" What started it all ? "

[Major 2]

I thought this might make a interesting thread ...

What was the catalist that began your interest ?

Mine has to be Circa 1956 Christmas ... Under the Tree a Hubley 45 ( Yes thats what Hubley called it )

That was 62 years ago ... I fell for the streamlined Colt 1860 Army ....

[Major 2]

That then led to a life time of collecting them and their conversions ...Originals & otherwise.

Hubley also offered the Pioneer ....  the 51 Navy ... and that passion ....

So.... was there one or maybe two that floated your boat ?

[Gus Walker]

   Mine was two movies....Outlaw Josey Wales got me goin on sixguns and Jerimiah Johnson got me going on Muzzleloaders,,,lol

[Major 2]

  Mine was two movies....Outlaw Josey Wales got me goin on sixguns and Jerimiah Johnson got me going on Muzzleloaders,,,lol

Good answer, and good films  I watch them both whenever they rerun,

[Jake C]

I went from a mild interest in the American West to borderline obsession thanks to the Coen Bros. True Grit, and the game Red Dead Redemption, back in 2010. Bought my first 'Old West' gun in 2012 when I bought an Uberti Open Top in .38 Special. I don't have that one anymore, but now I've got a few others, including a .44 Uberti Richards Conversion with a cut down spare barrel for when I want to get that Dallas Stoudenmire look 

Still love the period and the firearms. Guess the bug still bights me regularly.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

My Obssession with conversions began when I handled an original 1858 conversion in .46 French rimfire about 1995.  The Selleck's Last stand at Sabre River in 1997.  It was cemented in 2000 when I got a pair of ASM Type I Richards from EMF to do a Cowboy Chronicle article on.

[Forty Rod]

Born in 1942.  Everybody had guns and our military was everywhere.  Almost every kid had a cap gun.  Guess I just simply was born with guns, raised with guns, and have guns in my blood.

[Graveyard Jack]

Mine started much later in my shooting "career". While I've been into single actions since childhood and the first gun I ever bought with my own money was a single action .22 at age 12, I always thought the old Colt percussion guns were crude and unrefined. I'm ashamed to say that I actually detested their appearance. I had to grow up and grow half a brain to appreciate them and that started with Crossfire Trail in 2001 and the infamous custom Open Top. I started looking at them and studying them and it took five more years to take the plunge with a pair of Pietta 1860's. A month later I got the Cimarron Open Top that I later had engraved and fitted with ivory, which was due in no small part to the 1860 in Last Stand at Saber River. Now I've got fourteen Pietta and Uberti Colt percussion and cartridge conversion guns and I'm embarrassed that it's not more than that.

[Coffinmaker]

Saturday Matinees, B Westerns, 50s and 60s TV westerns.  Fell in lust with "cowboy" guns and never recovered from the affliction.  It only gets worse.  I've enquired, but there is NO CURE.  So I've just surrendered and learned to live with it.  Every now and then, I do suffer from SA deprivation which is coupled with gun Powder deprivation.  Normally the "treatment" completely depletes my meager bank account.  But ..... I DON'T CARE!!  Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated!! 

[Mogorilla]

Similar for me.   Watching westerns and playing cowboy in the early 70s.   Have always loved them and history.  Had a cap gun that was a version of an open top.  (so wish I still had that, lost in the flood of 92).   I got the Time Life Series for my 10th Birthday in 76, and discovered there were way more item than the peacemaker and man did the 51s and 60s look GORGEOUS!   Jose Wales on HBO sealed it.

[dusty texian]

Watching my Dad in the early 1960's sporterize an  A3O3 Springfield  in our garage with a minimum of hand tools . Then I just knew he was making a gun . Only later did I realize he had hand filed that military barrel into a sporter profile and carved the Bishop stock into his own style of hunting rifle . From seeing this at an early age I  thought you can make anything  if you try and work hard at it . My first gun was a Daisy BB gun leveraction , it was MY GUN , and from there I went . Dad encouraged me to learn reloading at an early age about 50 yr. ago . My passion was Custom Mausers for yrs. somewhere in my early 20s I got me a SAA 5-1/2 .45 engraved and a handmedown 1894 30 wcf. Have been neck deep ever since . Thanks Dad , for showing me you can have anything you want if you are willing to work for it . ,,,DT,,,

[Forty Rod]

Saturday Matinees, B Westerns, 50s and 60s TV westerns.  Fell in lust with "cowboy" guns and never recovered from the affliction.  It only gets worse.  I've enquired, but there is NO CURE.  So I've just surrendered and learned to live with it.  Every now and then, I do suffer from SA deprivation which is coupled with gun Powder deprivation.  Normally the "treatment" completely depletes my meager bank account.  But ..... I DON'T CARE!!  Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated!!  

