Name the Bug that Bit you

Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
3,102
Likes
10
Location
Wakefield, MA
Feedback: 1 / 0 / 0
Ok I'm sure many of aren't like me: I grew up in a Gun-Fearing-Wussy home. My mom has declared guns a no-talk issue. My father often Lampoons me with jokes about gunnies. I never shot a gun untill I was 19 years old.

Also I came of age durring the Assault Weapons Ban, so I was grown in a fertile soil of Anti-gun ignorance.

When my friend invited me over to his house (his backyard had a 100 yard range with a shooting bench) to learn how to shoot, I saw it as somthing like learning how to harpoon a whale. Somthing that would probably be interesting, and a "neat skill" to have....but nothing that overly excited me.

And my thoughts were the same throughout the day. Shot a .22 Auto-loader rifle...and tired of it quickly. Moved up to a .22 Snub nosed revolver (neat, but also didn't excite me) then it happened.

His father had a WWII issue 1911A1 that was, according to him, and Airman's pistol.

After shooting that puppy, it was OVER! I was suddenly changed for life!

I later became VERY fond of his weatherby rifles.....but when I got my permit the FIRST gun I bought was my S&W 1911 (the permit was still warm! I probably could have gotten a better price...but I was a man POSESSED!).

So I don't know if the same story can happen to you if you grew up shooting guns. But the 1911 was the bug that bit me.

For my friend it was my Mosin Nagant M44 8) (I need to get Rob in here!)

So who else was bit by a certain bug?

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard
 
I grew up the in a household where guns weren't mentioned...I wasn't even allowed to have toy guns, not even a water pistol. I knew my father owned a BB Rifle, but he hid it from me. I always searched for it, and occasionally found it and shot it in my back yard immediately after getting home from school, because it was just before they got home from work. He moved the hiding spots, I'm assuming because he figured out I shot it...maybe the neighbor ratted me out.

I went away to college in Connecticut, and my Junior year I lived off campus and became very friendly with my neighbor...who ended up being a gun afficionnado. He offered to bring me to his range and teach me...and he did. I first shot his S&W 22A which was nice, but didn't completely thrill me. Then he handed me his H&K USP 45f, and WOW! From there, I moved onto his Colt Python, and I was offically hooked. He helped me through my first LTC process once I turned 21, and I went out and bought 2 guns on the day I got my permit!...Yes, 2 (a Walther P99 and a Walther P22), and I've been happy since. Now I think I may own more guns than him [lol]




Anyone else got a story?
 
Just out of curiocity, what do your parrents think?

Man I was allowed to PLAY with guns (I was DEADLY accurate with thems handguns that shoot the plastic discs).

I've never understood taking away toys. But then again it DOES make as much sence a gun control.....

Rather than teach your kid right from wrong, and fantasy from reality, just take away the guns..... [roll]

-Weer'd Beard
 
I grew up around guns. As a kid I used to save up my allowance and money from odd-jobs to grab some of the old Colt and Remington single action cowboy guns that were as common as fleas where I lived. (Unfortunately, I also sold them in order to buy newer, "better" guns [cry] ) It was simply another hobby until my sophomore year in high school, when three of us went deer hunting. Just to be cool, we normally carried handguns as well as our rifles, usually an old SAA. That day there were no deer to be seen, and we got bored quickly, so we drifted over to one of the county dumps to bag some rats. One of my friends had taken his father's 1911 rather than the usual six shooter that day. After a couple of boxes of .45ACP, It was no longer simply a hobby but a serious (and hopefully incurable) addiction.

Ken
 
I grew up with guns also. My dad is from the coast of Maine, grew up poor as a church mouse and went hunting not for sport, but for needed food. He went duck hunting all the time when I was a kid, and went after pheasant and rabbits pretty much in the front yard.
I got a Daisy Red Ryder when I was 6 for X-mas and he took me hunting for the first time a few years later. A couple of years after that , he let me shoot his 20 ga. ithaca and I've been hunting ever since.
It is funny, though, one of the things I learned as a kid is that 'this one is for ducks, this one is for rabbits, this one is for deer, this other one is for deer, moose, and bear, etc...'
Therefore, on my side, 'this one's for ducks, this one's for rabbits, this one's for grouse, this one's for deer, this one's for skeet, this ones for trap, etc...'
There's always another reason to pick up another gun.
 
