What brought you into the sport

[Chris]

How did it all start, what brought you into the world of shooting sports?

Personally I was fortunate enough to be brought up in a family that appreciated firearms and the discipline they offered. My father is an avid gun collector and reloader, Plus a wealth of information about firearms. My enitre family shared experiances and outings when I was young. My mother carries a Smith and Wesson model 60 and she was also involved in my learning to appreciate the sport I now love.
Well enough of the background.
My first memory of shooting was with my fathers Harrington and Richardson single shot 357 carbine. He reloaded low recoil ammo for me and he spent alot of time teaching me the fundamentals and safe practices. I spent a few years blowing up milk cartons as well as quaters and other things. Eventually the rifle I learned on was passed down to me as a gift from my father.
As many young men do I eventually came into financial hardship and sold the gun, was probably around 19 or so when I did this. Though these are cheap rifles and were relatively abundant by the time I had noticed my mistake the model was out of production. I spent the next 10 years of my life searching for one of those carbines at any price to replace what was lost by my idiocy.
So many years and many guns (and students) later I finally was lucky enough to have the gun go back into production. I purchased a replacement this year from Harrington and Richardson in 357 exactly the same as the one lost, with exception of a composite stock.
I plan on using this gun as a trainer for my son and pray I can give him the same positive experiance that was afforded to me from my father. One day it will be his if he so chooses and that my friends will be a proud day for me.

Well theres my story after all that I hope I can hear a few of yours.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p225/chrisbean109/DSCN0465.jpg

[Dave]

My father, who passed away when I was 8, was my first influence. He showed my how to shoot with his "357" pellet gun. I honestly don't remember much of it.

My other influences came from camp and boy scouts (yeah...scouts was lame...I got kicked out with some others for starting a fire in a cabin :D). Mainly got a handle on real firearms from there shooting 22 rifles. Don't remember much of that either.

I got some good experience with various hand guns and air rifles throughout my teenage years. The first real pistol I shot was a 38 revolver, if I remember correctly.

Beginning of my senior year of high school, my brother shot me in the face with the same style pellet gun my dad had. Hit me square in the nose, missing my eye by a few millimeters. Below is the x-ray. That turned me off of guns for a while. RULE NUMBER ONE...DON'T POINT A GUN, LOADED OR UNLOADED, AT ANYONE!!!

A few years ago, my brother dragged me to a gun show. When I saw the people there carrying and buying weapons, that was it. I said I had to get a gun. Don't know how much time went by from then, but the first pistol I bought was from Chris. It was a used Ruger P89...nice little gun for $200. :D

Which brings us to present day...lots of knives, guns, and plenty of ammo! :cool:

http://www.dleventhal.com/misc-images/Dave-xray-1.jpg

[Kell]

Oh man, dave! Nice pic.

My grandpa was big into guns, him being a police chief helped. My mom was a BSO deputy, and we had guns everywhere.

I got into skeet and trap when i started dating my now ex husband.

Haven't stopped loving guns since.

[Satan_3pc]

Well, I grew up around my dad having guns (one of which being an old Clint Eastwood Western style Winchester rifle). Several of my family members were in the army which, as a kid, turned me on to tactical combat stuff. When I was little I always played shooter video games all the way back to DOOM and Wolfenstein, and I always played around with toy guns and BB guns (which I was pretty good at). Soooo, naturally after years of being around all of that and playing Counter Strike with guys like AK74 for years... I wanted guns! Particularly of course, an AR15.

I'm only 20 so I just started getting into the real stuff and actually owning my own stuff. I turn 21 April 1st, so my first goal is to get a pistol and a permit and go out to sports bar! I'm looking at the Springfield XD compact .45 because I'm pretty set on .45 cal, but I want something small and very reliable and efficient. I am picky and always want the very best I can afford to blow money on, and from what I've been reading thats a good choice. Anyways getting off topic now! :)

[Bicho]

My Dad and his love of Guns & Rifles, God Bless

[Cris]

Shooting with friends. Starting with a .22 long rifle then progressing to skeet shooting. Never really got into hunting, but would always help friends gut their kill. Handguns is what brought me back into the game, I hadn't owned a firearm since I came down from NY back in 2000.

