Generalists or Specialists?

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lizziedog1

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What kind of collector/shooter are you, a generalist or a specialist?

A generalist is someone that participates in all the different shooting activities. Today he might be in a duck blind and tomorrow trying to tag a bunny with a .22 rifle. His guns reflect this. His collection includes rifles, handguns, and shotguns. He may not be very good at any one shooting sport, but he likes variety.

A specialist is the opposite. Most of his shooting and guns are aimed at one or two activities. He could be an avid duck hunter. During duck season he spend every spare minute in a blind. Most of his guns are shotguns designed for this. In the off season he spends his time and money updating his gear. He might own a handgun for self-defense or a rimfire that his uncle gave him, but if it can't be used for waterfowl he ain't too interested.

I am not a specialist. I like variety. If I am invited to go on a dove hunt or a varmint shoot or to do infromal plinking I'm just as happy with any of them. My gun collection reflects this attiude. I have guns that cover most shooting activities.

So, how many of you concentrate all shooting on one or two activities? How many try to do as many as you can?
 
My whole "collection" is based on filling categories. I have my hunting rifles, truck gun, bedside gun, IDPA pistol, IDPA 1911, shotgun, .22's, revolvers, etc....

Depends on what I am doing.

Then there is my personal goal of owning one of every major Russian military weapon in my quest to close out the cold war.
 
Uh, both?

I buy some guns for fun or fancy, and a couple of them I use as a "specialist" role for work.

Example:

The trap shotgun, the 10/22, the Mosin are "generalist guns." I can shoot my 10/22 like Annie Oakley but it's strictly for fun. Shotgun... ehh... not so much. My Mosin Nagant is my all-purpose "animal" rifle. :eek:

The AR-15 is my "specialist gun." It's built as closely possible to my career tool as I can legally do so. I train and practice with it. I have a pistol that's the exact same story.

EDIT: I forgot to mention my Kel-Tec P3AT... my "extreme deep carry" gun. Yep, that's just a wallet in my pocket, yes sir. :p
 
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I'm not a collector, I'm an accumulator. ;)

I do have a few BSA guns though. :cool:
 
I think I'm halfway between the two. Use to be all about hunting, now I'm all about target.
Shotguns and pistols mostly.
 
I'm an equal opportunity kind of guy when it comes to firearms. If they made a fishing gun, I'd probably own one too.
 
Generalist, but every gun I own is a hunting type gun, but they all still go to the range for fun. Except for my .38 snubbie, that is on my hip when hunting as a "just in case" type thing.
 
specialist mostly rifles 2 m1a's and pistols just to stay sharp for carrying. i think a riflemen is someone who can hit a 20x20 target at 500yds. next year i would like to be able to hit a 20x20 target at 300yds open sights, with my 42yr old eyes i believe that would be good goal.
 
Why must we place some arbitrary label on ourselves.

Jack of all trades(in our minds), master of none(in reality)...Applies to 99% of us I'm sure.
 
Jack of all trades(in our minds), master of none(in reality)...Applies to 99% of us I'm sure.
Click to expand...
From what I can tell, many of the people here are a Jack Of All Trades, and Master Of Quite A Few. That's what I like about it here.
 
Textbook generalist. I love it all. Rifles, pistols, revolvers, or shotguns. Modern, replica, or historical. Tactical, hunting, or target. I am facinated by firearms.

I have a "to buy" list of about a 20 firearms. All the guns on the list serve a specific purpose, but after I've checked them all off, I know I will keep buying. Multiple models, varient models, beater rifles and handguns, surplus, and collector grade if I can ever afford it.

No safe queens though. That is my one limit. I'll go to a museum if I want to look at guns that can't be shot.
 
More and more specialized as time passes. I'm 90% traditionalist and primarily a single action revolver shooter but that includes plinking, self defense, casual target work, long range shooting and hunting with them. I also have a 'thing' for leverguns. Third down would be S&W revolvers. I'm very much a rimfire nut. I also love fine shotguns but only own a handful of them and only one could be considered "fine". In the field I'd rather be after birds or small game than deer but will absolutely go on an African plains game hunt before I'm too old.
 
Another general specialist.

I have firearms in several different shooting disciplines (2700, PPC, Combat, ISU, High Power Rifle); a 'cop gun' collection featuring revolvers (mainly) of the 20th Century U. S.; and a 'historically significant' collection of what I think of as turning point handguns. I have several long guns for hunting small to large North American animals and birds, as well.

I collect mostly handguns. But I've got enough long guns to get in the way.
 
Generalist, focused pretty much solely on self-defense. Very specialist at deployment, placement, and firing lanes. Both inside the house, through the house, with a special emphasis about not hitting windows (brick exterior), and away from bedrooms. (The fact that I have a wife and kids does put a lot more concern on where bullets should be going, if they absolutely have to. Pre-kid days was a lot easier, planning wise.)

Practice is fun. I have a .22 pistol and rifle that I use for pure enjoyment, but I probably don't have a thousand rounds through the pair of them, compared to several thousand through my .45's, my SIG556, ol' trustee (Mossberg 500 pump, first gun I bought myself), and to a lesser extent even the little lady's 9mm's.

Really need to get my shoulder back up to speed, and unfortunately, I might have to start shooting rifle left handed. Trigger time has been a little light this past year.
 
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