Your First Handgun

[jdub8301]

Ruger MKII Target. Will never sell it. The only Ruger I can say that about.

 

[Jt22453]

Ruger MKII Target. Will never sell it. The only Ruger I can say that about.

I like my ruger mk.3 as well. One of my better deals. 200 bucks from a coworker. Never fired.

 

[rhino]

How big of an impact did it make on you? Did it play a role in making other handguns easier to shoot more accurately? What was the determining on your selection?

Mine was a Ruger P89DC. I don't know if I ever fired it. If I did, it wasn't very many rounds.

The purchase was 100% a political statement before I had any genuine interest in guns or shooting. It had magazines that the then pending Omnibus Crime Act of 1994 would ban and it was what I could afford.

 

[Spike Jones 5 2002]

P08, Stationed in USAF Wiesbaden Germany.
Three scratch parts. One being the holster.
All the rest had same serial number.
paid $25.00, 1964
Sold it for $1000.00, 1998
Wanted to pass it on before I kicked the bucket and have it melted down.
Now I wish didn't. fine piece of work.

 

[tcecil88]

My first handgun was an Astra Constable II in .380. I bought it not long after turning 21 and quickly learned I was no James Bond. I had it for a few months before buying a Taurus PT99 9mm. I learned alot on that pistol as it was a whole lot easier to shoot.

 

[thunderchicken]

My first handgun was Ruger P95 that I picked up used from a LGS when I was 21. I remember when my dad found out I had bought it too. He said let me see it, took one look and said why did you buy a sissy pistol? Then proceeded to bust my chops about it being a puny little 9mm pea shooter. Every time we went shooting he busted my balls for not buying a .45 or .357 mag. I ended up trading it in for S&W 686 4" stainless .357 mag.

 

[goob469]

I'm a child of the 80's and 90's - Die Hard, Lethal Weapon... Beretta 92 FS. Followed by a Beretta 84 in .380 (that 92 is a big gun to carry).

 

[doublesharp]

There were always guns in our house growing up and I was trusted with guns alone at age 12. The first gun I put money in was a S&W mod 36 3" round butt. I loaned a drinking buddy $100 and took the gun as collateral back in 1974. He never paid me back and about 3 years later came by with a nice S&W mod 10 and I gave him another $100 for that one. I still have the Mod 36 3". I left it in a bass boat rod box in s Florida for nearly a year and that's where the blue went but it's still sweet shooter.

 

[AGarbers]

To those that bought Ruger P89s, thanks! My wife used to work on that line when she worked at Ruger. I still have mine.

 

[AdventureTeamJoe]

Hungarian FEG PA-63 given to me by my Father-in-Law. He fancies older, Soviet bloc firearms so the little .380 was, in his mind, a natural for my first handgun. Still have it. Can't hit the proverbial broad side of a barn with it.

 

[El Conquistador]

My first handgun was bought in (I think) 1984, Smith model 29 44 mag with a 8 3/8ths barrel. I still have it in the original box and the tools that came with it. I hunted with it
some, took a few deer with it then put it back in the box. I love this gun and would never sell it, it will be passed on to my son or grandkids in the future. I have sold a few guns
in the past and later regretted it, thankfully this wasn't one of them.

 

[Hunter58]

Purchased my first handgun 1974, Super Blackhawk 44 mag. Still own it.

 

[rvb]

Beretta 92G Elite

 

[hammerd13]

My first handgun was a brand new Smith and Wesson 629 Classic Hunter (6" barrel). I made the acquisition on my 18th birthday in 1988 and still enjoy shooting it.

I selected it, primarily due to my fascination with Dirty Harry (and the .44 mag caliber) at the time. It was arguably the worst choice for a first handgun a young person could make. It has a beautifully smooth trigger pull, but induced a skosh of flinch that I train to keep at bay to this day.

 

[Lilboog82]

First handgun was original XD9 full size, still have and still love to shoot... that was the beginning of my “addiction”

 

[trebor]

Ruger Single Six 22 cal. purchased from Montgomery Wards in the Tippecanoe County mall in 1976. Still own it.

 

[Lex Concord]

FEG P9R purchased at Don's in the early 90s; I knew I needed a 9mm because Lethal Weapon and couldn't afford the Beretta at the time

 

[tcecil88]

To those that bought Ruger P89s, thanks! My wife used to work on that line when she worked at Ruger. I still have mine.

I bought one in the mid 90's NIB from POP Guns for like $199 I think. That's why I bought it because it was so cheap. It was a tank and shot great.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

My first handgun was Army issue. It was a M1911A1. I was taught to shoot it at Ft Knox in 1981 right after I turned 18.

First exposure to handguns... check.
Perfect gun... (at the time) check.
Prefect fit to my hand... check.
Perfect single stage trigger... check.

The only thing that has changed on that list is some advancements in designs over the years. I carry a Glock 17 now, but only because it's not as heavy, can mount a light, and has more ammo.

The trigger doesn't compare.
The fit to my hand doesn't compare.
It has no sentimental value to me.

However, the lighter weight is good for daily carry, having a light, and more ammo makes it a better tool for the job. It just doesn't make it one I like to shoot better. I'd much rather shoot my 1911. Aftermarket support (Vogel trigger) helped a bit, as doing a double under cut with a Dremel tool.

But you never forget your first...

 

[flatlander]

1977- Colt Series 70. Worked on by Don Peters (R.I.P.) It spoiled me but made me appreciate quality. He was a true craftsman.

Bob