YOUR MEMORIES OF THE FIRST LARGE CALIBER HANDGUN SHOT

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M'BOGO

Buckeye
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
1,952
Location
METRO DETROIT
This is one of those my first time.... memories, eyes wide, mouth breathing, staring at your hand, in it you are staring at the center of the universe for a moment.

Mine was a 7.5" SBH, been reading Keith, had to have one. I'd shot all the standard pistol calibers (.45ACP, 9X19, .40 S7W, .357 mag, no problem), stoked it with some factory Remingtons, aligned the sights, pressed the trigger. Then it felt like someone racked my middle knuckle with a hammer, and my palm with a 1X4. I fired the other five, and wondered if I'd made a mistake.

I do have sasquach/ET hands, and much prefer the bisley grip.
 

alaskamace

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
91
Location
Alaska
The first large bore handgun I have memories of shooting was dad's stainless Mod. 29. I was nine the first time I shot that. I don't think I shot more than once or twice. :shock: A year or so later he aquired a FA .454 with a 6.5 barrel. I actually used to shoot that pretty frequently around the age of 11 or so. My very first memory of shooting was at the age of four with the old single shot 12 ga. I don't remember pulling the trigger, but I have a very distinct memory of looking up from the ground wondering how I got there. Half of my chest was bruised for about a week after that. Dad passed away three years ago this coming summer, many of my fond memories with him involve firearms and shooting of some kind.
 

White Willie

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
39
Location
South TX, NJ
The worst shooting experience I ever had was wonderful. I've never been disturbed much by handgun recoil. I have shot rifes though, that made me think I'd just as soon be on the other end of the gun.
 

wavehopr

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
169
Location
Knoxville
White Willie":1lhbs9ra said:
I have shot rifes though, that made me think I'd just as soon be on the other end of the gun.
I have a .45-70 revolver that will give you that same thought with the right loads. First big-bore I shot was a Herter's. I don't remember if it was .44 mag or the now defunct Herter's .401 magnum.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,653
Location
Kentucky
When I was about ten years old I shot a large-framed .38 Special S&W belonging to a friend of my Dad. It was certainly fun but I don't recall it being nasty at all. Probably target ammo.

About fifteen years later, I decided I just HAD to have a new .41 Magnum Blackhawk. I had been shooting my Single-Six for several years and considered myself a pretty fair single-action guy. Loaded up a cylinder-full of Peters 210-grain ammo and let one go, one-handed . . . and nearly dropped the silly gun. Also realized that maybe these new-fangled hearing protectors might be useful, as my ears rang for a couple of hours.

Finished up that first cylinder-full and offered it to my buddy to try. He declined, emphatically. Went home and reconsidered my purchase.

Whole new learning process had begun . . .

;)
 

45flattop

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
392
Location
Jackson, MS USA
Ale-8(1)":2awtclm7 said:
When I was about ten years old I shot a large-framed .38 Special S&W belonging to a friend of my Dad. It was certainly fun but I don't recall it being nasty at all. Probably target ammo.

About fifteen years later, I decided I just HAD to have a new .41 Magnum Blackhawk. I had been shooting my Single-Six for several years and considered myself a pretty fair single-action guy. Loaded up a cylinder-full of Peters 210-grain ammo and let one go, one-handed . . . and nearly dropped the silly gun. Also realized that maybe these new-fangled hearing protectors might be useful, as my ears rang for a couple of hours.

Finished up that first cylinder-full and offered it to my buddy to try. He declined, emphatically. Went home and reconsidered my purchase.

Whole new learning process had begun . . .

;)

Like your latter experience, the most painful thing I ever shot was
a 41 Magnum Blackhawk with a 4 5/8" barrel belonging to a cousin,
I had shot SBHs before in 44 Magnum but with the 7 1/2" barrel, and
i had too little purchase on the shorter XR3-RED grip frame, first thing
it did was spin around my trigger finger so that the barrel was about
15 degrees shy of vertical, then I noticed a stinging pain in the web
of my right hand, it had buried the hammer spur in my hide deeply
enough to need sticthes later to stem the bleeding, but all this transpired
in what must have been fractions of a second because the nasty little
short barreled horror wasn't through with me yet, it continued to recoil
upwards and buried the front sight blade in my forehead requiring yet
more stitches . Having said all that, it was largely my fault for failing
to properly grip the revolver. I still carry both scars almost 40 years
later to remind me of youthful over confidence. :oops:
 

Old Judge Creek

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 1, 2001
Messages
320
Location
1881 Ranch, Nv & Northern Ca
My favorite "big bore first shot" memory was my youngest son's first pull of the trigger on my Super Blackhawk.

