What was the first gun you bought, and where did you buy it?

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

 

Just for fun, I thought it might be curious to see where those of us here got our start on buying guns.  Specifically, what was the first gun your purchased with your own money, and where did you get it?

 

In 1985 I purchased a Remington 870,  12 gauge, 30" full choke barrel at my local K-Mart.   It was a discontinued model and was on "clearance" for $205.00.   At the time I thought that was an incredibly good price.

 

It was the start of a very expensive hobby.

[High Spade Mikey Wilson]

Around 1970 I bought a Savage 19 NRA .22 LR for $100, which was a lot of money for a .22 back then. I still have that old .22 yet today.

[Assassin]

Marlin 30-30 336, WalMart , Zachary Louisiana, October 1977,  $79.95.

[Laramie]

1968 in Laramie Wyoming. A model 62A Winchester pump .22. Still have it. 

[Snakebite]

I already had two guns, but they were gifts. The first that I bought myself was about 1961 I bought a Lee Enfield 303. It was barrel down in a large barrel with many others of the same. It was in the Sears Roebuck Catalog store in my home town. the price was $29.95. It was a lot of money for me at the time. I paid for it, and walked out of the store with it...……………. in CALIFORNIA!

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

1977 in the Shotgun News was an add from some government agency selling surplus M1 Garands for police only for $200. Asked a cop friend if he would order one for me. Still have it and shoot it.

 

Ruger 10/22 a year later for $79.95? From Duffy's Cigar Store in beautiful downtown LaSalle, IL. Still have it and shoot it too.

 

And the rest, they say, is history.

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

A Lee Enfield .303 rifle, in 1973. That got me started in reloading, with a LEE reloader, the Whack a Mole type.

[Buckshot Dobbs]

1987 I believe...Walmart in Little Rock AR on Geyer Springs road....It was an Iver Johnson .22 Carbine. 

 

BD

 

 

[Happy Jack, SASS #20451]

1960's, an extra 1911 in South Africa in an alley in an unnamed town for $10 American. Was working a "summer Job" for college money. Worked fine. Left it there for a replacement worker when I came back to the states.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

1.  around 1967-68, I bought a cheap nickel plated .22 from a friend..... $60 (yes, it was cheaply made)

 

2.  My first REAL pistol was around 1971.  Ruger Blackhawk in .357...........  around $98.

 

..........Widder

 

[evil dogooder]

The first I bought was a coast to coast 12 ga at an estate auction. It was a Christmas gift to my dad.   The first for me was a knock off 22 revolver. Followed by a Taurus 357 the next day at a local shop.

[Marshal Hangtree]

1976, bought a Winchester '94 for $50 at a pawn shop.

[Goody, SASS #26190]

Working at the local Shell Station, the owner introduced me to a high school buddy who collected and sold Smith and Wessons. I was about 15. I bought a brand new Model 19, Combat Masterpiece, 6 inch. IIRC the price was $189. Wish I still had it.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1969, when I turned 18 yo bought a Rem 870, 12ga SG from White Front Dept Store in Torrance, Ca.

Had to do a 3 day wait.

Teenagers don't wait well either........ 

OLG

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

In 1978 I purchased a Colt 1911 from a parent of one of my students for $75 and the AM radio out of a 1978 Camaro.  It was stamped U.S. property (1918 production gun).  The student had managed to shoot one of their TVs while playing with the gun and she wanted it out of the house.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

SMLE MK IV.  Mail order from some lace I don't remember.  Next gun was a Ruger Super Blackhawk

[Grizzly Dave]

First may have been a Marlin bolt action .22 magazine fed at a LGS, but not sure if that was a gift or if it was my money.

 

First I know was my money was a Dan Wesson 6 inch .357 mag bought at Skaggs Drug store in Boulder, CO.

 

 

[Captain Bill Burt]

Walther PPK/S at a gun show in Mobile Alabama, that was probably around 1984.  I already owned some guns but they were gifts. 

[Double Barrel, SASS 34765]

In 1980 I was 18 and with a little help from my older brother, I bought a Colt .22 peacemaker with the dual cylinders.

It's still my favorite.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Well other than shooting my brother's JC Higgins .22 at birds and rabbits as a teenager, I was just oblivious to guns until Texas passed CCW.  Then in '98 I bought a used FEG aluminum frame Walther PP copy.  Got it from McBrides Guns, a large shop in Austin.  It was a piece of crap, but it fed FMJ well enough to pass my CCW class.  You'd think one would want to hold on to their first gun, but I got a super deal trading it in on a 4" Diamondback .22 a couple years later.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Ruger Supper Black Hawk  44 mag 1985 Al & Bobs Sporting goods ( Local Shop )

I have been a 44 Man Ever Since .

Still Have the first one I bought .

And I have around 27 - 44  Hand guns and 11 - 44  Long guns 

Just Sayin .

