[Black Adder LXX]

Hello to all-

Well, I've gone up to 7 pistols since last October. I am now getting to the point where I can't spend any real quality time with all of my guns on the same trip (without going over 2 hours on the line). I know there's a lot of folks here with pistol collections as big or bigger than mine. I'm curious to see how other folks decide which ones to shoot on a particular outing and why.

For background info I have:

357: Ruger GP100
9mm: Beretta 90-two Smith and Wesson M&P 9c
9x18 Makarov: Bulgarian Makarov, P64 Radom "Polish Makarov"
22 lr: Browning Buckmark, Smith and Wesson 34-1

My HD guns are the 357 and the Beretta
My carry guns are the P64, Makarov and M&P 9c

[M2 Carbine]

Some guns won't be shot for months or years, while others will be shot every few days. For a while I've been practicing with my laser equipped guns, so they have been getting shot every few days.

At times I'll get a bug to shoot something I haven't shot in a while.
My reaction is always the same, "This is really a nice gun, I have to shoot it more often".:)

I hadn't shot my P64 pistols in a while and just used one for this challenge.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=288319

[Kilgor]

Pick one gun to carry and defend your home with. Practice with it every time and you will be much better than splitting your time amongst several guns.

Take along any other gun that suits your fancy at the time.

[The_Shootist]

The guns I'm most likely to carry - either in a CCW or bug-out mode.

Right now thats my G19 and my SP101 - those are what I'm carrying now for CCW (obviously not all at once ;) ) as the next couple of months are when Hurricane seasaon hits its peak. Since I carry my Mak for the months leading UP to Hurricane season, then thats what I bring with me to the range.

It helps that 9mm / Mak ammo is (comparitively) cheap !

[Gunfixr]

I usually always shoot my carry gun, and others are optional. I was in a pistol league, shooting smallbore every week, but now am on night shift so I can't. I occaisionally still do CAS so that gets the sixguns out. A bunch just sit there in the safe waiting (hoping?) for a trip to the range.

[TimboKhan]

Of my pistols, I almost always drag my MkII out because it's cheap and fun, I have been shooting the snot out of my PT1911, and I will now shoot my 66-1 as much as possible. Those three are my three main shooters among my collection.

I don't shoot my CCW piece a whole lot because it's just not a range gun. I know what I can and can't do with it, so I don't shoot it everytime I go out. I do try to run between 250-500 rounds/year through it, but thats about it.

[tydephan]

I shoot my daily carry piece and home defense piece every time I go to the range.

And then, depending on how much time and ammo I have, I'll drag one or two other pieces out of the safe each time I go. Which ones make the cut always depends on what strikes my fancy at that moment.

Having too many guns is just one of those terrible problems I'm proud to have. :D:evil::p

[alucard0822]

I usually bring a fun and cheap shooter with me every time, either my 22buckmark, or a cap and ball. outside of that I bring whatever I feel like. either my 1911 or 44mag for "serious" target work. 686, sig 220, or beretta 92 for SD/combat pistol practice, vaqueros for cowboy fun. If I manage to get a couple new shooters to go to the range with me I bring a couple 22s and 38 revolvers. I shoot every gun I own, and often, some may sit for 3 or 4 range trips, but they will get their turn soon enough.

[Kimber1911_06238]

practice with your carry guns the most, hd guns 2nd most, then everything else ;)

[Baneblade]

As the others have said, practice with the gun that will save your life. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Try to narrow that category down to one gun, or one type of gun.

Then shoot whatever seems like fun.

[GRIZ22]

I shoot the guns I carry most. I've found your shooting skills improve over time and after awhile you can shoot almost any gun reasonably well but will do better with those you shoot more.

[BlkHawk73]

There's some I bring every time - usually the .22's just because they're so fun to shoot and if there's someone new to shooting at the range it's a good introduction for them to try a new type of firearm. Others depend on what's in the drawer for ammo. Some get taken more in late summer early fall to refresh myself with it prior to hunting season. A few non-.22's get taken each time just because they're just fun accurate guns to shoot.

[CU74]

Every few weeks I have an "X" Day at the Range. Two weeks ago it was "Semi-Auto" Day at the range. This past Wednesday was ".38 Special Revolver" day at the Range. My next "X" Day will probably be ".357 Magnum".........

These "range days" are NOT in lieu of regular HD handgun shooting but in addition to the regular practice sessions.

[browningguy]

Of my 20 something pistols I have shot all but one of the Browning Renaissance models. But many of them do not get shot on a regular basis (it's been years for some of them). I shoot my carry gun most range trips, even if only one magazine.

Besides my BHP .40 carry gun the pistols that get shot the most are my Beretta 76 .22, BHP Competition in 9mm, EAA Witness Elite Match in .40. They are all very accurate and that makes fun shooting for me.

[normal]

I agree with the others. I always take my carry/HD guns and usually take along something else to play with. I always make sure to fire my carry guns last to keep the "feel".

[jrfoxx]

with me, the 2 guns I carry go every time, the others go based simply on what I feel like shooting that day, and ammo supply.

