completely lost interest

[oldfool]

only OP can make that judgment call, of course

But I do agree with the others, if it's just "lost interest" due to work, family, other interests, other hobbies.. no problem, it happens

But if losing interest in "everything", very different, please do consider some professional evaluation; the hard part of that being that it sneaks up on you, difficult to recognize and acknowledge... and even harder to act upon
Suggest discuss with wife, close family, people who have know you best for a very long time. If they are concerned about personality and behavorial shifts, trust them, they care.

Me, I have gone through "interests" cycles. Milady and I cycle though multiple interests and hobbies, sometime passionately for very short durations, sometimes for decades. But, maybe because I am such a cheapskate, we keep our stuff. We have our big boy toys and big girl toys stuffed away all over the place; I hate getting rid of anything, then buying it all over again, the next time we get inspired. There was about a seven year period that I made it to the range once a year, if even that. Other passionate, time consuming interests won out. But I never sold a single one, still got 'em, putting 'em to good use now for several years running. Probably why our collection never shrinks, just grows faster or slower, depending on what cycle we are into.

THAT would worry me... not caring if disposed of at a loss.
Plenty of our stuff we have given away free to family, someone who could and would put it to use, but that is still very real value. Just not caring just suggest possible cause for concerns.

Whatever it is, or is not, we wish you well.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Yes, it has happened to me a few times in my life.

My interest in guns has faded a great deal. I've been shooting since I was a kid, and I think that it just got old. Plus one day I just looked at all the stuff I had, and it seemed so totally ridiculous to have all those guns. I worried about them when I was on vacation, and if something ever happened that we had to evacuate, there's just no way to take them all with me. I gave some to the kids and grand kids, sold a lot of them, and just kept a few .22's to plink with, and my old .38 revolver for defense use. Now the wife and just shoot rimfire, and have more fun. It felt liberating to get rid of stuff. The really funny thing was our shooting got better.

Same thing happened with the motorcycles. I rode from age 16 to 60, and had everything from Honda, BMW, to a Harley. Got burned out on them at last, sold them off and never looked back. Don't miss them at all. Once I told someone that I'd be done riding when they put that last nail in the coffin, but I was fooled in the end.

I think its part of growing older; what was fun once, gets to be a PITA after enough decades. Got old enough that I got tired of being cold, or damp, or hot. Now I drive a nice car and have a heater, and windows to roll up when it rains. Now instead of riding along with the wind buffeting us on the 'glide, we cruise along in a quiet car with some Vivaldi on the sterio. Just like I got tired of the big guns and noise. Now I don't want to shoot anything but a .22 at some can's when teaching the grandson to shoot. Just like I know I'll never have another motorcycle, I know that I'll never have an interest in large center fire revolvers anymore. And I'm okay with that, I'm old enough that I don't care anymore about impressing anyone. Heck, I have more fun with my airguns off the back deck than I had with my firearms. And I don't have to drive anywhere to do it, and the nieghbors don't even know I'm shooting anything. Not to mention that I've been known to plink off a few doves at the bird feeder and we have broiled dove breast and a crisp white wine for dinner. Better than Cornish game hens.

I used to backpack as a young man. Now I find I have an interest in those RV's I used to scorn when I was a young buck full of p--s and vinigar. I discovered I like a nice bunk instead of a foam pad under a sleeping bag. Tastes change as we age, and our desires change. What's important to us now will change 20 years from now. We gave away our backpacking gear and now have a nice little trailer towed behind our car. No more sleeping on the ground for this retired couple!

As long as you find stuff you still like to do, don't worry about it. Life does not revolve around guns. Life is to be lived in a manor in which you enjoy. The wife and I have cut waaaay back on our personal stuff. It was like getting a ball and chain taken off when we downsized. Now we travel more, travel lighter, and enjoy ourselves.

Don't worry about the material stuff, it's just stuff. Guns included.

 

[russ69]

I have completely lost interest in guns.

Dude, I'm sorry. You must have had something happen in your life and that is causing you to lose interest in things. Perhaps even some illness that maybe you are not aware of yet. I hope not.
I've been shooting for a long time, interest comes and goes but I've never felt the need to liquidate everything. I switch around, sometimes pistols, sometimes rifles but I've always have something cooking. It really helps if you have a buddy to go shooting with. I lost my best shooting buddy, but I've made new friends and there is always someone friendly at the range. I hope things work out. Give this a try. Take a 22 to the range and make a new friend, things will get better, I know this as fact.

Thanx, Russ

 

[oldbear]

I get bored with shooting from time to time,

I did too, after years of having to be armed daily it was a treat to have the option of going armed. I finally returned several years ago and I’m again enjoying the shooting sports.

I'm also much more selective in an handgun I may consider purchasing.

 

[Steve 48]

Get into a group with some shooting drills and competition. That will get your interest up again.

