I got "into" guns in roughly 1995. I had just left the Army, and started to carry back here at home. I enjoyed the free bullets that Uncle Sam provided, but I didn't realize how much I liked it. A co-worker invited me to shoot and hunt at his place. The first groundhog I shot was with a 10/22 my Platoon sergeant sold me. Got him at around 30 yards with Stingers and a skinny airgun scope.
My Dad taught me to shoot when I was six. He used a Winchester model 77, a semi-auto .22 rifle. I loved it and always have since, that was 46 years ago. Our rifle was stolen from our cabin on the farm and one fine day in Boulder, Colorado a gun shop had a used model 77 on consignment. I snatched that dude up, it even smells the same when you shoot it as the one we originally had. I now shoot handguns, rifles, muzzleloaders and shotguns.
I've always liked guns growing up as a kid, I would always draw them and had a Crossman bb-gun. However, I was never allowed to have toy guns until I was older and was able to use the BB gun with supervision by my dad. I never handled a real gun until I was going through the Law Enforcement Academy in 1997. After that I became a firearms instructor and now I have a safe full of WWII era firearms courtesy of my C&R FFL. I had my 7yr old son take a shot with my Kahr MK9 not too long ago. Both of my kids are VERY accustomed to seeing my work guns and have NEVER asked to handle them. They know the danger if they are considered toys. My firearms are tools like other potentially dangerous tools I have in the house, chain saw, drill, lawn mower. In due time both my son and daughter will know how to safely use all the tools in the house from lawn mower to firearms. Maybe they will use the lawnmower more .
Grandpa Winchester model 67 when I was a boy and would spend on the farm
when I turned 16 my other grandfather gave me his JC Higgins 12ga have been hooked ever since!
The first gun that was "mine" was the 20 gauge 870 Express with the rifled barrel I still hunt deer with.
I'm gonna give that to him for my brother to use once I get my new 12 gauge 870.
The only other gun I own is my .40 S&W USP compact. I think my next firearm after the new 870 will be a Remington 700. My Dad wants to sell his, so maybe I'll buy that off of him.
I was introduced to firearms very early by my father. We used to sit downstairs in his workshop and reload bullets together, and he would take me and some friends shooting, camping, and fishing at the local conservation club. He has long since passed, but I have definately inherited his passion for firearms.
I didn't grow up around guns. Didn't have any experience with them until I joined the Army. After coming back to the real world, it just didn't seem right not to have something. So, I decided to buy an occasional firearm. Since then I have been through extensive training with pistols and rifles. I would shoot more, but the prices of ammo these days...makes it difficult.
I can't say a specific age, but when I was young, I would say 7-8yrs my Grandfather bought me a "RedRyder" BB gun. I was pretty fascinated with guns after that. After I turned 11 he took me to a DNR "Hunters Education" course, that was taught by conservation officer Allen Fix. My Grandfather said if I passed the class I could get my choice of a .22 rifle and a shotgun, and he would take me hunting.
I passed the class with a 98% on the final test, I missed one question. So we went to some local pawn shops and shopped around. I ended up with a Ruger 10/22 and Winchester 1400 20ga.
He took me squirrel hunting a few times over at Jasper Pulaski. Ever since then I have been interested in guns and have slowly expanded my collection. He has given me the guns that are in the safe which is where I got my 1911 and Nylon66.
At 18 I bought my first very own gun, it was an AR-15.