[byf43]

Well, I've gone up to 7 pistols since last October. I am now getting to the point where I can't spend any real quality time with all of my guns on the same trip (without going over 2 hours on the line). I know there's a lot of folks here with pistol collections as big or bigger than mine. I'm curious to see how other folks decide which ones to shoot on a particular outing and why.



I NEVER go to the range without my S&W mdl 41!!! No matter what.
My Gold Cup NM joins in on the trip, as well.
These two are without fail, the first I reach for.
My Glock G21 makes the trip 75-80% of the time.
(Now, the 10/22 and Remington 541-T come along, too, but, this is a handgun discussion section!):evil:

I have pistols that I've not fired in years, and there's NO WAY that I'm sellin' them, either!

2 hours on the line?? That's all???

My son and I pack the truck (or car) the night before, (it's in the locked garage) then, we get up and grab breakfast and a thermos of coffee and some frozen bottles of water, and don't leave the range until at least 4 hours have passed!!!

Range time with 'the kid' is a ritual, around my house!

[Vern Humphrey]

I have a lot of different uses for guns -- from home defense, to self-defense/carry, to target competition, to hunting, to just bumming around the woods.

Home defense is basically a shotgun, although I have a handgun or two spotted around the house. Carry is an M1911, and I practice with that gun, or with a Colt Service Ace conversion kit. Target competition -- depending on the competition is the carry gun, or my Colt Woodsman. For hunting, I usually carry either the Woodsman or a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. For woodsbumming, just about anything in the safe will do.

[Iacabo]

since you have such a nice "symetrical" collection, I would take along one HD gun, one carry gun, and one .22 to round it out and work on the fundamentals of shooting for cheap. But just enjoy your time at the range with whatever you choose, its fun remember.

[Geno]

Have a vault for each category: collecting (never fired); sporting (hunting) and home defense/CCW (daily use).

[Ala Dan]

I usually wait too the last minute, as too deciding what handguns to carry to
the range. One thing is for sure, some variant of a .45 caliber 1911 makes the
trip each and every time; as to the other's, its pure luck of the draw~! ;):D

[glassman]

eenie, meenie, minie...hey moe! As others do, I shoot the one I carry with me almost every time. After that, it's a matter of...hmmm, I haven't shot that one in a while. Also might depend on how much money I have in my pocket... the 9mm is cheaper to shoot than the .45.

[tinygnat219]

Depends on the "mood" I am in.

Sometimes I take my modern service guns, and CHP pieces.
Other times, I want some zing, so I take my CZ-52 and .357 Magnum.

I have WAY too many handguns to consider shooting them all in an hour. I might get a shot off for each.

[fflincher]

When I trade into a new gun, it's not long before it goes to the range. On occasion, that new (to me) gun does not function, or does not please me with its function.

In order to avoid frustration, I always take with me a gun I know will shoot reliably and well. After all, sometimes I'm the problem.

In the past, my benchmark for telling whether or not I wasn't shooting very well was a S&W model 34 with CCI MiniMags. It only has about 75% of its blue left, and it's been on the ground enough to pick up some scratches and scrapes, but if I'm in any kind of condition to shoot well, it'll show with that revolver!

[Black Adder LXX]

Model 34 is a great one for the range...

[Brutalmisfit90]

Everytime me and my dad go out to the range we always bring at least one of his Ruger Blackhawkes, and I'm really excited to see how his new Redhawke is going to shoot

[waterhouse]

I shoot my carry gun and my .22s the most. The other sort of just get cycled through.

[461]

Always my GP-100 and always my Ruger MKII Target, after that it's usually whatever gun I've been working with lately. I'm a tinkerer and seem to always have a gun with a new part or something I need to function test or some new reloads that need to be tried.

To be honest I'm starting to tire of the fixing and testing and would just like to shoot and enjoy so I may lay off the tinkering for a while.

[Black Adder LXX]

Tinkering... Sounds like me with one of my Milsurp pistols...

[magsnubby]

I know what you mean. A few weeks ago i took a long hard look at my collection. Standing there looking in my safe i thought how in the world did i wind up with so many guns? Out of 34 handguns (and i know by some standards that's a small collection), there's only a few that ever get shot, some of them haven't been shot in two or three years. Maybe more.

The ones i usally take to the range seems to always be the same ones:
Glock 17/23/26.
S&W 642.
Springfield XD40.
Ruger Security Six.
And is what is sure to become one of my favorites, a Star Firestar 9mm.

I decided to thin it out a bit. I'm keeping a few favorites, and the ones that were my dads, selling the rest, sticking the money in the bank, and when i finish the jeep, using the money to start building my '58 Chevy step side. I'm still gonna have 20 handguns left.

But i decided the bare bones collection should have:

.357 wheelgun:One of the most versatile handgun rounds made.
.22 revolver or simi auto of your choice:Just so much fun. Cheap and fun. What more could you ask for?
.9mm:Great all around home defense/range/fun/plinking guns. And cheap to shoot
Big bore auto of your choice:Every one should have one "just because".
A big ass wheelgun like a .454 Casull, Ruger .460 or maybe a S&W .500 mag.