 

[DasFriek]

I have a very compulsive personality and hobby's strike me fast and hard and i do and learn as much as i can and fast as i can, And them burn out fast and sell everything and move on to something else.
But guns have been in my life more than a few times.
Age 7, 22 and again at 38.
Im two years in with guns this time and in ways getting close to being burned out. Mainly due to my benchrest .22lr setup which is all consuming.

What got me back into guns this time was when i found out my dad had give our houses only firearm a 12 gauge back to my uncle for some reason and he didn't tell me for 6 months.
Imagine my surprise had we had a home invasion and i went to the closet looking for that gun and all i found was a sweeper! I gave him an ear full for not tell me about that decision.

Due to that it led to my G20c i bought for HD after i sold my motorcycle which was the last hobby i was dumping.

So yeh, I too may stop my gun "hobby" but guns are a necessity as work tools and will always be in my life one way or another.
But no matter what i do ill always need a SG for HD and 2 guns for ccw, Both of which are a lifetime commitment to me.

 

[95cougar]

Yep, been through the same thing in the past. Didn't completely lose interest, just enough to drastically scale back in the mid-nineties. Eventually I've come full circle again (though looking to scale back, but not because of lack of interest this time).

Just like anything else, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

You should do whatever will make you happy- if that means getting rid of your shooting stuff, by all means do it. IMHO some things are more important than material possessions.

Good luck.

 

[JohnBiltz]

It happened to me. In 99 I retired from the Army, moved to Vegas. I did not have many guns but I was shooting the ones I had all the time. I lived in Vegas 6 years and never fired a shot. I kept a shotgun and a Glock 17 for the house but never shot them. Moved to Phoenix and after a year or two I decided to buy something to plink with. I picked up a 9mm Kel-Tec Sub 2000 and it was fun. Really fun. I was back. I'm never going to be a collector or shoot competition. But I do enjoy shooting and got a CCW. I bought a nice 6.5 Grendel and Glock 26 for CCW. I mostly just shoot my carry gun, I need the practice.

 

[Pow]

Has this ever happened to anyone else before? I have completely lost interest in guns. I no longer have fun while shooting and have not kept one single gun for more than a few weeks. I buy guns because they are good deals, not because I want them. Then sell those for what I paid for them not even a month later. I am about to sell the last remaining guns I have to a friend at a pretty big loss just to get rid of them. I don't care about losing the money, I just want rid of them. Anyone else ever just lost interest?

Never had that problem, myself. I've got some pretty hideous glass beads I'll never use in jewelry items, though, and I can't for the life of me remember why I ever thought I could use 'em. Probably not the same thing, really...

 

[chuck520]

I second what Carl said.

 

[huntsman]

Has this ever happened to anyone else before? I have completely lost interest in guns. I no longer have fun while shooting and have not kept one single gun for more than a few weeks. I buy guns because they are good deals, not because I want them. Then sell those for what I paid for them not even a month later. I am about to sell the last remaining guns I have to a friend at a pretty big loss just to get rid of them. I don't care about losing the money, I just want rid of them. Anyone else ever just lost interest?

It happened once in the mid seventies I got into dirt bikes snowmobiles and girls, I got back into guns and hunting more so after I was married in 1979.

Now I still love guns don't hunt much but I do the CCW thing and practice with my pistols.

Maybe you bought the wrong kind of guns or put too much emphases on the buying part?

 

[smoothdraw]

The competition in USPSA, IDPA, Multigun is keeping my interest high all the time. Regular training also i'm into custom 1911 and that field is very exciting because most of it i cannot afford.

 

[TriTone]

Have you tried the shooting sports? Idpa, sass? It's easy to OD sometimes. Maybe you just need another hobby for a while. It'll probably come back to you later. Maybe you got too Cought up in the buying and selling instead of just enjoying what you have.

 

[ILikeLead]

Here's a short primer on Clinical depression. "Anhedonia" is one of the symptoms. Anhedonia is not enjoying things or activities that you once enjoyed. Another sign is irritability, or "biting people's heads off" and then regretting it a short time later. If it's depression there's probably other hobbies and activities that are also affected...


Just some free advice from a MD who treats it every day..

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

That passion of mine to shoot very well was slightly interrupted. My sight isn't what it used to be.
I have since transferred that passion to teaching others how to shoot. To shoot effectively and confidently.

 

[owlhoot]

I wouldn't presume to offer Sniper any advice other than to tell him to follow his own heart. Reflecting on my own experiences I can say that aside from my natural affinity for firearms, the fact that all of my friends share an active interest in guns certainly helps keep my interest alive. I've always shot in various disciplines as a fairly serious competitor, and that has focused and maintained my interest. And third, even when just plinking, I set goals for myself so I'm competing against my best time, best target, or whatever.

Actually I'm grateful that I still have guns and shooting and reloading as a recreation. I'm 76 and the depredations of time have robbed me of a lot of activities that I once enjoyed, white water canoeing, hunting, motorcycles, fast cars, travel, scuba, flying, skydiving, and others. I didn't burn out on any of them, I just got to the place that I couldn't do them safely anymore.

