Why I bought my first pistol

[BeanMan]

15 years ago I used to hunt by myself a few miles back into the West Elk Wilderness of Colorado.  I was an archery hunter back then and backpacked and camped  without with only the bow, didn't think I had the need for a sidearm.  One trip changed all that.  I had just packed into where my camp was to be set up.  I was tired after carrying the pack in and sat down on a log to eat a chocolate bar.  I heard some animals in the creek bottom behind me.  It was the afternoon before elk season opened so I didn't get my bow and go investigate.  I heard more than one animal walking up behind me.  I  thought for sure they were deer so I decided to wait unitl they were real close and turn around and spook them.  When I turned around I saw a black bear sow and two cubs about 15 feet from me.  The sow and one cub ran.  The other cub  climbed a tree next my pack. I grabbed my bow and started backing out of camp.  Momma bear counted cubs and came up one short.  She then ran straight towards me with her hair up and popping her teeth.  The cub dropped out of the tree and they all ran off.

I didn't like the idea of trying to stop that bear with  a bow and to be honest it scared the crapp out of me.  I bought a Ruger Super blackhawk in .44 Rem mag the next week and always have felt much safer since then.  Never have had to use it.

BeanMan

[Questor]

That's a very sensible application for a handgun. It's approximately what they were invented for in the first place.

[ms]

Good story I'am glad you didn't get hurt.

[Dusty Miller]

That 44 mag will also be just the ticket for those TWO LEGGED preditors that sometimes show up in the outdoors from time to time.  :grin:

[oso45-70]

Hate when my laundry bill goes up suddenly, especially when I'am far from home, Glad it turned out the way it did   .........Joe.......

[slink]

like the .44 does. It's not much as a combat arm, either. I'd feel way ahead with a 1911 in 460 Rowland, using hardcast  160 gr swc's, at about 1400 fps. Given a Commander slide and a muzzlewt on the exposed Govt Model barrel, such a load is controlable in rapidfire, much more so than even a DA .44. 700 ft lbs, plenty of penetration, and a .45" hole diameter, along with 5 hits per second, add up much better than 2 hits per second with an SA .44.

[Skeeterbaymac]

Mr. BeanMan:  I can't think of a better reason for buying a pistol.  I also can't argue with your choice of gun's either.  In my opinion, your well armed with what your carrying!

[PaulS]

So, why did the rest of us buy our first pistol....

Mine was purchased to shoot! and to carry concealed.
I was brought up shooting and always prefered rifles but you can't carry a concealed rifle so I started looking at pistols. I wasn't rich and I knew I needed something that was adaptable to many different loads and circumstances. I chose a brand I had used with little trouble when my dad was buying the guns - a Ruger. I knew that barrel length gave a boost with sight picture but I had to be able to hide the thing so I compromised with a 6 inch barrel. The Security-Six had adjustable sights and came in stainless steel - that was all a man could ask for.
 I have carried it and only had to draw it once in the last 35 years. Never had to shoot another being in defense. I have competed with it, gained and lost a severe flinch with it, hunted with it, and I still carry it today. I have tried the "adjustable main spring" kits and put back in the factory parts to keep it firing each time I pulled the trigger. The only modification that I did keep was the polishing job I did on the trigger and hammer sears and the trigger stop. I have gone through 4 or 5 different grip sets and I finally settled on a set that I found while competing - I can get the exact same grip in the same place each time I grasp it and it fits my hand better than the skinny wood grips that Ruger made for it.
I have had other guns but this is the one I kept for my lighter work. For the heavy work I have longer guns.

[slink]

Funny how the mag revolver guys and 1911 fans all just HAPPEN to own a .38 snub or 380, tho.  LOL.

[Questor]

I bought my first pistol because I thought it would be fun to learn to shoot a pistol well. It turned into quite an enjoyable hobby.

[WNY_Whitetailer]

She then ran straight towards me with her hair up and popping her teeth.  The cub dropped out of the tree and they all ran off.

Yep...That would have done it for me too...Good story...Thanks for sharing.

[S.B.]

like the .44 does. It's not much as a combat arm, either. I'd feel way ahead with a 1911 in 460 Rowland, using hardcast  160 gr swc's, at about 1400 fps. Given a Commander slide and a muzzlewt on the exposed Govt Model barrel, such a load is controlable in rapidfire, much more so than even a DA .44. 700 ft lbs, plenty of penetration, and a .45" hole diameter, along with 5 hits per second, add up much better than 2 hits per second with an SA .44.

5 hits per second. Wow, that's faster than "The Burner" Jerry Barnhart can shoot pins off a table. Are you sure about that time? What kind of timer did you measure your times with? I dought that most revolver shooters can do "2 hits per second", either with a . 44 magnum. Dirty Harry was just a movie.

