My First Gun

Nitro Owners Forum

Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Greg Meyer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2001
Messages
7,834
Reaction score
19
The first gun I bought was a Ruger 10/22. I think I was 15 at the time. I wanted a Marlin 39 but could not afford it, $20 more. The guy at the gunstore threw in a box of Long Rifle shells and I became a lifelong customer and he became my friend. I kept that rifle for about 5 years and traded it to my brother-in-law for a used small outboard.
 
My 1st one was a Ruger 10/22 also!! Probably the 1st one for a LOT of gun owners!!:cool:
 
We had a community(family) 22 Remington Scoremaster. It sits fully restore next to me as I type this. Mom used it Dad used it an of course I used it. As it doesn't have collector value I rust blued the metal and refinished the walnut stock. A left over skill learned from repairing SKB shotgun stocks. My siblings were too young it went with me everywhere as a kid. Got it when my Dad passed away last year. My own personal was a Daisy fieldmaster BB pump many sparrow met their demise with it. My first personal firearm was a Beretta .380 auto I bought overseas in the Navy and had it removed from my possession for forgetting to check it back into the armory after liberty. Shortly after that a Hawes Western Marshal by Sauer and Sons, in .38 special/.357 magnum while living in Flordia I still have and shoot it. It has a 9mm cylinder that changes out.
Aaaah the memories.
What's your oldest? Mine is a pre WWI Turkish Mauser with the bayonet till attached. Shoots great.
fatrap
 
My first was a 12ga pump without a plug. It was so heavy that I would place it across the back of my neck and put my arms over the but stock and barrel just to carry it.

cq
 
When I was growing up, had my pellet gun with me when we went to town with my dad on commodity day (cheese and assorted stuff from federal govt once a month to us po-folks). While he did that, I went to the local hardware store that also sold guns. Bargained with the owner for a 410 single shot shotgun. My pellet gun and $10 and I walked out the store and a mile back to where my dad was. Back then nobody stopped nobody (even when I was 15) for openly carrying a gun. After all, I had the breach open to show it wasn't loaded. I sure was proud of that gun until I ran out of shells the first day. Found out shotgun shells were a whole lot more expensive than a box of 22 shorts. It was 53 cents for a box of 50 rounds, but $1.45 for a box of 25 shotgun rounds in 1964-65. Killed lots of squirrels with it though and we ate pretty good (after wasting the first box). Back then I could make $2 a day if I worked hard in the fields picking cucumbers or hoeing corn/cotton. Back then making 40 a month on a federal program I thought I was rich, for about 2 hours - after all, it didn't go very far with 5 younger kids in the house and having to bail out my dad from jail for public drunk. Never understood why he had to go to Tuscaloosa AL (50 miles away) to drink, when he was the best moonshiner in our parts. He'd sell it, never would drink his own stuff. LOL, guess that's what made me go law enforcement (plus USAF helped - military police k9)
 
My first was a Daisy Red Rider!
Next up was a Mossberg 12 gauge pump which was so big for me at that young age (15) that I could barely hold it up long enough to pull the trigger. I was a lot lighter than so had to really lean into it so I didn’t get knocked down firing it.
The first one I bought was a Savage 30-06 for deer hunting. There have been a few more since…
Both of my Sons got new Ruger 10/22s when they were born!
 
My first experience was with a .22lr in an attic in Germany. As part of a post fire arms safety course set up by the post CO, they converted an attic in one of the office buildings into an indoor shooting range. 1958 - 1962 in Germany was at the edge of the line, and the CO thought all the kids should learn to shoot, just in case. I was 9 - 10 yrs. old. at the time. Then my first personal weapon was a S&W Chief I bought in 1978. Since then I have had a few different hand guns and other long guns, my favorite being a Ruger .357 mag Security Six. That was a fine shooter, and I was deadly with it. Alas, I had to sell it during a pot-hole in the financial road.
 
