What Firearm Hooked You Into Being an Enthusiast?

[sjoliat]

A Ruger 10/22 back in 1989. Was really an inexpensive way to shoot a ton, who knows how many bricks of 22 LR I went through that first year. I was solidly hooked.

[Rogue556]

I grew up hunting (duck, dove, etc) but never really had any interest in shotguns. Used them as a tool for hunting but didn't care much for them beyond that. If I had to pick a weapon that started my obsession it'd have to be the Mk23 SOCOM and HK USP. I played a lot of Metal Gear on PS1/PS2 growing up (I'm young than most here) and those were the primary pistols in many of the games. I still don't own either, ironically, but plan to eventually when I can justify it. I'd definitely have a fatter wallet if not for the influence though.

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[OH58D]

If it's military weapons, it was the M16a1 I was issued at Fort Knox in 1978. First time I'd ever shot something like that. Called my folks shortly after qualifying Expert with the thing and I described to my Dad how it sounded. Prior to that it was lever action Winchesters or bolt action hunting rifles. I didn't actually buy my first military rifle until I returned from the Grenada Invasion in late 1983. Bought a Chinese AK, and was one of the early imports. I had been promoted to 1LT earlier that year and was enjoying a small bump in pay. Started buying AK's after that, and built a nice collection which I still have.

Didn't buy my first AR until 1988. I used them in my work so there was no novelty to them. Carried an XM177 in my aircraft for years in addition to my sidearm prior to the issue of the M4 Carbine. My first AR was a Colt AR15 HBAR with no fence around the mag release. Must have been an old stock receiver to be released by Colt as late as 1988.

[JoshNC]

I honestly cannot recall a time that I was not interested in firearms. I did not grow up hunting. I recall seeing a Colt AR15 SP1 carbine hanging on display at the local gun shop immediately adjacent my father's office when I was probably 7 years old. I wanted it badly. At 8 years old while shooting 22lr pistol and rifle at our local club, the guy next to us had a full size UZI. He saw that I was very interested in it and with my dad's permission allowed me to shoot 5 rounds fullauto while he ensured it didn't get away from me. I was bitten by the machinegun bug and never lost interest.

My first AR was a blue label Colt 6551. I was hooked on EBRs well before buying it. But the real hook was my first MG; a Colt M16A1. I knew I would have to continue buying MGs and that all other firearms would forever be less interesting.

GI Joe

A Team
Miami Vice
Seeing the gun room in Commando


tl;dr The 80s

Ha, brother we are very similar. Add to that Die Hard and the flames of my euro evil black (and some green) rifle obsession were stoked at a very young age.

[Inkslinger]

My grandfathers little .22 revolver that he let me blast tin cans one Thanksgiving when I was six. We had to do a project in elementary school the following week about what we did on Thanksgiving and mine consisted of little stick figure me with a gun in my hand. Can you imagine the response that would illicit today?

[MegademiC]

Good thread.

Edit- just read the more narrow scope of thread.

A full auto mp5 got me into NFA, and buying more shit.
I'm not much of a collector, I like to shoot. My 2nd gun, a Remington 870 express 12 ga got me into really pushing myself as a shooter and training.

I quickly went from a box of 22 every month or two to a case of 12 ga each week. My friend and I would load a few hundred shells on his dads reloader and burn through them every weekend for a while. I would buy a case of shells and go out by myself for hours just doing drills and stuff.

Loved it.

[Grand58742]

Never gave firearms much thought until my neighbor took me out to a friend's house when I was about, don't remember exactly, but maybe 11 or 12 years old. He was shooting off his back deck and let me shoot his Beretta M1935 pistol. After that? I was hooked.

Strange thing is I've never owned that particular pistol. Just never came across one in all my years of perusing the used sections of the various gun stores I've frequented.

[CLHC]

But I'm talking about ACTUAL firearms...not childhood toys. We could all point to our toy guns as an influence.

What real live gun made you decide to buy more guns?

Beretta 92FS

[Eurodriver]

M39 EMR

[1_click_off]

My dad had an FFL growing up. We were in a small oilfield town and his coworkers bought many firearms through him. The one that I thought was the coolest thing ever was a pre ban Galil. I wanted one so bad, but had SKS funds at the time. About broke me, but I spent the extra ten bucks to get the "paratrooper" version. Made that rifle come out to an outrageous $89.00. I can remember $159 tec-9's and $239 MAC-10. Never could catch an Anaconda in stock, so I settled for a used Dan Wesson 44mag. Man, did I ever settle! But the SKS is what got me started. Armor piercing ammo at $1.25 per 25rd in a paper sleeve. Shot my first deer with that rifle, using armor piercing shells. Clean through both lungs.