Started shooting a daisy lever bb gun when I was 4 years old, it was my brothers that he got at the time when he was 10
I fell on love with it and shot his bb gun more than he did
Got my own crosman 760 powermaster when I turned 13
Shot a little bit of bolt action 22 rifle in high school at the school range
And then didn't shoot at all for several years
Then came Obama with his agenda of ridding the US of the 2A
So in 2012 i finally got my long gun and handgun permits and started my collection, buying at least a few every year
I soon learned that I like revolvers most and also like building AR's
I knew all along I was a revolver guy since I watched so many spaghetti westerns as a kid. Clint Eastwood is my favorite cowboy actor, and when I saw dirty Harry I knew I needed a 44magnum
When the black rifle scare got real bad a few years ago I got into AR's and building them
I've tinkered with Mustangs since high school, so it was a smooth transition to tinkering with AR's. Its also much cheaper to build an AR than it is to build a Mustang

I grew up on a farm in California. My dad was never big into guns, but they were all around. I probably shot a .22 when I was 6 or 7. By the time I was 12, we used to trap shoot in my backyard with friends. I bought my first hangun when I was 16 (registered to my father because I was too young to own) - a Ruger P89 which I still have. I didn't shoot much in college nor when I first moved to Hawaii. I got married and my wife wasn't too big on guns (kids in the house) but after Obama's re-election, she softened on it and I've been buying/shooting since.

My Dad was a gun guy. A collector of sorts.
They were always around and when I started shooting, the .22 was taller than me.
Just kinda come natural.

Pretty much a lifetime firearms person.  Can't remember a time not having or being around them.  Toy guns were my favorite toys of choice and slingshots, bows, bb, pellet, and long guns were a major part of my youth. 

I grew up in a hunting family/community and many of us had .22's by 5-6 yrs old and most of the other kids without firearms had bb, pellet guns, or bows.  We hunted just about everything as kids and at the age of 10-11 yrs old, it wasn't uncommon to just grab our rifles and go hunting or plinking on our own.  As we got bigger, so did our calibers and our game.  Got into shotgun sports for a short stint as a teen, did well but was more focused on other sports. 

Went into a career in my early 20's where carrying a firearm was a part of the job and that aspect almost immediately grew into the major focus throughout my career.  This, in turn, gave me opportunities to travel the US and OCONUS and afforded me experiences that I am very grateful for.  Retired full time from that job, but still do the exact same job, just on a voluntary basis.  In my new career, I am diversifying quite a bit in a business sense, but firearms will remain a key component of my professional life.  I am also a die-hard on the personal side of things, a true believer through and through and do what I can when I can in trying to share this passion with others.

I grew up in the South (born in 61), and gun racks in the back of pickup truck cabs were standard equipment.

Grew up with 2 pistols in the house -- a Beretta that belonged to my grandfather, and a Raven Arms .25 my grandmother kept next to her bed.

Three kids living in the house, and never had an accident.  No safes, no trigger locks, and no misunderstanding that these were real -- not toys. 

My uncle took me out a few times to sight in a rifle scope and let me fire it. I also shot a .22 rifle in Boy Scouts at a little skeet setup they had at camp.  Hit one out of two!

That's all the knowledge and experience I had with guns (other than toys) until college.  In ROTC, we ran through pistol qualifications on the military .38.  I scored expert the first time, and every time I requalified afterward.

I bought a .357 to practice with, since it could also shoot .38 rounds.  It kept me proficient, and my wife became an excellent shot, too.  Bought another .357 later because the Charter Arms Bulldog Detective was too little for anything bigger then .38+P ammo.

A friend introduced me to skeet shooting, and I picked that up quickly.  I had to borrow a shotgun from him, and just paid for the ammo I used.  I also bought the beer afterward, too.

Sold both .357s before moving to Virginia.  With two small girls, and leaving the crime-infested state of Oklahoma behind, I felt little need for guns in the house.  Not that I worried about the girls so much as I did someone breaking in and using the guns on my family while I was traveling.  We lived on base the first 2 years, so security wasn't a huge problem.

After separating and getting a new job, we moved to Hawaii in 93.  Didn't think much about buying guns until 2003 when we started the divorce proceedings.  My wife was having alcohol and prescription drug issues, so any guns in the house would have been unwise.  Once she left me with the girls, I went out and bought a shotgun for protection.  My younger girl said that was what made her feel safe.  Before, she was worried her mother would come back to the house and hurt or take her.

That lone firearm sat in the safe until just before Sandy Hook.  I had already bought a G26 on consignment, added a G30 to the purchase, but needed the pistol affidavit.  My older daughter and i took the class together the week before Sandy Hook.