Why would you want one?

Reminds me of the guy whose doctor asked him, "How long have you had this complaint?"  The guy answers, "Who's complaining?"

[Jubal Starbuck]

   A classmate of mine had  a Hubley Pioneer and after I saw it I had to have one.  This led to my making a slim jim type holster that I cut out of a truck inner tube .  Didn't have access to any leather.  It held up pretty well until the stitches finally tore out.
   The next major step  was an EIG .36 cal. Navy brass frame purchased in 1968 for $41.50.
I have kept at least one around ever since.

[sfc rick]

I traveled a lot while in the Marines and wanted a firearm in the car. I was 20 and went to the local Sheriff at Camp Lejeune, NC. He said to get a black powder revolver since it didn't meet the criteria of a "Firearm", and then said keep it loaded and out where he and his deputies could see it in the vehicle. Problem solved. I still have that 1851 cap and ball(40 years now).

[Crow Choker]

Born in 1942.  Everybody had guns and our military was everywhere.  Almost every kid had a cap gun.  Guess I just simple was born with guns, raised with guns, and have guns in my blood.

Saturday Matinees, B Westerns, 50s and 60s TV westerns.  Fell in lust with "cowboy" guns and never recovered from the affliction.  It only gets worse.  I've enquired, but there is NO CURE.  So I've just surrendered and learned to live with it.  Every now and then, I do suffer from SA deprivation which is coupled with gun Powder deprivation.  Normally the "treatment" completely depletes my meager bank account.  But ..... I DON'T CARE!!  Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated!! 

Forty Rod and Coffinmaker pretty well said it all. Grew up on a farm, loved the outdoors and American history. Always fascinated with Revolutionary War, Mountain Men, Indians, Cowboys, the West, Civil War. If the question is how I began a love affair with guns, this fascination along with western movies and TV fed the lust. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Matt Dillion, et al. (Saw Gene Autry and horse when I was around 10-thought I was in cowboy heaven. Talked to Dale Rogers once for a spell when delivering a message to her while I was LEO, nice lady.)

Growing up, any ole' stick would suffice for a handgun or rifle. Found around a five foot tree branch once that looked like a Kentucky rifle-was a favorite companion for a long time until it was misplaced. (??) Grade school-I had a double buscadero rig with pot metal chrome plated 45 single actions cap guns. We use to bring em to school and at recess have high noon shootouts, fight land wars, Indian standoff's and everything else we saw on TV-(couldn't bring caps to school though)-none of the kids I did this with ever became mass murders or armed felons-just sayin'! Found one of the revolvers in one of the out buildings on the family farm around 20 yrs ago-little tough lookin', but a reminder from days long ago of a lot of fun. First BB gun, Daisy Red Rider, shot a lot of cans and such with it. Remember first red blooded critter I shot, a sparrow sitting on a roll of fencing. Felt kinda bad at the time-didn't think I would hit it-good lesson in gun safety. Still see that sparrow laying in the snow. Around 12 yrs old, wanted to be a Mountain Man and go trap in the Rockies. Had a school project once and had to write a paper on what we wanted to be. Wrote I wanted to be a Mountain Man. Got a good grade on it, but had a talk with the teacher who informed me she thought that vocation was 'sort of' out of fashion.  Firearm interest has lead to a condition know as NTA---"Need To Acquire"!