I have a confession. Eight years ago on the insistance of an at the time GF I actually went to Salsa lessons. [oops] I guess I was a real uber-flaming metrosexual male.

Taking a class on defensive hangun drills is much more fun. Only thing is I miss the hot spanish chicks. [wink]
 
I grew up in a house that had no firearms but was not necessarily anti-gun. It just wasn't something my family was interested in or could afford.

I was bitten in August 1967 by the S&W Model 15 and M-16 which the USAF used to teach me how to shoot. Bought my first firearm, a Marlin 39A in 1971 when I graduated (still have it by the way) and have been hooked ever since.
 
Standing by with my paltry Savage .22 rifle, watching my Dad's "survivalist" buddy let loose with a couple of 30 round "banana" clips in a Mini-14 did it for me. Watching the handguard smoke afterwards was the cherry on top. After that I went out and bought the only centerfire rifle I could afford, a $50 Arisaka.
 
I was a bit biased against guns when I met Patrick. He told me he was an instructor and had a few guns of his own. I've always tried to be open minded so told him he should take me shooting some time.
I was really intimidated by semi-autos in anything larger than .22 caliber, but when Patrick pulled out a S&W 686P I was hooked. In fact I fell so completely in love with the gun Patrick bought me my own as an engagement gift [wink]
 
Weer'd Beard said:
Ok I'm sure many of aren't like me: I grew up in a Gun-Fearing-Wussy home. My mom has declared guns a no-talk issue. My father often Lampoons me with jokes about gunnies. I never shot a gun untill I was 19 years old.
That's pretty much my story too, my parents were about as anti-gun as they come (and raving God fearing Republicans to boot ... go figure). I got bawled out in high school for buying one of those replica UZI's that fired caps. For crying out loud, my folks wouldn't even sign the permission slip for me to be allowed to shoot .22's at Boy Scout camp, and I got shuffled off to the archery range that day.[roll]

Unfortunately, after moving out, going to college, getting a haircut and real job my mind was other places for many years, and I didn't actually go "Hey, I'm a friggin' adult now, I can do whatever I want now" until a couple of years ago ... I think I was 32 when I actually fired my first gun.

Anyway, the happy ending is I now shoot at least twice a month, own 2 pistols, and am planning on buying my first rifle this spring (I really want an AR).
 
I grew up with guns. We always had a few around the house (22's, Model 94 Winchester, Colt Cobra and a S&W Model 10). My parents were far from being anti-gun, but they really weren't big into them either. I got my first handgun during my first stint in the military, a Model 58 S&W (I still have it and the blue box). After the service while I was in college, I really got interested in shooting and collecting.

Mark
 
I cant remember a time when I wasnt facinated (sp?) by firearms. Military ones. Always told people I was going to be an Army Man when I grew up, at least I was in the army....havent quite gotten around to growing up yet.
Got out in 94, and it was the Ban that brought me around to civilian ownership. Got Screwed, bad on a couple of my first purchases, now I dont let myself get porked QUITE so bad.
After returning from Bosnia in 02, and a long time away from civie stuff, a friend turned me on to another site, where quite a few of us met, and I had to have the M-4, with whipped cream, nuts marshmellow, fudge, caramel, you name it had to have it. still do.


AR15s are my bane.
As are the USP series of pistols.

sigh, my names Dan, and I love guns.


ETA: 'Red Dawn' sure didnt help any either.



WOLVERINES!!!!!!


red_dawn-yeller.jpg
 
I grew up on a farm. There was a single shot 22 that my father used to shoot woodchucks that raided his vegetable garden. I was allowed to take it out shooting, on our property, whenever I wanted.

That was the only gun here, my father wasn't a hunter. I also never saw him practice, but somehow he never missed when he shot a chuck.

I believe he did shoot extensively when he was growing up.

