Are your guns tools or collectors?

[SwampWolf]

Oh, and don't worry - I took both rounds out of my shotgun before I used it to hold down a fence.

At least you had two rounds to unload; as a boy I could only stuff half as many in my trusty Iver Johnson "Champion".

 

[.308 Norma]

At least you had two rounds to unload; as a boy I could only stuff half as many in my trusty Iver Johnson "Champion".

Yep, my first was a Savage 24 over/under (.22 Mag on top and .410 on the bottom), and then I got Savage/Stevens 311, 20 gauge double. The Savage 24 disappeared when I was away in the Navy, but I gave the Stevens 311 to my wife in 1972 or 1973. She had to have the buttstock shortened (she's only 5'1") but she still has it, and it only shows honest signs of wear.

 

[Legionnaire]

Given the options, I tend to think of my guns as tools (or toys). They are nice tools/toys, but none would have any real value to a collector. That said, there are a couple I own just because I love the look of them. I put the Ruger No.1 RSI in 7x57 Mauser in that category. It's less common than a run-of-the-mill bolt action and it's in a classic cartridge. So I voted "Some of each," even though it is still a very shootable tool.

 

[rabid wombat]

A firearm is a tool…whether we choose to use it as such or not, our decision. Some are pretty, some are rare, some are utilitarian. I have several I have no intention of firing (probably fired before I owned them…no matter, great shape). Push comes to shove… they will be used as designed…push a projectile or shot column out the front…otherwise

The reason I have what I have, is so I can choose…

 

[tws3b2]

My guns are not tools. No not collectors. But, Yes they are tools and collectors.
I have used my guns as tools and I guess you could say I collect guns.
I think of myself as Gun Enthusiast. Or, Gun Nut as some may say. I think it's a whole different world than just using guns as tools or just collecting.
I don't need a reason to buy a gun except I just Want. I have guns that I " mostly" don't even shoot. I have guns that. are Said not to be "Collectible" by some.
I just like guns for some reason I Can't explain.

 

[JEBruns]

Some people might be surprised at how well a firearm, even one that is used regularly in less than favorable conditions over time, can keep its good looks with a little care and regular upkeep. My Browning Double Auto shotgun is one example: I bought it new in 1961 and have hunted with it extensively over the past several decades, in duck blinds, grouse/woodcock coverts, squirrel woods, rabbit trails, pheasant cornfields and even for whitetails in cedar swamps and, forgiving some small dings and loss of bluing in spots, the gun still looks pretty darn nice. Yes, if I fall I'm mindful to take the brunt of the impact instead of the gun and, no, I don't use the butt stock to hold a barbwire fence down to make crossing it easier. You can ride a gun hard but you can't put them away wet.

I have a well worn Browning Sporting Clays O/U that I bought new. I used to pheasant hunt 3+ days a week for 3 months of the year, stomping through all manner of MN and IA fields, sloughs and swamps with that gun. Did that for a lot of years, before moving south. Great gun. And I took good care of it. Cleaned and oiled each week, or more often if it got wet. It has its fair share of battle scars on the stock, and the bluing is rubbing off in places from where I have my hands when carrying it. Love that gun, some great memories. Great tool.

 

[Skeptic13]

All tools……for now.

 

[Kano383]

Had guns since I was a kid. Over the years, had all sorts: utilitarian, expensive (doubles), collectible (mint, original finish, 100+ years old), professional tools. Though I really appreciated the craftsmanship going into expensive guns, or the historical value of semi-antiques, I never really warmed to them, and had no regrets when I sold them.

My personal stock has slowly dwindled, and I've only retained a few guns that are pure tools. I take care of them, have modified each so that fits me and it performs flawlessly, and keep them in top conditions at all times. But I don't care about scratches or worn out finish: they're used in rough conditions, carried at arms length for days, or at my belt everywhere I go. They have a job to do, and each one is the best tool I found for the particular job asked from it.

Tools. I've bet my life on them more than once...

 

[Howland937]

They're definitely not just tools. They're simultaneously tools, art, collectibles, decorations investments, heirlooms, and learning instruments.
The initial concept? Tools for sure. But guns are one of few things that really transcend their original intent. Cars, motorcycles, and boats are other examples.

 

[Pure2nd]

Toys and tools...I have no collectables and dont intend to.
All of the firearms I own have been used to eradicate predatory animals from our property, and every one of those firearms has seen thousands of rounds for play time.

Im sure if i had ridiculous amounts of cash laying around there would wallhangers and safe queens in the house, but thats not the case here.

 

[SwampWolf]

Im sure if i had ridiculous amounts of cash laying around there would wallhangers and safe queens in the house, but thats not the case here.

I don't have anything close to having a "ridiculous amount of cash laying around" but I still have managed to collect more than a couple of safe queens as well as more than a few freeloading paupers in the house.

 

[Reloadron]

"ridiculous amount of cash laying around"

This is just one of those things. It's like inexpensive verse expensive. My inexpensive verse the next person's likely will not be the same.

Ron

 

[gnappi]

If I see two firearms of reasonably equal retail value at the current time, and one has a potential for collector interest the latter gets the nod 100% of the time. Over the years this tack has literally paid dividends if I go to sell it. I have rarely purchased something that was already in the collector realm, I'm generally too value conscious to buy something with a collector's uplift in price.

Funny if you live long enough, everything becomes collectible.

Paraphrased from Indiana Jones...

"Take this watch, you can get it for $10 in any market, but bury it in the sand for a thousand years and it's priceless"

Look at the prices on AMT hardballers and I rest my case and it didn't take several generations of shooters to do it.