Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots What was your first gun?

Savage over/under 22/410. Killed a few jackrabbits and a bunch of grouse. Traded it off when I was in my twenties and should have kept it. First big game rifle was a Lee Enfield. Still have it. I always wanted a H&R topper in 30/30 which I figured I could rechamber to 30/40 Krag. Never got that but, twenty five years later, I did pick up a Savage 219 which I did re-chamber to 30/40 and it worked great. I just wish it had an exposed hammer. I think a top lever, tip up single shot with an exposed hammer, floating pin, and half-cock safety is just the perfect beginners rifle; not so bad for old timers either. GD

Glenfield M60 22.

L.C. Smith 20 ga. Field Grade given to me. by my Grandfather in 1955. My dad later took it without me knowing and traded it for a Winchester Model 63 in pristine condition and proptly gave it to my brother since he only cared for one of my three siblings. At my young age I had no recourse and could not figure out why he did that. Now I know.

Winchesrer 67-A boy’s rifle. Still have it.

Daisy BB (not the Red Rider)
Mossberg .22 semi

1891 Argy in 7.65 Argentine. Kicked like a mule.

Iver Johnson "Champion" shotgun; 16 ga. break open single shot was the first working gun for me. It was my dad's pheasant gun from the late 30's until he went into the Navy in 1943. After the war it eventually went to a couple older cousins before I got it in 1967 while in high school. Still have it and it got re-blued and the receiver re- case hardened in 1978 and it still looks mint today although it doesn't get out much. I had dad's Mod. 67 Winchester .22 before the shotgun but it didn't work. Years ago a gunsmith told dad it would cost more to fix than it was worth so dad just stuck it in a closet. I was in my mid 20's before I discovered that all it needed was an easily replaced sear spring. So actually I had the mod. 67 first but never fired it until almost 10 years after I got the shotgun.

.22lr/.410ga. Over and under savage model 24.

Since this is a single shot forum, my first shotgun was a 12 gauge N.R.Davis single shot. Killed a railroad car full of quail, rabbits, and squirrels with it in the early-mid 60's. It taught me to pick my shots carefully. Other "firsts" were all repeaters.

My first single shot rifle was actually two I bought at the same time in the mid-70's: a Winchester Low Wall .22 WCF and a Winchester High Wall re-stocked and re-barreled for R2 Lovell, followed very closely by another High Wall in .219 Donaldson Wasp.

My first was a single shot bolt action Stevens 22 with the knob that was pulled in order to cock the rifle.

Winchester model 72 .22 I bought used in 1972. I still have it & shoot it once in a while.

Remington 700 BDL 308 Winchester

Stevens 20ga single shot. Lives in the back of my safe, haven't shot it for years....

It was Dad's single shot iver johnson 28 ga. Shot my first pheasant a rabbits with it, when I was about 10 yo. My brother still has the shotgun.

Mossberg .410 bolt action.

A Marlin 336 30-30 Winchester. A friend now has it.

Remington 514 .22 rimfire

Sears Roebuck bolt action single shot 410 shotgun. It was a Christmas present in 1962 and if I remember correctly dad paid like $22.00 for it.

A single shot 22 boltaction stevens that my mom bought me for my 8th birthday for $6.00 1945.

First single shot was a Browning 1885.