[pistolhuntermn]

First pistol bought was a stainless Ruger Superblackhawk .44 mag with 10 1/2" barrel. Was living in South Texas and used it on coyote, fox, javelina, hog, deer, and a bobcat. It's funny how you can't stop at one...... so many pistols since.  :lol:

[Old Griz]

:cb2: First handgun . . .

Mine has nothing to do with hunting.

We live in a very racially divided city with an extremely high crime rate. We were #2 on the FBI's list for rape and murder, and #2 for robbery and carjacking. Lots of gang activity.

The first time our mayor, who is black, ran for office the election was very close. Our local Black Causus was interviewed during the election coverage, and our U.S. Congressman, also black, promised that if the black candidate wasn't elected mayor, that there would be blood in the streets that night. He promised riots. The black candidate, who had been behind, suddenly won. It was obvious that the former mayor unofficially conceded the race in order to save the city from a race war.

Shortly thereafter the Rodney King riots in LA.

Then the same Congressman who promised blood in the streets, went on trial for mail fraud and other charges. The charges were made in East Tennessee, but he pulled enough strings to have the trial here in Memphis. Everyone was bracing for riots if he was found guilty. Here everything is racially motivated if a black politician gets into trouble. The police had a sniper on the roof across from the jail in case he was found guilty, a riot occurred in the jail, and prisioners escaped. He was to make sure that as far as they got was the front door.

Most folks were pretty worried. Including your's truly. Fortunately, so was my wife. Even though her father had always taught her the dangers of having a gun in the house—something he would never do—she got scared enough to ask, "If someone broke in here, do we have anything to fight back with?" My heart leaped with anticipation. "No Dear," I said calmly, hiding my sudden excitement. "Only a machete, and I sure hate to think of getting that close." I was hoping that the hint in my response was sinking in. My heart leaped for joy when she asked, "Do you thing we might ought to get a gun for protection?" HALLELUJAH!

OK, now what to get. My first consideration was something she could learn to shoot without being scared of it. I decided on a S&W 2206. It was a full sized, stainless steel, .22 semi-automatic. Absolutely no recoil of course. It turned out to be an excellent choice. On her first day at the range she got over 80% of her shots in the black. She liked the idea that she did so good on her first try. So did I.

So our first handgun was that .22 auto. Thank you Senator Harold Ford, Sr.!

Too bad Smith doesn't make them anymore. It's a great gun, however, the wife won't shoot it anymore. She likes to "feel it" when her gun goes off, and a .22 "doesn't make big enough holes." So she now carries a .357. She likes my .45 the best. But hey, she's a grown shooter. She can get her own!

[Dand]

My first was a .22 Colt Frontier Scout with LR and Mag cylinder.  I had hunted big game for quite a few years and was always seeing more small game. I had a big row with my dad when I begged him to get me a K22 like a neighbor had. No gun, had to wait until I had my own $$ and was old enough. One day in the college dorm rec room a guy mentioned he was selling his 22 pistol for $50.  I said SOLD before he could change his mind. The gun, 2 holsters and some ammo.  I think it was my best gun deal.  I could sneak it out of the dorm and walk to some woods to practice with it (Fairbanks AK in the early 70's).  Still have it and its accounted for a number of grouse and rabbits. Mostly a safe queen now.

Second was a S&W 58 I bought for walking stream surveys in the Susitna River drainage.  Not too many bears to worry about but they ARE there and its wise to have something. I got real tired of packing the issue Rem 870 too.  The 58 left my hands free.  My partner didn't like the way I carried the 870 so I gave it to her to carry - that shut her up.  I wish I hadn't sold that gun.

Paul S - I love my stainless 4 inch Security 6. I shoot it better than all the rest, with hogue grips it fits me very well, lighter than my 41 mags, and has accounted for quite a few grouse and rabbits.  Just that its a bit light if I'm really concerned about bears. And I don't worry about rust. One rugged gun.

[Doe]

speaking of black bear attacks there been some strange black bear attacks lately in the past 2 month a family camping in idaho was attack by a black bear the 6 year old girl did not live and her little brother and mother was scarred bad but live. Other camper help, but the bear took the girl. No camper had any gun, probably camp rules. Then the next month a young boy was killed by a black beer but not in the same camp, both attack did not involve cubs. STRANGE? Now my ? to you guys is if the camp did not allow guns in the park, would you still bring one anyways? In both situation no campers had any means of defense againest bear attacks.

[Old Griz]

:cb2: Outta sight, in a fanny pack at least. I've got a good sized one that holds quite a bit of gear and has an inside pocket that is easy to get to, that holds a 4" Anaconda or a N-frame Smith without any trouble.

