My first hand gun I could purchase at 21 was a springfield xd compact .40, It was garbage and I hated it. 350.00 I then paid more for a kimber obviously and loved it. I grew up shooting my grandpas wheel guns, so I have a few of them.
Browning Buckmark back in 1998.......$265.00. Still have it, still love it, and still wish I could get them at that price! Have several handguns now but my Buckmark Camper is probably still my favorite.
Had plenty of different rifles growing up but my first handgun was a Glock 19 Gen2 in 1989 for $560. Still have it my son has made me promise he can have it after I'm gone.
Back in 1980 I sold something like 5-6 silver dollars I had and bought a 4" Ruger Security-Six .357mag and ammo at Emroe's Downtown for something like $200 I think.
Can't remember, been too long. Took all summer mowing yards to pay for it. Got home one day from Jr. Hi school and my mother said that the hardware store called and my gun [Ruger Single Six] came in and to come and get it. Hopped on my bicycle and downtown I went. Went into the back of the store where it was waiting for me, paid my last bucks I owed to the store owner [friend of family], got a receipt [long lost] and rode home. BTW, it was cleared with my Dad before hand. So young I thought I had to register it, so one night I stuck it in my belt, rode up the street to the local police station to "register it", went in the back room where a couple of LEO were and showed it to them and said I wanted to register it. They both broke out laughing, and finally said there was no such thing so go home. Then one said if I would let him see it before I left because he had never seen one.
While he was looking it over, I asked if I needed a permit to carry it to go squirrel hunting, and the laughter started out again. "You can't get a permit because you're only 14". Well then what am I supposed to do? "Hide it under your coat so we can't see it, now get out of her, we're busy"! Ah, the good old days.
Not a lot.
The first handgun was free.
The first one I bought outright was a Walther PPX in 9mm, for less than $300 on sale. I still have it and it shoots well (for me, anyways ... not so much for the wife because of her smaller hands).
There are others, and I'm looking for more.