What prompted you to buy your first firearm?

[KK20]

We were on holiday and I was watching some guys doing bullseye shooting on TV. I told my wife:

"That looks like fun. I'm going to do that",

and she was like

"Sure, go for it" <- super sarcastic and obviously calling my bluff.




I f***ing showed her!

i fel off my chair with that one ! excellent

[robmag]

My first fire arm was Brno 375 H&H magnum. I bought it because the hunting bug bit me. I stepped into the local gun shop and said to Oom Ben I want to buy a rifle for hunting, what have you got. Oom Ben brought out a bunch of rifles in various calibers and makes. The 375 was the one that spoke to me. Some years go by and regular trips to Oom Bens shop for snits and snats and one day I saw a rifle. Asked oom Ben what is it, he said its a Ruger 243. It was the synthetic stock and the stainless that caught my eye. While I am fondling this piece of art and beauty. Oom Ben filled out an application with a serial number and all, including reasons and motivation all I had to to was sign and buy the revenue stamp. That was how I got to get my 243. Later years I bought a Taurus 44 magnum 7" barrel, this gun always goes on hunting trips with me. Then after an incident on the N1 between Warmbaths and Pretoria on our way home after a hunting trip, I bought the CZ 75. It is amongst the 1st that came out, but was barely used if used at all. With me it has shot many many rounds and the coating on the grip is chipped as well as the blueing on the slide worn. The CZ goes where I go. Sadly Oom Ben closed his shop some 7 years ago due to slow sales. It was at the beginning of this re registration, there was so much panic and confusion, it effected sales.

[marshy]

I remember my dad handing down his Gecado 25 to me when I was about 6 or 7....I couldn't load it or hold it myself, so I also shot it at targets and paper plates under his watchful eye....but as far as I was concerned, it was still "mine" ;)
When I was growing up, my dad and his mates would always go on their annual hunt, down in the karoo, and one year, all us kids were lucky enough to get invited along to join. I was 12 at the time, & wasn't allowed to shoot any of the centre-fires myself, but I spent all 5 days behind my gecado & my dad's friend's brno mod 2 .22.....and so I fell in love with the bush....hunting, shooting, nature....just getting out of the big city lights!

A few years later, my great uncle moved across to oz, and so distributed his firearms amoungst the family, & knowing my young passion for firearms, he game me a Remington 512 Sportsman, to be licensed in my dads name.

Forward to 2007, I'm 21 and hunting down outside Grahamstown....not having a rifle of my own, a friend (who hadn't grown up around firearms) and I were paired up with a friend and retired-PH and a tracker, so as to learn from him while in the bush. Since I had been hunting a good few times before, & had already taken a few animals, it was decided that my novice friend would shoot 1st. Long story short, we were on the farm for 2 and a half days, of which my friend used the first 2 days to gather nothing but brass (missed shots) and finally a momento, joining the half-moon club. At that point the PH said enough is enough & handed me the rifle. The next morning, we set out early & I had lined up this "vet vaarkie" . There I was, down on my haunches, shaking like a whore in church, battling to get my site picture in the scope, as I wasn't familiar with the rifle, & couldn't mind the eye relief.....*sigh* and so the "vaarkie" ended up darting away, and I was as disappointed as all h*ll! The whole trip back, I let my dad know how I felt and that the day I turned 21 (which was a few months away) I was going to buy my first rifle. I spent the next few months studying calibers and rifle manufacturers, and ended up with Remington Mod 700 in 270win :)

And the rest is history!!!! :)

[Young Gun]

I was always interested and fascinated by 'guns' from a young age. From the initial start of me owning my first Beretta 92 BB gun, to the time of me admiring Steve McQueen putting down the 'baddies' on tv.

With the first sight of my dads Beretta 84, blued frame with a wooden stock, I definitely fell in love and my heart was set on getting one one day as a personal EDC for SD. I was also one of those musketry lads and couldn't wait for the day of my first purchase of my OWN pistol. I was often left to take care of the house and rest of the family whilst the folks were away on business and thus leaving me defenseless. It took a while for me to get the process going but when the time was right, and the funds available, I put down a deposit on a current baby of mine. I had decided that no matter what, my EDC would HAVE to be new as I would b trusting mine, and my families protection with it.

I can't keep my hands off her and as much as possible carry wherever I am(can't imagine it dropping out my pants whilst on the treadmill.) After much research and chatting to the more well informed gentleman such as the ones on this site, I had come to the conclusion that the 84 wouldn't have been the ideal weapon in these days as a SD gun due to caliber(yes I am aware of the many discussions surrounding this and shot placement) and obviously magazine capacity. I have learnt and now understand the necessity of carrying, and always make sure when leaving home, keys, glasses, license, and my M&P9

[Skaaphaas]

Was around FA's forever with my dad hunting and reloading. Used to cut the handguns out of Magnum magazines to play with. He eventually bought me my first gun, a Musgrave .30-06.

We lived an a few smallholdings, and had firearms as tools. Revolver went everywhere, and I slept with the 12ga in my room. When I moved to the city, it was the last thing onmy mind.

I neglected to do the training and schlep, until last year when the bug bit again. Did everything and licenced my .30-06, probably the most special gun I will ever own.

After that came the 9mm, the Hornet, and a Winnie 1300.

I don't see it ending any time soon, although I am off buying guns for a while.

[JS4]

Thanks Psychosis - this is an awesome thread!

Keep it coming guys!!

[shooter]

Great stories :)

The first gun I bought myself is my G17. Saved up for more than a year on my student job between classes and bought it cash. I can still remember doing the EFT :) It was to upgrade the pistol my dad bought me for farm defence since we always carry on the farms and I started at 16. That's also how I got into carrying off the farm and then into IPSC.

Both my grandfathers carried 24\7 (pocket carry) and this only really struck me after they died and they had their guns on them just before going into the hospital for the last time. I can remember when I was little that they both carried a gun, but never really thought about it. If I look back at photos of them when I was still young at the zoo etc, I think "the old man is packing!" :)

I can remember staying over at one grandpa. We slept in the same room, my sister with grandma. Late at night the "silent" early intruder alarm went off in the study. He managed to chase away a guy that broke into the study. Where was his gun? Not in the damn safe.

[sl@de]

I bought my first gun because my father said I wasnt allowed one and he refused to sig for me

not knowing anything about guns i put a dep down on a Vector CP1 (R2000) and then after a while Gunshop conned me into G23 (R4500), not being entirely happy with the Glock, I did research and saw the HK USPc (R7000 in 2004)

So that where my 21st money went to!! Dad was so pissed but I was the main owe because I bought gun!! lol

after applying and getting refused, did the appeal, got refused again, did it under the new law, docs got lost! applied again last year June and Picked her up 2012 17 January

and now I've gone gun crazy!!

[ReinhardtR]

This is an awesome thread but reserve the right to say why I own a FA. All I will say is that gfsa can go you know what and 5 years later i still deal with what happened once a month at the gun range.

[AGreeff]

In 2007 we had an armed robbery in the house. It was bad, grand mother still lives with the injuries from the assault. Thereafter, I applied and started carrying as soon as the license came through. I feel naked without it.