Is your "functional" collection complete?

I'm not trying to derail this thread, so disregard if you wish. My accumulation of guns is more dysfunctional than functional. I have a 9mm, 10mm, and a 45acp revolver, and pistols in 8mm Nambu, 9mm Win Mag, 45 Win mag. I more or less provide a haven for guns no one else wants.

To actually keep this thread on track, I have a small 44 spl for carry, full size 10mm and 45 acp for carry, a couple of black rifles to fill that niche, an extended magazine pump 12 guage for defending the realm, a really small 22 pistol for discrete carry, a 22 target pistol, and a couple of revolvers for target shooting and self defense in necessary.

Nothing another 3 or 4 thousand dollars wouldn't fix

Following this thread from the beginning has been interesting. Many of the folks here are like me, we buy guns that interest us. I have been buying and selling guns of personal interest to me for over 50 years. In the beginning I guess you could call it functional buying. I bought a .22 rifle for many uses. a rifle for hunting, a pump shotgun for hunting. That was about as functional as you can get.

Somewhere along the line someone suggested that a handgun for personal protection might be a good thing, so I bought one, a 1911. Remember this is about 1963. No plastic guns to choose from. Sometime after that my ranch-family members started giving me a hard time cause I didn't own cowboy six shooter, so I bought a Blackhawk. By the way, my hunting rifle during this time was a Mdl 94 Winchester 30/30 and I killed, antelope, mule deer and elk with it and no one said I shouldn't cause it wouldn't work. One year I drew a moose tag and decided I needed to move up in power so I bought a 30/06 bolt gun.

Well, 50 years later, many guns (more than a 100) have come and gone. I've tried most of the rifle calibers between .22 and .458, and settled on 30/30, .308 and 30/06 for general hunting. They are proven. I still have my original guns plus some additions. My .22's are still my original guns.

Handguns are another story. I've changed or tried almost every caliber and I think every manufacturer of plastic handguns and here is my conclusion of functional. I still have my original 1911 and Blackhawk (.357). To that I have added a 4" S&W 44 mag and a .22, a Ruger MkII. I have one plastic gun (Glock 19) but that may not stay. The 9mm serves no purpose for me that isn't handled by the 1911.

So what is functional? Whatever works for you. For me, quantity is second to quality.

I'm still searching around for the second defense shotgun for the upstairs-bathroom.

Mine is complete
FNP-9
Colt Python
Ruger Standard

Ruger 77/22
Marlin 1894c
AK 47
Winchester 30-30
Weatherby V 30-06

Rem Sportman 48
Ruger Red Label

I saw an estate sale that covers it;
Winchester mdl 63 .22 lr pump
Winchester Low Wall .218 Bee with a 10X Unertl
Winchester mdl 12 12 gauge magnum
Winchester mdl 70 .375 H&H with a 4x Weaver
Guy lived in Montana for over 70 years and this pretty much covered it for function.....I can't argue with his choices for where he lived and what he hunted. We all have our choices to make, he made his in the 1940's, but they could still work fine today. I might upgrade the .218 to a .22/250, but not if I was going to eat what I shot with it...

A 40mm Bofors would complete my functional collection. Always worried about the farm being attacked by planes and helicopters.

Since that probably will never happen, just remember, the one who dies with the most guns wins.

cfullgraf: The idea of who dies with the most gun wins, has appeal, but if my son never gets any gun bug, will they be sold to pawn shops for half or a third the value?
Some might get "sporterized".

^ you can always come back and haunt him

All my kids are into guns to some extent but I've bought what I want to own not what I think they want to own.

One of my biggest fears is that when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them.

Dang that coffee burns coming out my nose! Good one mavracer.

Mine has been complete for some time now. Presently I am selling off all the other guns and restructuring my entire meager collection so that I will only have firearms on hand that I actually shoot. Not ones that only take up space in the back of the safe.

All in all I do not plan on purchasing any more guns in my lifetime. From now on I am going to enjoy shooting the guns I really like, cause that's all I will have.