Marlin model 880SS, back in '02. An Xmas gift from the wife who was still on the fence about having a gun in the house. My, oh my, how some things change. She now carries a S&W 642 with Crimson Trace grips.
 
Reading these posts, I bet not a one of you ever got into trouble about a gun. One: your father made sure, as mine did, I knew the results and consequences of mishandling a gun. After I turned 16, got my driving licenses and a 49 Ford coupe, I routinely carried my hunting guns in my trunk to school so that I would go straight to the woods after school.
Two: my father made sure I understood gun safety. He was always double checking me, did it make me mad or hurt feelings? Yes, but now I appreciate all that he did. I just wish I could have told him thanks more than I did.

cq
 
Reading these posts, I bet not a one of you ever got into trouble about a gun. One: your father made sure, as mine did, I knew the results and consequences of mishandling a gun. After I turned 16, got my driving licenses and a 49 Ford coupe, I routinely carried my hunting guns in my trunk to school so that I would go straight to the woods after school.
Two: my father made sure I understood gun safety. He was always double checking me, did it make me mad or hurt feelings? Yes, but now I appreciate all that he did. I just wish I could have told him thanks more than I did.

cq

The first thing that happened after I unwrapped a Springfield/Stevens 20ga pump on Christmas morning... I was 11 yrs old ...before lunch...my Dad drove the two of us out of town 150' onto my uncles property, set a small piece of plywood up on the pistol range and shot it with that 20ga. I was impressed and "educated" in the message.

I already had a breakopen .410 but that .20 gauge was a repeater. I still have that pump and its twin that belonged to my Dad. My Dad's is being transformed into a youth gun (Realistically at a cost justifiable only because of the sentimental value).
 
CQ after we left the farm my Dad drove over the road trucks and my hunting mentor was the English teacher at school. I'd walk down the hall with my 20 guage in a case and no one said Boo!
fatrap
 
What a great topic! Coming from a younger generation, my father also taught me the ways of gun safety, responsibility and respect far after Gun Racks at school were permissible. My first firearm was a Ruger 10/22 rifle (not counting the red rider bb gun at age 5). It was a gift that turned into a lifelong joy. I still have that rifle. The first purchase I made was a Glock 22 (gen 2) .40. I still carry that weapon to this day.
 
My "first" gun was my dad's 12ga. Browning "Twelvette" (2 shot semi auto) with a Belgiun barrel...he bought it sometime in the early 60's probably and used it for ducks, pheasants, rabbits etc.......but I still have it and it's in excellent condition......I should do some research and see what it's worth....I'll never sell it, but I'm curious more than anything to see what it would go for. I love it....and still use it occasionally...

Here's a link of what it looks like....
http://www.gunauction.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=9466982

Wow...There's a few for sale....some as high as $1000.00..cool...."THANKS DAD!!"
 
Last edited:
My "first" gun was my dad's 12ga. Browning "Twelvette" (2 shot semi auto) with a Belgiun barrel...he bought it sometime in the early 60's probably and used it for ducks, pheasants, rabbits etc.......but I still have it and it's in excellent condition......I should do some research and see what it's worth....I'll never sell it, but I'm curious more than anything to see what it would go for. I love it....and still use it occasionally...

Here's a link of what it looks like....
http://www.gunauction.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=9466982

Wow...There's a few for sale....some as high as $1000.00..cool...."THANKS DAD!!"

Mac, that is one of the finest shotguns ever produced. I regret selling tghe one I had in 20ga when I was in college...needed money and it was only used for quail and I had others, etc... Dab move...

Here's a link for you to read http://www.randywakeman.com/BrowningDoubleAutoValBrowningsFinest.htm Lightweight, GREAT Balance, fast handling, fast lock time, low recoil, and on and on... That third shot is not all that important. If I still a Twelevvete my O/U would not be used nearly as much for Pheasant. You need to consider retrofitting that gun with tubes (I have a guy that does great work) and using it as your go-to fieldgun. It was way ahead of its time (1950s) in that it could fire lowbase target loads and 2 3/4" magnum loads without adjustment. The only place it is out of place is for waterfowl today... NO STEEL in that elegant barrel. And, in thge blind you aren't carrying it around so a third shot is handy (as is a second gun). You are a lucky man... your Dad had great taste in firearms....GREAT. I am very envious. It is worth every cent of that $1000!
 
