[roverboy]

My father died when I was 2 and I never got to hunt or shoot
with him. But my older half brothers took me squirrel and rabbit
hunting when I was a kid. My grandfather did too. I didn't really
get into hunting much or gun collecting till I was in my teens.
Thats when I started deer hunting and varmint hunting. I'm
a WWII gun nut now.

[MemphisJim1]

Dad demobbed from the Air Corps in '46 and we settled in Phoenix where he took a job with the sporting goods department of a major local distributor. In late '48 he was offered a job as Winchester-Western's factory rep for Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. The third bedroom of our GI Bill tract house became the armory for all of his samples (with ammunition for it all cached in the closet). Brother and I had to share a bedroom but early on we were introduced to game hunting, rifle matches, trap and skeet, etc. We had our first BB guns by age 4 or so and our first rifles in '49 (I was 6, brother 5). The rules were simple: we could go into the third bedroom but we couldn't touch (and, amazingly, we didn't). We spent a lot of time with Dad hunting and shooting as well as going to rifle and shotgun matches where he shot competitively. Among the highlights of those years was meeting Herb Parsons and "helping" several times during his exhibitions in Dad's territory. In '52 Dad was recalled to the Air Force for Korea service; he found flying jet fighters so much fun he decided to stay with it, eventually retiring as a colonel in the mid-70s. For me, firearms fell into the "lower priority" column through high school and college. It was rekindled in the mid-60s when I went into the Army; then returned to the back burner for graduate school, marriage, career, etc. An attempt to carjack me in late '04 resulted in a renewed interest, primarily pistols. Since then I've been like a $2 hooker on payday Friday night; when it comes to "deals" on firearms I just can't say "no." My son, now mid-30s and a new father, has caught the bug too. Daughter, late 20s, likes to shoot the .22s (rifles and pistols) but has no interest otherwise.

[LarryO1970]

... from a family whereas my dad was a former police officer and mom was a stay at home mom in Connecticut, guns were not something easily or readily available in my home. Mom was anti-gun and dad had to sell his duty revolver ... BUT was able to keep a Marlin .22 rifle hidden from sight in the closet.

... kids are curious, so was I ... no different. I would look at the Marlin as often as possible and finally was asked to go shoot with my dad and a friend of his from our church. We went out with that Marlin and a Ruger Mk II bull barrel .22 pistol ... and I was hooked!

... at 13, got my first Daisy Model 840 BB gun and pulled off the Christmas Story trick resulting in my wearing bandages over both eyes for two weeks. Mom was pi**ed at Dad because he talked her into allowing this purchase. Yeah ... those richochet's hurt ! Anyhoo ...

... now, I have quite a few firearms and love to shoot. Even my wife is a shooter, loves those Ruger 10/22's !

... and for the record ... my mother (anti-gun when I was a kid) has her concealed carry now and is an avid shooter. Dad has his S&W Model 19 back.

Larry O

[CrazyIvan]

Quote:       Originally Posted by LarryO1970

... and for the record ... my mother (anti-gun when I was a kid) has her concealed carry now and is an avid shooter. Dad has his S&W Model 19 back. Larry O

They always seem to come around when given the chance right?

[kansascoyote]

I live back in the woods you just my wife my dogs the kids and me ...... I was born into it I don't remember a time when guns were not part of my life . I can remember shooting my first rabbit at 5 with my dads remington speedmaster 22lr. We hunted for what we ate all my years at home . Coming from a native american background I guess it is tradition . I got my own rifle at 9 my first shotgun at 10 , I still own them both . I can remember building fence all summer for dad and grandad to buy a remington wingmaster . That was one of the proudest days of my life getting to go pick out my shotgun . The sky could have fallen and I would not have noticed.

Since that time I have bought more weapons than I really care to admit . But it is something I love . Without them I would be a little lost . They are to me what some people get from travel or betting on gambeling .

Hello my name is kevin and I am a weapon aholic.........

[CrazyIvan]

Quote:       Originally Posted by kansascoyote

I live back in the woods you just my wife my dogs the kids and me

Great to hear your story. This lined reminded me of this song, as it has almost the exact same line

YouTube - A Country Boy Can Survive

YouTube - A Country Boy Can Survive

[BattleRifleG3]

My story is that a history teacher introduced me to re-enacting. Without any preconceptions, and being as tired of the right as the left, I learned about the reasons we fought for independence and the reasons our government was set up the way it was, with the RKBA as part of the balance of power that protects freedom and keeps the peace. Eventually I got into modern firearms, and took an interest in their design, hoping to someday add something to their technology or style.

Now I make specialized stock sets for Saigas, and am gradiually working on some original firearm designs.

[Seven©]

My story is simple. I grew up in a family of hunters/gun nuts.