Do you recall your firsts?

Blkram

Handloader
Nov 25, 2013
3,190
3,761
Continuing on this journey of reminiscence...

Do you recall your firsts?
Make and model of the first rifles you shot? Rimfire and centerfire?
Make and model of the first shotgun you shot?
Make and model of handguns you shot? Revolver and pistol?

For me, they are as follows:
Rifles:
  1. Rimfire: I believe it was a Cooey single shot 22LR when I was about 9. Was handed it by my Mom's husband of the time while we were out one day and told to shoot a grouse. Missed. Had never handled a firearm before and had no real instruction. Wasn't given a second chance. A couple years later after moving back to the family farm, Grandpa was given a Winchester Model 69A by a family friend when I was 12 for teaching my brothers and I how how to shoot and hunt snowshoe hares.
  2. Centerfire: Springfield 30-06 with open sights when I was 14, at the gun range. My uncle took me over to teach me how to shoot it. Had a half decent group I was proud of at the time. Was good enough for hunting deer or moose.
Shotgun:
  1. Winchester Model 37A single shot in .410. Grandpa took me to the Macleods store when he went to buy it for teaching us how to shoot, when I was 11, and then it was Grandma that took me out in the back 40 to teach me how to hunt grouse. Got two ruffies that first outing.
Handguns:
  1. First handgun I ever fired was a revolver when I was 16. A Ruger Single Six 22LR at a friends farm. We were shooting cans out back between the house and the hayfields down by the river. Nothing but bush and mountain across the river.
  2. First pistol was the same friend's S&W 422 in 22LR on the same day. I was better with the pistol than the revolver, but I think it had to do with the sights.
 
Daisy red Ryder than later a crossman 760pellet gun. I had to pay half of the pellet gun which was a good lesson.
Marlin .22 bolt action with open sights.
Harrington and Richardson 20 gauge single shot shotgun-killed my first duck, pheasant and quail with that gun.
.30-30 marlin lever action rifle and later I inherited grandpas Winchester model 70 in .30-06. I still have all these guns and occasionally use them. Took the -06 to Africa, the closest my grandpa ever got to hunting away from home.
 
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First rimfire - Rem Nylon 12 (my uncle gave me)
First center fire - Savage 99 308 win
First shotgun - Mossberg bolt 410
First pistol - Walther P-38 9mm
First Revolver - Smith and Wesson K-22
 
Pew Pew : Daisy lever action BB gun.

Rimfire: Remington Model 41P (? not positive) 22 single shot bolt action 22 rifle.

Shotgun: At 12 years old I worked at a trap-club in Hamilton MT in the bunk-house loading clay pigeons on the trap thrower as folks were shooting. One day a gentlemen let me use a high dollar over under 12 guage to shoot a round of trap with it. I thought that was pretty cool. My own shotgun was an old Remington Pump 12 gauge shotguns that was my grandfathers.

Center Fire Rifle: Remington Model 600 6mm Remington

Pistol: I think it was one of my fathers single action revolver shooting 38 Special loads in it. My first pistol I owned was a Model 28 Smith & Wesson .357 magnum. That was my first duty pistol also.
 
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Steven’s youth rolling block 22. I would pack it around while hunting with my dad around
Fairbanks. Shot a bunch of ducks, grouse, ptarmigan, moose, caribou and one grizzly. Early 60s time frame. Of course I had a little help from dad on the bigger stuff. :) He would shoot then I would shoot just to make sure.
Also picked up a 410 single barrel up there but I was better with the 22.
First pistol was a Ruger Bear Cat 22.
First center fire was an 03/A3
First shotgun was an Ithaca model 37
First duty pistol was Colt Python
 
First rifle was a Sears (Winchester 190) 22 LR
First high power was a Remington 700 BDL 30-06
First shotgun Remington 870 20 ga Light Weight
First pistol Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Rem Mag

JD338
 
First shot:
Daisy 1894 BB Gun
Marlin 22 Bolt - still in safe (1974)
H&R 410 shotgun
Rifle ……?? Might be a REM 700 7Mag ( my first center fire rifle)
 
First shot:
Rimfire- Rem Mod 41 Target Master
Shotgun- Rem Mod 10 12ga
Centerfire- Mod 98 8x57 bring back
Pistol- Really can't remember. They were frowned on by my mother. Sad story concerning her brother.
 
