Not a lifelong gun owner. Who of us started when older?

[Sackett]

First Pistol in May (My First Post tinight!)

Growing up, my family regarded gun ownership and safe handling as a civic responsibility. While I've had a .22 Marlin rifle since I was 13, it wasn't until this year (at 30) that I decided my house needed a 'real' SD weapon.

I guess I just woke up in the wee hrs. of the morning, heart pounding, palms sweating, thinking "What was that?...Crap! I don't have a weapon!", one too many times. The other underlying theme for me is, you just never know when things will break down in terms of a 'civilized' society (can you say, 'Katrina'?). And that's just not the time to go shopping for an equalizer...Especially in CA!

I invited a similar-minded friend along to the local indoor, and we rented nearly every service caliber pistol they had (over several sessions of course). My true love turned out to be an M&P9, which I bought in May. Through the process I rediscovered my love of firearms. I think I was really a 'closet enthusiast' for 15yrs.

I also just bought a Buckmark .22 to teach my wife safe handling etc. (she's had trouble racking the M&P's slide). Once she's broken in we'll start shopping for a SD platform for her.

Thanks for this OP- it's like it was written for me!

 

[Rmac58]

First gun owned 120 days ago, I'm 50 now, and have seven.

 

[Joe Cool]

I had BB guns and 22 caliber rifles as a youth, and started anew at age 50. Of course NJ did everything possible to prevent, delay and frustrate any and all attempts to exercise my rights in this regard. But patience and persistence won the day and now I am a really passionate gun rights person, and invite as many as I can into the shooting sports. So take that you fouled up NJ politicians

The reason for starting at age 50? My 12 year old son wanted to try shooting! Now I have a few shotguns, rifles, including an AR. Also have a few pistols as my spouse and both enjoy shooting them. OF course the self defense issues as we both get older are a motivator too.

 

[doc2rn]

I was late, my dad was out of a job when I turned 10. So he made it up to me by buying me a Ruger standard a year later when I was eleven. The other guys and my older brother where so jealous that I simply reminded them of all the times durring the past year they ridiculed me for not having a Marlin just like them.

 

[scndactive]

I was thirty before I bought my first gun, as a kid the guns in the house were always hidden. I am raising my children very diffrent, teaching them to shoot as young as 6 y/o

 

[jhansman]

I did buy a .25 auto mouse gun back in my paranoid, drug-addled days of the 80s, but I don't count that (and I no longer have that gun). My current addiction started at age 58. Anybody start older than that?

 

[ny32182]

I bought my first at 19 or 20, probably.

I came from an immediate family which was pretty much indifferent to guns, so I was not raised as a shooting enthusiast. My dad owned (still does) a 30/30 and a bolt .22, and only shot them once every few years.

The only other shooting enthusiast in my extended family was my great uncle, but time, space, and age difference prevented us from ever shooting together.

 

[Maplicito]

When I was around 23 or 24, my dad told me if I got what was necessary to legally store the guns (here in Canada) I could have his 1917 .303 Brit and his Cooey 12 gauge. Later that year, I bought my brother's Mossberg Lakefield 12 gauge that he had also gotten from my dad.

Last year (age 28), I finally got around to getting my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Liscense - once again, Canadian requirement) so that I could legally own the firearms, and bought myself a Tikka T3 Lite in .338 Win Mag... a gun my friend likes to call the "featherweight cannon." Since then I have added a Rugger 10/22, and an H&R Survival Shotgun in 45LC/.410. I also have an Alger Arms 12 gauge side by side I picked up, but I have no idea if it's safe to fire, so it remains a decorative piece. My latest toy that I have on order is an H&R Waterfowl in 10 gauge... I'm excitedly waiting for it.

Now that I have acclimatized myself to the recoil on the Tikka, and have come to really enjoy the recoil, the goal is to go bigger and bigger until I eventually get a .505 Gibbs, assuming I can handle that much recoil

 

[intrepid953]

I inherited an old 16 gauge shotgun from my father and he hunted some before I came along but I never shot it much. I commute into a small city in NC and the crime rates in the area where I work have escalated greatly over the last few years. I bought my first handgun, Ruger p89, three years ago at 49 and I now have 3 handguns and my son has one also, he is 22 and has his CCW. Am trying to get my wife not interested in guns per se but proficient with them since I am away at night a lot with my job. She shoots some but will never enjoy like I do. yet I'm glad she will at least become familiar where she is able to shoot them. Some of the guys at my church go shooting every now and then and i enjoy going with them. I've got the fever and look for another gun to add to my "collection" all the time. Gun show this weekend! hehehe.

 

[daveit]

I'm 28 years old and just bought my first 2 guns this year (so far--haha!). Nobama and Hitlery have me scared.

Before that I owned a couple pump BB & CO2 pellet guns as a kid, shot other various guns of friends and the M16 (military).

 

[dewage83]

Well grew up in a "anti" family (not too anti most were just indifferent) So about a year after I moved the first time I took an intrest and made plans to buy a gun when I got out of my mom house. We'll I filled out the 14 day, 12 days before I moved. So my second day into MY appt. I had a new place and new .22. Nothing made my month/year more than the freedom of me own place and a new gun that would have been a no-go at home.

