Is Your Collection Pretty Diverse or More Specialized?

I wouldn't yet call what I have a "collection" but I am in the stage where I'm striving for diversity - I want one of everything!

Sometimes diversity is unity. I have two collection goals. My first love is antique cartridge pocket pistols. I would consider that group to be rather homogeneous. My second goal is to have all of the common action types in rifle, shotgun, and pistol. So for shotgun that would include breakopens (single, side-by-side, and over/under), pump, bolt, lever, and semiauto. ...and, No, my safe is not large enough.
-BothellBob

My 'collection' consists of
1925 Mosin Nagant M91/30 - 7.62x54r (excellent condition, matching serials, collection piece)
1953 Mosin Nagant M-44 - 7.62x54r
2009 Maverick 88 - 12gauge
year unknown Mossberg 500AT - 12 gauge
2009 Savage 64 - .22lr
2010 Hi-Point 995TS - 9mm
year unknown Traditions Buckskinner - .50 muzzle loader
1906 Arisaka type 38 - 6.5x50 Japanese (WWII bring back, collection piece)

Eventually, I plan on adding a 7.62x39 rifle of some sort, a 5.56 NATO/ .223 Rem rifle of some sort, a .45 ACP hand gun and a .357/.38 revolver. I'd also like to eventually get WWI-WWII era bolt actions from the US, Germany and England as collection pieces to complement the Mosin Nagant and the Arisaka.

Mine is more "themed" than anything else, so I'm not really sure how to answer that. >.<

Mine is based on "character" (read: has worn finish and polished actions by virtue of shooting) or "oddballity." (read: Who would own this when they could just...)

My main shooter is a Kahr E9, which has both character and is the red-heades stepchild of the Kahr family.
My main long rifle is a Mossberg 500 which can best be described as an old workhorse.

It goes along those lines.

My collection (though I've never viewed my self as a "collector", per se, more of a gatherer or an accumulator ) is very diverse: everything from air guns and muzzleloaders to AR-15s and Merkels. My first gun gotten at the age of fourteen (which I still have, though is headed for a certain grandson next Christmas) was a Winchester Model 67, .22 rifle; my "last" one (haha, my wife would say) was a Weatherby Vanguard, chambered in .257 Weatherby Magnum, purchased last month. No rhyme or reason to my choices; just getting what I "needed" at the time.

Mine is diverse in a specialized way?

Pistols, shotguns, and a rifle that are each for a special role

Pistols and shotguns and the AR for defense

a .270 WSM also for defense....from the Great Hog Invasion of Texas

Celebrate Diversity!

does eclectic count? I bought what I think is cool, and shoots well for me, some is for plinking fun, some is for hunting, some I simply liked, and a few are for HD

LD

Mine's pretty diverse:


Shotgun/HD longarm: Winchester 1300 20Gauge Youth
Milsurp Rifle: Mosin Nagant Model 38, Mosin Nagant 91/30
Military style rifle: Arsenal SGL21
HD Semi Auto: East German Makarov
Revolver: Ruger Speed Six
Plinker: Marlin 795


Probably going to make the Speed Six my HD handgun when I get some more trigger time with it. My most regretted purchase is the 91/30, not because it's a bad rifle, just because I don't really have a need for it, it's niche being filled by the superior M38. The Mak will probably end up being my CCW gun when I first get my license.

Things I want to get: 12 Gauge Riot gun for proper HD, probably will stick to the Winchester design.
Beretta 92: Want a high cap full size semi, plus it's America's (best) Service pistol.
Snub-nose revolver, preferably an old school Colt or S&W, probably for CCW/Fun


And the wishlist:
45-70 Gun of some sort: Big Bore's are Fun!

I buy what interests me. I may be interested in a gun next year that I wouldn't even consider or be interested in right now. So they are all pretty diverse.

Each firearm is specialized to the role I have it for.

The collection as a whole is quite diverse, although I dig semi-autos on every platform; pistols, shotguns, rifles.

Unless you have the means to just have a collection for entertainment, you better have an assortment of weapons for specific functions and an ammo stash to go along with it. I don't profess to be a doomsday preacher but I think things are going to get rocky here in the U.S. a lot sooner than later. How rocky I have no idea but with state budget cuts and fuel prices that have risen steadily, especially the last year, something has to give! It will at the expense of the average working drone in America. If you haven't made yours by now you proably never will
JT

Hello friends and neighbors // Diversity rules.

