What is your happiest gun related moment?

V4Vendetta · June 4, 2007, 04:24 PM

1.

I was at a festival in Statesville this past weekend selling tye-dye shirts & leather products as that is my job. When the festival was over we went to dinner. A steak house that was right next to Gander Mountain

.

After dinner I walked in to see their gun selection. I have never seen that many guns just right out in the open. It was beautiful but that isn't what made this my #1 moment. While browsing, I saw a M1 Garand that looked brand new. I picked it up & marveled at the beautiful cherry looking wood & black metal. Examined the sight picture. Felt the weight. It was a truly perfect gun.

I know it will take a while to afford it's $1000 price but I'm patient if nothing else. Mark my words, one of these day's I will become a Garand owner. I'll let ya'll know when.

Share your own stories if you like.

sm · June 4, 2007, 04:35 PM

Earliest.

When I was brought home from being born, my maternal grandma put MY .22 revolver in the dresser drawer crib with me.

Age 3 and Grandma wanted shooting lessons

She was a really great student and caught on fast!

targetshootr · June 4, 2007, 05:45 PM

My most recent happy moment was taking a custom Ruger to the range and realizing how well it shoots. The trigger is crisp, the hammer falls cleanly and the boolits land where they're supposed to. Nothin' better.

Devonai · June 4, 2007, 05:47 PM

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, PING!

Ever since then the M1 has had a special place in my heart.

grampster · June 4, 2007, 08:06 PM

The day 47 years ago, at age 16, when I had earned enough cash to pay for my first shotgun, a brand spankin' new Ithaca Mod. 37 Featherlight in 12 ga.

I don't trust my memory, but I think it cost me $68.00. I traded it in for an Ithaca XL900 semi auto in 20 ga. back in the early 70's. It came with two barrels, a full choke and a deerslayer. That is a fine semi auto as well as being a beautiful piece of art as well. I horrified my shooting friends by having a gunsmith put a poly choke on the shot barrel. But I never intend to sell her. I'll hand it over to my oldest grandson. I wish I'd kept that ole' 12 pump, but my FIL gave me his Mod 37 in 16 ga., so I'm not feeling too badly.

DouglasW · June 4, 2007, 08:12 PM

Here's one of my happiest: First round of auto trap -- and first time ever shooting clays. Shot an 18/25 -- and static paper targets haven't seemed as interesting ever since.

deck52 · June 4, 2007, 08:33 PM

It was Thanksgiving day 1961, I had just turned 9 years old. My parents, sisters, brother and I went out into the country to a relative's property. My dad brought along his Marlin model 56 with a Weaver B4 scope, purchased in 1955. After showing me how to shoot it, he put a tin can on top of a fence post and let me shoot at it. I was so very careful to take aim and do it right, and knocked the tin can off the post with the first shot. I didn't know it, but my dad was taking a picture of me at that moment. Its a great picture. My brother has that Marlin now, but I have one exactly like it - and took it out shooting 2 days ago.

**pax** · June 4, 2007, 08:56 PM

I taught my children to shoot.

pax

rxraptor02 · June 4, 2007, 09:17 PM

mine was when my uncle sent me my grandfathers Ruger Single Six.

dionysusigma · June 4, 2007, 09:24 PM

The day I realized that, for the sixth time in a row, I had taken five guns and about 2,000 rounds of ammo to the range, and had only fired a total of 30 shots.

My friends and relatives who were new to shooting had used up the rest of the ammo every single time.

jdm357 · June 4, 2007, 09:25 PM

Either my grandpa teaching me to shoot his revolvers, rifles, and shotguns when I was 12 (I guess that's a few moments, actually quite a bit of 'em) or when I was 13 and saved up enough money to buy a Marlin model 60. It was $100 then, I think (and it probably still is, considering that was only 8 years ago). I just shot it on Saturday as well.

skeeter1 · June 4, 2007, 09:38 PM

I think the best moment for me was the first time I shot a 25/25 at the trap range -- with a SxS field gun! The guys with the expensive O/Us were no doubt peaved at me, but I was wearing a grin from ear to ear all the way home.

Haterade · June 4, 2007, 10:15 PM

Probably the first time I open carried my pistol. I felt like an American more that day than when I took the oath and joined the Marines 15 years ago, lol.

**44 AMP** · June 4, 2007, 11:11 PM

I have had a number of good times while having guns around, shooting, or hunting, looking back today, I will not single out just one, but I will say that today, the ones I remember most fondly are from many years ago, with my Grandfather and my Father.

Both are now many years in the home of the wind, and if I knew then how much I would miss them today, I would have done some things differently in the past.

