First Handguns: Who Still Has Theirs?

Alan

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I'm curious about everyone's first handgun. Do you still have it? How do you feel about it now? I still have mine, though it's seen better days. Would love to hear your stories or even see some photos!
 
My first (1965) was a GI-bring back Walter P-38. It wasn't matching #'s or anything special, but it did what I needed it to do, as long as I fed it ball. It was traded away long ago. I do still have my first two rifles, a Winchester M-74 and an M-75 target. both are still functional and the M-75 still shoots better than I do.
 
My first pistol is a Llama .22, first revolver is a 6" SS Ruger Security Six. Still have both, but the Llama broke it's firing pin years ago. I love the Ruger and still shoot it regularly.
 
Unfortunately, I don't still have my first handgun, a Ruger Blackhawk .357, 4.625" barrel. Christmas present from my parents. I do however, own the first handgun I ever fired. A Unique model 52.
 
My first started out as my grandfather's that he acquired i think in the 30's, maybe sooner but I'm not sure. It's an H&R 922 nine shot 22 revolver. He would let me shooting it occasionally when I was a little kid. When he passed it went to my dad and in the 80's my dad had creeping alzheimers and one day he accidentally shot the mirror in the bedroom. My mother told me to take it home NOW. So that's how it came to be mine. I carried it for small game every year until I got a Roger MK II. The 922 went into the wife's sock drawer but I recently took it out because she is in some first stage dementia and didn't want a repeat of my dad's incident.

So, I still have it but haven't shot it in many years. Eventually it will go to my son in law or one of the grandkids.
 
Back in1969, my dad got me a rifle for my birthday, an Anschutz 141 .22. still have it. A **legal** immigrant with a strong sense of being American with rights, he was pissed at having to navigate New Jersey's FOID laws and get "fingerprinted like a criminal.' I absolutely could not get him to jump the permit hoops to buy a pistol. So in 1970, my brother, stationed with the Air Force in Florida, bought a Ruger Bearcat, all of $35 back then, and brought it up on his next trip.

I still have both, though I have churned everything else in my collection several times. Together they have been the source of countless hours and shots fired in fun, over many years on two continents.
 
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I still have mine that I bought...

Good old Saturday night special...

22cal Jennings.
Funny you mention a Jennings Dwayne. Back when my wife and I were first married, a century ago our so it seems, she bought me one for Christmas. Cheap, but it always works, and I still have It for some reason lol
 
Also not the first I owned but the first I shot was Dad's High Standard Sentinel R-101 in .22lr, of course. Still have it after 70 +- years and it would be the last one I'd part with.
 
Funny you mention a Jennings Dwayne. Back when my wife and I were first married, a century ago our so it seems, she bought me one for Christmas. Cheap, but it always works, and I still have It for some reason lol

Yeah, they were cheap, but a lot of fun to shoot. Believe it or not, today it is my wife's favorite gun to shoot. She has every small hands, and if you add in the light kick, it fits her perfectly.
 
Yeah, they were cheap, but a lot of fun to shoot. Believe it or not, today it is my wife's favorite gun to shoot. She has every small hands, and if you add in the light kick, it fits her perfectly.
I can buy that. If I recall correctly, Jennings was the same company as Bryco? There was an interesting history lol
 
Have all 5 of my first guns: .22 single shot Revelation and .308 Husqvarna (a deer slayer) from mom and dad. First ones I bought: Sako 264 Win mag (with paper delivery money), but due to 100gr rounds, it is now a 300Wby, then a .357 New Model Blackhawk and a blued S&W 59 9mm. Shoot the 308 and 300 annually, couldn't tell you when I last shot the 22, but the 9mm almost annually and the 357 not for a few yrs as they both have some competition in the safe that are better pistols.
 
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