Are you a shooter or collector?

Are you a collector or a shooter?

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essayons21

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I am curious to know how many THR members consider themselves collectors or shooters, or both.

A shooter is someone who views guns as tools, whether for hunting, self-defense, or competition.

A collector is someone who views guns as intriguing pieces regardless of their practicality or usefulness as a tool, and may get just as much pleasure looking at a fine gun on their wall as a taking it to the range.

I consider myself both a shooter and collector, and my guns generally fall into those lines, with a little bit of overlap. I do have guns I won't shoot, and a few that I shoot rarely. But I also have guns with round counts in the tens of thousands. I am obsessive about condition in my collectible firearms, while my carry and IDPA guns look pretty beat up, and really only get cleaned when the dirt starts interfering with function.

How about you? Are you a collector or a shooter or both?
 
Mostly shooter, but I do have old guns from my childhood and before that I will not get rid of. Those guns are special cases, I typically shoot more and buy less.
 
I'm more shooter than anything. You really cannot call what I have a collection. I've just accumulated some guns but its too diverse to call it a collection. Just no real focus to whats in the safe.

Mark
 
Both...

I have my "tools" and train enough to be good with them. Plus, I carry a gun for a living. Many of those "tools" are well used and show their wear.

I also have a lil collector side to me too. Especially when it comes to historic weapons. In my case the drool starts coming when I see a nice WW2 piece.
 
Shooter. My wife and I don't have that many guns and we shoot them all pretty regularly. The kids shoot some of them too.
 
Shooter, but my definition is different than yours. Not just tools to me. By your collector definition, I am a collector, but don't collect guns. I buy guns that intrigue me. I appreciate my model 19 for what it is. A classic. I appreciate my 25-2 for what it is, a work of art. I shoot them too.
 
I'm a shooter as well, but I greatly appreciate the aesthetics involved and can appreciate a well made tool.
 
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Really about 50/50. I have guns that get frequent trips to the range and some that are safe queens.

There's room for both, collections are a way to preserve history and enjoy the craftsmanship of days gone by.

I may be a little older than most members, but I've never thought of a gun as just a "tool". I guess if a person is an LEO it would be, but as a civilian it means more to me than that.

GGF
 
I'm both, I collect 20th century military rifles and have some examples I give the white glove treatment to; ie my IP M1 Carbine, FN49, 1911 and K31 Swiss rifles. Stuff that's not easy to replace and IMHO should be preserved for future generations.

My modern guns like my Ruger 10/22 and Sig rifle I shoot the heck out of. I took my Sig to the Appleseed and had no issues placing it on the pavement and scratching it. Guns with wear on them look good to me, I don't abuse it but I don't mind dropping the mags on the ground when I'm standing or putting it down in the dirt. (OTOH the thought of dropping my FN49's mag on the ground for an AQT change makes me cringe!:eek::D)

The modern stuff I can replace, I love shooting and buy them to shoot. I can buy a new Ruger for $200 when mine has 100k rounds through it and is shot out, which is going to be in about 8 years LOL.
 
Shooter, except for one or two guns they do not mean anything to me other than shooting. If I decide I do not like shooting any of them, they are gone. I have gone through dozens of them and the ones I have now are keepers, because I like shooting them.

But, I would still refer to them as my collection. Unless I were to be arrested, in which case they would be referred to as my arsenal :)
 
100% shooter
I was raised by a collector, though we shot an awful lot of those guns. As Pop has matured out of having teenaged boys, he acquires more collector pieces and shoots infrequently.
I have choosen my "shooters" with a preference for quality and time tested designs; FN Mauser commercial '98 rebarreled to 7mmRemMag, a couple of nice Marlin lever guns. And the Colt revolver that the Wife's father carried as a LEO for nearly two decades-doesn't get taken out shooting much these days.
Some would collect these, but to me they are shooters, worthy of protecting like a piece of fine art.
 
Shooter... I don't have enough guns to be a collector. Send me a $100,000 and I'll add collector to the description...:D
 
With all due respect, you're not going to get anyone to admit that they're a collector on here. They may shoot once a year and buy a new gun three times a year and they'll still check the "both" box.
 
Most of my milsurps are safe queens, most of my shooting today is done with 22s on indoor ranges. I see many of my guns they same way I see the coins I have collected-as objects of contemplation. I know a woman who collects sewing machines-same thing.
 
It seems that most folks are a bit of a combination. I would probably be more of an accumulator/plinker myself. I don't have really nice or collectible stuff to consider myself a collector, nor do I hunt or shoot competitively to really be a "shooter".

I have a friend who is strictly a shooter. He hunts, and in his mind the only reason to have a gun is to hunt or defend yourself. Any firearm that does not fill that role might as well be ground up and sold for scrap.:eek:
 
Shooter all the way. Every gun in my safe gets a workout at least a few times a month, and since I live in a rural area and own all the land around my home, it's easy to facilitate such frequent shooting sessions. All of my guns fill a role, and when I find a gun that can perform the role of 2 others, the 2 get replaced and I use the money I make from selling them to improve my new gun, and buy ammo to practice. From plinking, to hunting, to anti-material, I've got a tool for the job, and all without unnecessary overlap. To me, on a reasonable budget, that's the way to go.
 
I have to like whatever Tools I own and use, anyway.


So, definitely 'Shooter', and things I like living with and having/using.
 
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I don't collect anything. I own a few guns that I'll never sell but "collecting" means buying them for the purpose of putting them aside in the hope that their value will appreciate to eventually realize a profit for the "collector".

I have buds that collect various guns, old lever guns, pre 64 Winchesters etc. Military weapons etc. and I'm sure they get enjoyment out of that.... but I buy them to shoot or hunt with period.
 
Both. But I don't put things away in the hope of making money from them later. I do it because I like the firearms and I enjoy the historical aspect. If I make a dollar or two, fine, but I don't worry about the value. I "worry" about maintaining the condition.
 
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