Do you consider yourself a shooter or a collector?

[IROCZ]

Well? I consider myself a bit of both. But much more a shooter. As Townsend Whelen once said "Only accurate rifles are interesting". A true collectors piece that doesn't perform just doesn't scratch that itch. Let the fur fly! Post your thoughts! Thank you, and Good Day!

 

[rhodco]

I think maybe collectors appreciate guns more for the art and craftsmanship, while shooters see them more as tools that must function reliably. Both are investments of one kind or another.

I don't care to keep any guns around that I can't depend on to work properly no matter how pretty they are. Engraving and bling doesn't mean anything to me. Performance and dependability are everything.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

I shoot what I buy and buy what I shoot, equally. Since I have a passion for reloading and wildcatting, picking up an obscure cartridge firearm and then going through the process to get it to the range is what it's all about for me. With the help of companies like Buffalo Arms and CH-4D, I haven't run into a caliber I have not been able to master, from 297/230 MORRIS all the way to577 SNIDER. With Dave (CH-4D) Davison's help, I got a British P-13 Troop Trials Enfield in .276 Enfield up and running. Collecting is half the fun ... shooting a firearm (especially a real odd-bird) is the other half of the fun.

 

[The Sarge]

I shoot hogs with one of my 1917 Steyr's so I guess I collect what I shoot.

 

[chrt396]

I've bought a few guns that I was told.."If you shoot it..it will lose its collector appeal!" I shoot em'!! I buy a gun for $700..and in 20 years..it's worth $2500 ?? $1800/20 years = $90 per year of fun lost! You pay more to go to dinner and the movies!! I say shoot what ya got!!

 

[lowerunit411]

im a collector because i shoot and hunt, and it is required that you have one of each to do these things.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Now days I am more of a collector because, I don't get to shoot as much as I like. Life has a way of getting in the way of the things you like to do.
I do have several guns that I have not shot and a lot more that I have.

 

[Dr T]

I collect what I shoot and I agree with Col. Whelen. I tend to have more shorter barreled rifles and handguns than longer barreled ones. I guess that it is because they just seem handier.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Both. I have a few NIB pieces laid back for investments, but also have a shooter of the same model for the range.

 

[mitchell11]

I collect hand guns because i love everything about them and have a collectors license and i collect because i can in this country i hope that never changes but it would be great if i could get a permit to carry before i die in maryland with out having to move.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I am more a shooter than collector.
The only guns I "collect" are ones that I have for a specific purpose and will be shot as such!

 

[SharkHat]

I just plain prefer the term "enthusiast". I think there's a little of both collector and shooter in me.

I don't have a large diverse collection, but I don't shoot every gun I own. Most of them would be classed as shooters though. I don't have to own a trapdoor to appreciate their design.

 

[IROCZ]

The whole reason this came up is when I drop a rifle off at ER Shaw for a new barrel they always say something like "You know thats collectable" and I state, "Thats true, I collected it." They have never refused to put a new tube on but have balked a few times. Most of these guns are old 98 Mausers. I figure that they are mine and I can do what I want with them, which is make them back into shooting rifles. So, I'm a shooter.

 

[holdencm9]

Sometimes when people list all the guns they own, I have to question if they aren't more hoarders than collectors? But that is just the jealousy in me!

I asked myself the same thing after buying gun #9 and wife asking when I will have time to shoot them all, and I said, it isn't about shooting them all the time, some are just nice to HAVE, ya know? But considering I don't think I will ever buy something that I didn't intend to shoot, I think I am more of a shooter.

9 firearms, I get to the range every week or so, but don't bring every gun with each time, so each one gets to the range about once a month, on average. Does that qualify me?

 

[aaronu]

Mainly a shooter but I have some heirloom pieces that don't get fired much.

I can't imagine buying a gun I couldn't or wouldn't shoot.

 

[Old Fuff]

The Old Fuff is smart enough to do both. Collecting can be fun and educational, and the profits (yes I do make money) help offset the expences on the shooting side. I really feel sorry for those that have an absolute attitude that they MUST SHOOT everything they have. This being the case they must support whatever they do completely out-of-pocket.

Oh well...

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Only firearm I own that I won't shoot is an OLD (1890) 1873 USC&A SAA Colt revolver that I was lucky enough to be high bidder on for MUCH less than it's actual worth. I do have to admit though, I have been seriously tempted to load up some BP loads for it and let her rip. The timing is still perfect and it is completely operational. My better sense gets the win. But it is a HARD fight I tell ya!

Every other firearm I own can, and often does, get shot on a regular basis.

 

[ktmmudd]

While I can appreciate the beauty of a NIB Python or a factory engraved single action revolver, I just don't have the intestinal fortitude to not shoot a rifle or handgun. Whether
it's a car or a firearm, if it's too valuable to use I wouldn't have it. YMMV.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

A little of both. I have my granddad's Winchester model 1890 22 short and my dad's Remington Model 10 12 ga. Both are functional but old and delicate, and parts are hard to find. I shoot them on occasion but mostly they are just to look at. I have newer and better .22 rifles and 12 ga shotguns, so why put wear and tear on the old heirlooms?

 

[bushmaster1313]

I use what I have accumulated

 

[wojownik]

I'm more of a collector at this point, but not high end stuff. Over the years, I've collected a number of overlapping themes - US battle rifles, Russian/Soviet battle rifles, and generally WWII rifles and pistols. Plus my contemporary fixation on CZ and Sig pistols.

 

[jeepnik]

Certifiable Gun Nut

 

[303tom]

YEP.............

 

[2ifbyC]

Why do people collect things if they have no interest in selling what they buy? To understand the question you can look to American Pickers where many will only grudgingly sell a scintilla of their hoard; and that’s when they have at least one foot firmly planted in the grave.

I, to some degree, follow this portrayal and although I can’t answer the question, I know it’s psychologically rooted. I have a Browning Medialist (shot twice), Python (NIB), and Golden Boy (NIB) that are just too pretty to shoot. I can remember where I bought them and how much I paid. I don’t need the money and have no plans to sell them. Sometimes the physical possession and memories are worth more than the monetary value or use of a treasure that you find dear to your heart.

So, there is no “black and white” to your question; just permutations and combinations like a “whiter shade of pale”.

 

[writerinmo]

I'd say a shooter. If it's a wallhanger, I'll do my best to fix it so it can be safely shot. If it doesn't have documented bringback history, I'll do the same. I just got banned off of a particularly purist Mosin site because I posted on ANOTHER site that I had rebarreled a Chinese Type 53 that had a sewer pipe bore with a barrel off of an M44 Mosin. It's kinda sad when you troll other forums and then ban members for what they post there, IMHO. But at least I can shoot it now accurately, none of the bullets go through the targets sideways at 25 yards like they ALL did with the old barrel.