I grew up in New York City. I got interested in shooting while at summer camp; all .22 rifle stuff. When I suggested that I'd be interested in learning more about shooting while at home, my parents went into shock. Realize that my father was a WWII vet from the Independent Czech Armored Brigade under the British Army, was proficient with firearms, and hated them. My mother was a concentration camp survivor. They spent weeks describing the horrors of owning firearms (I'll tell you how my grandfather's WWI revolver saved my mother's life before WWII some other time) until I was just worn down.

Fast forward to age 32. I'm married, in PA, have a young kid, and find out about black powder guns. Bought a rifle kit, finished the stock (hand rubbed linseed oil and everything), browned the barrel, and wanted to take a firearms safety course. All that was available nearby was an indoor pistol range. Went, was given a lesson by one of the range owners who put a S&W Model 19 in my hands, took me on the range, sent a target out to 7 yards, told me to load one, aim like he'd shown me, and fire. I hit the X. He told me to load another, aim and fire. Not an X but a 10. I then loaded 6 rounds. Nothing lower than a 9. I was utterly hooked. Never looked back. Ended up buying the used Model 19 6 months later (wasn't rented out much because everybody wanted to pot away with 9mm). 24 years later I still have that Model 19, still shoot it, and I keep it for home defense. I also have other handguns, shoot at ranges and occasional matches.

First shot a handgun when I was 12, went with my grandfather. I still remember that day, first handgun I shot was the Ruger Mark II. I remember taking it carefully in my hands and being scared s**tless, thinking it would go off like a cannon and bop me in the head from recoil, lol. Then I got a Ruger Mark III for christmas two years later and it just progressed from there.

14 yrs old in the Army Cadet Force at school, and it was a Browning 9mm.

5 years old, got knocked out by my dads .357 duty weapon been shootin ever since

When I was a kid we had only rifles and shotguns. I shot my first handgun when I went into the police academy in 1979 at age 20. It was a Model 19 S&W which was the standard issue for the department. I could not even buy ammo for it because i was not old enough, even though I was a cop. You were not allowed to carry .38 caliber rounds, only .357 magnum. Our chief was big on firepower, unfortunately nobody carried semi autos back then or i am sure it would have been .45's.

In my 16 years with the Navy and Naval Reserve, I shot about 6 rounds each year to show that I knew which end belonged pointed down range. No marks were given. At 62 yrs old, I shot my first handgun for pleasure - and fell in love with the sport. Five days later, I bought my first, a SIG P-6, at a gun show. Since then, I've purchased a Glock 26 & SIG Mosquito and traded them away for a Glock 36 and a Bersa Thunder 380. My wife has informed me that I will not be purchasing any more handguns this year. I'm waiting to see if she's correct. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Was 24. Bought and still have a S&W model 36, 38 spl. Paid $67.50 new

I was 12. I was running a trap line in Ohio (muskrat and occasional ermine (winter weasel). I already had a shotgun (20 Ga ) and a .22 rifle. My grandfather bought me an H&R 922 and a belt holster. It was easier to carry when trapping. Wore it all over the place, nobody ever said a word!

Bought my first handgun the day after my 27th birthday so for about 16 days now.

first time i shot a handgun was a single action .22 revolver, i have no idea what brand or model but i was 6 and on the way to a cabin in stringtown oklahoma and my dad pulled the car over and he showed me how to grip the gun, pull the hammer back, aim and fire. very scary but i remember it being a lot of fun, i think he still has that gun. i shot several other handguns growing up but didn't buy my first until i was 22 yrs old.

I started shooting handguns in 79 when I was 23 I moved up from 22 to
357 and anything else I could buy cheap.

I fired the Bisley Colt (in .38-40 caliber) shown in my avatar at about age 10, and have been hooked ever since, although it's only been in the last few years that I have done a lot of handgun shooting.

The old .38-40 is almost the exact ballistic equivalent to the modern day .40 S&W, so it was pretty snappy, and of course, no ear protection in those days (circa 1960). But I was a big kid, and I loved it.

I think I was 19, Ruger Mk II

If it weren't for a very close friend and his father,I would never have experienced the out doors or firearms.I was 17 at George's hunting camp,S&W .357.--Thanks George and Mike-Love ya.

Nice little bell curve going on here...with the peak between 17-21. Do we have a lot of Military/Law Enforcement people here who started at 18?

Well, the first time I had shot a pistol would have been an old .22 revolver when I was about 16. I used to shoot it whenever we were out at the range and then again when I was 19 in the Army when I was issued my sidearm. I wasn't "in" to pistols until a few years ago when I bought my first .45ACP and haven't looked back since.

I always liked handguns from the time I learned to play "war" or whatever with my friends...... everyone would always choose the rifles and shotguns or machine guns or whatever long gun there was to choose from..... but some reason I always liked to use the pistols.....

I still to this day don't really like rifles or shotguns..... I don't own any long guns at all and at this point I don't plan to. Nothing against them I just prefer the fun of shooting a pistol.......

First real pistol I show was a .22 my uncle let me try.... I think I was about 12....

*chuckle* I remember when I was 6 or so my older brother trying to get me to shoot his Ruger Single Six .22 for a couple hours while him and his buddy plinked outside. He got his daughter (my age) to casually empty it out and walk away. That did it, no stupid girl was going to show me up! Hooked ever since.

Never shot a gun until I was thirty, now I got the bug.....

My uncle's Colt Woodsman at 8 or 9. Now it's mine at 42

It was early summer of 1972 my Grandfather had just passed away and Dad had brought his Rhom 22 cal snubnose home (he had bought it for Grandpa)He took me and my two oldest brothers(I am the youngest)out behind the barn and showed us how to shoot it and that same year I got my first 20 gauge single shot.Dad had taugt me at age 10 how to shoot a 410 gauge shotgun so I was already well on my way to the wonderful life of shooting.Back then we had a canal that ran behind the house and we watered the rice out of it.It was FULL OF SNAKES and I learned to shoot my first shotgun shooting snakes.That fall I got to go on my first squirrell and rabbit hunt.

My father is a former MP and retired LE. I have been taught gun saftey since I was an itch in my Father's pants. My Dad always taught me not to touch his guns when he was not around. Even now at 30 yrs old I don't pick up any of his guns without asking. Old habits die hard.

My dad gave me his old Ruger Single Six when I was 11.

I bought a .44 magnum Ruger Super BlackHawk when I was 19.