MY first gun was a 22 revolver, and I honestly don't remember what caused me to want a pistol, certainly Pop wasn't into them, nor anyone else I knew.

Maybe it came from watching too many John Wayne movies when I was growing up?

Nah, not possible to watch too MANY John Wayne movies . . .

Regards
John
 
I got my first weapon when I was 17. My Uncle Sam gave me any thing I wanted to shoot. As a matter of fact any thing I wanted to throw too. You learn real fast with any thing they hand you, when your life depends on it.

That's how I got addicted to .45's..
 
About 2 years ago while I was still in college a buddy of mine and I joked often about being cops, but the reality was we were both in business school. One day I was at work in Worceser when he called me up, he took the train in from Boston and we went shooting. That was back when Worcester Gun Range had "Buy one get one" Thursdays. Did it at least every Thursday for the whole summer.

Mid summer I got the ball rolling on my LTC since I soon learned it would be cheaper to own then continually rent. Well as soon as that little card came in I started buying pistols and shooting more often.

About 18 months later I am the proud owner of 6 pistols and 2 rifles. I never did become a cop though, he dropped everything litterally the day after graduation to move back to NYC where he just recently graduated from the NYPD.

Everybody aboves stories remind me a bit of my life growing up. Dad had a hidden BB gun that I would find and shoot, mom wasn't really psyched that I was shooting all the time. But now it is really a non issue, and my mom has brought up shooting 3 times in the past week. If she brings it up again I may offer to bring her, and dad just applied for his LTC. Just gotta take it slow and those who trust you usually come around.
 
I'm a member of the newer generation, so a large influence on me has been movies and games. I was first introduced to a few games (most notably, Counter-Strike), and saw various war and crime movies (Saving Private Ryan, Reservoir Dogs, etc.)...I didn't think much of firearms at the time, but what really got me hooked was World War II. I love reading about it, watching films, and educating myself in its battles, soldiers, weapons, and tactics. I fell in love with guns like the M1 Garand, 1911, BAR, and others. Through games and through film, I grew to love the new firearms as well. When I found out that my grandfather was a gun enthusiast, my heart skipped a beat. Immediately I knew I was going to have a future with firearms (he'll almost definately hand over his collection to me). I went to the MRA's annual fun shoot this past October and got to fire my first guns (a few .22 S&W revolvers). I loved it. I actually did quite well, too. They had clays hung up about twenty feet away. You were given six bullets to shoot five targets, and three out of the five times I took my turn, I hit all five. Another person had left another clay up, and so one of those times I was actually six for six. Now that I had a little confidence, I joined the Juniors program and now am craving more shooting time.
 
Started with my Crossman air rifle when I was 9. My Mom didn't really want any guns in the house, Dad got a waiver for the air rifle. :D I picked up my first firearm when I was ~20, a Marlin .22 Mag lever action which I still have. From there I stayed with wheel guns & levers for about 10 years, then I didnt' shoot for about 7 or 8 years & then I got bit by the CMP High Power bug. Now it's AR's, Garands, '03s etc.....

CD
 
Well, I grew up in a GFW household. Dad was 4F so he didn't shoot, Mom was and still is a raving liberal (she thinks GWB is the anti-christ [roll])(Although I HAVE gotten her shooting once! Progress!!), so the first time I ever got to shoot a gun was in summer camp - shot single-shot .22s. Y'know, thinking back on it, I don't think I remember using ear protection, either...

Anyway, I wanted to learn to shoot after seeing my older brothers NRA marksman's medals that HE got in camp.

Didn't do much else about it until I turned 19 and met Fitz - he and his wife became my best friends. Fitz was a security guard and taught me how to shoot his Llama .45 and his Charter Arms snubbie. And when I turned 21, Fitz took me down to J&J Guns in Bayonne, NJ with my very first purchase permit clutched in my hands and I bought my Mod 19. didn't even bring the wood grips home with me; I added $10 to the transaction for a pair of Siles grips for it. (And yes, that's the Mod 19 I keep moaning about how I shouldn't have sold it, and Fitz is the lucky guy who's got it now. I'm still hoping I can get it back some time...)

