Ever feel guilty when you change firearm focuses?

[Tallbald]

Been a shooter for over 50 years now, and am at toward end of the life cycle so to say. Over the years I've become enthusiastic and involved in-depth in rimfire, centerfire, revolvers and autos. Many makes and kinds. I retain a lot of good memories and understanding of past firearm explorations too. Studied and accumulated a variety over the years, and enjoyed each variant for the special features it held.
Now I have yet another new "passion". I don't regret the older styles I came to love, but I sometimes feel a little guilt about the dying flames of favorites in my hobby.
Others experience this over time? At times I consider thinning the modest herd to make way financially for the interest of the day.
Don.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Been a shooter for over 50 years now, and am at toward end of the life cycle so to say. Over the years I've become enthusiastic and involved in-depth in rimfire, centerfire, revolvers and autos. Many makes and kinds. I retain a lot of good memories and understanding of past firearm explorations too. Studied and accumulated a variety over the years, and enjoyed each variant for the special features it held.
Now I have yet another new "passion". I don't regret the older styles I came to love, but I sometimes feel a little guilt about the dying flames of favorites in my hobby.
Others experience this over time? At times I consider thinning the modest herd to make way financially for the interest of the day.
Don.

Sure, happens to everybody at some time or 'nother.

My cycle has been .22s to Milsurps to SIGs to old Smith Revolvers to ARs back to .22s........

You get the idea. Ehhhhh, life is too short to feel guilty about guns you let go though. Just enjoy something today and pass a few nice ones onto the kids, that's all you can do.

 

[entropy]

No. I built an AR pistol this spring, then started Trap leagues shortly after, hardly touched the AR since. Trap is over, and I'm looking at checking my AR carbine (and pistol) zeros for deer hunting.

 

[BSA1]

Nope! None whatsoever.

However it does make for a interesting collection of guns.

And experience has taught me 6 months after I sell a gun (even if I have not touched it in many years) I will I will find a reason to wish I had it back.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Guilty? No. You aren't ignoring one of your kids to play with the other.

Guns are things that have no feelings and interests change. They may swing back again so be careful about getting rid of good shooters just because there's new shiny object in view.

 

[25-5]

Yep, 50 years. IPSC, SASS, Hunter, Instructor, Revolvers, Semi, Bolt and Gas and reloading. Always a new direction until now. About the only common ground has been the wood and steel, and the fine folks you meet along the trail.
No guilt. Ever.

 

[FROGO207]

Never had a lot of interest in shottys. But I have a wide selection of firearms as in someone says "I would like to try that" I almost always have an example that they can try, from black powder/flint to MSR and all in between. Seems I always select something different than I shot at the last range trip just to change things up and hone my skills. Life is too fun to be predictable.
Still I do not have as many Mosins as gunny has though.

 

[Walkalong]

I get bored with almost everything in life at one time or another, but when enough time has passed it can wow me again nearly like it did the first time out.

 

[cheygriz]

Never got so attached to a gun, or gun type that I regretted giving it up for something that I liked better.

 

[Browning]

Guilty? No.

I've learned not to sell everything in the old interest off in pursuit of the new shiny object though. I've done that before and then I'll want to revisit that specific niche again several years down the road and all the guns and stuff is gone. I had to start all over again.

Now if I want to get into something new I've learned to just throw money in the sock drawer, save up my money and buy one good solid example in that area that I can use and just a little bit of gear at a time.

Half the time the gear costs more than the guns themselves.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have changed focus in firearms a couple of times.
Never felt any guilt... I never got rid of any firatms except during a divorce 30 years ago.
For years all I was interested in was hunting so all I had was a couple of rifles and shotguns.
Then I got involved in a pistol league...boom three or four handguns we're acquired.
Then I got really deep into handguns...suddenly over the course of years I have about 30 various handguns.
Then a couple of years ago when I began contemplating retirement, I started to acquire bolt action rifles so that I can amuse myself with target shooting and load development work when I retired.
All of a sudden, I have a bunch of nice bolt action rifles in the collection.
Then this year my son talked me into to building a precision AR15. I have sunk nearly $1500 into this project and still need to get a decent quality optic for it.
And I am already thinking about building an AR10.
No... I will not be selling any of my other firearms because of new interests. Just a new shooting discipline to explore... I will still be shooting my revolvers as much as ever.
Not changing just expanding my interests.

 

[ontarget]

Yes my firearm direction changes a bit, but to avoid any guilt I keep everything.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

As a avid Air Rifle enthusiast for many years, I met so many guys that left the powder burners and got into the sport. I was one of them. Left the Pellet rifles a few years back, but slowly getting back into them. Powder burner Pistols and revolvers, will always be my mainstay, but really need to cut back on so much shooting as the cost is really expensive even when reloading. Spending a day with a high quality Pellet rifle can really be lot of fun. And after the purchase of the rifle and scope, ammo is really cheap in comparison.

 

[BWS]

Just get itchy from time to time..... sometimes you gotta scratch different places.

I was in a handgun only,hunting mode for almost 10 straight years. Wasn't even thinking rifles. That was back in the 1980's 90's. I learned a lot about casting and shooting stoopid accurate revolvers.Scratched that itch very well,haha.

Fast fwd to today; Even though I've been shooting cast in rifles for 40+ years,it's only been the last 4 or 5 that it became real itchy. To the point,chasing accuracy AND velocity in my sporter cast rifles had been a passion. Have sunk a tremendous amount of shop time as well as bench and fieldcraft developing tools and skills with these dang little lead pills. It'll stop itching one day?

