Remembering Your First Handgun: Do You Still Have It?
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David Jones
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davis 380-ruger 38-kimber1911
Liberty Ned
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My first handgun is 9mm CZ-85A. I shoot lefty with a handgun, so it's the ambidextrous version of the CZ-75. I don't carry regularly because it's heavy. I'm thinking of reducing the weight by reducing the loaded rounds. I bought it about 14 years ago to help a friend who was starting a training course for CHL licenses.
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Papa Lee
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Savage 101 .22LR single shot. Long gone over 50 years ago. Looked like this:
flintknapper
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S&W Model 19 Combat Magnum. As soon as I turned 21 in 1975.
Unfortunately, it quickly developed a crack in the forcing cone. Sent it back, new pistol did the same thing. Gunsmith at McBrides in Austin, TX said the Model 19 was not designed to handle a steady diet of .357 ammo. Fine with .38 special and +P
Seemed to negate the purpose of having a .357, so I sold (the third one) soon afterward.
Unfortunately, it quickly developed a crack in the forcing cone. Sent it back, new pistol did the same thing. Gunsmith at McBrides in Austin, TX said the Model 19 was not designed to handle a steady diet of .357 ammo. Fine with .38 special and +P
Seemed to negate the purpose of having a .357, so I sold (the third one) soon afterward.
Oh, I've done business with McBrides many times. Bought several firearms from them, new and used. I probably fit into one of the categories of people who hang around in gun stores. Pity that your model 19 didn't hold up. I wouldn't feel undergunned if I had to rely on .38 +P with the right bullet.
shooter1911
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When I was going to school at North Texas State University in about 1963 Ruger introduced the Super Single Six 22 and 22 Magnum conversion with adjustable sights. I bought one as soon as the local gun store got one in stock, and I still have it to this day. One of the best guns I have ever owned. This gun will go to my granddaughter. My grandson has already confiscated his Dad's Ruger 22.
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I ordered my first handgun from Herter's catalog back in 1963 at age of 19. It was a 22lr patterned after a colt peacemaker with Herter's name on it. Seems like it was manufactured in Germany and was about $5. I do remember that I didn't think that the postman was ever going to show up with it. No idea what I did with it. Ordered a lot of good stuff from Herter's, still have one of their catalogs around the house somewhere. I remember ordering a semi-inleted stock from them for a British 303 that I had picked out of a barrel full of them at Globe Discount City. Paid $9.99 for the 303 and I think $3.50 for the stock and had my first deer rifle. Of course when you were only making $1.91 an hour buffing telephone housings for Western Electric that was a lot of money.
I stand corrected, the wife tells me that the 22 revolver was around $20, said she didn't think she was ever going to forgive me. I know I'm right on the 303 however, I can still see a galvanized garbage can full of surplus 303's sitting there with a handwritten sign "your pick $9.99".
I stand corrected, the wife tells me that the 22 revolver was around $20, said she didn't think she was ever going to forgive me. I know I'm right on the 303 however, I can still see a galvanized garbage can full of surplus 303's sitting there with a handwritten sign "your pick $9.99".
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Frontstuffers
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1976 single six, bi-centennial, convertible. still have it. Sent back to Ruger in early '80's to be reblued. Still have it and still happy with it.
shooter1911
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You must be about my age. Guns were a little cheaper back then, but they were still expensive for me at that time. I had one of the best jobs in Denton when I was in college at $1.25 per hour.
A DWM 9mm Luger that was gifted to my grandfather from his nephew from WWII. Before he passed, I asked him how he acquired it. He said that he was part of a rifle division in WWII and at the end of the war they were tasked with collecting weapons as the Germans turned them in. He brought home the Luger and another rifle as a war prizes.
A Smith & Wesson Model 53 .22 Jet bought from Higginbotham-Pearlstone hardware in Dallas when I was 16 years old. That was in 1963, my brother in law had to buy it for me. It cost $91.14 out the door, and I spent most of my summer wages on it. My Dad thought I was crazy ! I traded it for a High Standard target pistol after about five years but I can't remember which one. I killed a plethora of snakes, quite a few squirrels and a few rabbits with it. Also a bunch or armadillos, one skunk, one feral house cat, and one bob white quail. I can remember all of that like it was yesterday but I can't remember what I had for dinner two nights ago !
