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What happened to my generation
- Thread starter CW9
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Mike
PatMcGroyne
Sharpshooter
My two grandsons.
Both are "sand-box" USMC veterans (22 & 23 yrs-old), and BOY are they interested in guns!! One is in BumFlock-Istan right now. I have his first-tour bring-back well-used AK Irak trophy in my safe (it is Russian, NO matching numbers!) plus serious Body Armor with it, and I would not take $10,000 for the collection. The other grandson is in Kuba now, but was in Irak, dealing in (intell/HUMINT), and has a serious affection for multi-anti-personnel weaponry, aka improvised expl. dev., grenades, "footballs", et al. He is seriously prepared for SHTF also, kidding me about Y2K, but now onto the scenario. Wife, 2 kids. He has a lot to survive for! The late-model Devil-Dogs are not to be messed with; MUCH worse than any earlier types. "Your Generation" is well-prepared for any COMING scenario! IMHO, your "generation" is MUCH more stealthy than previous generations. Pat.
Both are "sand-box" USMC veterans (22 & 23 yrs-old), and BOY are they interested in guns!! One is in BumFlock-Istan right now. I have his first-tour bring-back well-used AK Irak trophy in my safe (it is Russian, NO matching numbers!) plus serious Body Armor with it, and I would not take $10,000 for the collection. The other grandson is in Kuba now, but was in Irak, dealing in (intell/HUMINT), and has a serious affection for multi-anti-personnel weaponry, aka improvised expl. dev., grenades, "footballs", et al. He is seriously prepared for SHTF also, kidding me about Y2K, but now onto the scenario. Wife, 2 kids. He has a lot to survive for! The late-model Devil-Dogs are not to be messed with; MUCH worse than any earlier types. "Your Generation" is well-prepared for any COMING scenario! IMHO, your "generation" is MUCH more stealthy than previous generations. Pat.
PatMcGroyne
Sharpshooter
"Strangely Believe It"
THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN LEARN FROM US 60~70 YR OLDS. We have forgotten NOTHING! Mostly, that "Freedom IS NOT FREE !!!! " Pat
THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN LEARN FROM US 60~70 YR OLDS. We have forgotten NOTHING! Mostly, that "Freedom IS NOT FREE !!!! " Pat
PatMcGroyne
Sharpshooter
I've counted at least 10 or 12 in this thread alone claiming to be in their 20s.
The gun culture is still alive and well, but needs us to keep growing. Everyone should make it a goal to introduce at least one new person to shooting a year. People that are introduced to it the right way- learning proper safety and marksmanship- tend to become just as avid (or is it rabid?) as any one of us.
By the way, I'm also an IT professional. Sad to say though, that the vast majority of people I work with aren't gun people (most are from India, so I guess that figures). All of the guys on my immediate team, I hope to take shooting over the next year.
The gun culture is still alive and well, but needs us to keep growing. Everyone should make it a goal to introduce at least one new person to shooting a year. People that are introduced to it the right way- learning proper safety and marksmanship- tend to become just as avid (or is it rabid?) as any one of us.
By the way, I'm also an IT professional. Sad to say though, that the vast majority of people I work with aren't gun people (most are from India, so I guess that figures). All of the guys on my immediate team, I hope to take shooting over the next year.
Well I got my first gun the day I was born. My great-grandpa was a gun smith in the Columbus, IN area and he engraved a Savage 311 16G double for me and gave it to my father for me, so I have away had guns. I think that it has a lot to due with your family life as you were growing up. Shoot my grandma is 74 and she still packs her 38 with her everywhere she goes! Any yes she still goes out to shot it.
I think it is our responsibility to train our kids and younger relatives. In this day and age of the liberal media and politicians all they hear is how evil gun are.
I think it is our responsibility to train our kids and younger relatives. In this day and age of the liberal media and politicians all they hear is how evil gun are.
Deer_Slayer_90
Plinker
Well, I can say I have been into guns for 19 years...oh yeah I am only 19 years old. I have always played with toy guns, actually i remeber building a gun in kindergarten out of legos! Now I own Pistols, rifles, shotguns, and have killed 11 deer and 2 turkey!
PatMcGroyne
Sharpshooter
Just lucky, I guess
Not all guys over 60 succumb to the "prostate problem." There is a definite lack of 20~70-yr old women who need our PASSION! C'mon guys, give Romantics a chance!! There is more than one kind of "gun." It is fun and informative to deal with all sorts of weapons. Keep the "sport alive." I reload .44 mag., .30-06, .45ACP, .44, 50AE. Give this experience a chance!! No-one does better than one-at-a-time!! Pat
Not all guys over 60 succumb to the "prostate problem." There is a definite lack of 20~70-yr old women who need our PASSION! C'mon guys, give Romantics a chance!! There is more than one kind of "gun." It is fun and informative to deal with all sorts of weapons. Keep the "sport alive." I reload .44 mag., .30-06, .45ACP, .44, 50AE. Give this experience a chance!! No-one does better than one-at-a-time!! Pat
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shibumiseeker
Grandmaster
I think it's not so much an issue of modern culture as it is of visibility and stage of life. When I was 21 two decades ago there weren't many people my age who were into guns either. It's easier to get involved in shooting sports the older you get as you can afford the equipment and time more easily. You have to be a lot more dedicated to do it at a younger age. I know plenty of people off this board who are in their early 20s who are gun nuts.
