse hunting as a kid I was lagging behind the adults and a bird flushed and I dropped it - my first bird. I went to tell them and they didn’t believe me. But then the look on their faces when I held up the dead bird. Fun memory

 

[marshman]

My grandfathers Remington 22 pump,then my grandfathers Winchester model 1894 30-30.

 

[kylemcintyre67]

When I was 5 my great grandfather gave me a Remington model 11 12 gauge they had purchased back in the 1930's as well as a family handed down single shot .32 Belgian rifle. When my parents split my father took them and I didn't see them again until I demanded them back when I was 20 (they weren't from his side of the family). I fired a round or two through a buddies hunting rifle as a teenager. I actually learned to shoot once I joined the Navy. GMC Larson trained and qualified us on the m14, Mossberg 500, and the m9. I also was on the small craft action team so I got trained on the ma deuce and m60. I got a bit more formal training in the Army later on, but I still remember those opportunities to learn on the fantail of a destroyer at sea.

 

[Salmonchaser]

A little Stevens rolling block .22 ; got it when I was six up in Fairbanks. Did a lot of shooting with that little thing.

 

[CPAjeff]

First "real" guns:
Henry lever action .22 that Santa left under the tree.
Remington 870 20 gauge, also left by Santa.

Growing up in a small town with lots of swamps and agricultural fields was simply magical!

 

[Ben Lamb]

Winchester frankengun that was passed down from my maternal grandfather - equal parts 1890 & 1906 Winchester pump 22's. That thing took out a mountain of prairie dogs & jackrabbits, and it provided the first lesson in "use enough gun" after I put 6 .22 Longs into a jack that wouldn't die.

I took it apart a few years ago to thoroughly clean it, since it probably had about a million rounds in it & wouldn't eject anymore. Discovered that at some point in time, by grandfather had soldered the mainspring back together with about 1/2 a pound of solder. That fix must have been over 50 years old, and explained a lot about how that gun worked.

It is currently sitting in the safe, warm & clean.

 

[OntarioHunter]

The first gun I shot was my dad's .22 Springfield auto (Marlin or Savage made them I think). Not very reliable or safe (slam fire issues) so he traded it for a sporterized Mauser in .300 Savage that became Mom's hunting rifle. The first gun of mine was Model 12 sixteen gauge given to me by Dad and Papa on my 12th birthday 6 Oct 1964. Gave it to my daughter a few years ago but it's still in my gun cabinet.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Daisy .177 pump gun
Ruger semi-auto .22 still have it
Sears, Roebuck and Co. single shot .410 than a 20 ga.
Matt

 

[BrentD]

This was my first real gun. A Hopkins and Allen 722 that trickled down the family lines to me. I finally gave it away to some guy that had a daughter that wanted to shoot. I wonder what happened to it?

 

[OntarioHunter]

Winchester frankengun that was passed down from my maternal grandfather - equal parts 1890 & 1906 Winchester pump 22's. That thing took out a mountain of prairie dogs & jackrabbits, and it provided the first lesson in "use enough gun" after I put 6 .22 Longs into a jack that wouldn't die.

I took it apart a few years ago to thoroughly clean it, since it probably had about a million rounds in it & wouldn't eject anymore. Discovered that at some point in time, by grandfather had soldered the mainspring back together with about 1/2 a pound of solder. That fix must have been over 50 years old, and explained a lot about how that gun worked.

It is currently sitting in the safe, warm & clean.

Did you find another spring for it? Interesting story. I have thought about making a lighted standing display case with inside looking like a back porch wall. Have a couple of ducks mounted on a stringer hanging next to an old shotgun standing against the wall with weathered boots next to it and my dad's canvas hunting coat and P.S. Olt duck call hanging on a hook. I have a box of ancient CIL Imperial 12 gauge shells to put on a shelf with an old hunting cap. I bet you could get someone to do something similar for that very interesting old .22. Perhaps a mounted jackrabbit hanging up instead of ducks. I have several boxes of "Whiz-Bang" CIL .22 ammo from 1940s. I'd be happy to supply at least an empty box (mailing ammo doesn't work). I think it would be a very cool display.

 

[gouch]

My dad bought me a single shot Remington .22 when I was 11 or 12 then a couple of years later he bought me a bolt action 12 gauge from Montgomery Wards. I still had that .22 right up until the fire last fall. The shotgun didn't last so long. Every shotgun I have ever owned has been lost or destroyed.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Did you find another spring for it? Interesting story.

I did, but haven't gone through the restoration process yet. I've got a new old stock pump slide as well to replace the beat to shit one on it. I need to get a screw kit and probably a new stock as well. The bore is fine, and the finish has a lovely patina, so I doubt I'll refinish the receiver or barrel.