[Texas resident]

I bought a .22 rifle and ammo at a hardware store at age 17.

Very different world now.

[old-ager]

I can’t match that but I think I still have a box of 50 22LR that I bought at about age 13 at Ben Franklin.

[SuperLuminal]

"I bought a .22 rifle and ammo at a hardware store at age 17."

My Gpa took me to the general store and bought me my first .22 when I was 8...

When I was 10 he took me in and I got a .22/20ga over&under

When I was 12, I drove 12-miles to the same general store and bought my own Winchester 30-30 for about $45 so I could stop borrowing Gpa's for deer hunting...

During fall of 1947, my HS freshman year (a 26-mile drive), the 30-30 went to school with me everyday... Wasn't required to leave it in my Packard... Kept it in my locker...

[Red in Blue PA]

We have a local hardware store (Boyer’s in Slatington PA) which is a 150 yeard ld hardware store which sells guns. Very cool place to visit if you are ever in the area.