Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Your First 22?

I was 14, and bought a 10/22 blue, walnut carbine, open sights from Target for $66.

My twin brother bought a Marlin 39A on the same day for a ridiculous amount of $120.

I kept that rifle until I broke the bead off the front sight, and saw a Stainless steel 10/22 that I HAD to have!!

Browning auto-22 in 1972 for me

Ruger 10/22 in 1987, Dad gave it to me when I got my hunters safety card.

same here.my older brother bought it for me when I was 8 years old,in 1971,for $10. still have it,though the extractor is worn out,and the butt plate is missing.
I havent fired it in 35 years.

Does your twin brother still have the marlin?

My twin brother and I got a pair of nylon 66 mohawk browns when kmart closed them out in the early 80's for $50 (about half price). Mine had a tube defect and I think I sold it foolishley to get a marlin 39a. In college, I sold the marlin to my brother for his nylon and cash to boot so I could put a stereo in my truck. Somehow I traded that nylon away too because they were not accurate and bought a marlin bolt... then traded it to my brother for cash and the 39a.

Now I have the 39A and a nylon apache black... will not sell the 39A and never shoot the apache. Shouldn't sell it, but the nylon prices are getting tempting! Every time I see Ingwe's nylon with a red dot, I want to set it up the same way.

I'm spoiled, Marlin 39a

I was about 7 yrs old when I discovered my Dad's Remington Model 12 w/hex barrel in the back of his closest. It was the only gun he had ever owned. Once I let him know I had found it, we immediately went to the store, bought a box of 22 Longs and out to the countryside we went and I learned to shoot. I used that gun until I was able to buy a Remington Nylon 66 (Apache Black) with my lawn mowing money. I still have and treasure both of them.

gnoahhh:

My first firearm was also a .22 Marlin 81DL bolt tube fed. I got it for my 13th birthday in 1949. I still have it. I did do a minor rebuild a couple of years back. Marlin did not stock some parts so Numrich filled my needs. At the time of my birthday I lived on a farm in the foothills of the Cascades in Western Oregon. Shot a ton of "greydigger" squirrels, now practically extinct Western Oregon jack rabbits, various other varmints, racoons, possums, etc. plus Ruffed grouse. Also it was our best veterinary tool as at times we raised, beside cattle, sheep and turkeys. Years later moved to Eastern Oregon and also used it on Sage Rats, jackrabbits and and a rattlesnake or two and a few rock chucks.

I still have it. It still is wonderfully accurate. It has been replaced for the large part by a Marlin 39A and a Ruger 10/22.

ROUNDUP

Mine was a Winchester Model 60 single shot bolt action. My grandma put meat on the table with it, it was my dad's 1st rifle and what he learned to shoot with as well as mine. I had it reblued and I refinished the stock and gave it to my son on his 1st birthday (about 15 years ago). It sits in my gun safe still.

Single Shot Marlin I got in the 5th grade in 1970. Gave it to my little brother, & bought me a Nylon 66 Apache Black in 1975 at the grocery store I worked in from my freshman year till I was a Senior. I thank I payed $69 bucks for it. Got Mom to fill out the paper work, since I was only 15 at the time

In 1948 when I was 12 my father bought me a Stevens .22/410 o/u with a tenite stock. Don't know when the rifle was built but guess it might have been during WWII when wood was in short supply. I shot it for several years but eventually it went down the road.

In later years I got a Savage .22/20 gauge. It had a trigger pull that went 9 lbs. AFTER a smith had worked on it. Because the stock was designed to accommodate either a scope or rifle sights the recoil from the 20 ga. was brutal. Eventually found someone who was enamored of it and let it go.

Today I have a CZ 452 which isn't as accurate as the Browning Gold Medallion it replaced.

Jim

My first was a Grade I Browning T-Bolt, which I have to this day, wearing the same ol' Marlin 4x32 scope.

My first 22 was a Rem. 511-P which I got when I was 13 years old. I just recently sold it to a Remmie 22 collector as it hasn't been shot since I was probably 15 years old. I started shooting in a indoor league when 15 and my Dad got me a 75Win.Target rifle and he kept the 511. I got it back after he passed. The 22LR's have been a favorite of mine for a long time. My search for the "holy grail" of 22LR's ended with this pair of Cooper Americans. Its said there were only around 250 made till Cooper got his 57M action developed going from the 36 receiver. I read where there are very few(less than 10) with all the options on these two. Both were built by Leroy Barry while he was wood shop manager at Cooper. He has his own business now and he still builds this kind of firearm.



So I went from the 511-P to these 2 Coopers. I owned a Rem. 40X clip sporter and 2 different Pre-64 Winchester 52C sporters and handful of Kimbers sporters and was always still looking. Well the search has ended for me with the 2 Cooper Americans. Defination of a Cooper American is a Anschutz barreled action and Cooper woodwork. Best of both worlds with the Anschutz accuracy and Cooper woodwork.

Remington 33 single shot.

My Uncle Tom bought me a Remington 542 pump when I turned 12 years old.

Up til then I used my dad's Crackshot 26.

That particular lever gun never fed the rounds worth a darn. If you held the rifle at an angle, it wouldn't feed.

Thick, glossy, Marlin finish, heavy BBl. I'm sure it went down the road eventually.

I wish I were better at keeping guns, but in the past, when I wanted something I had to sell to get the funds.