Wow,..that's cool Greg....THANK YOU for the compliment. Yeah,..my dad only owned one gun and that Browning was it......I only use it now when I go pheasant or rabbit hunting, because of the steel shot law w/ducks. The barrel is in pristine condition and I will keep it that way. Dad use to always say,.."A good shooter rarely ever needs more than 2 shots so if you miss with the 2nd shot.....your target is too far away for a 3rd shot ayway!!" He was right.....only rabbits are dumb enough to get shot at twice and then stop 20yds away....but I can pop in another shell if that happens!!...ahahahaha
 
Wow,..that's cool Greg....THANK YOU for the compliment. Yeah,..my dad only owned one gun and that Browning was it......I only use it now when I go pheasant or rabbit hunting, because of the steel shot law w/ducks. The barrel is in pristine condition and I will keep it that way. Dad use to always say,.."A good shooter rarely ever needs more than 2 shots so if you miss with the 2nd shot.....your target is too far away for a 3rd shot ayway!!" He was right.....only rabbits are dumb enough to get shot at twice and then stop 20yds away....but I can pop in another shell if that happens!!...ahahahaha


Mike Orlen will install tru=choke tubes labor and two tubes for about $125.... I have had three older guns done by him and have been more than pleased.....

Does your gun have a plain barrel or a solid rib?
 
Mac
I've ran across several of the "Twelvette's" at gun shows and had one 12 gauge in for a for end repair. They were made from 1955 to 1971 and were a fine shotgun. The one I had to fix the guy was shooting deer slugs with it. The front stocks on most Brownings weren't made for slugs although they did the job fine some had a tendency to split the fore ends. I've repaired and refinished at least a half dozen A5's. which is tricky as Browning liked to use beech or some other lighter colored wood for stocks. Anyway the Twelvette in excellent condition Built by FN would be between ..........$450 to $700 top in that's with ventilated rib. Miroku Brothers in Japan also made a significant number of this modle. Although excellent they run about $500 top end with fixed chokes. One thing I've found out is to deduct a little over the bluebook price when selling to a dealer which is something I doubt you'd do with an heirloom. Something I've found is the previous gun crisis hasn't raised values on most hunting type firearms. Weather it's silver or gold inlay doesn't affect the price. You also have to realize that that $700 shotgun may be worth a lot more to the guy who desperately wants to find one exactly like that.
What choke is it. Modified is around .710-.720 European chokes are about .005 less than American. That's about three/quarter inch. Full would be about .690-5
Hope this helps
fatrap
 
Great info guys...Thank you for answering my questions...Mine has the solid rib and gold inlay.....and I'm 99% sure it's a "modified choke". Mike,..I've never shot a slug thru that gun and never will,..dad never did either and the once or twice that he went deer hunting he had buck shot rounds but never fired any!! A few years ago I bought a Remington 870 Combo in a .20ga (comes with smooth and rifled barrels) and I put a 4x scope on that for my dedicated slug gun for deer hunting in lower mi. (Shotgun only)... I've killed a couple deer with it so far...so it's more than enough for the distances I'd shoot anyay! I have my Weatherby .270 mag for "rifle zone" hunting. I'll have to take some pix's and send them to you guys in PM's...I don't want to post pix's of my inventory on the web...;)
 
870 combo is great set up especially 20 gauge. I sold a bunch of those and bore sighted them when I worked for "Bass Pro. Any questions on gun values etc I can probably get the answers I go to every gunshow in 300 miles of here and I sold them for seven years at BPS.
Time to go hook up the Tuna boat South Dakota is "calling ma name momma!"
fatrap
 

Latest posts

Back
Top