The Monday after the mass shooting, I went back to OGC and bought an AR-15.  I figured I was going to HPD anyway to get the pistols registered, so might as well get an AR before it's banned.  By Friday, OGC looked like locusts had hit!

Since then, I decided to start training seriously.  One "rule of thumb" I've always heard is anyone wanting to have a good firearms education needs a bolt action rifle, a semi-auto rifle, a shotgun (pump or semi), a revolver (SA/DA preferred), and a semi-auto pistol.  So, I started my "training arsenal."  Over time, the more i learned about various guns, the more I realized firearms are like Lay's Potato Chips.  I bought a much bigger safe, sold the old one, and started collecting.

Each time the news hysterically reports on 4 firearms and 500 rounds of ammo as "an arsenal and stockpile of ammunition," I just laugh and think to myself, "Newb."   

Back in 1965 the Watt's Riots took place in Los Angeles. The rioting spread throughout Los Angeles County and down into Long Beach where I lived with my parents. After hearing gun shots out in front of our house my father came into my room and made me get in my closet and hide. That was the first time I ever saw terror in his eyes. After about a week he brought home 1911 (in .45 ACP). After firing it and finding out it kicked too much for him, he sold/bought or traded for S&W Model 59 9mm. He practiced with this gun every weekend. He bought a High Standard Duramatic .22 auto pistol. I shot that pistol and subsequent High Standard .22 pistols when I was 7. When I was 12 I got into .22 rifle target shooting through an NRA program for children. Earned all my medals and patches and started shooting competition.

My father also bought a P-08 Luger made in 1918 and a Belgium High Power. That got me started in appreciating older military style guns. When I was old enough to start buying my own guns I purchased two High Standard .22 Revolvers and Victor target pistol, a Marlin Model 60 .22 rifle to go with my Anschutz Model 64, a MAB P-15 in 9mm, and I bought a S&W Model 66 in .357 Magnum. At 21 or 22 I started reloading my own ammo. I got hooked early on guns. As much as I practiced and kept the MAB as my home defense gun, I began to really appreciate the fine points of a well made revolver.

I recall you sharing that story before.  What a way to get introduced to firearms.  However, it was a "real life" learning experience and sometimes lessons are best learned the hard way.  Good to hear that even after what could have been a traumatizing experience, that firearms became your passion as opposed to something you were irrationally afraid of.

Still got that S&W 66? 

Started shooting a daisy lever bb gun when I was 4 years old, it was my brothers that he got at the time when he was 10
I fell on love with it and shot his bb gun more than he did
Got my own crosman 760 powermaster when I turned 13
Shot a little bit of bolt action 22 rifle in high school at the school range
And then didn't shoot at all for several years
Then came Obama with his agenda of ridding the US of the 2A
So in 2012 i finally got my long gun and handgun permits and started my collection, buying at least a few every year
I soon learned that I like revolvers most and also like building AR's
I knew all along I was a revolver guy since I watched so many spaghetti westerns as a kid. Clint Eastwood is my favorite cowboy actor, and when I saw dirty Harry I knew I needed a 44magnum
When the black rifle scare got real bad a few years ago I got into AR's and building them
I've tinkered with Mustangs since high school, so it was a smooth transition to tinkering with AR's. Its also much cheaper to build an AR than it is to build a Mustang

I got heavily into ARs around the same timeframe.  Just before things with ammo and supply of basically everything 9 mm and 5.56 went nuts for a while. 

Interesting to hear all the different paths that took for a common thing we enjoy in firearms.  I've always been interested in revolvers and it took me a while to finally get my S&W 686.  But it quickly became one of my favorite guns.  I think I would have more revolvers if I spend a lot of my range time on training and competition style shooting.  I guess I could shoot the 686. 

I grew up on a farm in California. My dad was never big into guns, but they were all around. I probably shot a .22 when I was 6 or 7. By the time I was 12, we used to trap shoot in my backyard with friends. I bought my first hangun when I was 16 (registered to my father because I was too young to own) - a Ruger P89 which I still have. I didn't shoot much in college nor when I first moved to Hawaii. I got married and my wife wasn't too big on guns (kids in the house) but after Obama's re-election, she softened on it and I've been buying/shooting since.

I came close to buying a Ruger P89.  It was because I was very interested in their pistol caliber carbine that accepted the handgun mags from that gun. 

My Dad was a gun guy. A collector of sorts.
They were always around and when I started shooting, the .22 was taller than me.
Just kinda come natural.

Sounds like my dad.  Always knew he had guns and was interested in them, but never really went shooting.  I've taken him a bunch of times, but I wish we had done more of that when I was younger. 

Pretty much a lifetime firearms person.  Can't remember a time not having or being around them.  Toy guns were my favorite toys of choice and slingshots, bows, bb, pellet, and long guns were a major part of my youth. 

