I don't think it was the first time I shot one, but when I was about 14 or 15 I sneaked my step-father's M1 Carbine out of the house and fired one shot at a china berry tree -- not very hard wood -- about 9 to 10 inches thick. That FMJ went clean through the tree!
Oops! I was a little surprised. We lived across the street from a school and there were houses around, just not like the ones nowadays 8 to 10 feet apart for the easements, or they would probably be closer!
I used to sneak out my mother's Star .25 auto -- tiny, scary thing. It had no exposed hammer and I was sure if it was on "safe" or not. One time I pulled the trigger to see if it was "safe". It wasn't and my buddy was a little surprised when the round hit the dirt about 5 feet or so behind him where he was digging bullets out of the ground or something, while squatting.
I became a little more conscientious about safety after that... a little more.
Added: I remember there was a bullet lodged in one of the drawers of my mother's chest-of-drawers... I think it was the drawer where she "hid" the gun. I don't recall how it got there or if I even did it, but it was an angled shot and you could see the bullet if you looked down the hole with the light at the right angle. I think someone ELSE checked the safety, too!
Those carbines are definitely good plinkers when you get tired of .22s and don't want a sore shoulder with the BIG boys. I always wanted the M-2 model, though.
Wynn
New M1 Carbine!
I should have shot at the hill to see where the bullet was going.) It's a b!tch to sight in from scratch at 100 yards and you have no idea where the bullets are going!
Linear Mode
