What was the first handgun you bought for yourself, with your money? Privately or otherwise.
Mine was a Baikal IJ-70 Makarov, I bought it for $50 with four mags, and 400 rounds of ammo. Still have it. Ahh, the good ol' days. Here she is with my Ruger.
Many years ago, Skeeter Skelton and Bill Jordan convinced me through their writing that the "best all 'round" handgun to have was a medium frame, 357 magnum revolver. A Smith & Wesson, Model 19 actually.
So that was the first handgun I ever bought. I've owned a bunch since then but haven't seen anything to make me think they were wrong.
I bought a used S&W .357 4" revolver around 1980. It was a plain model like a cop of the time would carry. The wife's uncle Deiter was a Chicago cop. I was following his advice because I had little exposure to pistols growing up. He advised getting a Smith or a Colt, had some doubts about Rugers, and thought semi automatics were not reliable. I believe I paid $180. The shop had a range and was just north of the city limits. 38 reloads sold for ~$3.50 a box then.
Ruger LCP for concealed carry. If I had to do it again, I'd save up a little more and spring for the Ruger LCR in 38 special+p. I think the pocket revolver is a pretty good gun for primary concealed carry where one may not be so inclined to carry a larger gun day in and day out. If I was to go with a semi auto, I'd get the Glock 43 but there's just something about a little revolver that I like. Recoil is an issue with tiny guns, and being able to load the wheel gun up with standard pressure wadcutters makes for important live fire trigger time practice.
I sought an LCR in .357, but there were none to be found at the time, so a .38 Special +P with LaserMax found its way into my pocket. The LCR is a great little snubby.
About 1973 needed a handgun for hunting and target shooting. My first purchase was a Ruger New Model Blackhawk Convertable .357.
Went to a local gun shop out in the outskirts of town to a private little in the garage housed gun shop. I was only 18 at the time and my father had to sign for it.
Not only did I buy my handgun at this little shop but the owner and I became good friends overtime. Spent a lot of time in that little out of the way gun shop.
I almost forgot to mention that I still have that Ruger!
Glock 17. Late '80s, early '90s? Pretty sure it is a generation 2. Still shoot it regularly... was just at the range with it a couple days ago. It is more accurate than I am. God knows how many rounds I've put through it, especially reloads.
I've had a to replace a couple trigger parts that wore out from use. Otherwise it just keeps working.
Grendel P-12 (.380 ACP) in 1992. It shot everything I put in it, but I really hated the recoil and the way it felt in my hand. Needless to say, in less than a year after buying, it went "Buh-Bye"...
Grendel P-12 (.380 ACP) in 1992. It shot everything I put in it, but I really hated the recoil and the way it felt in my hand. Needless to say, in less than a year after buying, it went "Buh-Bye"...
I remember those from when I was looking up info on my new G17. Is Grendel still around? They had a couple other interesting looking guns if I remember correctly.
I bought a flintlock rifle with a bump stock and a silencer.:fred:
First handgun was a used H&R .22 revolver. I don't remember if it had a model no. I paid $25 for it. I sold it a couple of years later, for $25.
A friend of mine bought one of those right as the first hubbub occurred over people realizing Norinco was basically the Chinese military-industrial complex, back in the early '90s. So some were saying you were supporting the red Chinese by buying it. So he actually didn't bring it to the range for awhile, to avoid comments from people. Perfectly good gun.
Of course, during all that, people seemingly didn't realize that buying ANYTHING made in China was/is supporting the Chinese military.
Much used and slightly abused Colt 1911 Series 80. Gun shop downtown Manhattan. Reblued, new sights. Still have it. Added .400 Corbon barrel when we moved to the country.
I bought a Ruger Security Six at the MCRD in San Diego several months before I got out of the Navy. As a friend and I had just starting our reloading ventures, a bullstrong revolver was quite an asset.
My first was a Colt 'Woodsman' .22. Sold it around 1964 along with my Winchester Model 12 shotgun and Winchester Model 62 pump-action .22 rifle for college tuition. The sacrifice turned out to be well worth it, but I still miss 'em.
1995 Colt Enhanced Lightweight Commander purchased new from the LGS in '96 when I got my CC permit. Originally it looked like this:
The image doesn't show how brightly polished the sides are and how good the bluing was back then. Today mine wears a few upgrades and runs great. I didn't realize it was an enhanced version until I rebuilt it this summer. (The enhanced versions of the mid '90s had a raised flat rib along the top of the slide, a lowered and flared ejection port, forward slanted slide serrations like the Gold Cup, a slotted Commander hammer, a beveled magwell and an undercut trigger guard.)
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