Rooster 

[Hollifer A. Dollar]

In 1986 I was working at Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company in Greenville SC.  Every morning on the way in to work, I would stop & buy a newspaper to read at lunch.  While reading the sports page, I saw an ad for a Bersa 383DA pistol (Walther PPK copy in 380) for $79 at a gun store in the old part of Greenville.  After I got off work, I drove over there & bought one (still have it, it's a nice little gun).  The reason I remember all these details, the guy gave me $10 too much change.  The next afternoon I went back over & gave the extra $10 back.  The guy was stunned.  $10 was big money in those days!

 

Holler

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

First gun bought with my money was 1982 - 16 years old (obviously my dad had to purchase it for me).

Smith & Wesson N frame model 28 357 mag Highway Patrolman.  $200.00

 

Had it magna ported - tuned action work. 

2.5lb da, 12oz sa butter smooth, glass break.

Was my competition steel plate revolver for a number of years before cowboy.

 

I still have it. 

Always will; until I'm gone and it becomes Desert Scorpions.

 

 

[Rance - SASS # 54090]

 Uuuhhhh... 

I've never bought or owned a gun..

 

Rance 

Thinkin' there ain't no sense attracting trolls..

[J.D. Daily]

7 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

1969, when I turned 18 yo bought a Rem 870, 12ga SG from White Front Dept Store in Torrance, Ca.

Had to do a 3 day wait.

Teenagers don't wait well either........ 

OLG

White Front, I remember two of their stores; one in Oakland & one in El Cerrito.  The chain went tango uniform a few years after your purchase.  My 1st firearm was Remington 1100 that was a Christmas gift from misses JD in the late 70's.  My 1st purchase was a S&W model 66 in 1996.  While I hunted dove with a 2nd cousin as a teenager as well as 22 rifles as a Boy Scout; my parents didn't want firearms in the house.  The 1100 gift was so I could hunt upland game birds & waterfowl with close friends.

[Sixgun Seamus]

In 1964 I earned a Mossberg 320B single shot by selling Christmas cards from a Boy's Life ad. First gun I bought was High Standard double action 9 shot pistol. Mom had to actually buy it for around $30 at J.C. Penney's. I don't have either of those any more. 

FWIW- When I turned 21, I celebrated by buying a used  second generation Colt 45. Still have that one.

[Brandon A Bovine SASS 27688]

In 1975 I turned 21, went to local sporting goods store and bought a 6 inch Dan Wesson in .357 mag. 

It's long gone but others have filled the void nicely.

[Eyesa Horg]

Back about 1972 I bought my first --- a Marlin/Glenfield 60 .22. Not sure where from however. I'm thinking Grant's or Caldor. Old and feeble mind doesn't remember!

[cajun bandit]

1959 bought a Remington513s .STILL have this gun[tack driver]  1960 bought a browning 12 ga auto from Richardson Hardware[Ponchatoula La] paid weekly payments [hardware was owned by my Boy Scout troop leader] Boy things have changed

[Major E A Sterner #12916]

In 1978 I went to a department store called "Barkers" and bought a Marlin model 60 .22 semi auto. I had to have a friend of my mother buy the ammo for me because you had to be 21 to by pistol ammo(It's NY,) I shot thousands of .22's through that gun, then sold it to a friends Uncle who needed something to shoot rats at his dump with.

[Zeb Gray, #36839]

First gun - 1958 a Winchester single shot .22 birthday present from my Dad.  I can still picture the $14.95 price on the box.  Three years later we attended an auction & he bought me a used Remington 121 .22 with a fitted hard leather case for $23.  Still have the Remington.  Had to pass the Winchester on to my brother.  A box of .22 Shorts cost $0.50 & the hardware store owner would sell them direct to me. 

 

First bought in 1976 - a Colt New Frontier (all steel) .22/.22 mag for $75.  Still have it & the guy who sold it to me says he will double my money any time I want to sell it. 

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

First gun I actually bought (inherited a couple others) was a Polytech M-14 in Wichita, KS back in 1992. Bought it from a local gun dealer.

Sadly, it's long gone. 

[July Smith]

The first gun I bought was when I was 18 or 19.  It was a Sears model 53 in 30-06 (Winchester model 70 made for the Sears catalog). Bought it from a local guy that needed money for Christmas.

[Three Foot Johnson]

Colt Frontier Scout .22 probably '67 or '68. I paid for it with money I made selling greeting cards (memba that?), but my dad actually did the transaction. The store was called "The Sports Center", here in Helena. The store is long gone, but I still have the Colt.

[Dantankerous]

1987. $185 for a Marlin 1894 44 mag.

 

I wish I still had THAT one!

 

Then, at 21 years old I bought my first new handgun.  $245.00. A Ruger SBH in 44 mag. I DO still have that one.