Favorite Gun, It’s Your Turn to Share

I am inviting our good fellow shooters and any friends who would like to join in to share a bit about their experiences learning to shoot and their favorite gun, .. guns.  My first gun was a little single shot .22 rifle that had to cocked by hand each time it was reloaded.  I was about seven years old and it was difficult for me to cock the gun but I learned how and I shot my first rabbit about the time I turned nine.  My dad showed me how to clean the rabbit the first time and from then on I was on my own.  My dad preached muzzle control and safety and told me that any time I pointed the rifle at any living thing I was making the decision that it could die because that was how serious a bullet could be.

Question number one:  What was your the first gun you learned to shoot and who taught you how to shoot?
Answer in comments if you will.

My favorite gun now would have to be my Beretta 686 over/under 20 gauge because after years of using that shotgun I can actually hit something in the air a lot of the time.  I bought that gun used about 14 years ago and I have shot a whole lot of clays and birds with it and put a fair amount of wear on the finish.

Question number two:  What is your favorite gun, it can be a pistol, rifle or shotgun and what kind of shooting do you enjoy the most with that gun?

So my friends, you are cordially invited to share and your answers can be as short or as long as you wish to make them.