[Tony1990]

My first gun was a Bersa Thunder 380 pistol given to me by a close friend, guess he figured that if I was going to live in Texas I should have a gun. It used to be my carry weapon but now it is my range gun since it has over 19K rounds fired with only the rear sight and 2 mags being replaced. As you can guess my shot groups are not are close as they once were. But it is still a sweet pistol to fire. My carry weapon now is a Bersa Thunder 380cc.



P.S. I have Firestorm grips on my Bersa 380.

 

[robhic]

A Taurus JUDGE. I wanted something to keep in the house but a full-size gun wasn't a good choice for storage/anti-theft reasons. A friend recommended the Judge as a compromise. A .410 shotgun in the palm of your hand? What's not to like? Ability to shoot .45 was neat, too, except .45 Long Colt was around $35 a box of 50. Didn't like that so I got a Browning "Buckmark" .22 when ya could get 500-550 rds for $15 or so at Walmart. That was more like it.

Then I fell in love with a Ruger .22, then another and another and got bit by the GLOCK bug - the rest is history.

 

[hobbles]

Darn Tony, my first weapon? Ya mean besides my trusty Red Ryder?
I think it was a Hawes 45 Colt Western Marshal. After I got out of the service I got in to fast draw.

 

[Tony1990]

Darn Tony, my first weapon? Ya mean besides my trusty Red Ryder?
I think it was a Hawes 45 Colt Western Marshal. After I got out of the service I got in to fast draw.

Is that really you Mr Hobbles????????????? A Red Ryder that is cool. I remember having to use a home made sling shot with marbles shooting at whatever bothered me.

 

[imarangemaster]

My first gun was a Universal 101 12 Gauge single shot shotgun. I got it from my parents for Christmas in 1968, when I was 16. I had been shooting already for years, as I had an uncle that had a gun collection, and let me shoot his starting around age 10. He lived in a rural Illinois farming area. I spent many a day walking the creek with my single shot 12 ga. and his 22 Colt SA revolver, blasting pine cones and cans that floated past me.

I also had an older cousin that was a US Postal Inspector, who let me shoot his guns. My dad was a WW2 Iwo Jima vet, and did not care to own guns after that, but did not discourage me. He really felt everyone has to choose their own path.

I still have that single shot. My second firearm was a Ruger 10-22 with a walnut stock I bought in 1972 or 1973 after I moved to California. About the same time I bought a sporterized No4 MK1 .303 British SMLE. Killed a lot of wild hogs and deer with that rifle!

 

[hobbles]

Afternoon Boys,
Tony,
Yep, that is me at 22 years old, just under 5 months of being 23 . I got out of the Navy in 68 of July when I turned 21. Time sure fly's.

imarangemaster,
My 10/22 is about the same year. They made them better back then than they do now, better made parts. I've upgraded mine a little and like the heck out ot it.

 

[robhic]

Darn Tony, my first weapon? Ya mean besides my trusty Red Ryder?

Yeahhhhhhhhhhh! I forgot that one! My father kept it in the trunk of the car and when we'd go somewhere near the woods or other deserted area, he'd take that baby out. I envisioned using it in my complete ignorance during the Cuban missle crisis in the 60's if things got ugly (yes I was VERY young...) but we got past that one. I kept it until 1976 when the seals finally gave out and it lost all pressure...and I lost all interest in my 20's with a BB gun that didn't work.

 

[hobbles]

"I envisioned using it in my complete ignorance during the Cuban missle crisis in the 60's if things got ugly"

I completely understand that. We had a good imagination back then. That was before computers.

 

[imarangemaster]

"I envisioned using it in my complete ignorance during the Cuban missle crisis in the 60's if things got ugly"

I completely understand that. We had a good imagination back then. That was before computers.