Which brings me to an interesting point. Anyone have about $4K laying around they want to part with for an excellent condition H&K 91 (.308 Win) with three stock sets, and 37 magazines? PM me for info/pics. This is one of the guns I need to get rid of but everyone I know is too cheap to purchase this fine rifle.

Regards,

Rob

Yeh Right Rob, wish I had a nickel for everytime I said this is the last gun I'll ever buy/

Yes, I think my "functional" collection is complete. I think it has been for a little while; I am of the opinion that a .22 rifle fills the .22 niche and a .22 handgun is just "nice to have". For me, anyway.

I could stand to get something long-range (e.g. .308-class), but I don't really need it where I live. I might at least buy something entry-level like a Ruger American or similar when times get a little better for me. Or, I might not.



Like most enthusiasts, there's always an item or two out there that I'm at least vaguely in pursuit of. But I recognize that they are cake icing - the "functional" part is covered. I've come quite a long ways from that first handgun way back when that I sincerely thought would be my one and only.

After over 100 handguns and long guns, I have it down to 4 pistols in 45 and 9mm, a 12 gauge and an AR. The handguns "could" be cut in half down to 2, but having 2 of each caliber works for me. The days of having 20 hand guns are really not practical anymore. the cost of ammo makes shooting a treat instead of a routine. I may pick up new guns 2 or 3 times a year, but usually it's to trade up from what I had. I did sell off all my thousand plus dollar pistols as they were collecting dust too long. If I ever get the bug again, I would just buy a couple of new 45s, but nothing else really interests me even though I always carry. It comes down to what works for you. I found that when I lived in NYC for 40+ years, I shot more, and had 2 pistols a rifle and shotgun.
Unless you compete or hunt, there isn't much use for all those guns other than looking at them. I think 6 guns are enough for my needs now in my 60's.

Well, now that I have a postwar arsenal rebuild of a 1928 Tula Nagant 1895 in 7.62X28mmR, my "needs" are complete...

ECS

Starting out I was interested in hunting. So I figured a .30-06, a 12 gauge & a .22 would be all I needed.
Of course then I got to thinking it would be good to have a handgun for self defense so I picked up a .357 revolver. Then I got to thinking I ought to have a semi so I got a .40 caliber pistol. Then I wanted something I could use if I needed for a snake gun so I found an inexpensive .22 single action. Then I decided to start carrying so I picked up a more carry friendly .40. Then I got to thinking that was still pretty bulky so then came the subcompact 9mm.
My last purchase was a Ruger 1911 that was more of a want thing.
The only area I really feel I'm lacking in is not having a modern sporting rifle.
Of course I need to pick up a small .22 to train the kids with. I guess my answer to your question is no.

To answer the ops question no I don't have my functional collection complete thank you for the new excuse for the misses

it doesn't get much more functional than a 12 gauge, a 30-30winchester, and a 22 pistol
to me so i'm covered

Do I have all that I need???

Unfortunately I never seen to have enough.

Sure. Prudent to have:

1. .357 revolver in 4 and 6 inch - double as .38 spl.
2. 9mm compact in single and double-stack config.
3. .22LR pistol
4. .22LR rifle
5. 12 gauge shotgun

This completes the HD and LR scenarios. Of course, in addition to the above, it's important to have swords, spears, knives, throwing and swinging weapons. These things are to be all throughout the house.

Wherever you are, at any point, there should be something useful at hand.

I have more guns than I can justify a use for but these are the ones I will keep.

1. Glock 26 - summer carry gun
2. Glock 19 - USPSA gun/ Home defense
3. Ruger lcp - for when I cant carry a gun
4. NEF pardner 12g. - great for foliage squirrel hunting
5. Mossberg 12 500 - Setup for turkey hunting
6. Marlin 336 30-30 - Deer hunting up close.
7. Savage 110 30-06 - For if I ever get drew in the Elk tag lotto
8. stevens 64 22lr - needs no specific purpose, its a 22 rifle
9. Stag arms ar 15 - For when all else fails!

I could go the rest of my life and not need anything but these, but thank God we live in a country where I can have as many as I want!