Now if this post refers to interest in cap and ball/ conversion revolvers (ie guns of STORM interest) it lies with the author of the 2nd post up from here, Mr. Jubal Starbuck---the 36 caliber cap and ball he referred to was my introduction to STORM firearms. Was fascinated by its looks, loading process, and firing. Shot Jubal's some during some of our outings along the two mighty rivers along the town we grew up in, but didn't purchase one until early 1972. For some reason I never researched them or knew a lot about the history of them. At a local gun show in '72 attended by several other shootin partners of local residency and Mr. Jubal, I and one of the other horse thieves I was with each bought a Euorarms Colt 1851 Navy in 44 caliber, for $71.00. The gun had 'Army Model' stamped on the barrel-figured the Navy Models came in 36 caliber, Army ones in 44. Not only was ignorant on that, but while looking at the gun, we noticed and asked the seller what the 'scratches' were on the cylinder. We didn't look close enough to see the Naval battle engraving, nor knew of it. Of course, the seller told us of our lack of knowledge and explained 'the scratches'. Horrors of Horrors---Mr. Jubal who knew of the 1851 history was standing alongside and was taking great pains to keep from falling on the floor in laughter of our question to the seller and HAS since 1972 reminded me of the incident from time to time so it wouldn't be lost in the space between my ears. After that I did research Colt history and have since become a lot more knowledgeable on Colts (and Remington) percussion and conversions. That first '51 Colt soon lead to a 45 caplock T/C rifle and a whole host of black powder models. 2nd Model Dragoon favorite capper/Richards II favorite conversion style. OK, my fingers (not McGee) got carried away, I've never been known to be 'windy' , so if you've read this whole thing, just warnin ya of it's length, but if yer readin these words, it's to late. . "Remember Opal, you asked me"!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blair]

For me, I cannot remember not being interested in both history and how the development of firearms have effected each other. One seemed to help tell the story of the other.
My earliest memory of having my dream come true was probably in the mid 1950's. For Christmas I got a cap gun made like Davy Crocket's flint lock rifle, "Tick Licker"!
Depending on your point everything has been up or down hill from that point on.
My best,
Blair

[Thumb Buster]

It started with the same 'Davey Crockett' movies (that 'tick-licker' that was mentioned), John Wayne movies got me interested in single- actions and I remember as a kid always wondering about those other odd looking cap guns we kids played with.  In hind sight those were the S&W Model 3's and Colt Richards...I think.  None of it really fit together until my teenaged years when, somehow, I came into possession of an 1851.  The nipples were battered, the cylinder still had deteriorated round balls in it and the hand spring was busted.  Since I hung out at a local gun shop it went with me one day for repair.  This kindly gunsmith took me aside and showed me the innards and how to fix that .36 up.  My dad was also always telling me about my great-grandparents and other relatives involvement in the 'War Between the States'.  After all it was the Centennial.  Skip forward about fifteen years and I received a brass framed Italian 1851 as a gift from my new bride.  It was as rough as cobs and needed a lot of work.  I still longed to have a steel framed 1851 like the one I had as a kid.  Thing got put on a back burner until about twenty years ago when I started acquiring cap & ball revolvers and muzzle-loaders.  This forum has helped me so immensely with getting them to 'tick' just right.  While I have yet to get into anything like the events you all mention I do enjoy taking 'em out and plinking with them.  Of course as others have mentioned you can't have just one.  Really!  What's an 1851 without an 1860 or 1861 or maybe another 1851 or on of those hybrid 1851's in .44?  I mean...really?  As others have said...it's all been downhill from there.

[Crow Choker]

+1 to watching all of the Disney Davey Crockett TV shows, also the 'Swamp Fox/Francis Marion" Disney shows back in the 60's. Used to devour every book I could find on Indian life, Mountain Man exploits, and any 1700-1900 military wars and campaigns. Another Disney show wasn't about American history, rather English was "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh"-a lot of good flintlock action.  Sure beats all of the X Box, digital crap, and other stuff kids are hooked onto today.

[Cliff Fendley]

My uncle was a collector and civil war era enthusiast when I was growing up and he got me into guns and he had some early reproduction Navy pistols and some Colt second gen.

[Leverluver]

Oh man, all the Disney stuff; all those late 50s early 60s tv shows.   Lord have mercy, how many of them were there.  I can't even count them.  Not to mention all the reruns of serial westerns that played in the theaters in the 40s.  I thank my parents for bringing me up on a farm where the do-gooders were kept out of sight.  I don't remember when I didn't have a bb gun.  Had my first rifle (69a) when I was 9 (still have it), my first revolver when I was I was 12 (Ruger Bearcat).  About that time was the beginning of the civil war 100 yr anniversary and that is when they fired up the replica cap and balls in earnest.  I drooled over the matched set of Lee and Grant but I had already blew my money on the bearcat.

Most of all the John Wayne movies. FINALLY I fulfill a lifelong urge to drive through Momument Valley at sunrise.  That one does get done at sunrise; tomorrow sunrise.  Hope this 70mph wind dies down.  I waited 68 years for this and I don't want the Valley to be obscured.