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Who got you into shooting handguns?

19K views 27 replies 28 participants last post by  gemihur 
#1 ·
Guys, how were you introduced into the interesting world of handgunning? And who was it who got you into it? What was the first handgun you ever shot?

I was introduced to it out of curiosity and after watching dirty harry, I knew that I had to try it. My grandpa got me into it, I fired my first shot from an old colt police special 38 special that his uncle bought in 1941 and then gave to him. I love that old gun. I haven't been able to put em down since I got into it.

Give us your stories.
 
#2 ·
My Grandfather got me in to shooting with a 44 Mag with under loaded ammo. I then got a 9mm and never could shoot it very well. When I was in the serivce I shot expert with the Beretta from that point forward I was hooked. I shot a Glock and all I can say about that is I now have one and have put sooooo many thousands of rounds that I cannot remember.
 
#4 ·
Myself and the U.S. Army. Amazed how the Colt 1911 .45ACP worked
after studying an Air Force Manual, that had field striping procedures.

Bought a Ruger Mark I 6"bbl Target Model, at 21 years old and started shooting targets.

Have a collection of Smith & Wesson's now and damn good shot with each of them.

:wink:
 
#5 ·
At 12 years old I wanted a BB gun for my birthday. My mother agreed if only I took a gun safty course first so I agreed. What She enrolled me in was a course for a carry permit and hangun target shooting. Boy was I happy I got to fire 22s,38s and a .45 I was hooked for life after that!
 
#7 ·
pretty much got myself into it. kinda always had an itch to be outside and hunting or just messin around in the river bottoms around home. i wanted to get a handgun when i was about 15 but the parents didn't think it was a good idea so i finally got a browning buckmark last spring. i put about 1500 rounds through it last summer. next on the list for pistols is a .357. Being a poor college student, it might be a while before i buy another gun tho.
 
#8 ·
Watching and reading westerns plus personal safety got me into handgunning. I bought my first pistol when I was 17 to protect my paychecks when I was in the oil boom of the 70's. There was alot of muggings and robbery in Gillette back then. My buddy beat the hell out of two muggers wielding baseball bats with only a phillips screwdriver for self defense, I figured that was a little to risky so I got a 25 Raven.
 
#11 ·
I grew up a Wisconsin boy, but I always loved the southwest. My Uncle Nick is a retired border patrol agent, and when he retired, he and the wife moved to Oklahoma, so it became economical for my parents to take the family vacation on the ranch. I think I was 11 when he told me to hop in the jeep and we headed down into the bottom pasture and did some target shooting with a 1911, modified to .38 Special. Been hooked ever since.
 
#12 ·
I grew up in rural Illinois, my dad bought me a single shot 20 gauge shotgun when I was in 6th grade for Christmas, my first gun. Unfortunately my dad did not like to hunt so I had to find friends to hunt with.

When I was in High School a local cop got me interesting in shooting handguns, Smith & Wesson Model#27, Smith & Wesson Model#39 and some Colt .45 ACP semi-autos.

I guess the cop got my good because I own three .45 ACP and a Dillon 550B reloader to feed them. They do get hungry.
 
#14 ·
My dad was a cop for 30 years, was a deputy chief for 10. Did his time on the street, where he learned and loved his guns.

He started me on a little .22 Smith and Wesson. Then 9mm KelTechs, 9mm Glocks, .38 special and .38+P S&W revolvers, .40 and .45 Glocks. After that, we started competing in practical pistol meets, either individually or in pairs stuff. Envision a 17-year-old kid blasting away with a Glock 21, and that was me.

Funny, as much as I love Glocks, I still like Colts a little more...fits my hands better...
 
#15 ·
The first handgun I ever fired was a S&W model 10, .38 spcl. I don't remember how old I was, but i must have been pretty young, I remember my dad telling me to hang on tight and take my time. I emptied the cylinder into a 5 gallon bucket and my wrist hurt for a week!
I was hooked for life.
When I was 13 my mom bought me a Ruger MK-II target model for christmas, I love my Momma!

My parents always let me have about anything I wanted, dad hunted all the time, and mom was a staunch supporter of the 2nd admendment. She could, and still can outshoot me and dad both with a .38 service revolver!

I don't know how much paper work dad signed for me before I was 18. I mowed yards, cut weeds, trimmed trees, painted fences, and the like, them I went and spent my money at the gun shop. Most kids I knew spent their money on stupid stuff like video games and movies. I bough Rugers and Remingtons! Truth is I still have my rifles, their game systems are long since outdated and worn out!
 
#16 ·
I bought a High Standard 22 from a guy I worked with over 30 years ago, That got me hooked. I shot it till I wore it out, since then I bought several bigger handguns and really got into hunting with them, I killed lots of Deer and Antelope, also a few Coyotes and lots of other small critters. I haven't had much time to hunt of shoot much lately, But I've been getting my boys into the sport and they love it! They are 12 and 14
 
#17 ·
You gotta love the .22s---they make you a much better pistol shooter. I love all .22 pistols and have S&W model 17 6" & 8 3/8", S&W Model 41, High Standard Trophy 5" & 7" barrels and a Clark -High Standard 7" Victor. They will all shoot better than you can & will make you a much better shot!
 
#20 ·
When I was 16, I had my dad buy me a Ruger 22/45 heavy barreled .22LR, with the money that i'd saved from working. He took me out and taught me how to shoot with it. It was also my trapline gun for many years. They shoot great and very reliable. A tad heavy for carrying back in a ways.

xdeano
 
#21 ·
A friend shot a whitetail buck with his SBH in 44 mag, years ago when you had to request a handgun tag for the rifle season. After seeing him do that I was hooked. Been hunting with handguns the last 25 years or so , but I still break out a long gun every once in a while. I only have a couple of wheel guns, but am hooked on the single shots, break opens and bolt guns. Patiently waiting for the latest to arrive, custom left hand bolt for right handed shooter in 7 MM Dakota.
 
#22 ·
8 years old, shot my dads 9mm German luger from WWll. Was given a 22 pull back bolt single shot rifle the same year. Learned more when I became a Boy Scout then Explorer. When i got into the Army I already knew how to shoot. Trained on the M14, sweet. Was in the Far East for 3 years. Now the only handgun that i have is a old school Colt 357 magnum Trooper J frame. The rest are long guns.
 
#23 ·
OK, I'll go with it. . I got me into pistols. I got into pistol shooting because I wanted to compete. Pistol shooting was substantially less involved (and less expensive) than rifle competition.
Pete

PS - That's quite a break - six years - between the first set of responses and now.
 
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