 

[AZAndy]

I never had more than one gun at a time until a year ago, when, at the age of 51, I got a Springfield M1911. Then I got a carry license. Then I got a C&R. Now I'm up to 3 rifles and 13 handguns. Not sure what happened there... I think it's all y'all's fault. Dang THR anyway!

 

[rainbowbob]

The OP's question:

So my question is, who of you started late in life, like me, and why?

And the majority of the answers:

Age 20 when I got married

I bought my first when I was 23

bought my first at almost 21

when I was 20

I turned 12

I was 22

when I was eleven

when I was about 22

when I was 23

until I turned 21

22 yrs old

I bought my first at 19

When I was around 23

Pretty amusing reponses. I don't think the above ages would be considered "late in life" by most of us.

Although I'd shot on occasion with friends, I only received my CPL last year and quickly acquired a .38 snub, a .22 rifle, and a .22 pistol - at the ripe age of 56! Definately a late bloomer - but I'm enjoying the heck out of shooting - and proud to be able to support and excercise my 2A rights while taking on the responsibilities of self-defense.

 

[El Tejon]

Pretty amusing reponses. I don't think the above ages would be considered "late in life" by most of us.

Well, if you start shooting at age 5, then, yeah, 21 is later in life.

 

[Defensory]

Posted by rainbowbob:
Pretty amusing reponses. I don't think the above ages would be considered "late in life" by most of us.

I was chuckling yesterday about the exact same thing, Bob.

Gee, I wish I was an "old man" of twenty again!

 

[kamagong]

I had a BB gun when I was a child, but I didn't get my first firearm until I was 30. The day I got my Ruger 22/45 was the first time I had ever shot a firearm in my life.

 

[Mr White]

I was about 32 when I got my first gun, a Hi Power. Its been downhill ever since.

 

[Cave Dweller]

I grew up in a gun free home (not antigun, just gun free) I'll be 28 in a month and bought my first gun last october. (naa 22 minimag)

I now own a rifle a shotgun 2 handguns, I can pick up my third handgun in a week, and if the sks I bought off consignment passes it's background check, I'll get it just before my birthday.

I love the second amendment.

(not bad for a fellow who's dad wouldn't even let him have a bb gun)

 

[Intrepid Dad]

I bought my first gun a couple of years ago at age 46. I remember watching the Hurricane Katrina debacle in NOLA on TV and realizing, for the first time in my life, that my family and I would be on our own in the event of a major disaster. Until that point I had an implicit understanding that relief supplies and law enforcement would be there when they were needed. Very naive I know, but I thank God that a lightbulb turned on in my head.

Now I have three handguns, a 12 gauge shotgun and an AR-15 - with many others on my wishlist.

 

[cerberus65]

I grew up in a home that never had anything more than a BB gun. Then I married someone who grew up in anti-gun Europe.

It has taken 20 years to get my wife to the point where she's ok with me having guns. Since the beginning of the year the coming election caused me to really get serious about exercising my 2nd amendment right. All the years of me talking wistfully about someday getting a gun must have slowly softened her up.

I had shot guns maybe half a dozen times before this year. Since March I've become (according to a brother) a certifiable gun nut. I have 5 handguns and 2 rifles. And I have a shotgun and another rifle on my wish list. But I need at least one scope first.

There's a range just 10 minutes from work so I get some practice at least once a week. 1800+ rounds in 7 calibers out of 14 different guns and counting!

And, of course, I joined the NRA.

My biggest regret is that I didn't start sooner when my boys were younger but we're doing pretty good making up for lost time.

 

[romma]

I was 38 when I bought my first firearm.

I learned .22 rifles in the Boy Scouts when I was 12, was shot by my brother (not purposely) when I was 14, so it took a long time for the notion to buy a gun.

I started thinking about buying one when I was 34-35ish.

 

[Don Lu]

I purchased my first gun at age 28. just woke up one day with the desire to lesrn about guns.

 

[The Unknown User]

I did. I applied for my CCW permit on my 21st birthday, got it about 5 weeks later, and bought my first gun: a 10/22. Now I'm looking into getting a Glock 19 for carry. I shot one last night and I loved it.

 

[murph50]

I grew up around guns. My dad had a few and my grandfather taught me to shoot his 22 rifle when I was about 7 years old. I had a rifle until I was about 26 --I got married and my wife had to youngin's and we decided to sell the rifle.
I actually became pretty anti gun for a few years after that--bummer.
Then in my mid forties I got a handgun for home defense. But when my wife and I went to the range it was becoming a drag sharing 1 gun. So I got her a S&W 38. While waiting for her paperwork to clear I was poking around the store and found a new Rem 597 on sale for $99--had to get that.
In my early 50's I did a little open carrying and got a couple more handguns. The I got my CC permit about 3 years ago and well...I'll be 58 next month and I had to buy a second gun safe about 6 months ago.
So yea I guess I started a little late but I'm makin up for lost time now

 

[thegoodfight]

I come from a big hunting family...shot shotguns at a young age...

never owned my first real gun until I was 25.