But once you go over fifty there are some groups that stand out.
8 -.357s
7- Rem. 870s -4WM -1TAC -2EXP
14 -.22 rifles

Mainly I purchase firearms that catch my eye, have some history or are very reasonably priced. Hopefully all three !

Dates so far range from 1861-2009, firearms from several Wars, Domestic and Foreign, are proudly represented but are only a small treasured part.


My four most modern firearms are diverse as well.

S&W 442 .38+P (2007)
CZ75B, 40sw (2009)
Rem. 870 Tactical with Ghost ring sights, 12ga.(2009)
Saiga Izhmash AK-47, rem .223 (2009)

I like the oldies and goodies but these four are almost too sweet.

I refrained from voting because my collection is really a combination of the two. I have one of pretty much every category (pump & sxs shotgun, .22 rifles and pistol, revolver, automatic, BP handgun, high powered rifles, intermediate powered auto rifles, ultra-compact handgun, levergun, etc.)
But I've found myself taking a liking to old guns more than anything. More than that, I've found myself buying mil-surps more than anything else. I don't think it was ever an intentional decision, but mil-surps tend to be cheaper and more functional than anything else out there. But here's where the subconcious takes over I think; even if they're not cheaper, I can justify paying more because I know they will do everything I ask them to. I like all steel construction, wood, classic styled guns.

Straight mil-surp:
'42 IZZY Mosin Nagant
'43 IBM M1 Carbine
CZ82

Close to mil-surp:
'47 S&W m&p .38 spl

Just plain old:
'53 1894 Winchester .30-30
Early '70s ASM 1851 clone

I had a '34 Colt PPS that was a columbian police gun that almost fits the mil-surp category, traded it away for the S&W M&P and a beretta jetfire. Which, predictably, is also quite a bit older than I am and predictably classically styled. The newest gun I own is a Mossberg 500 that I got for my 18th birthday, plastic, tacticool. I love it, but it don't fondle it with the same affection as my older guns. Which is strange, I thought all of us 20 year old college kids were supposed to be into glocks and submachine guns we see on those flimmidy flammidy call of duty video game box machines, eh?

My collection is VERY diverse~!

I would say it's pretty diverse, though there are definitely more handguns than long guns. And with the handguns there are more semi-autos than revolvers. But overall I would say my collection is diverse enough from my point of view.

I have a diverse accumulation, cowboy guns, military surplus and modern.. it's a semi-organized mess.

I voted specialized, but I'm not sure how accurate it is.
I enjoy hunting and target shooting, so that's what my cabinet is full of. I'm not into the tactical stuff YET, but I do plan to eventually own an AR. I guess my Sigma is the only thing that isn't geared for hunting.

Gun collection?

Does anyone remember the RIFLEMAN article about the Browning rifle collection. I think it was in the sixties that a Dentist went to Browning in Belgium and ordered a set of rifles. He ordered all calibers, all grades and they were in consecutive serial numbers. I think it amounted to 28 rifles and he would not reveal the cost. Browning said they would never repeat a similar project.

I don't have a collection. I have an ongoing accumulation.

Mine is specialized. I only buy firearms I like.

Mine is currently diverse, but I'm planing on specializing a bit more. Currently have an assorted of sporting rifles (single shot, lever, and bolt action), semi-auto battle rifles, old milsurp bolt actions, shotguns (single, pump, and semi), revolvers (cap and ball, SA, and DA), and semi-auto handguns.

What I've noticed for the most part: I use my shotguns for hunting. That's it. I absolutely need one for utility work but beyond one, I really have no use for more.

The rifles? Same. I want to keep some representative samples - I'm not getting rid of my AR15, and I need 1 or two centerfire sporting rifles for hunting. The others I just don't shoot much recreationally. I may keep a few, but I'd like to thin out a bunch of them, PARTICULARLY the milsurps. I bought them because, well, they didn't cost much, but I've noticed that for the most part they just sit there collecting dust. Haven't shot ANY milsurp rifle in at least 3 years now, and some of them I've never fired period.

My handguns are where I intend to do most of my acquisitions going forward, because I've noticed that that's simply what I prefer to shoot. Mostly semi's, but I still take out the revolvers fairly often too. Just about all of them get rotated into the range bag and shot at least a little bit.

You guys quit being so selfish. 1918 Colt 1924 Custom Colt by the late Austin Behlert Series 70 Custom by Ted Yost, Ed Brown(sold), Delta Elite Custom by Chuck Warner, and 1967 Colt LW Commander 38 Super.