My First Christmas Rifle

[hoodat]

I'm pretty sure that I was 11 years old, so this would be 1967. I was a very happy boy with my "new to me", Western Auto Revelation 22 single shot rifle. I had been using my Daisy Boy Scout Model BB gun for a year, and when my Dad went to the closet and handed me this rifle, I nearly cried with joy.

We hiked together with it behind the house for a year, and then I was allowed on my own, -- but no buddies allowed. Dad told me that if he caught me or found out that I had any friends along on my expeditions that the rifle would disappear.

I treasured my privilege and the rifle so much that I never even considered breaking that rule. I can only hope that many or most of you have as wonderful memories as I do from this period of my young life. jd

[John Boy]

Nice Christmas Present

[avogunner]

Great memories indeed. My 1st rifle was the Christmas of 1972 (I was 11), actually it was my brother and my 1st rifle as it was for both of us. It was an Ithaca M49 single shot .22

Yeah, it looks like a lever action but it was single shot and my brother and I put 1000's of rounds down range with that. We always envied Dad's Marlin 39A when we were out hunting or plinking but now, I love them both equally. Both my brother and Dad are gone now so when I take it out it brings back many fond memories. It will be passed down to my son and I hope he cherishes it as much as I do.

Semper Fi and Merry Christmas

[waylonrocks]

I received the same gun as a Christmas gift from my grandparents the same year as you! I was seven and thumbing the hammer back or lowering it safely was a bit of a struggle! Still shoot it all the time. Love those open sights! My boys grew up shooting it, as well. One of them picked up one for himself at a gun show. That gun fostered an appreciation for single shot guns. I seem to spend the most time shooting my single shot TC Encore pistol/rifle. Stunning to think that you and I have owned this gun now for 49 years!!

[Jsm180]

The m49 was my first and only Christmas gun, got it when I was 5 or 6, so around 1963. Dad built a little 2' square trap that he set up in the basement and we shot CB caps out of it. Going to make some noise with it today, first Christmas without my dad.

[sparky45]

It was 1955 I was 10 and the Christmas Gun was a Remington Model 514 single shot .22. Back then you could go to the local grocery store and buy Remington Kleanbore .22 ammo for a penny a round and the store sold them that way. All my pop bottle money went for .22's. Those were the best of times.

[Gewehr-Guy]

My Christmas rifle was a Browning BL-22, when I was 12. Dad let me pick between the Browning and a Marlin 39. The BL-22 was $2 cheaper at $73, if I remember correctly. It has never disappointed me, and have shot many hundreds of jack rabbits and ten times more gophers in my early years.

[panhed65]

my Christmas rifle was a Marlin model 80. at 73, don't quite recall my age, but pretty young. my father was not interested in guns or hunting, but you could not keep me away from such things. still have that rifle, unsure how many thousands of rounds went thru it, as mentioned, all money went for ammo, and the western auto store would split open a box.
Barry

[oldhenry]

My 1st. was a Winchester 67 single shot for Christmas in '52. I was 13. My dad was afraid of guns but my mother came from a family of outdoorsmen. She'd take me out to the woods & remain in the car studying her Sunday school lesson while I roamed around.

[Cast10]

1989…..First year married to by beautiful wife. She bought me a new Winchester XTR in 30/06. Went through a fire some time back and I snuck in the fire area to get this rifle out of the house, which did not burn. It has taken many game animals and is a true shooter.

[uscra112]

I personally mourn the days when a 12-year-old could buy ammo at the local "everything" general store, as we did.

[jonp]

I was 8 or 10 when my father gave me a Winchester 190. The amount of rounds put through that gun would amaze most people. Squirrels, woodchucks, rabbits, partridge and just plinking.

[Minerat]

Mine was a Ithaca Model 66 super single 12ga not a rifle. I still have it.

[Kylongrifle32]

It was 1955 I was 10 and the Christmas Gun was a Remington Model 514 single shot .22. Back then you could go to the local grocery store and buy Remington Kleanbore .22 ammo for a penny a round and the store sold them that way. All my pop bottle money went for .22's. Those were the best of times.

As a kid there was a hardware store in town that would break down a box of 22's and sell them for a penny a piece. Did the same there traded pop bottles for penny candy and 22 rounds.
My only Christmas rifle was a Crossman pellet gun at about the age of nine. I did get a Marlin Glenfield model 60 for my 12th birthday.

[tazman]

I was never given a firearm. I bought my first rifle and still have it.
I think I appreciated it more because I had to work for it myself.

[skeettx]

The first was a Savage 24 22/410

I am 73 and still have it

Mike

[txbirdman]

My first Christmas gift rifle was a ‘94 Winchester when I was 16. That rifle was built the year I was born in 1948 and I still have it.

[robg]

my dad gave me a Diana 177 air rifle when i was 8 .wish i still had it ,it just disappeared in a house move.all my friends had air rifles and we would spend our days in the woods around the village .if kids did that today there would be an armed response unit there in minutes with helicopter support.

[Wayne Smith]

Ours (my brother and I) was a Sears bolt action single shot made by Marlin. It was under the tree when I was seven or eight. It's up in the gun room now. It is the model that automatically resets the safety when you open the bolt.

[rintinglen]

I was 8 and my first experience with a 22 was not so happy.

It was an off-brand, Western Field IIRC, single shot that required you to cock the striker after working the bolt to load it. My older cousin and I were out in the woods back of my Uncle's Farm plinking at some old cans set in a small gravel pit. It took us both hands to draw back the knob to cock the gun and I took to placing the barrel on the edge of my left sandal to get a better grip. Well, the knob slipped out of my hand, the gun went off and the bullet hit a stone and peppered my right foot with bits of gravel and lead, stung like crazy. My cousin's laughter didn't help much. I went back to my Daisy for several Years thereafter.