I have Grandfather's Ithaca SxS, and I have a few of my Father's handguns and rifles, and I have some memories of times long past that come up again when I look at one of those guns. Or shoot them.

Had some good times with my kids and guns as well, and I hope, someday, to have some more, when they come home to visit. Went to the range with my son the month before he went to Baghdad, had a good time then.

Most recent was a range visit where a friend let me try his .357 Sig. I asked if it was flat shooting, and shot at a gong downrange. He said, "yes, and you know that is the 250yd gong don't you?". 4th shot hit. And others afterward. Offhand. I was rather pleased myself.

kkb · June 4, 2007, 11:13 PM

My first handloaded full round-house .357 Magnum ammo, in my first magnum pistol (New Model Blackhawk, I'd been shooting 9mm), standing next to a wall.

A) The muzzle blast echoing off the wall was just the most satisfying gut thump.
B) I couldn't miss the hundred yard gong; boom - thwack, boom - thwack, ad nauseum.

rrp · June 4, 2007, 11:33 PM

My happiest gun day was in the fall of 1967,Quang tri provence when I was told I could continue to cary my M-14 instead of the newly issued M-16. We
were expieriencing some pretty serious problems when the m-16 first got shipped to us.Marines lives were being lost because of some of them. Many more of Charlies lives were being lost because of my M-14. I would still rather have an m-14 today. I gues I like carying heavy things. Gung Ho balls to the walls. Semper fi

chris in va · June 5, 2007, 02:28 AM

A couple.

10 years old, out with my stepfather who really could've cared less about raising me or doing anything 'fatherly'. Somehow the planets lined up and the two of us were out on a dirt road in CO shooting my pellet gun. He placed a penny in the dirt about 20' away, daring me to hit it. Smug as he was, I managed to pop the sucker on the first shot with a BB and his smirk kinda melted away.

More recently, it's a tie between hitting my first Tannerite charge or nailing the 1# propane tank dead center first shot with my 45. I still have the empty can.

Maybe hitting a 24 in wobble trap with my $30 410 Pardner.

Caimlas · June 5, 2007, 04:54 AM

My happiest at this point could be any number - and none are directly related to guns, but having done something with someone I love while shooting. I've got a couple memories of hunting with my grandfather, some of shooting with my brother (who actually enjoyed it, despite not really liking guns and at being at odds with me for years) and sister, and now fairly recently, taking my eldest (son) out to shoot, or shooting bb guns with him. I have no doubt that, as he gets older, we'll have more "gun related" moments together.

Quickdraw Limpsalot · June 5, 2007, 06:58 AM

Probably has to be back when I was 8 years old and set an NMLRA record that's still standing 20 years later. Shot it with a 3/4 scale cut-down-by-Dad CVA percussion .45 caliber muzzleloader. The range officer (Pete Rollet - great guy) (who knew our family quite well by then) just winked at me after I'd put a few shots in the bull... he knew it was a done deal. I tore the center out of that target like none I've done since. Talk about being a proud day for an 8 year old! Still have the target and my "Club 50" pin.

john55555 · June 5, 2007, 08:18 AM

Two actually. 1st has to be when I purchased my first real gun..1/2/'87. I bought a .357 S&W Model 65-3 "K" frame in near mint condition for $189. High for the time..but it was mine! I still have her and she remains as crisp and reliable as the 1st time I shot her.

2nd was several years ago. One of the girls at our radio station had an intruder break in while she was at home, sitting on her bed while talking on the phone. Without hesitation, she reached in the night stand, pulled out a .22 and hit the guy in the shoulder.

The police, and all of us, congratulated her but said she needed "more gun." The following weekend we gathered at the rural home of a fellow worker and got in some serious range time. It was great..friends shooting together. Someone had a .44 magnum and I had to try it. Because of an old injury I've never been too steady on my feet, so as I took aim with the cannon one guy who'd been a coach at San Diego State stood behind me and "called for a fair catch!" Guess you had to be there! :O)

Jseime · June 5, 2007, 10:59 PM

When I put the crosshairs on a big mule deer at 300 yards and knew that when I pulled the trigger and my .270 barked that deer would be mine.

tuckerdog1 · June 6, 2007, 03:30 PM

When my wife grudgingly went to the range for the 1st time, because some out of town visitors wanted to go. We were shooting steel silouettes. At 1st she wasn't hitting anything. But after I showed her how to aim, she started knocking 'em down like crazy. Nothing like reactive targets to make ya grin. She really started having a good time. Almost giddy. She proclaimed the pistol she was using, as officially HER's now.
It was really great to have her go from tolerating my interest, to becoming part of it, in 1 afternoon.

