Define "Collecting."

Status
Not open for further replies.
I am personally interested in the design, construction and function of older firearms I also enjoy shooting relics. I want something functional.

I did not buy a CMP 1911. I have gotten past buying history for the sake of history. I was able to buy a modern made 1911's, built (mostly) to the same design, made of modern materials, and it functions exactly the same as a vintage piece. And I did not have to pay a premium for an old piece of steel, because it was an old piece of steel. Others romanticize the past to the point they will pay an ungodly amount of money to own something old.

I have rocks in the back yard that are billions of years old. I found some in other locations that have fossils in them. The ones with the fossils have a value, but the colorless rocks, age has not increased their value, though they are old. One ebay seller I know, he said "people will buy anything", and I think he is right.
 
I think a "collection" should have an underlying theme. I had only a small "collection" of which I sold most, leaving me with an "assortment" of firearms for defense and sport; and an "accumulation" of guns that I used to shoot but seldom do any more.
 
A "collection", as Jim Watson said above, has an underlying theme; Colt Revolvers (I wish!) Milsurp rifles, (gunny has an excellent example above) I inadvertantly had an "assasination gun" collection going, didn't even realize it for a while. A few of a specific kind of gun may not necessarily be a collection, or if it is it may be a working collection, as in 4 identical shotguns in 12, 20, 28, and .410 gauges, for Skeet competition. (this was popular with Remington 1100's in the 60's and 70's, and some O/U's, though most go with tube sets these days for them) Some Trap shooters build impressive collections trying to find that 'one' that shoots perfect for them.Same for some Precision Rifle shooters.

I am personally interested in the design, construction and function of older firearms I also enjoy shooting relics. I want something functional.

I'm with you on all of that. All my guns have to be functional, and as multi-functional as possible. I have three guns that are not currently functional; two are awaiting parts, one is an old worn out BP revolver that I keep around for parts.
 
I collect revolvers and hunting rifles and shotguns to shoot and use.

Some collect them to take up room in a safe or a display cabinet.

Some people collect antiques to preserve history or for nostalgia.

To collect is to accumulate for an intrinsic, historical, or monetary value.

Not to be confused with hoarding which actually is part of a greater mental disorder.
 
You may have heard on the news about a southern Californian man...
Who was put under 72 hour psychiatric observation when it was found that he owned 20 guns and allegedly had 10,000 rounds of ammo stored in his home.

My favorite quote from the dimwit tv reporter from CNN:"Wow! He has a quarter million machine gun bullets." CNN headline referred to it as a "massive assault weapons cache."

By southern California standards someone owning 1,000 rounds of ammo would be called "mentally unstable, a Psychopathic terrorist ." Just imagine if he lived somewhere else.

In Arizona and New Mexico he'd be "an avid gun collector"

In Arkansas and Oklahoma, he's "a novice gun collector"

In Utah he's "moderately well prepared" but they'd probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of food stored.

In Colorado and Montana he's the "neighborhood 'go to' guy"

In Idaho he'd be called "a likely gubernatorial candidate"

In Wyoming, he's "an eligible bachelor"

In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, he would be called "a deer hunting buddy "

And in Alabama, he's just "Bubba" who's short on ammo.
 
Define firearms "collecting." And I'm not talking about the ATF/legal/C&R Licensee definition.

@Garandimal recently commented in another discussion that "firearms collecting is a mental disorder." This was in response to a post I made about buying a CMP1911, not as a shooter, but as a piece of history.
Some people feel that any firearms purchase must fulfill some shooting requirement, i.e., it must be a CCW pistol, a "training rifle", a hunting rifle, etc. I sort of feel sorry for them.

If they can only see the utility in firearms as some form of tool only to be purchased for use as a tool, then they are missing the art, history, finely crafted machine work that some firearms possess. It's like living in a house and only thinking of "painting" as some uniform color latex slapped on the walls to cover the tape, spackle, and drywall.

I contend that not being able to see the beauty in a tool, and basing its worth is solely based in its function, as the "mental disorder".

Would you have any practical use for these as firearms, probably not, but they are worth having (if you got the money), the same can be said for a USGI M1911....

3275.jpg
 
Some say that a collection should have a focus. My biggest problem is a lack of focus, but every now and then I seem to get a wee bit of focus, or it could just be luck. This is the Remington part of my surplus collection.
From left to right.
1916 M91 (Finn Marked), French Berthier, 1903 (1942) , 03A3 (1943).
69C18E7C-E440-48CC-BADE-425BA82EA2B9.jpeg
0F2A1E99-16B2-4EE9-962D-85B4BEBAF9ED.jpeg
2F55B19A-9C7A-40EB-A1C4-1586F143675A.jpeg

I have never been one of those Collectors that sell off guns when my interest change. I just tuck away the ones that don’t interest me and move on to what does. This has caused me to start running out of room, but it’s been fun.
 
I agree with the folks that have said s collection needs a theme. Of course defining a theme is open to interpretation.
 