DissonantEscapist
Plinker
29; my dad had guns but didn't get me into them, except for airguns. I just got into shooting a couple years ago on my own after being taken to shoot trap once in Illinois -- took some classes, read a lot, and bought what was recommended if I liked it and could afford it. Joined a club, then moved and stopped for a while, and joined another this week closer to home.
Culturewise, I spend too much time on the Internet and on games and books to watch TV.
Culturewise, I spend too much time on the Internet and on games and books to watch TV.
Another great topic. This will seem like an autobiography...sorry.
I am 39. My dad was an avid hunter, so he was always very supportive of my enthusiasm towards firearms. He bought me my first rifle around the age of 6 or 7 (a Sears .22 lr single shot) and that was my daily carry. It went everywhere I went during my days of roaming the woods and fields as a child. Fortunately, I lived in a rural area where I could shoot every day, all day, and not be bothered about it. I had access to his revolvers and muzzle loaders, as well as the many different shotguns. But it was during the teenage years I started to notice semi-autos and military style rifles. My first high powered rifle was a British 303. I loved that thing. When I turned 18, I received my LTCH, bought a Ruger P89, and that was the first handgun I ever carried. I eventually traded it in on a first gen Glock 17, which I owned for several more years until I traded it on a Taurus PT92. I kept that PT92 for the next 10 years as my daily carry. I also bought a Glock 23, which eventually replaced the PT92. I still carry the same Glock 23 today.
My priorities were mixed up in my 20's - early 30's. I still found time to go shoot on my own, but my shooting friends all took off and went their own ways. Several became cops, and moved away. I also fancied rock and roll, and spent more time learning how to play multiple musical instruments than I did with my guns. I too work in the IT field, and my love for computers took my shooting time and put it to the back burner. Also, my penchant for chasing women ate up any additional time I might have made for myself. I stayed very busy during my early adult life.
Then, things changed again. I got married at 30, slowed down my lifestyle, and started enjoying some of the things I enjoyed in the earlier years of my life. Guns came back. I started buying and trading more and more again, and now have a modest collection at hand. I am in a better position to afford them now too. It's not a cheap hobby by any means, and when you pile on electronic equipment, musical instruments, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and all of the other toys I like to play with, you have to appropriate funds to what is most important at the time. I try to maintain a balance. I have just as many of one, as the other.
My wife thinks I have excess. However, I am a hobbyist. While she is not a lover of guns, she doesn't put a thumb on me about them, she only requires that I keep them locked away from the kids, which is normal practice anyway. I was able to persuade her to go to the Indy 1500. Once. She has even went shooting with me on a few occasions. I could see it in her eyes that she was interested in it, but she won't admit to it. Her family is very liberal, the raging Obama supporters. They don't say anything to me, but I'm sure they think stuff.
In the past year, I have been able to take at least six new people shooting. They have all received their LTCH, and have each bought some nice firearms to begin their collections. So I feel I have done my part by sharing the love of shooting with folks who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to become involved. I introduced my oldest daughter to shooting when she turned 10, and she loves going along, but she doesn't show any interest in talking about it most other times. She is 11, and the handheld electronic communicators are what's important to her.
Today, while I find a lot more time to blow some lead downrange, the sport doesn't consume me. I have too many other hobbies to tend to. I like talking about guns when appropriate, but I get the same crazy looks sometimes. I just try to not sound like a nutcase who fell off his rocker. Bragging and being over-energetic about guns can send the wrong message to someone who is not too sure about the whole thing.
This story is also about how my moniker came to existence. A full turn.
I think everything that was said above could be dumped into a bowl, stirred up, and you would have the answer to your question.
I am 39. My dad was an avid hunter, so he was always very supportive of my enthusiasm towards firearms. He bought me my first rifle around the age of 6 or 7 (a Sears .22 lr single shot) and that was my daily carry. It went everywhere I went during my days of roaming the woods and fields as a child. Fortunately, I lived in a rural area where I could shoot every day, all day, and not be bothered about it. I had access to his revolvers and muzzle loaders, as well as the many different shotguns. But it was during the teenage years I started to notice semi-autos and military style rifles. My first high powered rifle was a British 303. I loved that thing. When I turned 18, I received my LTCH, bought a Ruger P89, and that was the first handgun I ever carried. I eventually traded it in on a first gen Glock 17, which I owned for several more years until I traded it on a Taurus PT92. I kept that PT92 for the next 10 years as my daily carry. I also bought a Glock 23, which eventually replaced the PT92. I still carry the same Glock 23 today.
My priorities were mixed up in my 20's - early 30's. I still found time to go shoot on my own, but my shooting friends all took off and went their own ways. Several became cops, and moved away. I also fancied rock and roll, and spent more time learning how to play multiple musical instruments than I did with my guns. I too work in the IT field, and my love for computers took my shooting time and put it to the back burner. Also, my penchant for chasing women ate up any additional time I might have made for myself. I stayed very busy during my early adult life.