[chrismia]

my dad owned a ruger 22/10 and a .357/.38 rifle. looked just like the one john wayne had in his movies. sorry, but i really don't know what make it was.

my HS had a competitive shooting team. i asked if i could try out and i had my father's full support. it was great! i was ranked 11th in the state from the prone position and my school finished 3rd. for that my father bought me my first rifle, a browning bolt action .22

[raven_hammer]

U.S. Army. Wasn't much into them till I was trained how to properly use them and the outcome they can produce when utilized.

[Hink]

I grew up around guns and had my rifle that I took to our farm whenever we went. When I turned 21 I really started messing around with guns and started shooting competitively in IDPA and IPSC.

I just caught the NFA disease last year and I don't see it going away anytime soon.

[doug5336]

Joined the military when I graduated high school, (17 years old). I was hooked after that. When I came home, I purchased some rifles, later a shotgun and then started my collection of handguns, one by one. Back then (1980's), you could buy long guns at Woolworth's at very affordable prices. And Sports Authority sold handguns, also at decent prices.

My father was a career NYPD cop. I still remember his S & W Model 10 revolver, I think.

One of my prized possessions in the 80's was a Smith & Wesson Model 645. The first american made production stainless steel double action, 45 auto. It's truly amazing how firearms have evolved from very basic and simple, to complex and exotic, very similar to .....Motorcycles!!!!

[ss1]

Mine was a self developed passion from a kid who loved BB guns to my decision that my very first handgun was going to be a Colt Commander Lightweight .45 ACP after reading about it in a Guns and Ammo annual catalog 3 years before I was old enough to buy a handgun. I credit the Assault Weapons Ban which sparked my interest in military style platforms and its sunset and Rich at Guntech in expanding my collection into that arena. For some crazy reason, I got into the NFA (National Firearms Act) stuff such as SBR's (Short Barrelled Rifles) and suppressors and I can't seem to stop. If the world of select fire ever becomes reasonable in price again, I just may get a registered lower and a full auto bolt carrier as well.

[Hurc]

I guess my story would be about the same as so many others above.. got into guns at a young age with my father. First gun was a 22 caliber rifle, single shot bolt action. Then a 20 gauge single shot shotgun. Then multiple different handguns, pellet guns, rifles with him. I've just always loved them.

Funniest story, though.. (of course alcohol was involved).. my dad had a 12 gauge sawed off, which when I was 11, I was terrified of shooting.. that thing was fooging LOUD!!! Anyway, my uncle... again.. after much alcohol, decided to "show me just how NON Kicking this gun really was"... he proceded to place it up to his gonads.. pulled the trigger, then immediately flipped forward, landed on his face.. dropped the gun, grabbed his "package", and cried like a little girl who lost her dollie for about 15 minutes. Dad told me later that he gave my uncle some "HOT LOADED" 00 Buck shot, lol..

I didn't shoot that gun until I was 15 years old... and NO, there was NO alcohol involved :D:D

[Cris]

LMAO!!! Love the story Hurc.

[spikes40]

mine started when i was a kid..got my first bb gun when i was 6 and my first 22 at 10..all downhill form there

[Alicia]

My Dad raised me with guns all over the house... since I was little, like 3, I remember sitting on the floor with my Dad 'helping' him clean his guns. He'd lay them all out a few times a year and oil them all up and clean them. He taught me all the basics from that age on.

He took me shooting all the time as I got older, and for my 21st birthday, I took my CCW class and got my permit. :) My first gun was a Colt .357 Magnum Carry.

When my Dad passed away just about a year ago, I inherited his most prized firearms and knives.. I cherish them like nothing else.

When I met Dave about 2 years ago, I kinda got him back into the sport of shooting. He really wasnt into it (not like he is now!) until he met me. :D