What was the first gun you bought?

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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by piller »

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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Ravenman »

Winchester 9422 Walnut stock without checkering, 22lr. Still have the gun and will never sell.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Old Savage »

Ravenman, where have you been? Welcome back!
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Woodsloafer2 »

First gun and the start of reloading at the same time. It was a Springfield 03a3 converted to 30-338 with dies and brass. Had a Bausch and Lomb scope in one of those spring loaded mounts. It came with some reloading data for 4350. I was probably around 14 or 15 at the time. Just had to have a magnum like the ones I had read all about in the gun mags. It was not a pretty gun and I think I paid less than 75.00 for it. Could not find any 4350 but the dealer had 4320. Not knowing anything at the time I figured the numbers were close enough and loaded some up max loads of 4320 with 4350 data. First shot threw the scope out of the spring loaded mount but I put it back on and kept going. Either the second or third shot blew the primer completely out of the case. Finally smarted up and stopped. Then did some reading on reloading and corrected my ways. Very lucky those 03 Springfield's were strong enough to handle my teenage stupidity.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by JOG »

My first when I became of legal age was a H&R topper single shot 12 gauge shotgun. Full choke with I think was a 26 inch barrel.
I no longer own the gun. I still have the receipt for the H&R. I paid 39.99 for the gun on sale at Grant's dept. store on Long Island, N.Y.
I loved that color cased single shot. I learned to hunt turkey very successfully. I gave it to a buddy who really needed a fire arm living in the woods
in the Catskill mountains.
My second gun was of Winchester 94 in 30-30.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Sixgun »

Hey Johnny....I remember that H&R you had.....it had the fuzzy dice inlaid in the buttstock and instead of screw heads on the gun, you had chrome plated "spinners" installed. Great job you did welding on the curb feelers on the barrel for that extra "touch".---00
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piller
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by piller »

JOG wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:42 am My first when I became of legal age was a H&R topper single shot 12 gauge shotgun. Full choke with I think was a 26 inch barrel.
I no longer own the gun. I still have the receipt for the H&R. I paid 39.99 for the gun on sale at Grant's dept. store on Long Island, N.Y.
I loved that color cased single shot. I learned to hunt turkey very successfully. I gave it to a buddy who really needed a fire arm living in the woods
in the Catskill mountains.
My second gun was of Winchester 94 in 30-30.
Johnny
Those H&R single shots were reliable. Too bad they are no longer made. The extra barrels that you could buy for them to convert to a single shot rifle were decent.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Bruce Scott »

The first I bought was an Anschutz Model 1415. It was 1965 and I was 16
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by mack »

Remington 514 Boys Rifle. It was 1962 and I was 10 yrs old. Dad took me to the hardware store and I handed over near to $16 if I recall right. Mr. Richardson, the store owner threw in a box of .22 lr with the deal.
I wore that rifle out and Remington replaced the barrel on it for no charge a few years later.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by OldWin »

mack wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:55 pm Remington 514 Boys Rifle. It was 1962 and I was 10 yrs old. Dad took me to the hardware store and I handed over near to $16 if I recall right. Mr. Richardson, the store owner threw in a box of .22 lr with the deal.
I wore that rifle out and Remington replaced the barrel on it for no charge a few years later.
Wow! This post is a perfect example of how far things have denigrated since 1962.
NONE of this would happen now. :(
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by jnyork »

I posted this a few years ago, just ran across it in Documents so thought I would post it again:


Lander, Wyoming in 1948-49 was a small, remote ranch town of about 2500 people where the Great Depression was just starting to end. As a nine year old boy, I would spend my 15 cents at the Saturday matinee and then go hang out at my favorite place, Spaldsbury's Saddlery and Sporting Goods. What a wonderful place it was: odors of new and old leather, new and old horse blankets, pipe smoke, original Hoppes and gun oil, , occasionally a faint whiff of whiskey. Glass cabinets full of old Colts and Smith&Wessons. Racks full of Winchesters, Remingtons, Marlins, etc. More racks full of surplus Krags, Springfield bolt guns and trapdoors. Fishing gear too. Spitoons and sawdust on the floor.
One day a brand new Winchester 67 Youth appeared, price only $13.00 IIRC. I had some Christmas and birthday money squirreled away and conned Dad into spliting the cost. I didnt have to sign for it but Dad had to come down and carry it out for me.
I spent the next 3 years or so potting tin cans, stray crows and riding along behind Dad on old Poppin' Johnny, terrorizing prairie dogs. I learned to shoot with that gun.
At age 12 or 13 I got the hots for a new Remington model 512 at Spaldsburys, so I traded in the 67 on it This was in about 1952. Never looked back until much later in life.
In 1982, my Air Force career at an end, I moved back to Lander to start a new life. Every once in a while I would go to a gun show and see a Model 67 Youth and get a lump in my throat, longing for the days of my childhood and kicking my self for ever trading off my very first gun.
About 3 years ago my wife and I stopped at a yard sale put on by an older fellow here in town. He had some guns on a table and there it was, a Winchester 67 youth in very good condition. Got to chatting him up about it and asked him the history of the gun. He said he got it for his little son but the kid never took an interest in it, so it had been in the back of the closet for the last 50 years. I asked him where he got it, he said he bought it used at Spaldsburys in about 1952!! I gave him his $100.00 and ran for my truck , shaking like a leaf!
I cleaned it up and took it to the range to shoot a few cans, which I did, but it was difficult, I kept getting some smoke in my eyes.
My very first gun is back with me, and holds a place of honor in my safe. Life is good.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by AmBraCol »