 

[FL-NC]

Diverse experiences make a well-rounded person.

 

[bannockburn]

Don

Started out with mainly with revolvers and did feel a tinge of regret when I switched my focus over to semi-autos. That was well over 30 years ago and now, slowly but steadily, I have been shifting back to revolvers; a couple of the black powder variety.

Last three revolver acquisitions:

 

[Walkalong]

Very early one I was confused whether I liked autos or revolvers, didn't take long to realize I liked them both, just felt like one or the other depending on the moon/mood/day/time/etc,etc.........

 

[bannockburn]

Walkalong

One of the things that "won" me over to semi-autos was that they could be quickly field stripped, cleaned, reassembled, and ready to go before I had cleaned one of my wheelguns. My brother was a semi-auto fan and he frequently had 2 or 3 guns done while I was still working on my first one! I also liked the faster reloading capabilities of a magazine versus speed loaders or speed strips.

Like you I like them both!

 

[EIB0879]

Guilty? No.

I've learned not to sell everything in the old interest off in pursuit of the new shiny object though. I've done that before and then I'll want to revisit that specific niche again several years down the road and all the guns and stuff is gone. I had to start all over again.

Now if I want to get into something new I've learned to just throw money in the sock drawer, save up my money and buy one good solid example in that area that I can use and just a little bit of gear at a time.

Half the time the gear costs more than the guns themselves.

I couldn't have said it better than this.

 

[BilliamB.]

As a avid Air Rifle enthusiast for many years, I met so many guys that left the powder burners and got into the sport. I was one of them. Left the Pellet rifles a few years back, but slowly getting back into them. Powder burner Pistols and revolvers, will always be my mainstay, but really need to cut back on so much shooting as the cost is really expensive even when reloading. Spending a day with a high quality Pellet rifle can really be lot of fun. And after the purchase of the rifle and scope, ammo is really cheap in comparison.

My experience is much the same for the same reasons. These days, I usually take two rifles to the range, one a firearm, the other an airgun. I start the festivities with the firearm, largely driven by the need to make some noise and really bust up some targets, LOL. Then I settle down, pull out something from Weihrauch or AirArms and plink away--usually at 50 yards--with quiet pleasure. It's particularly enjoyable when there's no one else at the club; then I don't even need to wear ear protection. And as an added bonus, the skills needed to shoot airguns accurately help make me a better firearm shooter.

And, yes, cost plays a big part in all of this. High quality, extremely accurate pellets go for less than $10 for a tin of 250. (Sure, you can order a brick of .22 longs for less than $30 online, but that's a freedom denied me here in New York State. One must make do as best one can.)

 

[Ironicaintit]

nah, i dont feel guilty. tastes change again and again. I always come back 'round again, knock the dust off and take them out to play.

the only ones that do get to me, are the ones languishing in the safe, because theyre either too pretty, or carry a lot of sentimental value, and so dont get fired much.

 

[earlthegoat2]

This reminds me of all the times Ive read on here something like: "Should never have gotten rid of that" or "....and stupidly, I sold it." etc.

I have never regretted selling a gun or anything for that matter to make way for the next. I have bought 4 table saws now. Sold each one when I wasn't woodworking too much. Just bought another one when I wanted one again. Easy come easy go and you cant take any of it with you in the end they are only nice right here and right now and only when you are using them.

 

[doubleh]

No guilt all and I've been shooting for 75 years. I'll admit I didn't get to do much the first four of those years but things began to pick up after that and I got my first rifle for Christmas when I was twelve. I've always suspected it was so I wouldn't wear out my dad's rifle as I was using it frequently.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

My experience is much the same for the same reasons. These days, I usually take two rifles to the range, one a firearm, the other an airgun. I start the festivities with the firearm, largely driven by the need to make some noise and really bust up some targets, LOL. Then I settle down, pull out something from Weihrauch or AirArms and plink away--usually at 50 yards--with quiet pleasure. It's particularly enjoyable when there's no one else at the club; then I don't even need to wear ear protection. And as an added bonus, the skills needed to shoot airguns accurately help make me a better firearm shooter.

And, yes, cost plays a big part in all of this. High quality, extremely accurate pellets go for less than $10 for a tin of 250. (Sure, you can order a brick of .22 longs for less than $30 online, but that's a freedom denied me here in New York State. One must make do as best one can.)

Like minds Bill. It is a shame that many folks do not get a chance to really try out a beautiful Weihrauch or Air Arms etc. It really is surprising how many guys get hooked into the sport. And like yourself, I will go to the rifle range and also bring along one of my favorite Air rifles. Even if I have laid off the Pellet rifles, once I start shooting, it is easy to slide right back into them. My latest decision is weather I am going to fork over so cash for a new Powder burner rifle that I want, or will I fork over the cash for another Pellet rifle. The Pellet rifles always get more range time with the low cost of ammo. And my backyard is set up full of targets where I can shoot each day.

 

[.308 Norma]

the only ones that do get to me, are the ones languishing in the safe, because theyre either too pretty, or carry a lot of sentimental value, and so dont get fired much.

Yeah, I have a few of those too. But when it comes to how I feel about them "languishing in the safe," I'm not sure "guilty" is the right word. For one thing, someday those guns that I never or seldom use are going to belong my kids and grandkids. It's kinda hard to feel guilty about that.