Tuckerdog1

ZeSpectre · June 6, 2007, 03:42 PM

My 9'th Christmas on this planet when "Santa" left me a Crossman BB Rifle of my very own. The following year was a rough one financially for the farm and my family and I remember spending my tiny allowance to buy pellets and then shooting rats at the local dump for the "per tail" bounty they offered. On a good evening I was getting enough to pay for more pellets AND bring a few dollars home to mom and dad. Man was I ever proud of myself back then!

jimmy · June 7, 2007, 06:42 PM

It was going through my safe one evening and finding a gun I forgot I'd bought. Sounds dumb, but it felt like getting an unexpected and valuable gift. BTW, the gun was a pristine (because I didn't know about it) S&W Model 640 with three-inch barrel.

SD_Chop · June 7, 2007, 06:46 PM

Teaching a friend how to shoot, and seeing a absolute beautiful women holding a 8" taurus raging bull in 454 was just

June 4, 2007, 04:35 PM	#2
sm Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2002 Posts: 1,750	Earliest. When I was brought home from being born, my maternal grandma put MY .22 revolver in the dresser drawer crib with me. Age 3 and Grandma wanted shooting lessons She was a really great student and caught on fast! __________________ Use Enough Gun TFL Alumni

June 4, 2007, 05:47 PM	#4
Devonai Junior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: Londonderry, NH Posts: 11	Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, PING! Ever since then the M1 has had a special place in my heart. __________________ Reckless Faith, a new science fiction adventure featuring a significant pro-CCW stance and proper weapons handling, available now on Amazon.com.

June 4, 2007, 08:06 PM	#5
grampster Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2001 Location: wilderness of west michigan Posts: 192	The day 47 years ago, at age 16, when I had earned enough cash to pay for my first shotgun, a brand spankin' new Ithaca Mod. 37 Featherlight in 12 ga. I don't trust my memory, but I think it cost me $68.00. I traded it in for an Ithaca XL900 semi auto in 20 ga. back in the early 70's. It came with two barrels, a full choke and a deerslayer. That is a fine semi auto as well as being a beautiful piece of art as well. I horrified my shooting friends by having a gunsmith put a poly choke on the shot barrel. But I never intend to sell her. I'll hand it over to my oldest grandson. I wish I'd kept that ole' 12 pump, but my FIL gave me his Mod 37 in 16 ga., so I'm not feeling too badly. __________________ "The trouble with doing nothing is not knowing when to stop."

June 4, 2007, 08:33 PM	#7
deck52 Junior Member Join Date: March 3, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 6	First time I shot a rifle It was Thanksgiving day 1961, I had just turned 9 years old. My parents, sisters, brother and I went out into the country to a relative's property. My dad brought along his Marlin model 56 with a Weaver B4 scope, purchased in 1955. After showing me how to shoot it, he put a tin can on top of a fence post and let me shoot at it. I was so very careful to take aim and do it right, and knocked the tin can off the post with the first shot. I didn't know it, but my dad was taking a picture of me at that moment. Its a great picture. My brother has that Marlin now, but I have one exactly like it - and took it out shooting 2 days ago. __________________ The 9-11 terrorists are still wondering why it is taking so long for the fireball to burn out. - Me

June 4, 2007, 08:56 PM	#8
pax Staff Join Date: May 16, 2000 Location: Washington state Posts: 4,626	I taught my children to shoot. pax __________________ Kathy Jackson Managing Editor, Concealed Carry Magazine My personal website: Cornered Cat Buy my book! Lessons from Armed America, with Mark Walters

June 4, 2007, 04:24 PM	#1
V4Vendetta Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2006 Location: NC, USA Posts: 605	What is your happiest gun related moment? 1. I was at a festival in Statesville this past weekend selling tye-dye shirts & leather products as that is my job. When the festival was over we went to dinner. A steak house that was right next to Gander Mountain. After dinner I walked in to see their gun selection. I have never seen that many guns just right out in the open. It was beautiful but that isn't what made this my #1 moment. While browsing, I saw a M1 Garand that looked brand new. I picked it up & marveled at the beautiful cherry looking wood & black metal. Examined the sight picture. Felt the weight. It was a truly perfect gun. I know it will take a while to afford it's $1000 price but I'm patient if nothing else. Mark my words, one of these day's I will become a Garand owner. I'll let ya'll know when. Share your own stories if you like. __________________ But I being poor, have only my dreams. Tread softly. Because you tread on my dreams. Within each one of us there is a inch of hope, of will, of integrity. We must never lose or give away that inch. For within it we are free.