I've been an NRA Certified Instructor since he was a wee lad, so early on, he was brought up on a regimen of "The NRA Way". And when he was but nine years old, he'd attended the California Hunter Safety Course and passed the test. The instructor allowed as how he was the youngest he'd ever had that did so.

He was only a couple of weeks past his 10th birthday and had regularly accompanied me both when I went handgun shooting and varmit hunting.

Anyway, Jay was experienced shooting my lighter guns but when he asked to shoot my Super Blackhawk, I hesitated. He was only 10 after all.

Then, as I loaded a single round.... he said, "Nuh uh, Dad. Not wunna them. I wanna shoot one of those Blue Pill bullets" referring to my having marked the primers of my heavy reloads with a blue marking pen.

After all was said and done, I relented and loaded a single round, indexed so that when he cocked it, it would come into battery (yes, he wore both safety glasses and earmuffs).

Holding the piece with both hands Jay took aim at his target and let 'er rip.

The recoil rocked him and in an instant he was standing arms fully extended, with the piece pointed straight up. And I'll swear that I saw a wave ripple down from his upstretched arms to his ankles. He stood there, unmoving for a second and "Uh-oh, I shouldn't-a let him do that" was what came to my mind.

I stepped up and said "Jay? you OK, Son?" And as he turned, I do believe he was wearing the biggest grin I ever saw on his face.

"WOW!! That was GREAT, DAD! Got any more o' them?"

To this day he's as avid a shooter as I am. I was a proud Dad then and I still am today.

:D :D :D
 

deac45

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
447
Location
NW Georgia
I was in my early twenties, S&W M29, 6" barrel shooting factory loads. After the first shot I remember thinking the recoil wasn't as bad as the stories I had heard.

deac45
 

EarlFH

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
361
Location
Montana
Mine was a 1973, NM SBH, 7 1/2" bbl. A friend of mine bought it, and I told him he was crazy, that he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with someting that powerful. He had already been shooting it for several weeks, so he said, "No it's really not bad, give it a try." I took it, and screwed up my courage, and took a shot. I expected that my teeth would fall out or something, but after I shot a cylinder full through it, I immediately swapped him a new Marlin, 1894 lever action for it, right on the spot. I've been shooting various 44 Mags ever since.

EarlFH
 

maxpress

Buckeye
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
1,280
Location
Central Washington
my dad had a 7 1/2 SBH and when i was about 10 he brought it on one of my .22 trips to the range. while i was reloading he snuck it out of the car and popped a shot off. my eyes musta looked like silver dollars "wow, can i try that" he told me about it and the recoil. i shot the last 5 and was amazed that it didnt hurt "the recoil wasnt to bad dad"
he said "well why are you standing at the back of the car when you started out at the front"
 

batmann

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
307
Location
Indianapolis, IN USA
The only hand gun that I can say actually drew blood was a S&W 4" with 'Combat grips'. The cyl release cut my thumb and drew blood. Back to the Hogue's I went.
A Ruger 7 1/2" SBH has rapped my knuckles a couple of time, but no blood.
 

tek4260

Buckeye
Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
1,886
Location
carroll county ms
I guess the first big pistol I ever shot was dad's Desert Eagle 50. I can't remember what year they came out, so I don't know how old I was. I know it didn't hit me in the forehead with the front sight as it did others. I know at 12 I just had to have a #3 in 45-70. Seems dads handloads were 500 grain soft points using a bit above 458 starting loads. That little straight stock sucker was absolute murder taking second place only to a 7lb Garrett Sharps replica rechambered from 50-90 to 50-140. It would kick the sights off with a case full o black and 685gr boolits. I thought I was getting a deal when I bought it for $400 considering the dies were over $250 and the 40 rds of brass were so high. Had only been shot twice. I managed 37 times and gave up. Traded it off for 2 '03 Springfields. Guy asked if it kicked...... I said not bad :wink:
 

Dave T

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
116
My first was appropriately for this forum, a used 44 Mag Blackhawk Flat-top purchased in the late summer or early fall of 1971. It was my second center fire handgun (first was a 357 Ruger) and I liked the 44 even better than the 357. Have one out in the safe now and still like it better than Smith's offering which I eventually owned but sold. Didn't like the way the Smith came back into the hand. Much preferred the rolling recoil of the SA Ruger.