I grew up in a hunting family/community and many of us had .22's by 5-6 yrs old and most of the other kids without firearms had bb, pellet guns, or bows.  We hunted just about everything as kids and at the age of 10-11 yrs old, it wasn't uncommon to just grab our rifles and go hunting or plinking on our own.  As we got bigger, so did our calibers and our game.  Got into shotgun sports for a short stint as a teen, did well but was more focused on other sports. 

Went into a career in my early 20's where carrying a firearm was a part of the job and that aspect almost immediately grew into the major focus throughout my career.  This, in turn, gave me opportunities to travel the US and OCONUS and afforded me experiences that I am very grateful for.  Retired full time from that job, but still do the exact same job, just on a voluntary basis.  In my new career, I am diversifying quite a bit in a business sense, but firearms will remain a key component of my professional life.  I am also a die-hard on the personal side of things, a true believer through and through and do what I can when I can in trying to share this passion with others.

Seems like your story is one of where professional and personal interests is really intertwined.  In that the passion you have for firearms was a big part of your career and personal life.  I would say that that is awesome, but sometimes I wonder about folks where their passion is part of their profession and if they ever get tired of it.  In your case, I don't think so, but it's one things to be able to do things you enjoy just because.  However, your transition to your new career brings fresh faces and perspective into the mix.  Your current mix of faces must be much different than what you saw on average before you retired.   

Sometimes I miss living in WA.  While I didn't really take advantage of the opportunities to just get out and shoot while I lived there, I have many friends who still live there who do.  They'll send me videos of their made up steel array shoots and make me really jealous. 

SNIP

1) The Monday after the mass shooting, I went back to OGC and bought an AR-15.  I figured I was going to HPD anyway to get the pistols registered, so might as well get an AR before it's banned.  By Friday, OGC looked like locusts had hit!

2) Since then, I decided to start training seriously.  One "rule of thumb" I've always heard is anyone wanting to have a good firearms education needs a bolt action rifle, a semi-auto rifle, a shotgun (pump or semi), a revolver (SA/DA preferred), and a semi-auto pistol.  So, I started my "training arsenal."  Over time, the more i learned about various guns, the more I realized firearms are like Lay's Potato Chips.  I bought a much bigger safe, sold the old one, and started collecting.

3) Each time the news hysterically reports on 4 firearms and 500 rounds of ammo as "an arsenal and stockpile of ammunition," I just laugh and think to myself, "Newb."   

1) That's nuts!  I can't imagine the frenzy that it was.  By that time, I was pretty well set on ARs and other firearms, but my first thought when that happened was "oh no, here we go again".  Just minutes into reports, it was of course an assault weapon.  I thought that event was a very serious threat to ownership of ARs. 

2) Regarding training, I recall you mentioning Front Sight.  Any others?  Just curious.  I agree with your well rounded approach and I am pretty much there except for the shotty.  Never really had a true desire to get one.  I've shot them a lot and trained with them, but never really felt the need for one.  That's not to say I didn't come close to buying a Benelli or even an O/U here and there. 

3) Yeah, I hear ya.  If they only knew what some of MY FRIENDS own. . . 

2) Regarding training, I recall you mentioning Front Sight.  Any others?  Just curious.  I agree with your well rounded approach and I am pretty much there except for the shotty.  Never really had a true desire to get one.  I've shot them a lot and trained with them, but never really felt the need for one.  That's not to say I didn't come close to buying a Benelli or even an O/U here and there. 

I was participating in the Mid Pacific Pistol League for a short time.  I dropped it after I could no longer justify standing around watching everyone else shoot for 4-5 hours, while I was able to shoot maybe 5-6 minutes in that time.  It was much more fun and challenging than the pistol range at 25 yds, but not much training. The rest has been practicing at a number of ranges.  For self defense, the KHSC complex pistol range is not going to do it for you.  You need closer distances, holster work, and a human shape target to get the right kind of training.  I also have some home training devices that help develop skills in holstering, drawing, and getting shots on target quickly.

I got heavily into ARs around the same timeframe.  Just before things with ammo and supply of basically everything 9 mm and 5.56 went nuts for a while. 

Interesting to hear all the different paths that took for a common thing we enjoy in firearms.  I've always been interested in revolvers and it took me a while to finally get my S&W 686.  But it quickly became one of my favorite guns.  I think I would have more revolvers if I spend a lot of my range time on training and competition style shooting.  I guess I could shoot the 686.

before I got into AR's I wasn't really a fan of them until the Obama threat got real bad and I thought to myself I better get one while I still can
so at WGS I picked up a core15 AR and Dan said, "you might as well get a lower since you're going to HPD and register anyway.  you can build it later."
after thinking about it for 2 seconds I thought to myself, "you're right"  so I picked up 3 lowers and built them in a few months.  after that I was hooked.  now I really like the AR platform.