Second gun was my 10-22 which I still have, third was a Mark 1 Std which I traded in some years back for a Mark 1 Target.

Guns I've gotten rid of over the years? AMT Hardballer (*spit*), Colt .357, Colt .380 Govt Model, Charter Arms Off-Duty, Para P10.

Guns I'll never get rid of? Para P12, Ruger P90, Ruger 10-22. All else is negotiable.
 
Kalahari said:
I went to the MRA's annual fun shoot this past October and got to fire my first guns (a few .22 S&W revolvers). I loved it. I actually did quite well, too. They had clays hung up about twenty feet away. You were given six bullets to shoot five targets, and three out of the five times I took my turn, I hit all five. Another person had left another clay up, and so one of those times I was actually six for six. Now that I had a little confidence, I joined the Juniors program and now am craving more shooting time.

Did you go to the shoot with your grandpa? I was running the clays and remember you. You were kicking butt [wink]
 
Grew up in Boston :( and parent's weren't really into guns, so I didn't have any access as a kid. I never saw/shot a gun until 11 years old, I went to my cousins house in Tenessee, & shot cans with their rifles. After that, I didn't shoot again until I was 23, and the guy I was seeing had a few guns & took me to the range a few times. I loved it & decided to get into it myself, but unfortunately, I still lived in PRB, so I joined AFS & rented guns to shoot regularly. I moved out to the boonies last year, got a permit right away, & then came the S&W .357, Walther PPK .380, Sig 229......to be continued.
 
Grew up in a house with only 2 rifles. Both were dad's, a .22 bolt that he had bought at Sears and the Japanese Arisaka he brought home. We used to vacation in Readfield, Maine (Lake Maranacook) in the early 60's and he used to take the .22 with us. We'd shoot all vacation long.
When I got old enough to get my FID, I used to take the .22 out plinking whenever I wanted.
When I was finally old enough to get my pistol permit, my mom bought me my first pistol, S&W Airweight Bodyguard .38 spl. I still have the pistol and both of dad's rifles.
 
I grew up in NJ where I used to hunt ducks, geese and pheasant with my father and uncles. Dad gave me a Daisy BB gun when I was about 9 or 10. My brothers had a couple bolt-action .22 rifles, but there weren't many places to shoot them when I was a kid.

Fast forward 35 years. I never fired a pistol until last year. Took the GOAL basic pistol course, got my ALP Class A license, and I now own six handguns, plus my Dad's old double-barrel 12 gauge.

I've been on a Walther kick lately. Really like my P22, then I got a P99, then today I ordered a P99C. I really like those Walther polymer-framed pistols.
 
My dad grew up in Oklahoma so he had guns. My mom was very anti, well extremely anti. The pistol my Dad had he could not leave it in the house. We shot it a few times,but my mother hated it so much we really couldn't. Fast forward to 1982 I joined the Army and the Army is what instilled in me my love of guns. M-60 is my all time favorite. It has all been downhill ever since.
Our son has grown up with them in the house and has hunted since he was 5. Now Uncle has him also and he loves the SAW and 240Bravo.
 
Grew up in a house that was non-gun. I don't know if my parents were anti-gun at the time. The aren't anti-gun now, just don't own any. After 9/11, I started thinking about my responsibilities as a grown-up, and started looking in to gun ownership. After research, I decided that the pro-gun side of the argument was much more in the right than the anti-gun side, so I moved towards getting a license. I shot several times at the AFS in Attleboro for a while: Ruger .22s and .38 revolvers. Although it was ok, I was doing it more out of a sense of obligation than real enjoyment. The first gun that caused me to leave the range with a sh*t-eating grin was a Glock 9mm (don't remember what number, exactly) that I rented at Bob's Tactical. Some day I'm going to have to get one of those...
 
Man I'm enjoying reading this thread...didn't know there were THAT many people in the same boat as me. Not only a person who got turned from a Fan to a Fanatic by a certain gun.

Also I'm MEGA-Suprised at how many of you grew up in anti-gun (or non-gun) homes!