Then, things changed again. I got married at 30, slowed down my lifestyle, and started enjoying some of the things I enjoyed in the earlier years of my life. Guns came back. I started buying and trading more and more again, and now have a modest collection at hand. I am in a better position to afford them now too. It's not a cheap hobby by any means, and when you pile on electronic equipment, musical instruments, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and all of the other toys I like to play with, you have to appropriate funds to what is most important at the time. I try to maintain a balance. I have just as many of one, as the other.
My wife thinks I have excess. However, I am a hobbyist. While she is not a lover of guns, she doesn't put a thumb on me about them, she only requires that I keep them locked away from the kids, which is normal practice anyway. I was able to persuade her to go to the Indy 1500. Once. She has even went shooting with me on a few occasions. I could see it in her eyes that she was interested in it, but she won't admit to it. Her family is very liberal, the raging Obama supporters. They don't say anything to me, but I'm sure they think stuff.
In the past year, I have been able to take at least six new people shooting. They have all received their LTCH, and have each bought some nice firearms to begin their collections. So I feel I have done my part by sharing the love of shooting with folks who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to become involved. I introduced my oldest daughter to shooting when she turned 10, and she loves going along, but she doesn't show any interest in talking about it most other times. She is 11, and the handheld electronic communicators are what's important to her.
Today, while I find a lot more time to blow some lead downrange, the sport doesn't consume me. I have too many other hobbies to tend to. I like talking about guns when appropriate, but I get the same crazy looks sometimes. I just try to not sound like a nutcase who fell off his rocker. Bragging and being over-energetic about guns can send the wrong message to someone who is not too sure about the whole thing.
This story is also about how my moniker came to existence. A full turn.
I think everything that was said above could be dumped into a bowl, stirred up, and you would have the answer to your question.
I somewhat agree with the OP as I am still fairly young at 27. I think it depends where you look. I know many young shooters, but that is because those are the people I associate with as we share common interests. I do think that many of the younger generation are not into firearms as much because they are not being introduced to them. On the other hand there are a lot of young shooters out there and there are many great organizations promoting the shooting sport to young people and I think that is great. You just have to look in the right spot to find the younger generation of shooters.
The more young people we teach to properly handle firearms safely the better. I am sure there are many future INGOers out there!
The more young people we teach to properly handle firearms safely the better. I am sure there are many future INGOers out there!
most all of my friends who like guns and are in thier 20s are in the military now...all the rest would much rather sit at home and shoot fake firearms on the PS3 or Xbox360...all of my friends who are in thier 30s plus,love firearms
kinda odd I reckon.
kinda odd I reckon.
most all of my friends who like guns and are in thier 20s are in the military now...all the rest would much rather sit at home and shoot fake firearms on the PS3 or Xbox360...all of my friends who are in thier 30s plus,love firearms
I like both. I play MW2 way too much but would rather be out shooting real stuff. When it gets warmer, I'll be out much more often.
groovatron
Master
I'm 28.....married and a father of one. I grew up in NWI on the border and somewhat feel like I am from Chicago. Luckily, that is as "city" as the rest of my family gets. Through scouting, military family, and a general "hobbyist" mentality, I was naturally drawn to firearms at a very young age. My parents wouldn't initially let me have a toy gun when I was a toddler......so in the nature of my spirit, I would eat a slice of bread into the shape of a pistol or tape together some scrap wood to look like a rifle. My parents eventually gave up on keeping the toy guns from me
When I was 9 or so, my uncle gave me a Marlin .22. I loved plinking....just like I loved fishing, camping, backpacking....you name it. When I turned 18, I went out and bought a 9mm pistol and a Mossy 20guage. I would take them out a couple of times a year and plink or shoot trap. Other than that, they stayed unloaded at home. I was young and had no fear. Personal defense was not something I took seriously.............
3 years ago I got married and had my son. Everything changed. I realized that I needed to be more proactive in my firearm ownership. So here I am.....blabin on INGO when I should be sleeping.
When I was 9 or so, my uncle gave me a Marlin .22. I loved plinking....just like I loved fishing, camping, backpacking....you name it. When I turned 18, I went out and bought a 9mm pistol and a Mossy 20guage. I would take them out a couple of times a year and plink or shoot trap. Other than that, they stayed unloaded at home. I was young and had no fear. Personal defense was not something I took seriously.............
3 years ago I got married and had my son. Everything changed. I realized that I needed to be more proactive in my firearm ownership. So here I am.....blabin on INGO when I should be sleeping.
MACHINEGUN
Shooter
Ha ha! Closet nerd.. I like that.. describes me to a T!
Now that I think of it, I don't know any young people around here that enjoy guns. I know a few that own guns but they were hand-me-downs from dad or grandpa and will probably never be shot again and just gathering dust in a closet or basement. I have college students that work for me every summer and I can tell you, if you mention guns of any kind you get some pretty crazy stares and usually end up getting called "redneck". The local Quail Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and Turkey Federation organizations around here are mostly comprized of members in their 40's thru '70's.
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