I was participating in the Mid Pacific Pistol League for a short time.  I dropped it after I could no longer justify standing around watching everyone else shoot for 4-5 hours, while I was able to shoot maybe 5-6 minutes in that time.  It was much more fun and challenging than the pistol range at 25 yds, but not much training. The rest has been practicing at a number of ranges.  For self defense, the KHSC complex pistol range is not going to do it for you.  You need closer distances, holster work, and a human shape target to get the right kind of training.  I also have some home training devices that help develop skills in holstering, drawing, and getting shots on target quickly.

Gotcha.  I've found that HPS is much more efficient on the setup and stuff, but you're still waiting around quite a bit in between your stages.  I still enjoy shooting those matches when I can though.

For self-defense shooting and training, yeah, Honolulu isn't the best in terms of available venues.  Pretty terrible really, but there are opportunities out there.  I try to do dry fire as well, but I've also found that dry firing can build some "unintended" habits.  In my case, they weren't good habits that showed up in live fire.   

before I got into AR's I wasn't really a fan of them until the Obama threat got real bad and I thought to myself I better get one while I still can
so at WGS I picked up a core15 AR and Dan said, "you might as well get a lower since you're going to HPD and register anyway.  you can build it later."
after thinking about it for 2 seconds I thought to myself, "you're right"  so I picked up 3 lowers and built them in a few months.  after that I was hooked.  now I really like the AR platform.

I still have a lower that I bought under the same thinking.  I've built one as well. 

I was into the AR as soon as I shot it the first time.  Even more so after researching online and the more I got to shooting them.  The "hard" part was that I am the type that I need to try different options in order to see for myself, so I ended up buying a number of different things to try myself.  Aimpoint vs EoTech.  FSP vs front sight on free float rail.  And more.  I've finally got to where I put together the exact configuration that I've settled on.  That said, I'm sure it will change as different product comes out.  That's the beauty and curse of the AR platform. 

Seems like your story is one of where professional and personal interests is really intertwined.  In that the passion you have for firearms was a big part of your career and personal life.  I would say that that is awesome, but sometimes I wonder about folks where their passion is part of their profession and if they ever get tired of it.  In your case, I don't think so, but it's one things to be able to do things you enjoy just because.  However, your transition to your new career brings fresh faces and perspective into the mix.  Your current mix of faces must be much different than what you saw on average before you retired.   

Sometimes I miss living in WA.  While I didn't really take advantage of the opportunities to just get out and shoot while I lived there, I have many friends who still live there who do.  They'll send me videos of their made up steel array shoots and make me really jealous.

Yes, I was absolutely a gun person prior to my professional life.  When the two came together it was a natural fit, but I just took the "armed" part of "armed professional" and ran with it.

I didn't just take the opportunities that were funded by my employer but I also did a ton of travel and training out of my own pocket,  more than most people.  It was fun, built a resume and opened a lot of doors. I looked at it like an investment.  The opportunities available are not available to most people so I took advantage, but honestly it's a blast.

I still train select operational types so I am not missing that,  but I am definitely having a great time around the "new faces".  It is hard to explain, but when you are so involved in a certain environment all of your life, you can easily overlook life outside if your bubble.  It's grounding, and extremely enjoyable.  Should have done it earlier, but I'm making up time missed.

I grew up in WA, so I get it.  Right out of the house and able to shoot.  Hard, but not impossible here in Hawaii.  I think you might see what I am talking about one of these days. 

I was more into swords before getting into guns.  Musashi Miyamoto, Snake Eyes (GI Joe) and Storm Shadow (Cobra) were my childhood heroes.  My brother taught me how to shoot when I was growing up but I only became a gun owner after I became a parent (for protection).

Looking back at our old home movies when I was growing up on Maui it was just so normal for us kids in the neighborhood to be playing with guns.
See the film circa 1956.

We learned how to shoot real guns at my grandfather's house.
He had a store way out in the country and I shot at cans from the front porch of his store.
There were few cars back then.
Then I learned to shoot at living targets from the back porch. Mongoose are a challenge.
In later years, I shot my brother's crosman air rifle at birds.
In high school I shot with the rifle club. Back then it was 22's....not air rifles.
My dad bought me a shotgun for bird hunting when I was in high school. I still have it.
After high school my friends introduced me to pistols and reloading.
I got hooked on practical pistol shooting after attending a match held by the Southwest Pistol League in SoCal.
I started the combat pistol group at Schofield but then got distracted when asked to help start the Mid Pacific Pistol League in '82.
I was the first member of the USPSA in Hawaii.