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January 22, 2008
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One of the other threads made me think about my first gun. My grandpa gave me my first 22 rifle when I was maybe 9 it was a Savage (must like a Marlin 60) and he gave my brother a little Savage single shot since he was 2 years younger than I was. I wouldn't even begin to know how many rounds were fired through those guns! I think that's why we keep looking and buying guns to try and get that feeling of our youth.
Well the Ruger below was my first handgun. My dad bought it for me when I was round 15 I guess. We were handing out one Saturday and we went to a gun shop and he told me I could pick me one out. So the Super Single Six below came home with me.
I think my Dad thought I was crazy wanting the long barrel but just something about it called to me. I think it was this trip that I seen my first Dan Wesson. I remember seeing a pistol pac laying in the glass show case. I thought then it was very cool with the interchangeable barrels. It would be close to 20 years later before I would pick up my first Dan Wesson a model 722.
So what was your first rifle / handgun?
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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My first purchase was my DW Model 15, but my first experience with a gun was actually in the mid 60's, when I used to play "war" with my friends. They had BB guns and air rifles, I used my uncles WWII trophy, a Japanese Arisaka rifle (try doing THAT now). He brought it home from the Pacific Theater in 1945, my son has it now and is doing some restoration on it, but he has fired it and says it's pretty accurate. It's a little special because it was never "de-militarized" the Imperial Chrysanthemum was not ground off. Interesting question, I haven't thought about those days in a while.
Steve
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
February 4, 2009
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I came from a reasonably sheltered childhood. I was able to stay out late and stuff, but when it came to "dangerous" toys, I had to rely on my friends.
After leaving the nest, I went to work for a car dealer in Dallas. We had a service writer named Vicki who invited me out to shoot with her and her husband. That was the beginning to the addiction. They talked me into joining their shooting club and I needed to purchase a weapon. They helped me find my first gun- a Series 70 stainless National Match Colt that had been heavily modified and tuned. Sold it years ago for a new hobby, which wasn't too smart. Purchased a Series 80 Gold Cup years later and realized that the Series 70 was 100x better than the unmodified Series 80. Live and learn.
It worked out OK though. After losing interest in that other hobby, that is when I decided to buy my first Dan Wesson.
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January 24, 2009
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As a kid, my brothers & I were allowed to share a little .22 pump action rifle…mostly supervised, but now & then not supervised. I don't even remember the model. I bet we ran 5,000 rounds through that little gun.
My first gun that was “mine”, came along when I was about 25. A co-worker needed some money & sold me his seldom used AMT .22 Automag. I was interested when he told me it was a .22 Magnum, because I hadn't shot that bullet before, and the gun looked cool. $200 smackers & it came home with me.
(I never did get a picture of my actual gun, but it looked like this one)
When it worked well, it was a fun gun to shoot. At dusk, that little gun would blast a big fireball at the end of the barrel with each shot. Way fun.
However, if this gun is even slightly dirty, it will let you know. Mis-feeds, & misfires were pretty common. When I broke the firing pin one day (my fault, it was dirty), the fun ended. I found another firing pin, replaced it & cleaned every spot on the whole gun, then it sat unused for a few years while I played with a S&W Model 29 that came my way.
I eventually sold both guns one day when money was tight. Went without for a dozen or so years, before I got my little Colt Snubby. And that was only because it was a sweet deal that I couldn't refuse at the time, but that re-kindled the interest again. Now, my interest seems to be at FULL THROTTLE! LOL!!
I still have a warm spot in my heart for the little Automag & I will probably end up with another one again. It may not be the finest gun made, but I think I am drawn to it's uniqueness…nothing else out there is like it. Same reason I like DW's, they are unique.
BTW Jody, I like those stag(?) grips on your Ruger. I contemplated buying a set of those for my SBH, but wasn't sure how they would look on a blued gun. I usually seen them on nickle or stainless guns.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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.22 Automag>>>Model 29
There's a jump!
I was out of shooting over 20 years, The DW was the only one that spanned the gap.
Steve
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
January 22, 2008
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Hey Charger Fan,
I recently picked up one of those AutoMag II's. My cousin had one years ago and I too thought it was cool. Well I had done some reading on them before I bought it and knew of the issues with FTFs, etc.
Well I take it out for the first time and had not trouble with the first magazine full of 22 Mags but after that never could get it to fire an entire mag without extraction problems. Maybe I didn't get it clean enough... I was at a show recently and decided to take it with me and traded it on this little beauty...
I gave $300 for the AutoMag II and had to give $100 to boot. Around here Colts are at a premium. I guess the only reason I wanted this one is that I have a picture of my Dad from the 70's holding a Trooper III in 357. This one is 22.
I love the feel of the AutoMag but just got frustrated with trying to make it go Bang!
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January 24, 2009
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Yeah Steve, it was pretty much night & day. I had a couple friends with an assortment of calibers to play with & I knew how much fun a .44 was.
Jody, whenever mine had extraction problems, it was usually after I had run through about four boxes of ammo & it started getting dirty. But the FTF problem usually started showing up first, sort of a pre-warning, I guess.
I got in the habit of stripping it completely after each range session & scrubbing the crap out of it. .22's are a fairly sooty ammo, and this gun doesn't like to play in the soot. LOL!
Looks like you did a good trade though, those old Colts are really nice guns. The fit & finish on them is really impressive, I think.
