What was your first handgun, and do you still own it?

[keeterbird]

My first handgun was a H&R 929 with four inch barrel. I sold it in college, but found one about a year ago. I was excited to get one like it. Early memories are strong.

[Chucktshoes]

Hi Point .45. I never had a problem out of it. Had it for about 6 months, then sold it to fund a PT1911 for carry.

[East_TN_Patriot]

Beretta 96 I bought from a fellow police officer. I have no idea what I traded it in to get, but I never did like that gun.

The handgun I have owned the longest is a Smith & Wesson model 65 my grandpa gave me in 1995. It was his duty revolver when he retired from Ft. Lauderdale Police. Nothing fancy, but it has a fantastic trigger. The story he told me was that a fellow officer had a friend who worked as an armorer at the Smith factory and whenever this guy went home to visit family, he would take a gun or two up to have his friend do a trigger job on it. It still has the original wood grips, and my grandpa used his pocketknife to carve out a recess in the left grip so he could use a speed loader. I asked him if he ever shot anyone with it and he said no, but he did kill a man with it. A fellow cop was in a battle royal with a guy and called for backup. When my grandpa got on scene, he saw the bad guy was trying to get the officer's gun. Afraid he'd accidentally shoot the officer, he beat the guy over the head with the gun and killed him.

Funny story; when I got an H&K for my first duty gun I showed it to him. He looked at it for a few seconds and said, "I'm sure it's a fine piece, but do you think that plastic frame will hold up when you hit someone over the head with it?" He preferred the heavy-barreled Smith revolvers over the Colt Police Positive revolvers because they had a pinned barrel and covered ejector rod.  He told me about the first guy he hit over the head with his Colt revolver and when he was done, the ejector rod was bent and the barrel would turn freely in the frame.  He was an old school street cop for sure!  

 

Edited June 2, 2013 by East_TN_Patriot

[Wiljo05]

Firestorm (Bersa) mini thunder 9. Quickly replaced with a Taurus PT92AFS (over Baretta m9) due to decock auto return.

[Chadastrophic]

An ultra classic and rare 2011 Walther P22.

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[Guest earlybird]

Kimber Pro Carry Ten II. One of the worst guns I have ever owned. Liked it for the capacity, just had a very hard time feeding and lots of light strikes. Got rid of it for a USP compact 9mm. Best decision ever. I'll take a USP over just about anything now. 

[Wyldk2]

SInce i have only been into guns a short time, my first handgun was a Gen 3 Glock 23 ( I still have it).

 

My dad still has the guns his dad left him, but were destroyed in a fire. He replaced one with a Gen 3 Glock 23( exactly like mine) never shot it though. And a Ruger .22. 

 

The guns he was able to salvage are still being soaked in oil in the garage. One of these days he'd like to get them either restored or looked at by a professional armorer.

[glowdotGlock]

Though I owned several old rifles and shotguns since I was a kid, my first handgun was a Phoenix Arms 22 semi auto pistol. I bought it from a private when I was 17. Absolute piece of junk. Gave $100 for it. I shot about 200 rounds through it and then the firing pin and parts just flew all out of the back of the slide.

[tartanphantom]

My father bought me a Ruger Single Six with two cylinders from Wal Mart for my birthday when I was a teenager. I still have it, and it's still in the box.

 

Same here, only mine wasn't purchased at Walmart. I think it was purchased at Sears way back when they actually had a sporting goods department with honest-to-god firearms... you know, one of those big free-standing Sears stores before the mega-mall days? Was purchased around 1979. I no longer have the box, but the Ruger is still going strong, and is one of my most accurate pistols-- particularly with .22WMR.

Edited June 2, 2013 by tartanphantom

[Xtarheel]

Charter Arms Undercover .38SPL bought in 1975. Still carry it occasionally and still shoot it regularly. Usually used as a truck gun or backup. Bought at Howards in Oak Ridge.

[timthetoolman]

Sig SP2340 and I still have it.

[daveW]

My first handgun was a Ruger p85, bought used around 1992 or so. I liked it at the time but eventually traded it away. I wish I still had it for nostalgia purposes (same as my first car, first girlfriend, etc.-all from the same year).

It (the gun) had brick-like ergonomics and 6 inches of trigger pull.

[glowdotGlock]

My first handgun was a Ruger p85, bought used around 1992 or so. I liked it at the time but eventually traded it away. I wish I still had it for nostalgia purposes (same as my first car, first girlfriend, etc.-all from the same year).


It (the gun) had brick-like ergonomics and 6 inches of trigger pull.

Haha! "First Girlfriend"

[slow ss]

Glock 19 purchased a few days after I turned 21 still own it and the crappy 10 rnd mags it came with during the clinton ban...it will never leave only get passed on to my son!

[TLRMADE]

Taurus Millennium PT111....hell no haha

[robbieg19]

Jennings j-22. Biggest piece of junk I have ever seen. Still have it because I wouldn't feel right selling to anyone.

[reed1285]

S&W 5906 9mm


Loved it, sold it, regret it

[Guest sL1k]

My first handgun was a 9 shot h&r .22 I still have it. Gift from my step father, then when I turned 18 he let me have his gen2 glock 19 9mm, colt m1991a1 .45, s&w 3" 686 .357. I still have them.

[Pcdokk]

Titan 25 cal semi auto got it in the late 70's. Still have it and the leather holster have not fired it in a few years but its in good shape. Edited June 3, 2013 by Pcdokk

[diablo982]

S&W model 686 I bought as a present to myself on my 21st birthday. The double-action is as smooth as butter and it has the best single-action I've ever felt. Its still my favorite gun and I will never part with it. Edited June 3, 2013 by diablo982

[samson7x]

Kimber custom II stainless for me.  I still have it and always will.  I've killed a few deer with it and am quite fond of it.

[Jonnin]

My true first is a ruger blackhawk bisley (funny grips) 44 mag.  I still have it.  My dad acquired it for me as a gift before I was old enough to buy one.  While a great pistol, you simply cannot find any grips that are not just like the originals (I want something big & soft/rubberish).  The original grips are small and put a lot of recoil back in your hands; I mostly shoot it with weak ammo now as it is just too much stress on my hands with max loads beyond a few shots.  It was bought by picking one out by looking at the pictures in a magazine...!  Neither of us knew much about handguns. 

 

The first one I bought myself was my makarov, when I came of age, bought to carry.  I still have that one as well, and it is still awesome. 

[LCPfraTN]

My first handgun was a Smith & Wesson model 66-2 that I bought new when I was in my mid-twenties. I still own it and plan on passing it on to my son someday. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the importance of keeping the old cardboard boxes that they came in back then, so I no longer have it, but I still have the tools and manual that came with it. I also bought a little Titan .25 acp pistol shortly after buying the model 66 thinking that my wife could learn to shoot with it. Well, long story short...she shot it once and the slide bit her and she hasn't shot a gun since. I still own it, and she is starting to come around to consider shooting a gun again, but it won't be with the little Titan. ;)  

[zeek]

Mine was a ruger MKII .22 with a bull barrel. I still have it as it is currently my only .22 pistol. I really like it but I am looking for a new .22 to burn the range up with if ammo ever goes back to semi normal.

[jgradyc]

Colt Commander manufactured in 1979, purchased in 1980.  I still have it... never really liked shooting it.