Aging Baby Boomers and guns

[Bill in Oregon]

I attribute my interest in firearms from earliest consciousness to memories of Dad going through his WWII soldier's chest (and the 1903 Springfield deer rifle in his closet) and to the influence of Madison Avenue and Hollywood. How could a boy resist wanting one of these swell firearms from Mattel (or Hubley) when growing up in the golden years of the great Westerns from the likes of John Ford and Warner Brothers Studios? Can you imagine the discomfort for Gen Z parents if they caught their little ones watching commercials like this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yujHd0_jqoU

[AJMD429]

.
Those truly were good times. I think those born in or around the 1950's had the best of most everything; definitely great Music, great Cars, great Television Shows, great Firearms, and INCREDIBLY hot Women (and all three categories STILL stand out as top-of-the-line in my estimation).

I still have Albums of that era, Guns from that era, and one completely awesome Woman from that era, and all are still my favorites - wasn't able to retain a good vintage car though, and only see some of the older shows on Netflix on occasion.

[Bill in Oregon]

The influence stuck, at least in my case. I had the Mattel and the Hubley, and now, 65 or more years later, I have real ones.

[marlinman93]

I was born in 1950, and I think it was the best time ever to grow up in. Lots of new things all the time, but also lots of exposure to old things that formed my interests today. I still like everything I saw and liked when I was young.

[Bill in Oregon]

Vall, 1953 for me.

[barbarossa]

I was born in 1957 .I got aJohnny seven for Christmas and it started me down that long road.I have owned more guns than I can remember but I do know that I have enjoyed everyone.

[JimT]

I began my teen years 1959. I remember the early days of rock n roll. My parents hated it! I had an uncle that was only 6 years older than me. In 1957 I was 11 and he was 17 we would ride around in his fire-engine red Rocket 88 Oldsmobile, listening to rock on the radio station!

[TraderVic]

1953 here.
Us kids would run right behind the "fog" (DDT) truck as it blew mosquito killing fog around the neighborhood. Somehow we all survived....
I definitely agree regarding comments above about firearms, cars, music and women back then !!
.....and I still drink from the hose now and then too.

[Bill in Oregon]

Vic, why is it that water out of the hose just tastes better? I have wondered about this for most of my life.

[TraderVic]

Hmmm....I'm reflecting on this Bill.
Maybe the water seems a bit colder and "fresh" and being outside (??). I've been doing this for almost 70 years, never really thought about why it's more refreshing (to me anyway).
Sort of goes along with ; smell of fresh cut wood, composting manure in well managed pasture, burnt powder (both black powder & smokeless), fresh baled hay.......and so on.

[COSteve]

Born in 1947. Remember Truman giving a speech on the radio when I was 5 yrs old. Best time to grow up.

[nwcatman]

1951. wached roy and gene of course. a lot. parents took us kids to church ever sunday. elders had a meeting, told my dad that the two sixgun rig had be hung up in coat section but the hat and boots were ok. i was NOT HAPPY.

[Bill in Oregon]

John, it never occurred to me to see if I could wear my two cap guns to church. Doubt Dad would have gone for it.
I can't match Steve's Truman experience, but do remember President Eisenhower flying into Missoula, Montana, where Dad was teaching forestry at the university, in a Lockheed Constellation.

[Ysabel Kid]

Feels good to be the youngster here. Doesn't happen often now. I was born in 1964.

[TraderVic]

I always thought getting old would take longer..

[Griff]

I always thought getting old would take longer..

+1! 1950 for me. I firmly believe that the following 20 years were the absolute best period in our history!

[jeepnik]

Family tradition. Christmas for four years running were "firearms" related. BB gun first, next year was a pellet gun, then a single shot .22 bold gun and then a .410 pump shotgun. The seasons for he first two years I was a tag along on hunting trips. The third year using a "family" .243 bolt gun I got my first deer. Over the next few years I acquired a lefty 30-06, and a 12 gauge 870.

Handguns weren't a big thing in my family. Dad and my uncles mostly had bring backs and the odd double action revolver. But I learned the way of the one hand gun as well during my teens. And that's the way they were shot.

After I enlisted I was exposed to the M-16, with all of it's faults. Driven to the M-14 by the failure of the M-16. And learned the way of the 1911. Toyed around with a couple of other handguns but ended up staying with the 1911.

These days the .22, 30-06, .410 and 30-06 remain with me. Dad's bring backs, P-08 and P-38 have been passed to my kids. But may other handguns, rifles and shotguns have come along. But the kids will get those as well, eventually.

[geobru]

1951 for me.

My folks worked hard and we had what we needed, but there wasn't any money for them to buy extras for us four kids. When I was 12, I got a paper route to earn money. I had that route until I was 16 and could work in the neighborhood grocery store. I bought a 16 gauge Model 12 for $60 and a 721 Remington 30-06 for $65 so I could hunt deer and pheasants with my dad. For my general recreation, I bought a couple of recurve bows for $100, and after I started working at the store, I bought my first car, a 56 Chevy for $250.

I learned to drive Dad's 54 Willys pickup when I was 10 so I could follow him from field to field to bale customer's hay. When I was in the sixth grade, my family went out to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and saw President Kennedy at the ground breaking ceremony for the N reactor. That was the first time my mom got to see the area she grew up in since the 40's when the government condemned that area for the Manhattan Project and all the people were forced to leave.

When I was a kid, I remember thinking the neighbor's son was really cool because he had a hot rod made out of a 40's vintage car. It seemed that all the guys had a hot rod. I remember my older cousin telling my mom that guys were putting razor blades around the edges of their baby moon hubcaps so if someone tried to steal them they'd pay the price.

Those were good years to be alive.