Like most of you have stated, I started first also with a Daisy pump, I think model 25, pumped it one time and fairly powerful. The birds around weren't too safe. Later on had an uncle who was moving to Colorado and gave my dad his .22 when he was a boy, Winchester Model 74, .22 shorts. Took the pushrod out of the metal buttplate and put 20 shells in through the stock, pulled the lever back once and fired till empty. When my dad got it, it was in sorry shape. He took it all apart, cleaned it, reblued it and finished the stock. Still have it, looks just the way my dad finished it, probably 50 yers ago.
When old enough to hunt got my license for a shotgun and a license for a bow, New Jersey you had to take a seperate test for both. A few of my friends also hunted, but nobody was old enough to drive, I used to ask my dad to drive us to this one place 20 miles away and he would drop what he was doing and take us and most times pick us up. First shotgun I owned was a J.C. Higgins 12ga pump, ventilated rib, with a poly choke on it. For a 14 yrs old, it was heavy to carry, only used it for one season and by the following hunting season bought through my mom and dad on payments another J.C. Higgins, 20 ga double barrel, vent rib, single non-selective trigger, 28" barrels mod/full. Shot that gun until I went into the service in 1965. Still have both of them, and still in nice shape. Bought one of the first 20 ga Winchester 101's when they came out in June 1966. paid $166.85 in the gun club on post in Germany.
Ever since then, it seems I have been getting more firearms, had a few Remington 1100, got rid of them. Seems I'm addicted to sxs. Don't like o/u's any more either. Still have the 20 ga. Win 101 and a Beretta BL4 in 28 ga.
So even though my grandfather and father didn't really hunt, my father always made the time for me to take me hunting or shooting, or even fishing.
Now I will try and pass it along to my granddaughters when they get older.
Last edited by JDW; 03/26/07 06:34 PM.