This! I got my older brother's Red Ryder when I was about 8 (1960). Saved money mowing lawns and working for neighbors, and bought a Daisy Model 99 Target with wood beavertail fore end and wood stock in about 1964 or 1965. That was a great gun. It was stolen from my storage at a family members house while I was in basic in 1974.

http://picturearchive.gunauction.com/8478213609/7096044/6eca9ab3c5d48deee7bcd3e1f073e595.jpg

 

[hobbles]

The good old days.

 

[Tony1990]

This! I got my older brother's Red Ryder when I was about 8 (1960). Saved money mowing lawns and working for neighbors, and bought a Daisy Model 99 Target with wood beavertail fore end and wood stock in about 1964 or 1965. That was a great gun. It was stolen from my storage at a family members house while I was in basic in 1974.

http://picturearchive.gunauction.com/8478213609/7096044/6eca9ab3c5d48deee7bcd3e1f073e595.jpg

That looks a lot better than my sling shot and I wish I had a picture of it. After all I was born in New York City and you could walk for miles without seeing a blade of grass much less a tree. I had to take the subway to central park where I found some broken limbs on the ground and then took the subway back home to make my first weapon. I also used some dried green peas as ammo, it would not hurt anyone but would make the rats head for their holes or as they say around here " head for the hills ".
Tony

 

[hobbles]

New York City,, Oh my,
Here is our habitat, it ain't much but it's paid for. If you see something that I built wrong, remember,, it's RUSTIC, it's suppose to look that way.
(works for me)


Click here.

 

[Tony1990]

New York City,, Oh my,
Here is our habitat, it ain't much but it's paid for. If you see something that I built wrong, remember,, it's RUSTIC, it's suppose to look that way.
(works for me)



Click here.

It looks great to me, I have been wanting a little land to live on during my retirement years. One that I can hunt, fish and target practice in my own back yard anytime I want. Also would like to sit on my porch and watch a beautiful sunset.



Tony

 

[imarangemaster]

I live in Grass Valley, CA. Elevation 2500 ft in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. 20 minutes up the hill puts me in the Tahoe National Forest. It is an hour to Truckee and and an hour and 20 minutes to Lake Tahoe. Less than an hour puts us at Carr lake, where we hike into the Grouse Lakes Basin (elevation 6,000 or so), when we hike into 5 lakes in the first 2 miles. My wife and I backpack and day hike there. I hate California's liberal, gun grabbing legislature, but it is a beautiful place to live. I first came here in 1977 as a Deputy Sheriff after I got out of the MPs.

 

[exdetsgt]

My first gun was a well-used S&W model 10 revolver with a 6" barrel that was issued to me by the Kern County Sheriff's Office (Bakersfield) in January, 1953. I got to keep it when I resigned 4 years later to go to College in San Diego. Somehow it got away from me and I don't recall the circumstances, but the trigger was a religious experience.

 

[9UC]

Ten years ago, just before my 60th birthday, I begrudgingly purchase my first gun, a matte black Bersa Thunder .380. I was not of the anti gun crowd, but after Nam in '68, I did not really want to see more death and especially during the years I was a single parent, I did not want one in the house. I finally saw the changes in society, so I changed and purchased the 380 as a night stand gun and something better than a knife for self protection. Did not start carrying until about 6 years ago due to a murder just up the street from where I lived in Las Vegas. Now unless precluded by law or I'm in the shower, I have one of several Bersas on my hip or withing reach. For three of the last 10 years I carried a 9UC, but decided to drop back to my original BT380 about 3 years ago.

 

[Tony1990]

Hi 9UC, How about that we are almost the same age and maybe when you were in Vietnam and looked up while a group of B-52 bombers flew by you may have seen the B-52 I launched from Guam.
By the way I do keep a BT380 in my bedroom draw just in case of trouble.

 

[Tony Z]

... It would have to be a Marlin semi=automatic 22 for squirrel hunting

 

[RonLee]

I was quite young but had some money from working in the family's business and bought or actually my father bought it but with my money... a Government issued 1911 in of course .45 ACP. I still have it and have likely put over a hundred thousand rounds through it. Yes we reloaded .45 even way back then.