Dave
 

Tommy Kelly

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
1,045
Location
MISSISSIPPI
Well I hate to admit it but I shot a gun that belonged to a friend. It was a flare gun. I don't remember the cal or however they were sized but a 10 ga. 3 1/2" shell fit it perfectly it was a well made gun with a brass frame and good looking fitting overall. With a set of nice thick walnut grips. I could not stand it I had to try it. It just so happened that I had a ithica 10 ga. automatic and had the shells. So old dumb me stuck the shell in the gun and went outside the front door we lived in the country. and shot the pistol. The recoil was numbing and after the shot I released my grip on the gun but it wouldn't come out of my hand the wood grips had opened up and took a strip of meat between them and the brass frame on both sides. I had to peel the gun out of my hand and it took two strips of meat with it. I've always heard the lord takes care of fools and drunks and I don't drink. This was about 30 years ago and also the last time I ever put anything into a gun that wasn't clearly marked on the bbl.
 

mykeal

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 14, 2006
Messages
120
Location
National City, MI USA
S&W Model 29, nickel, .44 Mag. I have no idea what the load was.

I was chasing this sweet young thing who lived on a farm with her mother and uncle. They needed help getting the hay in, and of course I volunteered to be the strong back. She had a cousin from North Datkota who was a real working cowboy; unbeknownst to me they'd asked him to come help for a week, and his skills were well beyond mine. My ego took a real butt kicking most of that week as I struggled to keep up with him, trying to impress the SYT. At the end of the job we were walking in from the field and he mentioned wanting to shoot this new revolver he'd bought. Got it out of the trunk and set up some coffee cans on a fence rail. Very impressive gun. He fired the first cylinder and managed to kill half the cans, then reloaded and handed the gun to me. I recall being very impressed by the noise but it didn't seem there was much recoil as he held pretty steady. I took careful aim, squeezed and blew the can into the next county. Unfortunately the gun went the other way, by my right ear. He was standing behind me and caught it in mid air. He handed it back to me with a straight face and said to try to hold on a little tighter. I couldn't hit a thing with the next 5 shots but I managed to keep the gun in the field. Never did get anywhere with that girl.
 

44-357

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
Messages
244
Location
NORTH CAROLINA
mine was a classic.I will remember it always.why I was just a youth of 19 I always wanted one as a child i made me a wooden one.it was a hot day in kentucky that summer of 84. at Ft Knox the drill sergent handed me the old colt 1911a1 45 auto and we started putting rounds down range for pratice.I was amazed how little recoil it had. I was one happy GI. oh to be 19 again.
 

Cherokee

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
472
Location
Medina, Ohio, USA
My first big bore was the first handgun I ever shot. An adult friend took me out with him to shoot his Colt SSA 45 Colt. Being 10-11 years old, I had no fear - I had seen the cowboys on TV shooting the same gun. It was really fun but a little more recoil than I had expected.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
I wish I could recall my first big bore handgun. I truly can't. I've always been willing to shoot, or try just about anything that came along. But I do recall the only gun to ever hurt me shooting.
I was in the Army,, and it was after basic training. I had flown out to a gun range where the other soldiers were shooting M203 grenade launchers. I had not been given any instruction. I was offered a chance to shoot one. The fold out sights were not folded out,, and I put it up to my cheek as I would any rifle. The recoil busted my lip & I realized why right away. So,, I folded out the sights,, & tried a few more. My 3rd shot, & every one after that were on target. It wasn't the gun's fault,, it was the uneducated shooter who got hurt.
 
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
7,095
Location
Richmond Texas USA
Was about 1964. A fried of mine had his Dad's, who had died, 357 and 44 flattops. The 357 had stags on it. I had a Singl-Six at the time.
I remember his dad melting lead and making bullets for it in 1957-58. First time I had seen that done.
Jim
 
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