Nobody said that a collection had to have a SINGLE theme. My themes include U.S military rifles, Finn military rifles, British Commonwealth rifles, general European military rifles (excluding those with Nazi markings), Japanese military rifles and ComBloc rifles. I have also collected examples of civilian-modifies military rifles of many types - which are at least as interesting and as historic as their as-issued brothers.
As an extension of this last group I have also gathered examples of the popular American hunting rifles of the last couple of centuries, including a few reproductions.
Finally, I have ACCUMULATED a number of pistols and revolvers, ranging from reproduction black powder revolvers through 1911 clones and various Rugers and military models of autoloaders to odds and ends that just crossed my path or were found back in my junk-hunting days.
I have always been interest in the combination of history, philosophy and technology that came together in each of these old weapons.
I also enjoy figuring out their quirks so that I can shoot them well..
 
:rofl: :D Compared to most of you, I'm a "piker" with only 15 usable firearms and one mechanically unsafe and "retired". There are 8 handguns (including the "retired" one), 2 shotties, and 6 rifles. One of the revolvers is, according to the "blue book", is too valuable as is to warrant shooting it any more. Plus, trying to find the ammo is a royal "b#tch" ! All the rest have been used for hunting, plinking, etc.
 
No, no,no.
When you have purchased (for good or dumb reasons) a pile of guns, you can't just tell people you own a "pile of guns". You call it "a collection", which to the unknowing mentally denotes purpose and organization and gives stature and dignity to your "pile of guns".
 
I’ll say that people who buy a firearm to shoot, hunt, defend themselves etc., are ‘buyers.’ Just about all of us start here. :)

When they’re buying guns that duplicate the purpose of previously purchased guns (Backup or spare, different caliber-gauge, barrel length, etc.) or maybe something completely different because it tickles their fancy they’re ‘accumulating.’ Most of us are here, with a wide disparity between the numbers of guns we’ve ‘accumulated.’ :thumbup:

If they’re looking for specific makes, models, options or calibers in order to fill the void between gun A and guns C and D strictly so they have a particular gun, set or series, they’re ‘collecting.’ Some of us end up here. ;)

I’m still ‘accumulating’... especially since I like buying guns but don’t look to fill a void in a brand or series, I just try to fulfill a desire in my psyche for it. o_O

Stay safe.
 
Nobody said that a collection had to have a SINGLE theme.
It's easy to stray from a single theme. My general collecting focus is U.S.military small arms. That broadened to include guns that had "U.S. Property" markings, even though they might not have been issued to U.S. forces. So that led to Savage-manufactured British No. 4 Enfields, and the next thing I knew, I was collecting British rifles.
 
Define firearms "collecting." And I'm not talking about the ATF/legal/C&R Licensee definition.

@Garandimal recently commented in another discussion that "firearms collecting is a mental disorder." This was in response to a post I made about buying a CMP1911, not as a shooter, but as a piece of history. (Which fell through, by the way.)

Someone I know offline recently asked why I wasn't collecting guns. To him, buying any gun is "collecting."

Is firearm collection any different than any other collecting type hobby, such as coins, stamps, or pieces of Americana?

Buy stuff you like that's too nice to shoot and add in 3 parts OCD (rather CDO if'n you're a genuine collector) :D
 
I have a full safe and then some that will not fit - no theme, rhyme or reason other than that they are all firearms. I have accumulated these firearms over many years and they just added up; I do not view them as a collection but more like a hobby horde. I did not need them but I wanted them so they were purchased; I like to shoot them once in a while and sometimes I just hold and look at them. I probably have a psychological disease that has not yet been named - I am OK with that.
 
In my mind (which I am sometimes not in) a collector has to have a theme, as has been said. Also has been said, more than one category is allowed. My two main categories of 'collections' - that I show off to friends - are military rifles of the First World War, and 7.65mm (.32 ACP) pistols of the Art Deco period (1900 to just prior to WWII). Other than that, I have sub-categories of 'cop guns', largely double action revolvers of the 20th Century; 'transitional' handguns, notably a FN High Power and a Smith and Wesson M39. And "James Bond" guns. (PPk's are rather spendy). And target handguns.

Not of a collection, I have an assortment of self-defense hardware, to include a somewhat modified M1 Carbine. All stuff I like (with the exception of some Colt DA revolvers from the old days). I shoot them all, at least to evaluate them. Except for the Dick Special, which is so badly out of time it won't fire. Good old Colt.

And I LIKE it all.
 
No, no,no.
When you have purchased (for good or dumb reasons) a pile of guns, you can't just tell people you own a "pile of guns". You call it "a collection", which to the unknowing mentally denotes purpose and organization and gives stature and dignity to your "pile of guns".

That is so funny! What would Freud say about collecting?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_of_collecting
 
If you acquire items that other people like and appreciate and make you offers on, it's a collection.
If you acquire items nobody else cares about or wants, it's an accumulation.

At some point, if you have enough items people dislike (say, every color combo of Taurus Spectrum) then it can become a collection. People will want to see it just so they can say, "Why'd you do that???"
 
Collecting firearms is no different than collecting anything else. Firearms, to me are a form of art and history. The industry revolution started building firearms. The idea of of interchangeable parts started with firearms. There is a lot of engineering that goes into firearms. People that collect firearms are just seen as different than other collectors but it is no different from collecting anything else.
 
I'm with the "A collection needs to have a theme or focus" crowd.
I have an accumulation of any number of collections.........

(Three or more that can be shown as related in some logical way make a collection.):p
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top