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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My faher was not very much a hunter but decided to try it because I wanted to. He started me out with a used Harrington & Richardson single shot Topper model 20 gauge shotgun and shortened the stock for my little self. Both my boys learned to shoot trap with it and now my neighbors daughter uses it at trap shhots with us. That little old shotgun is going nowhere. My father was a bullseye pistol shooter, guess that is where the passion for handguns came in. My first of age purchase of a handgun was a used S&W 586 with scope for $225.00. Still have it and the rest is history!
Supermagfan
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
December 17, 2008
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Winchester 20 gauge single barrel shotgun. My father bought it for me new - I was thrilled out of my mind. He had a single shot Iver Johnson that he used to let me shoot & I wanted one in the worst way.
First pistol was a .380 Llama IIIA Stainless. A little beauty. A buddy had bought it new and never shot it - I made up for that! I still love that gun. It is exactly the same as a Colt 1911, but it's the size of a PPK. Have never had a jam, misfeed, nuttin'...in fact I just bought a couple of extra "grip extension" mags for it on GB - yep, I still got it!
Was always knocked out by the multi barrel set up on the Dan Wessons. I used to look at 'em in an old "Shooters Bible" my father had. Bought one brand spankin' new in 1980 - (already told that story in a post, but...) sold it to finish my last semester in college. That would be one of the "stupid sold my gun" stories Steve was referring to elsewhere...
From Jody's 1st post: "I think that's why we keep looking and buying guns to try and get that feeling of our youth."
That is surely part of it! I was out of it for a long time and having the interest rekindled definately brings back a lot of fond memories!
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Dusty Trail said:
That is surely part of it! I was out of it for a long time and having the interest rekindled definately brings back a lot of fond memories!
That's a big part of it for me, and probably the reason I'm thinking about reloading again.
Steve
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
December 17, 2008
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Ditto - we used to reload shotgun shells when we were kids. Never did brass, but I feel like I've given the idea adequate time to develop...
October 26, 2008
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My first gun was a Remington 788 in .308 it's now retired and enoying it's time in the safe. I was thirteen at the time and had finished hunter's safety, so I needed a deer rifle.
First handgun, Dan Wesson 40v8s .357 Max, still have it, still shoot it (alot), and absolutely love it. I got the Superdan, as I refer to it, the Christmas before I turned 18 from my Dad (he's got good taste). Again it was mainly for deer hunting (it's what we do in Wisconsin) and you could hunt with a handgun at 18 but you have to be 21 to buy one, talk about a stupid law. It took a pretty long time to get used to the weight of it, once I finally did I knew I'd have to get more. That's where my addiction started.
DWF Supporters
Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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This is off topic but had to tell this one. Since your bringing up stupid things. I have a friend who is an 19 year old police officer. Obviously wears a firearm every day to protect and serve, but has to get someone else to buy his ammo. He's not old enough. Go figure.
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
January 22, 2008
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Hey Superdan,
My first high powered rifle was a 788 in .243. If I remember correctly my Dad traded an old H&R 22LR pistol for it back in the early 80's. Since then I've had a custom walnut stock made for it.
That gun definitely has some sentimental value!
JB
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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Wow Superdan, what a first handgun. Talk about starting at the top, IMHO. Curious to see what else your locker has in store for us. Welcome to the club. Have you harvested any deer or anything else for that matter with the model 40? I never go deer hunting without one of the Dan's by my side.
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
April 25, 2008
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Not counting a few airguns, my first real cartridge firing gun was a Weatherby MK XXII semi-auto .22LR that I bought out of high school. The first handgun was a Colt Python Target 8" in .38 Special. I drooled over it a long time, but no one wanted it cause you couldn't shoot real Magnums in it. Finally, they dropped the price to where I just couldn't stand it any longer, and it was mine.
The Savantist
March 25, 2008
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This is one of those questions you appreciate until it's asked. My first gun my mother got with S&H green stamps at the stamp redemsion store, abolt action marlin 80DL clip feed with peep sights. It still shoots good and yes I still have it. Thanks for the question!
February 26, 2009
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“This is one of those questions you appreciate until it's asked” LOL! Ain't that the truth!
(Discounting the BB and Pellet guns)
If I can remember that far back, I think the first NEW gun was a Christmas present. Savage Mod 24 O/U 22mag/20ga. circa 1966. Then a Brazilian M1908 7X57 (my first deer rifle) then maybe a Marlin 22 that my dad bought for me used for 10 bucks. I still have them all plus a few more 
DWF Supporters
Dans Club
Moderators
November 17, 2008
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My first was a 410 "crack barrel" or "single shot" my grandmother gave me at about 7 years old. My first hand gun was a Black hawk 357 at about age 20. When I was a chap I had seen this cool thing in Dad's Outdoor Life magazine that had interchangeable barrels, but never saw one until the early 80's when I found a used 44V6, and now you know the rest of the story.
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
March 17, 2009
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My first was a Gustav 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser with a Weaver 3 x 9 scope. My dad bought two of them from a gunsmith in Kingsland, TX in the mid 60's. They had both been sporterized and we deer hunted with them in Llano county for years. When we moved to Austin my older brothers slowed on hunting but I went every time the old man went. When I turned 18, he gave me one of them and I still have that rifle. I've since put better optics on it and now my wife shoots it. (the stock was cut down for us kids and fits her perfectly now)
My first pistol was a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44M and that was in 1979 when I was still a young pup. I learned how to hunt with that pistol and really loved it. Single action pistols never bothered me since that's the way I shoot'em anyway. Money was tight and I sold it a few years later but sure wish I could have found a way to keep it.
Since then I've bought and shot many wheel guns and SA's as well as rifles and shotguns; most of which I still have. I've had several hobbies through the years but hunting is something that has stuck with me.
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