What was the first gun you ever bought for yourself?

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Winchester 94 30-30, new in 1966. Gunsmith I knew ordered it for another customer who never came back to pick it up. Got it for his investment 65.00 bucks. I killed the biggest buck of my life with that rifle, 10 points 186 pounds field dressed. hdbiker
 
I guess mine was my second generation Glock 17. It's still my home defense gun (which is the reason I bought it) as I have shot it so much and is 100% reliable over all these years.
 
Winchester 94 30-30, new in 1966. Gunsmith I knew ordered it for another customer who never came back to pick it up. Got it for his investment 65.00 bucks.
Rocking deal! Right place, right time. ^5
I killed the biggest buck of my life with that rifle, 10 points 186 pounds field dressed. hdbiker
My first shotgun was given to me because "It doesn't shoot no more." One new firing pin and spring ($1.50 in 1971) and it shot just fine. I got a 12,000 point tree with that. I swear a microsecond early there was a nice buck in front of it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
The first rifle I bought for myself was a Marlin Golden 39A, a .22 LR levergun. It is long gone because I trusted a female lawyer.
A few years later, I bought one of the original Ruger .22 SA pistols with the round receivers. It had 7" barrel and was a good shooter but, like a fool, I traded it for a Spanish .380, an Astra. I still have that one and the aforementioned rifle and pistol are the only ones I ever let go.
 
FISwampRat
I still have that copy of Shooting Times! First copy of that magazine I ever bought; got it mainly because the cover photo of the Colt Python was so awesome!

The inspiration from that cover shot cost you less than a buck to buy the magazine, cost me a few Benjamins to buy the gun... LOL....
When I shoot pictures for our website I try to include one like that in all the images.
 
Browning Double Auto shotgun, purchased new at the wonderful but long out of business Jim Flynn's sporting goods store in Dayton, Ohio in the winter of 1961 for $149.99 (less trade). I still hunt with this gun, without a doubt, the best handling repeating (pump/auto) shotgun ever made (in my not so humble opinion :)).
 
A Remington Mohawk 48 (11-48) in 1971. A friend had bought it new from K-Mart for $99, then had a heart attack and the doctor told him his hunting days were over. He sold it to me for $75, along with two boxes of ammo, missing 6 rounds. I still have it, but I went to an O/U in the early eighties, so now it gets out to shoot an occasional round of clays, or as a loaner during our dove opener event.
 
First gun was in1980, a Ruger standard 4" barrel for $100 from a friend. First gun from an LGS was a Beretta 950 Jetfire. That was from the Royal Gun Shop in Stoneham in 1981. I still have them.
 
Colt Police Positive Special, .38 Spl., blue with a 4" barrel.
Sold somewhere along the line.
Next was a Colt Woodsman Huntsman .22LR, blue 6" barrel.
Sold it as well.
 
Remington 870 SP, 12 gauge. It has seen a lot of use with clay targets, turkey hunting, and with a 1.5 - 4x scope attached in the fall, was responsible for my first two deer. My teenage son has laid claim to it for the upcoming turkey season. (Might be time to start shopping...)
 
1956 $7 Stevens single break action 410 missing eject. Dang, where's the rest of the oldsters?
 
A Smith and Wesson original Sigma SW40C in .40S&W. To avoid saying anything bad about it, I'll say the trigger pull trained me well for the 637 I bought next and actually carry.
 
S&W 686 with 4" barrel in 1989. Not a good choice for a first gun, but oh how I wish I never sold it!
 
I bought a brand new Rem 700 ADL .270 Win when I was 16 years old. It cost about $75 IIRC. I used money I earned mowing lawns. I bought it at Thompson's Liquor Store in San Antonio, TX. Thompson's had a large assortment of rifles at good prices in the gun section not to mention a well trafficked package store in the other section. I was not allowed to shop in the liquor section. I brought the rifle home in the box carrying it on my bike. My Dad was very proud of me. Dad had a good poker night at the Catholic Mens Club meeting & surprised me with a Weaver K4 & mounts that he bought at Burnham Bros. sporting goods for about $20.

That was 50 years ago. Good memories last.....
 
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Inspired by Olon's post. As the title of the thread says, first gun you bought yourself, not handed down or a gift. I was 21 when I bought my first Python. But, guns are like potato chips, you can't just buy one!

The first gun I ever bought for myself was a Springfield Armory .40S&W XDM with the 5.25 barrel. Love that pistol, and if I was a cop, that'd by my duty pistol for a few reasons: 1. high capacity magazine holding 17 rounds plus one in the chamber 2. it's a safe pistol as it has a Glock type trigger safety and a grip safety so both have to be depressed before it will fire, plus it shows when a chamber is in the round and you can verify a chamber in the round with your thumb as the firing pin is extended 3. it feels very similar to a Glock 17 when firing it, so not much recoil, that said, it's not a small pistol and not designed for conceal carry and 4. it's not an expensive pistol, and you get some good extra stuff in the case when you buy it.
 
Moss 500A factory synthetic stock w/ interchangeable pistol grip...18.5" Barrel plain bead sight. Bought in 1990 at age 19. It is currently five feet away behind the bedroom door with five 000 3" magnum shells in an elastic-over-the-comb shell holder. I doubt I have fired it more than 150 times since new.
 
Ruger Superblackhawk in .44 mag with a 7.5 inch barrel. Only other handgun prior to that was a model 10 Smith that was gifted to me. Bought it at 19, skipped the whole building up phase. No .22, just .38 to .44 mag then I went back and did .357,9mm,.40,.45 ACP. Then I became more of a man and went to .45 Colt from the mag. Now I finally own a .454 casull. But my love of big bores all started in a Bass pro parking lot with a blued super Blackhawk and a stupid kid who thought nothing about ammo cost at the time.
 
My first pistol was a 1970 Colt National Match 1911 pistol that I still own. I love that pistol. I get kidded about it on the range until people see the groups that it shoots. This is what mine looks like. 1970 NM Colt pistol.jpg
 
Ruger Mini-14. Cost $185. The guy at the store initially refused to sell it to me because he mistakenly believed that guns could only be sold to people 21 years of age and older and I was nowhere near 21. My father was so impressed with it he went out and bought one, too.
 
S&W 686 with 4" barrel in 1989. Not a good choice for a first gun, but oh how I wish I never sold it!
Why not? Great gun for home or the glovebox, and you can load it with anything from .38 wadcutters for the gentlest bullseye-tearing range time or full-bore .357 125s or 158s to get some attention.
 
Para Ordnance P-13. Fat grip but plenty of rounds of .45ACP. Got rid of it when I traded for a Marlin 17HMR. Don’t regret it but I soon wanted another handgun.

This started my affinity for Commander length 1911s.
 
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