How Did You Get Into Guns?

[shooter@5(4)life]

OUT

 

[bft131]

I had always had guns growing up. I married a gun hating lib and went without for 13 years. I brought it up in conversation a few weeks ago and her response was "well, if you have one, I don't want to know about it" (after a comment on how someone should have been armed and stopped the Virginia Tech shooter). I now own 3 handguns and counting

My wife was the same way when we married 16 years ago! No tuna, save the whales, hug a tree, guns are bad and give up hunting...

That changed when we moved back to the country 5 years ago, since then I have been reborn with that passion that my grandpa gave me as a kid going goose hunting in southern Illinois with him when I was 6 and the wife has seen the "light" and now has her LTCH and a P22.

Heck, I even had her out shooting the EBR the other day...

It is truly a wonderful life...

 

[HICKMAN]

I had always had guns growing up. I married a gun hating lib and went without for 13 years. I brought it up in conversation a few weeks ago and her response was "well, if you have one, I don't want to know about it" (after a comment on how someone should have been armed and stopped the Virginia Tech shooter). I now own 3 handguns and counting

Glad to see you HTFU!

 

[uaw661]

From the time when I was growing up in West Virginia I was blessed to be from
a family of gun owners. From my Grandpa,Uncles & Dad is was a way of life.
Hunting,shooting and showing off your latest gun was an everyday thing.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I got into guns through my grandpa. He had a few guns at home and after he died I inherited them since my dad wasn't into them. I had bb guns before then so I knew the basic safety. But before I went for the rifle merit badge in boy scouts my uncle steve taught me how to shoot better. That summer at camp I got the second highest score in the camp for the week. The highest being an assistant scoutmaster and only beat me by 1 pt. I had a 48 out of 50 and he got a 49 out of 50. With a bolt action 22 with peep sights at 50 ft. Now that I'm making enough money to buy more I love them more and have bought quite a bit more.

 

[shooter@5(4)life]

OUT

 

[redneckmedic]

Wrist rocket @ Birds;
.177 @ bigger birds;
.22LR @ squirrels;
12g @ birds,
.243 @ yotes;
.50cal muzzle at white tail;
.308 @ steel/paper;
.223 @ well still waiting for 2 legged varmint pest control opprotunities

 

[Bubba]

I have vague memories of .22 rifles and 20 ga. trap guns at summer camp, and a couple of times I got to fire my grandpa's Mossberg 500 12ga slug thrower that now adorns my gun room since his death. My mother and step-mother are rabidly anti-gun, and my father and stepfather are both apathetic on the subject. I'm not sure how I ended up with conservative values with them for parents and living in Madison, WI. When I told my mother I went to a McCain rally in November she wouldn't let me in the house until I renounced Republicanism and told her I was a Libertarian in training.

I wouldn't say I was really into guns until I was a security guard. I wanted to move up in the ranks so I asked about going through the armed program. It just so happened that the companies chief trainer was looking to unload a Ruger P89 and I picked it up for way more than it was worth. That thing couldn't hit the broad side of the whole darn farm but it was my first, and the love affair blossomed from there.

 

[shooter@5(4)life]

OUT

 

[92FS]

.22 bolt action rifle - Boy Scouts in 5th grade
12ga shotgun - pheasant hunting in South Dakota during college
M16 - Army enlisted
M1911A1 - Army officer
M9 - Army officer
Awarded the German markmanship award, Schutzenschnur. Qualified with the current (1990) pistol, rifle, and machine gun, do not remember the makes or models. Unfortunately Army Officers are not allowed to wear marksmanship awards so even though I earned the award, I never got to wear it on my uniform.

 

[shooter@5(4)life]

OUT

 

[Root]

.

