Who had guns as kids (under 18) and what kind?

It's called player hate.

 

My first was a 1928 iver Johnson single shot bolt action .22, given to me on my 12th birthday. The same rifle that was my dads first rifle. A rifle that was my son's first, and will be my grandsons first.

This rifle is one that qualifies for the "...pried from my cold dead hands" category. It still fires like its brand new, even though it has been in my family for 90 years.

 

Ahhhh !
I admire players.......

 

A timeless classic, a sweet rifle.

Passed down from generation to generation.

I briefly had a single shot falling block version, octagonal barrel, adjustable peep sight, quite heavy for a .22 long rifle and very old, mirror bore.
Patina brown reddish finish.

 

My first gun was a Red Ryder at 6, followed by a .22 boot. At 8 or 9, got a PPK followed by a 16ga bolt and a LE .303. At 14 also had a BHP and had made a small .22 full auto and later a Sten MKII. Between 9 and 12 made a number of zip gun designs. All, in the U.K. despite their prohibitions.

 

I had several. The one I wish I had back was my Model 51 Ithaca 12 gauge. I got it right before the move to steel shot. I know I bought it when I was 16 because I could drive. About the only thing I didn't like about it was the finish which would rust with just a hint of salt water. You had to keep it well oiled. I used a light layer of gun grease on the finish that worked nicely.

 

Great question.

I bought my first gun, a Smith & Wesson Model 59, on my 21st birthday at college.

Prior to that, my mom had a 22LR revolver in the house, which I had access to when she was not home, for protection.

My neighbor also had a 22LR rifle from Sears that we shared to hunt rabbits and squirrels with. His father bought it though, and technically it belonged to his father. But my neighbor let me borrow it anytime I wanted to go hunting if he didn't want to go too.

 

You are a true patriot @An Taibhse . You belong in America. Not in England.

 

The kids are uneducated and at this point in their development where their brains are still growing they are stupid.

 

Or you could have just gotten yourself a gun safe and kept them in there.

 

But these weren't YOUR guns they were your dad's. Or mom's.

 

I bet he had some of those dangerous guns, the kind that make you do bad things with them.

 

In my family, my dad was anti-gun too, which was ironic since he was a WW2 veteran tank officer who always had a Springfield 45ACP with him inside the tank.

My mom was pro gun and the first time my dad got U.S. Army orders to Asia, and we had to stay here stateside alone, my mom got herself a 22LR revolver.

 

Right, maybe not technically but the shotguns and 22 were in my closet and for all intents and purposes they were mine. It wasnt a big deal for me. My Atari was more of a big deal to me.

 

You were obviously under U.S. Army adult supervision -- the sergeants and officers who were well over 21 if not over 25 though.

Different story.

 

My mom kept her 22LR in her nightstand drawer.

I knew where to get it if I needed it.

She kept it in a holster.

She was a good safe gun owner.

 

My personal view is that age 12 is a good time for boys and for girls to learn how to shoot with adult supervision.

The guns themselves should be kept locked in a gun save under their parents' supervision however. Same as the U.S. Army does. And the Navy. And the Marines. And the Coast Guard. And the Air Force. And the National Guard.

Of course that did not stop Adam Lanza from getting his mom's guns and killing 20 little kids.

 

O.M.G.

America, what are you doing

 

Great thread @JakeStarkey .

I'm putting you on my "follow" list now.

 

Adam Lanza should have been in white pajamas in a padded cell under close supervision along with proper medication.

 

You need an avatar @QLB . Please see to it.

 

America is, was, and always will be the arsenal of democracy.

But for America, and the Auzzies would be speaking Japanese, and the British would be speaking German today.

And as for Canada, she sits next to the arsenal and therefore can be a ***** and get away with it.

 

@crank you'll stay on my iggy list.

 

I was 10 and rode a horse used horse drawn wagons, hunted, cooked, camped, had a wee drop of brandy, made a fire, lit a few lanterns at night around the tent and was quite the responsible lad on My Uncles "Ponderosa" and happily his rules about guns were Safety First.

My being 10 years old not so much an issue.

 

A couple of years ago my Grandsons (both on the honor roll) and I built a higher end AR15 from components when they were 11&13. They each own .22's one a Ruger/Volquartsen MKIII Hunter with a 4" barrel and the other a Full Volquartsen frame 22/45 Target. A Ruger American Rimfire and a tricked out 10/22 with Kidd components. I have to start each of them on P series Sig's as there is a W. German P226 and a M11A1 already in the safe. We can talk about PC Smith revolvers another time.
Oh, yea! They are learning handloading.