jnyork wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:37 am I posted this a few years ago, just ran across it in Documents so thought I would post it again:


Lander, Wyoming in 1948-49 was a small, remote ranch town of about 2500 people where the Great Depression was just starting to end. As a nine year old boy, I would spend my 15 cents at the Saturday matinee and then go hang out at my favorite place, Spaldsbury's Saddlery and Sporting Goods. What a wonderful place it was: odors of new and old leather, new and old horse blankets, pipe smoke, original Hoppes and gun oil, , occasionally a faint whiff of whiskey. Glass cabinets full of old Colts and Smith&Wessons. Racks full of Winchesters, Remingtons, Marlins, etc. More racks full of surplus Krags, Springfield bolt guns and trapdoors. Fishing gear too. Spitoons and sawdust on the floor.
One day a brand new Winchester 67 Youth appeared, price only $13.00 IIRC. I had some Christmas and birthday money squirreled away and conned Dad into spliting the cost. I didnt have to sign for it but Dad had to come down and carry it out for me.
I spent the next 3 years or so potting tin cans, stray crows and riding along behind Dad on old Poppin' Johnny, terrorizing prairie dogs. I learned to shoot with that gun.
At age 12 or 13 I got the hots for a new Remington model 512 at Spaldsburys, so I traded in the 67 on it This was in about 1952. Never looked back until much later in life.
In 1982, my Air Force career at an end, I moved back to Lander to start a new life. Every once in a while I would go to a gun show and see a Model 67 Youth and get a lump in my throat, longing for the days of my childhood and kicking my self for ever trading off my very first gun.
About 3 years ago my wife and I stopped at a yard sale put on by an older fellow here in town. He had some guns on a table and there it was, a Winchester 67 youth in very good condition. Got to chatting him up about it and asked him the history of the gun. He said he got it for his little son but the kid never took an interest in it, so it had been in the back of the closet for the last 50 years. I asked him where he got it, he said he bought it used at Spaldsburys in about 1952!! I gave him his $100.00 and ran for my truck , shaking like a leaf!
I cleaned it up and took it to the range to shoot a few cans, which I did, but it was difficult, I kept getting some smoke in my eyes.
My very first gun is back with me, and holds a place of honor in my safe. Life is good.
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WOW! Great write up. I love happy endings. :)
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Oldncrusty »

My Dad gave me the standard .22- used Mossberg 44B, and break open shotgun- a new Kmart Brazil made 20 guage. My first cash outlay was first my first deer rifle- A used Rem 700 ADL in .243, with a Redfield Widefield 2-7x.
My first new gun purchase was a Rem 541T .22LR.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by BenT »

When I was 13, I wanted a deer gun. Bought a Win 94 on sale for $94 at the meat market which sold guns. All I had was $100 but I wanted the Marlin, because you could mount a scope. which was $145, but couldn't get Dad to kick in the extra money. So I spend $100 on the gun and a box a of shells. I shot a plie of deer with that gun and it was my only deer gun until I was 30. Then I bought a BLR in 308, I finally got a scoped deer rifle. I still have that Win 94.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by kaschi »

My first purchase with my own money was a 1930s era, well used 12 gauge modified Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun. Bought it in June 1979 for $212 including tax and still have it!
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Griff »

The first gun I ever bought was a Remington 870. Purchased one $5 raffle ticket and won the 16 gauge beauty. I took it, the original receipt and an additional $6, back to the Navy Exchange and exchanged it for the 12 gauge version! Still have it. The 1st handgun I bought was a lightly used 2nd gen Colt SAA.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Old Savage »

First long gun … Stevens 311 12 ga. First rifle was either a B92 .357 or a BLR .243.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by CowboyTutt »

Nice story CRS! I also have fallen to airguns to have something to shoot. -Tutt
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by trapper45 »