June 4, 2007, 05:45 PM	#3
targetshootr Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2007 Posts: 246	My most recent happy moment was taking a custom Ruger to the range and realizing how well it shoots. The trigger is crisp, the hammer falls cleanly and the boolits land where they're supposed to. Nothin' better.

June 4, 2007, 08:12 PM	#6
DouglasW Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2006 Location: Denver Posts: 104	Here's one of my happiest: First round of auto trap -- and first time ever shooting clays. Shot an 18/25 -- and static paper targets haven't seemed as interesting ever since.

June 4, 2007, 09:17 PM	#9
rxraptor02 Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Location: IN Posts: 129	mine was when my uncle sent me my grandfathers Ruger Single Six. __________________ XD45 compact XD9SC 9mm Beretta Px4 STORM 9mm S&W 66-7 .357mag

June 4, 2007, 09:24 PM	#10
dionysusigma Member Join Date: November 22, 2002 Posts: 30	The day I realized that, for the sixth time in a row, I had taken five guns and about 2,000 rounds of ammo to the range, and had only fired a total of 30 shots. My friends and relatives who were new to shooting had used up the rest of the ammo every single time.

June 4, 2007, 09:25 PM	#11
jdm357 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: south Indiana Posts: 133	Either my grandpa teaching me to shoot his revolvers, rifles, and shotguns when I was 12 (I guess that's a few moments, actually quite a bit of 'em) or when I was 13 and saved up enough money to buy a Marlin model 60. It was $100 then, I think (and it probably still is, considering that was only 8 years ago). I just shot it on Saturday as well. __________________ This too shall pass.

June 4, 2007, 09:38 PM	#12
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,404	I think the best moment for me was the first time I shot a 25/25 at the trap range -- with a SxS field gun! The guys with the expensive O/Us were no doubt peaved at me, but I was wearing a grin from ear to ear all the way home.

June 4, 2007, 10:15 PM	#13
Haterade Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2006 Posts: 191	Probably the first time I open carried my pistol. I felt like an American more that day than when I took the oath and joined the Marines 15 years ago, lol. __________________ Sledge Hammer: You've never played target practice? Soviet Scientist: In Russia, we practice by shooting dissidents. Sledge Hammer: Here we call them liberals.

June 4, 2007, 11:11 PM	#14
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 5,354	Looking back, I have had a number of good times while having guns around, shooting, or hunting, looking back today, I will not single out just one, but I will say that today, the ones I remember most fondly are from many years ago, with my Grandfather and my Father. Both are now many years in the home of the wind, and if I knew then how much I would miss them today, I would have done some things differently in the past. I have Grandfather's Ithaca SxS, and I have a few of my Father's handguns and rifles, and I have some memories of times long past that come up again when I look at one of those guns. Or shoot them. Had some good times with my kids and guns as well, and I hope, someday, to have some more, when they come home to visit. Went to the range with my son the month before he went to Baghdad, had a good time then. Most recent was a range visit where a friend let me try his .357 Sig. I asked if it was flat shooting, and shot at a gong downrange. He said, "yes, and you know that is the 250yd gong don't you?". 4th shot hit. And others afterward. Offhand. I was rather pleased myself. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

June 4, 2007, 11:13 PM	#15
kkb Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2004 Location: Western Slope, Colorado Posts: 349	My first handloaded full round-house .357 Magnum ammo, in my first magnum pistol (New Model Blackhawk, I'd been shooting 9mm), standing next to a wall. A) The muzzle blast echoing off the wall was just the most satisfying gut thump. B) I couldn't miss the hundred yard gong; boom - thwack, boom - thwack, ad nauseum. __________________ 10mm Auto- All the power of a .357 Magnum, but with a wee bigger hole.

June 4, 2007, 11:33 PM	#16
rrp Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2006 Location: west central Wi Posts: 261	happiest gun day My happiest gun day was in the fall of 1967,Quang tri provence when I was told I could continue to cary my M-14 instead of the newly issued M-16. We were expieriencing some pretty serious problems when the m-16 first got shipped to us.Marines lives were being lost because of some of them. Many more of Charlies lives were being lost because of my M-14. I would still rather have an m-14 today. I gues I like carying heavy things. Gung Ho balls to the walls. Semper fi

June 5, 2007, 02:28 AM	#17
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 7,212	A couple. 10 years old, out with my stepfather who really could've cared less about raising me or doing anything 'fatherly'. Somehow the planets lined up and the two of us were out on a dirt road in CO shooting my pellet gun. He placed a penny in the dirt about 20' away, daring me to hit it. Smug as he was, I managed to pop the sucker on the first shot with a BB and his smirk kinda melted away. More recently, it's a tie between hitting my first Tannerite charge or nailing the 1# propane tank dead center first shot with my 45. I still have the empty can. Maybe hitting a 24 in wobble trap with my $30 410 Pardner.