But shooting is still there, and I still enjoy it a couple of times a week. I'm fortunate to have a range in the yard. And as I said, ALL of my friends are into some form of shooting, and to make things nicer still, all of my friends are also friends with each other, so it makes us all into one big informal club. So I have lots of company. On the whole, I guess I'm damned lucky.

But here is a central point: Some few people do quite well as hermits, but most of us are gregarious and enjoy having friends. But friendships don't exist in a vacumn. There has to be a framework, common interests, shared experiences, and even a set of core attitudes and beliefs in order for friendships to thrive. Firearms and shooting, as well as any other hobbies, serve as a part of the glue that cements friendships together. If you don't get to know other shooters, if you don't include others in your shooting activities, you are depriving yourself of one of the great benefits available to you. Of course, it goes without saying, choose your friends with even greater care than you choose your guns.

 

[bkjeffrey]

I had actually given up the hobby of shooting and collecting firearms all together for about two years. Sold or traded most of my guns and accessories to fund a new interest, my new Dodge Cummins Diesel. I sold and traded alot of nice firearms to fund upgrading that truck. Then a friend took a strong interest in guns about a year ago and he jumped into the hobby full throttle. Now my interest is spiked again from my good buddy getting involved in guns. So now Ive got a really nice truck and newly growing gun collection. Now that back on a gun kick Im thinking of selling that hot-rod diesel pickup. Ha. It comes and goes as all the others have stated before.

 

[jbkebert]

I got the point where I didn't care to much for my gun collection. I sold off a few and kinda got back into it within the last few years. I just became more interested in archery again. Between the family and work just didn't have time for both. I now enjoy shooting very much but I think hunting with a bow will always trump hunting with a rifle for me.

 

[A and O]

Nope, never. I do think I go through phases however. Maybe we all do to some point or another. Same with motorcycles and reloading for me. Heck, even in Business as much as I love what I do I find myself wishing I were elsewhere (like shooting, reloading or riding the Bike).

If I found myself in your situation I would give it a wait and see for 6 mos. or so just to be certain it's not a phase. Would hate to see you make a major financial blunder and the regrets that go with it.

 

[Sano]

Same thing happened to me when civilization absorbed the last wild shooting area I knew. I have been going with my brother in law and nephew to get them started right but it is a drag and I don't shoot. They are on their own now so I don't plan to ever go again. I will if someone needs my help but I don't care.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

My interest level has definately increased and decreased at times over the years, but I've never totally lost interest in firearms. With me, it's more of a seasonal thing. While I love them all the time, I tend to shoot less in the warmer months. Most of my free time then is spent at the driving range or the golf course. Then, about late August or early September, I start getting the itch to shoot more. I'm feeling it coming on now. It's like clockwork, it happens every year this way.
But to answer your question, no, I've never lost interest. Maybe the guys are on to something about your life in general. Just flat out wanting to be rid of them after wanting them previously does raise questions. Only you can sort it out and decide if you need to seek out a proffesional opinion, and there's absolutely nothing wrong if you do need to. I hope everything works out for you, and if you decide never to own a firearm again, that's certainly your right. Best wishes

AP

 

[mack]

Excellent post #41 owlhoot. Teaching or sharing with others are some of my most joyful experiences.

I know that for me - at one time in my life I was depressed and did not know it - because I didn't quote unquote - feel depressed. I did not know that as has been stated a loss of interest in many things I enjoyed and the feeling that I was just too tired to care about things were signs of depression. That was my denial of my depression - "I'm not depressed okay - I'm just tired - I just want to be left alone."

Somedays I still struggle with it - but faith - good people - and my kids always help me to get back on track - that and recognizing it now - and knowing that I don't want to go back there. I have real compassion for people who struggle with severe depression - it can be so hard - there is just no energy to fight or to get motivated. I always remember to just start doing something - anything - just move and get up and get out - and helping others helps a lot too. I know now it is a choice just like love is a choice and not just a feeling.

Sorry, better get to bed lots of work - hope that everything works out for the OP.

 

[russ69]

That passion of mine to shoot very well was slightly interrupted. My sight isn't what it used to be.

I can't even find the front sight anymore but you know what, I can hold the pistol still and I can still hit the center. Yeah, I'm not what I used to be but I still have fun and can shoot better than most kids I see at the range. That and being a little older, it's not important if I'm the best shot in the world, I'm darn good enough to have some fun.

Thanx, Russ

 

[wishin]

just one and really don't want it.

I'm not a doctor, but question whether you're suffering from depression. In all seriousness schedule a visit with your physician.

 

[jeepguy]

my interest in firearms has ebbed & flowed since i started owning firearms. but i always kept a rifle & pistol for defenseive purposes. i also bought & sold/traded some of the firearms i had to get the ones i wanted. i would recomend find one pistol & rifle you really like. if you dont have one of each take the money you get from your sales & go find one. imo you want to be able to defend your family & yourself if you need to. that would be a bad time to think i wish i still had a pistol/rifle. i want to wish you the best of luck to you no matter what you do.