These post are taking me back to the days you never thought your dad would get old and your perspective on the world and the people in it was much different!

First gun ever - Remington 22mag
First high power - Savage .243, I don't recall the model. My Dad got it when we was 12 and handed it down to me. It unfortunately was stolen and never recovered
First Shotgun - WestPoint Model 949 made by Savage, Single shot 20 gauge break barrel. Another gun that was my Dad's when he was a kid. I still have this gun today.
First Pistol - Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag. Had a 10" barrel and I was 8. Shooting it for my Dad and his buddies entertainment, I'm sure. I don't recall (and highly doubt) that I hit what I was shooting at but I held onto the gun well, it didn't kick way up in the air on me and wasn't as fun to watch as I'm sure everyone was hoping haha.
 
Rifles - I'm fortunate to still have the first two rifles I shot, both belonged to Dad:

22 rimfire, Marlin 39 Mountie - he set it up with the 2.5x Leupold later in life. I'm leaving it there as it's handy to have a scoped 22 rimfire. I was probably 5 or 6 when I started shooting it.
Marlin 39M.jpg
First centerfire was this 30-06 Springfield that his father had "sporterized" for him while Dad was still at sea in the Navy after WWII. It still shoots great and I hope to take game with it sometime soon. I first shot it at about 10 years of age and it was too much rifle for me! Years later I bought the 2-7x Redfield Widefield scope for him.
Springfield Man 1.JPG

First handgun I shot was his Colt Woodsman 22 semi-auto. I must have been about 8 or 10 years old. I didn't do very well with it, but shoot it fine these days. It's in great shape and I still have his old holster as well.
Colt Woodsman.JPG
Not real sure which shotgun I used first. Maybe his 12 gauge Ithaca 37 or perhaps the 28 gauge Winchester Model 12 skeet gun. Both are long gone now.

My first bow was a Ben Pearson fiberglass 20-25# that was essentially straight with recurved tips. Very basic bow. I think it's still in the rafters of my sister's house. Silly little bow that it is, it's gone on to teach generations of kids the fundamentals of archery. No photos of it.

Good memories - thanks for asking!

Guy
 
All 3 firearms I shot first were Dad’s.
Rifle - Remington 742 in 308 Win.
Shotgun - Remington 1100 in 12ga.
Pistol - I don’t remember the manufacturer in 22LR
 
For rifle, it would be an old .177cal Gamo pellet rifle at the age of 12.

At 13 I was introduced to center fire. My mentor introduced me to several rifles in that season of life, in 30-30, 38-55 in M94, m92?. Lee Enfield No.4 MK1 .303 brit and Swedish Mauser M38 in 6.5x55, Marlin 1895 in 45-70 and a Ruger no.1 in 7x57. Don't remember which of those first cartridges I shot but it was between those ones.

As for shot gun it was a double barrel rossi 12 guage at 14. Killed my first grouse with that shotgun.

My first hunting rifle was a 8x57 Mauser 98 sporter at 14, got my first deer with it. Still have the rifle.

First handgun was one of those old Semi-auto Rugers that somewhat look like a luger in 22lr, at the age of 14.
 
Rifle M/16
Pistol 38 Special
Rimfire Rifle/ Marlin Bolt 60's vintage
Shotgun Rem 1100 12 gauge.
BB gun - Red Ryder
 
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BB gun - Red Ryder
Rimfire Rifle - .22 Browning Semi -Auto
Rimfire Pistol - .22 Colt Woodman ( Just like Guy's and still have it )
Centerfire Pistol - 9mm Browning Hi Power
Centerfire rifle - .244 Remington 760
Shotgun - .410 Remington 870 WingMaster
 
BB gun - Red Ryder
Rimfire - Winchester 190
Rifle - Savage 30.06
Shotgun - Remington 1100 12ga
Pistol - Smith & Wesson 38spl
T/C Hawken - .54
I still have the Win 190 and it still shoots great!
 
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Rimfire Rifle: Stevens Single shot .22
Rimfire handgun: Uncle Mick’s Single Six .22
Centerfire Rifle: Remington 788 6mm Rem
Centerfire Handgun: T/C Contender .223
Shotgun: JC Higgins Bolt-action 20 gauge
Blackpowder rifle: T/C Hawken .45
Blackpowder handgun: Uberti 1858 .44
 
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