June 5, 2007, 04:54 AM	#18
Caimlas Member Join Date: May 28, 2007 Location: SF, SD Posts: 50	My happiest at this point could be any number - and none are directly related to guns, but having done something with someone I love while shooting. I've got a couple memories of hunting with my grandfather, some of shooting with my brother (who actually enjoyed it, despite not really liking guns and at being at odds with me for years) and sister, and now fairly recently, taking my eldest (son) out to shoot, or shooting bb guns with him. I have no doubt that, as he gets older, we'll have more "gun related" moments together. __________________ Please visit: BoiledFrog.US Forums BoiledFrog.US Blog

June 5, 2007, 06:58 AM	#19
Quickdraw Limpsalot Senior Member Join Date: September 20, 2004 Location: Rural Kentucky Posts: 420	Probably has to be back when I was 8 years old and set an NMLRA record that's still standing 20 years later. Shot it with a 3/4 scale cut-down-by-Dad CVA percussion .45 caliber muzzleloader. The range officer (Pete Rollet - great guy) (who knew our family quite well by then) just winked at me after I'd put a few shots in the bull... he knew it was a done deal. I tore the center out of that target like none I've done since. Talk about being a proud day for an 8 year old! Still have the target and my "Club 50" pin.

June 5, 2007, 08:18 AM	#20
john55555 Member Join Date: December 16, 2005 Posts: 46	Two actually. 1st has to be when I purchased my first real gun..1/2/'87. I bought a .357 S&W Model 65-3 "K" frame in near mint condition for $189. High for the time..but it was mine! I still have her and she remains as crisp and reliable as the 1st time I shot her. 2nd was several years ago. One of the girls at our radio station had an intruder break in while she was at home, sitting on her bed while talking on the phone. Without hesitation, she reached in the night stand, pulled out a .22 and hit the guy in the shoulder. The police, and all of us, congratulated her but said she needed "more gun." The following weekend we gathered at the rural home of a fellow worker and got in some serious range time. It was great..friends shooting together. Someone had a .44 magnum and I had to try it. Because of an old injury I've never been too steady on my feet, so as I took aim with the cannon one guy who'd been a coach at San Diego State stood behind me and "called for a fair catch!" Guess you had to be there! :O) __________________ You can never have too many guns or too much garlic!

June 5, 2007, 10:59 PM	#21
Jseime Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,728	When I put the crosshairs on a big mule deer at 300 yards and knew that when I pulled the trigger and my .270 barked that deer would be mine. __________________ Relentless pursuit of the satisfying THWACK .270 Winchester... Need I say more?

June 6, 2007, 03:30 PM	#22
tuckerdog1 Senior Member Join Date: September 20, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 258	When my wife grudgingly went to the range for the 1st time, because some out of town visitors wanted to go. We were shooting steel silouettes. At 1st she wasn't hitting anything. But after I showed her how to aim, she started knocking 'em down like crazy. Nothing like reactive targets to make ya grin. She really started having a good time. Almost giddy. She proclaimed the pistol she was using, as officially HER's now. It was really great to have her go from tolerating my interest, to becoming part of it, in 1 afternoon. Tuckerdog1 __________________ Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. - Henry Louis Mencken

June 6, 2007, 03:42 PM	#23
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 2,474	My 9'th Christmas on this planet when "Santa" left me a Crossman BB Rifle of my very own. The following year was a rough one financially for the farm and my family and I remember spending my tiny allowance to buy pellets and then shooting rats at the local dump for the "per tail" bounty they offered. On a good evening I was getting enough to pay for more pellets AND bring a few dollars home to mom and dad. Man was I ever proud of myself back then!

June 7, 2007, 06:42 PM	#24
jimmy Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 1999 Location: Texas Posts: 1,792	It was going through my safe one evening and finding a gun I forgot I'd bought. Sounds dumb, but it felt like getting an unexpected and valuable gift. BTW, the gun was a pristine (because I didn't know about it) S&W Model 640 with three-inch barrel.

June 7, 2007, 06:46 PM	#25
SD_Chop Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2006 Location: Va, USA Posts: 447	Teaching a friend how to shoot, and seeing a absolute beautiful women holding a 8" taurus raging bull in 454 was just __________________ Reach out and touch something........