Collecting? There is your collection, there is my collection and then there are other collections, I want the most for my money, I purchases a last ditch Mauser complete with a shoe polish stained stock and a flat black paint job on all the metal parts including the tin, my intention was to turn it into a project, I thought I was well on my way when I took it to the range, I thought the rifle was tumbling bullets, without a scope I could not see the hole until I had at least 4 shots off, the one hole made by 4 shots looked like the bullets were tumbling, anyhow, there is nothing I can to to improve on that kind of accuracy, so, I put the rifle up and starting on another one.
I paid $120.00 for the ugliest military rifle ever 'sporterized', a Remington M1917 Enfield, I did not believe anyone could build a rifle that ugly without knowing what they were doing, sure enough I loaded 60 rounds of 12 different loads in groups of 5 and went to the range, the groups moved slightly but never spread larger than a quarter.
I purchased the rifle for parts if all else failed, again not easy to improve on a rifle that shoots different cases as in new commercial, new military, fired military, fired commercial and formed cases with different bullets and powder, again I put that one away, the 50mm scope cost more than the rifle.
Then there is the Santa Fe, Remington 1903 before the A3 1942 + or -, $140.00 with the original ammo purchased with the rifle (from Sears), no scope at 100 yards the hole from edge to edge measured .600 thousands, my plan for that rifle was to install an A4 barrel with 'air brakes' chambered to 308 Norma Mag, again, there is no way to improve on accuracy so I applied the 'leaver policy, I lefter the way I founder.
My collection is not like other collections, I am sure there is a book that identifies collecting methods and techniques, I had no part in writing the book.
F. Guffey