Another thing that proves that gun-ownership is on the rise in this country!

(Plus once you HAVE a gun, why would you give it up?)

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard
 
Weer'd Beard said:
(Plus once you HAVE a gun, why would you give it up?)

If it sucks (AMT Hardballer), is shot out (Colt .357) or just plain makes you flinch (Para P10), then why not?

Or if you just don't like it - (Colt .380), or you have two of the same type and want to be able to afford another gun (Charter Arms Off-Duty, Ruger Mark 1 Std).

Only gun I ever regret selling is my Mod 19. First gun. THAT was a bad move.

Ross
 
dwarven1 said:
Weer'd Beard said:
(Plus once you HAVE a gun, why would you give it up?)

If it sucks (AMT Hardballer), is shot out (Colt .357) or just plain makes you flinch (Para P10), then why not?

Or if you just don't like it - (Colt .380), or you have two of the same type and want to be able to afford another gun (Charter Arms Off-Duty, Ruger Mark 1 Std).

Only gun I ever regret selling is my Mod 19. First gun. THAT was a bad move.

Ross

No no, I was talking more about the philosophy from my "Haves and Have Nots" Thread.

Once you exercise the right to keep and bare, WHY would you want to EVER stop?

It's like wanting to go back to diapers!

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard

Guns are just tools, and some tools are better than others....now the RIGHT to Keep and Bare... 8)
 
I wish that I knew when I got the bug. We had guns around as long as I can remember. Every summer the whole family on my Mom's side would go to my Grandparents farm in Kentucky. My grandparents had a few hundred acres and the grown up's would skeet shoot. And the kids would plink on cans hanging upside down on sticks.

While the grownups were playing with shotguns and muskets. The kids were playing with .22 rifles, lever actions .32WCF and my granddad's M1 .30 carbine.

We would go to the farm several times a summer when I was staying with my Grandparents and I would just walk aroung the farm with a pocket full of .22 and would plink at misquitos on the lake and things in the trees.

When I was at home, I had a Daisy pump BB gun and a box full of newspapers to shoot in the basement when I couldn't shoot outside.

So I pretty much have been shooting as long as I can remember. But if I guess, it was the Winchester 190 that I still have. It was those summers when I was 6 or so walking around my family's land...
 
My first 'gun' was a crossman .17 bb gun that I shot for hours in my basement into a backstop of pink insulation. Loved it, but I hadn't been bitten...

First 'real' gun ever shot was my grandmothers break action 20 gage shotgun. (that's right, my grandmother's) My dad put a slit in the top of a cardboard box, inserted a clay pigeon, and stood behind my scrawny ass waiting for me to fall backwards. I didn't. It was then that I first knew I wanted to shoot...

But it wasn't until I stared hunting at age 12 when I was bitten. My grandfather gave me a Mauser that was brought back from the War. Soon after it was brought back, he gave it over to a man that owed him $50 and the guy 'sporterized' it for him to recon the debt. He handed the gun down to me so I could start hunting with a real rifle, as I didn't own anything more than a youth shotgun and .22s. My father took me to a guy he knew that handloaded, we loaded some light rounds (for my scrawny ass) and headed out. We spent countless hours out in the stripmine infested hills of central PA sighting in the ancient Weaver 4x scope. More hours were spent teaching me how to shoot it and how to stay calm in doing so.

That first deer season I bagged a decent sized deer. But to a 12 year old, a 100 pound doe was a trophy worth more than I could tell you. That gun saw me thru the next 6 hunting seasons, 5 more does, and a 6 point buck. I would sit in my tree stand and study the gun, looking at the metal parts, that still bore the Nazi insignia and imagine where the gun had been, who made it, and how it was in my hands.

I never missed a single target that I shot at with that gun. Be it an orange sticky target, or that doe running 70 yards away, downhill from me. I still love that gun, even tho I don't have the pleasure of hunting anymore.

This summer, at 24, I purchased my first handgun... a S&W 908 9mm. I have a new 'bite' now...
 
Back
Top Bottom