 

[cce1302]

HMmmmm....
They were always around. Practically furniture. Ok, they were furniture. I have seen a picture of me, my brother, and a friend eating birthday cake in our living room on a table made from a rifle box on stacks of ammo cases. I don't know how old I was in that pic. 2-3 maybe.
Dad was an FFL (still is) so guns were as natural in the house as pictures on the wall. Never thought anything of it.
Went shooting for the first time when I was 4. Marlin .22 bolt rifle. I remember that experience clearly.
Got a Ruger Single Six for my 7th Birthday. Saturday will be my 22nd anniversary as a gun owner.
Got married a few years ago. Wife pretty much doesn't care about my guns, as long as I'm not spending too much money on them, and as long as I take her shooting every once in a while. Didn't have to have that "Gun discussion" when we were dating. It was pretty much
Me: "I have guns and I like to shoot & I carry them sometimes."
Her: "Oh. My dad and my brothers like shooting."
I'm looking to pick up a .22 for my kids so I can take them shooting. My oldest will be 4 next month and has been begging me to take him.

 

[shooter@5(4)life]

OUT

 

[mwilson]

my father and grandfather taught me how to shoot, grandfathers nick name was pistol. very good shot. shot hundreds of rounds off his front porck in kentucky as a kid. remember that jb? a time when a 14 year old kid could carry a rifle all day and never get a second look from anyone. probably not even legal today

 

[Flitmob]

Everyone seems to have happy stories. Well I might change it a little bit....
I grew up with guns at my grandparents house. I saw them on the walls but never gave them much thought. I shot a rifle in high school once and again never gave it much thought. Moved to Indianapolis in 2005 and lived in a bad neighborhood. I would hear gun shots but again never gave it much thought. I bought my own house and started renting out rooms. Here is where my story begins.

I had a tenant who will remain nameless that was a drunk. When I finally kicked him out he threatened me and keyed my girl's car. I called the police and it took 2 hours for them to arrive. 2 HOURS. I was beside myself. If he had attacked me or kicked in my door I would have been screwed.
I went to the prosecutor's office and tried to get a protective order. In marion county you can only get a protective order if.... 1. It is a family member. 2 You have been married to the person. 3. You have been intimate with that person. None of these applied. (Thankfully) The assistant prosecutor told me I had few options. I could wait for the police. I could get an alarm. I could get a gun.
The heaven's parted and the lights came on. I bought a 20g Mossberg the next week. I think I gave 250 for it with a TON of ammo. More 20g ammo than I could ever use.
I shot it and loved it. I then bought an old russian rifle. Then a 12g 870. Then a .38. Then a glock 19. Then a glock 23. Then a S&W .40 Sigma. Then...... I have over 20 guns now. I have a lifetime carry permit and I carry at almost all times.

As my friends have discovered me with guns, I am surprised about their reactions. Most are very cool about it and do not judge as I assumed they would. More important than that, I am not worried about someone attacking me. I am not worried about being robbed. I am not worried at all. I know that I can defend myself if I need to and hope that I never have to.

 

[88E30M50]

I started with a BB gun. When my Dad got tired of me tearing the neighborhood up with that, he bought me a Marlin 25 .22 rifle and confined my shooting to the range. That was back in 1976. I did some shooting with my sister's boyfriend in the late 70s then nothing until last November. I still had (and still have) that old .22 around and since November have added 5 Mosin Nagants, an SKS, a Ruger 10/22 carbine, Springfield 1911 Mil-Spec and a Heritage Rough Rider .22 revolver.

I don't know why I stopped shooting for all of those years, but I'm kind of addicted to it now. I average almost two trips to the range a week and have put 800 rounds through the 1911. We are almost through our second can of 7.62x54R and have probably shot an easy 100 rounds with the Mosins. We have also gone through at least 3000 rounds of .22 in the last 5 months too. The SKS is probably the least shot with only around 500 rounds since buying it in January.

 

[Smitty506th]

YMCA summer camp, Boy Scout summer camp, Family, ARMY, Friends and the rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the United States of America. (It's just plain old clean fun)

 

[slottech]

My stepson got me into guns last March. I got a S&W sigma 9mm. I have since benn bitten by the Beretta bug! I have 3 at home and 2 on layaway. I also have an LTCH that I support every weekend, (I work in a casino, I can't carry to - from work) My collection has grown quite a bit in the last year. I wiil be at Jasper/Pulaski Range Saturday at noon.

 

[erik7941]

I got "into" guns when I was 6 years old and my dad got me a .22 caliber chipmunk rifle.