[John]

I grew up with guns, lots of guns, but they were all of the long persuasion, and Pop's always said that a pistol was pretty much worthless except for killin' a man, and he taught me that killin' folks just wasn't right.

"The times they are a changin.'"(Dylan).

I bought my first pistol just a few years ago, Browning High Power..9mm. It was a hoot to shoot, but it didn't make a big enough hole. I went to 45 after that...much better, then I got a little bull barreled Mark I for plinkin', and then a redhawk 44 mag, and finally I got a concealed carry permit.

Too bad ol Pops has been dead for over twenty years, I think he would have enjoyed the shootin' that's gone on around here with those little bitty short guns. He just didn't know what he was missin'.

I hope from reading this post that you folks don't think that I've become a mass murderer or something, nope, just have em around now, carry one when traveling, have one close by most of the time. Ya just never know when it might be a good thing.....well, I spect it's always a good thing now ain't it?

[DutchV]

First pistol was a 4" S&W model 66 police tradein, and I've still got it.  Ugly as sin, but shoots just fine.  Cops don't shoot often enough to wear out a gun.  Here in the big city (Baltimore, MD) , you never know when a .357 will prove useful.  

I've got smaller calibers, too.  Good to have along even if you don't think you'll need one.  I think I heard that from Jeff Cooper; it's good advice in any event.  A .38 or .380 might not scare off a bear, but a crackhead won't stick around after the shootin' starts.

[Connecticut Yankee]

My first handgun was a Colt Python 4" that my brother gave me about 30 years ago..  He was in the Coast Guard at the time, came home on leave and I let him have my truck for 2 weeks. At the end of his leave he gave me the Python, said he couldn't use it in the Coast Guard.  Shot it quite a bit, very nice gun.  Eventually traded it for a $1200 kevlar racing canoe, was a good trade actually at the time, but I wish I still had that Python.  It was a few years before I bought another handgun, this time a TC Contender which has led to 20 some odd barrels and many hours of enjoyment. First barrel was a .256 Win Mag. Got everything From a .22RF to a 45-70, most accurate are the .221 Fireball, 6.5 JDJ, 7mm Bower, .308 Bellum ,  Love to out shoot the rifle guys at the range. My Dan Wesson .44 6" barrel is a fine and scarry accurate revolver, along with a US Fireearms Henry Nedelton .45 Colt that is super smooth and incredibly accurate especially for a fixed site revolver.  A Ruger .32 mag Single Six 4 5/8" barrel, the first rendition with adjustible sights is my most often carried woods walking gun and just plain fun to shoot.  Then there is the Colt 1911 series 70 Gold Cup, the Colt Delta Elite 10mm and the Para Ordinance P1245.  A Makarov that I picked up cheap is probably the best gun for the price of anything I own and quite accurate for a short barrel too. Got the obligatory 9mm. Brobably the most interesting is a Ruger Blackhawk with a 38-40 cylinder and a 10mm cylinder, fun to shoot and also quite accurate.  I was at the range today, mostly shooting Mil. Surp. rifles but put 50 rounds down range with the .357 Colt King Cobra , probably as close as I'll get to that origional Python.

     John M.   A Connecticut Yankee

[SJPrice]

Kevlar Canoe vs 357 Python?  My money is on the Python.  Kevlar or not, the canoe is gonna sink.

[slide-flipper]

My first handguns (as an adult) came from a deputy sheriff friend of the family.  I had just got out of basic and tech school in 1987.  I was home on leave en-route to my first duty assignement.  Deputy Dog (to protect his name) insisted that I needed a good pistol so he sold me a Taurus .357 Mag revolver... nice gun, not world class but functional and accurate.  I gave him (if I remember right) $150 for it.  When he brought it over he gave me a Raven .25 ACP.  He made me clean it completely with brake cleaner twice and then oil it up.  Gave me one magazine and 6 rounds.  Put it in a bag and said to keep it handy and never touch it without cleaning it with brake fluid (seems to remove oily fingerprints).  He said everyone could use a throw-away gun...  I took that to mean this was the "clean gun" that you would plant on a suspect afterwards...

ps...  never did use it like that thankfully.

slide-flipper

[musicman10_1]

After a family camping/trout fishing trip 2 week ago I purchased a Ruger GP100 .357 Mag 4" handgun.  First night we were there a duo from the inner city arrived at 2am to do some fishing.  For the next two hours I was wide awake and and angry - the language, volume, and general lack of consideration for anyone else boggled my mind.  In the course of their very loud conversation it became known that they had a gun and that one of them couldn't carry it because of his probation.  I'm not kidding.  The conversation they had over two hours included well over 500 uses of the "N" word in reference to each other and the things they discussed were not repeatable or even believable.  

I have handguns but none that I would consider suitable for home defense (or tent defense for that matter) - that is the reason for the Ruger.  

John