First was (still is) an Enfield No. 5, the so-called 'Jungle Carbine,' from K-Mart(!) in Alexandria, La, in the summer of 1967. It was unissued and coated with cosmoline, and cost the lordly sum of $30. The next one was a Single-Six Convertible, 6-1/2" barrel, in June of '68. That was more expensive. I paid the list price of $69.95 (+ $2.10 sales tax). Still have both and they still shoot fine.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

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It was unissued and coated with cosmoline,
I have a 1942 Savage #4 Mark 1* that I found years ago in the same condition. Paid $300 for it. I had to restore the wood after stripping the cosmoline off of it but its the prettiest Enfield I have ever seen now. Its worth is 4xs that now it looks like. Crazy! -Tutt
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Lastmohecken »

Well, let's see. When I got past the toy guns, and BB gun and first .22 singleshot both action, bought for me by my dad, and the Winchester model 94 leveraction 30/30 given to me, by my grandfather in trade for a wrecked motorcycle, which he was just trying to get away from me, when I was 13, the actual first gun I purchased with my own money, earned from my first gainful employment was a Marlin 1895, 45/70. It was 1974 and I was 17 years old.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by RIHMFIRE »

MARLIN 3030 FROM SERVICE MERCHANDISE
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by KeithNyst »

In 1968 I bought my first gun, a Remington Nylon 66 Apache Black; sold Christmas cards and picked bushells of pine cones for the state Forest Service to save enough for it.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by stretch »

I was late to the shooting game. My mother didn't want guns in the house, and I grew up
in suburbia with no real place to shoot, so that was that.

I bought a Makarov and Marlin 336 in 35 Remington the same day. I was in my 30s.
(Odd combination, I know.......)

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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by model55 »

It was either a Remington nylon 10 or a No 5 mk1 carbine in 303 British. Got stupid and sold the No 5. Replaced it a few years ago , this one stays.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by CowboyTutt »

How well does your #5 hold its zero? Some had real problems with that. They scalloped out the receivers too much. -Tutt
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Bill in Oregon »

In 1965, when I turned 12, Dad agreed to go halves on a tired old Winchester Model 1890 pump at a local shop, for $30. The stock had been repaired, but it turned out the barrel was mostly toast and it never shot very accurately. A year later, we traded it and some cash at the Bon Marche in Tacoma, Washington, (yes, big department stores once sold firearms) for a new Browning T-bolt, of revolutionary design. That Belgian Browning was so accurate I easily earned my Marksmanship merit badge with it. The following year, Dad decided I needed a decent shotgun if I was going to hunt upland birds, so we paid a visit to Chet Paulson's gun shop in downtown Tacoma and picked out a silky-smooth old Model 12 in 16 gauge, with the Nickel Steel barrel. Boy I got to be fast with that thing.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by 765x53 »

CowboyTutt wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:22 pm How well does your #5 hold its zero? Some had real problems with that. They scalloped out the receivers too much. -Tutt
I often wondered if the zero did it's wandering immediately after bayonet practice. :)
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Catshooter »

Nice story CRS. I can imagine quite a bit of smoke in your eyes, not surprisingly!

My first that I bought with my own hard-earned was a new S&W 29-2 8 3/8ths inch. Man, would that thing shoot! Ammo was mighty expensive so casting & reloading was the answer. A single cavity Lyman 429421 and a pound of #2400 (all hail Elmer!) a $9.95 Lee Loader and I was in business. I think primers were $4.50 a thousand. I was 17 so my brother-in-law picked it up for me.


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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by Ray Newman »

Came back from RVN in 3/'67 and bought a Savage 99c, .308 Winchester, as I always wanted one. Turned out to be a so-so rifle and sold it off to a guy who wanted more than I did.

Tutt as for the #5, from what I read the wandering zero was blamed on the receiver lightening cuts and the barrel flash hider. So who knows??

I had a few #1's, #4's and a #5. I often thought that the caliber was just too much for the #5. Loading British military surplus and reloads to the British military specification, I could hand the muzzle blast and recoil from the #1 and #4's a great deal easier than from the #5. Seemed to met that the short (18-19") barrel on the #5 and its some 2 pounds lighter weight increased the felt recoil and muzzle blast. Now maybe that was just me. Again, who knows....
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by model55 »

Cowboy Tutt I never really noticed that but this last one hasn't been shot much , need to go check the sight elevation as demonstrated by Rifle chair on U tube. Give me something to do.
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Re: What was the first gun you bought?

Post by model55 »

The rather small and hard butt on the No 5 doesn't help matters. Every one will hear you shooting too. It's not as much as the 45-70 loaded to lever gun specs but it will have people looking at you at the range.
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