Have your tastes in firearms changed?

[Nightcrawler]

Mine certainly have. When I first started buying guns at 18, I was all into the intermediate cartridge rifles. First, it was an AK, then an AR.

I also had this idea where I'd minimize my gun collection, with each gun filling a little niche. While that's occasionally still appealing, I now have a few guns that don't fill niches that I couldn't possibly part with, so screw that.

I've also lost virtually all interest in guns chambered in .223, 7.62x39, and/or 5.45. Neat curiosity, and I'd have some if I were rich, but .308 semiautos seem have become my general rifle of choice.

I also discovered that I like revolvers just as much as automatics, and will now have to buy mulitple examples of both.

 

[Justin]

When I first started out, I was all about the polymer tactical HK magic sword. Then I developed a heavy interest in Eastern Bloc C&R pistols.
Then I got into Bullseye, and IDPA, and have finally settled on to the 'each gun must fill a niche' philosophy.

With the exception that I will at some point be buying a Mateba.

 

[Schuey2002]

Nope!

I liked European "Black rifles" and semiauto handguns when I got started on this quest, and nothing has changed in all these years.

 

[denfoote]

I used to kinda sorta be into revolvers. Now, I'm into autos.

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Yep...

Maybe it's a cyclical thing. <shrug> I'm leaning towards wheel-guns and lever action rifles now.

KR

 

[Tamara]

I mostly only like the ones that go "bang!"

 

[bogie]

Well, I like everything that goes bang too, but what really fascinates me at the present (unlike the past, where I was really into seeing how much firepower I could mass...) is extreme accuracy.

 

[DCR]

Used to be into classic semi-tactical and black. Thought laser sights were the coolest. Liked the AR-15 and my 1911's; European semi's looked a little too much like space guns for me, though. Cussed lots when "the ban" was passed 'cause it was the first time in my life I had a real job and the dang things got priced out of my range.

Got into revolvers and lever guns, started CAS, and rarely shoot anything else any more. Now I like classic walnut and straight-vanilla calibers.

Didn't sell or trade off any of my scary black stuff, but it rarely sees daylight any more.

 

[Pilot]

When I was a kid, I got a hold of an old "Shooters' Bible" from 1970 or 1971 I think. I must have read that book 1,000 times and dreamed of owning some of the guns in there. Colt Woodsmans, Diamonbacks, Pythons, 1911's, Hi Powers, etc. Well, I noticed after a while when I became older and could afford these pistols, my collection included just about all of them.

Now I own a wide variety of firearms from the old traditional designs to newer things and some evil black rifles and combloc stuff. Still have that old Shooters Bible too.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've pretty much always been a traditionalist, since most of that stuff works just fine for my interests: Hunting, and self-defense.

I've traded into quite a few para-military critters, and messed around with revolvers and non-1911 pistols, but they generally get sold or traded.

My main pattern is to trade into something at a below-market price, tweak with it enough to make it more accurate or reliable or whatever is needed. After playing with it for a while, I commonly trade it off for something of interest.

Most of my "pets" are bolt-actions or 1911s.

Art

 

[PATH]

My tastes were always eclectic. I just love them all. All kidding aside it gets rather expensive at times. I am going through a C&R induced buying spree now. Every time I say I have enough there is always another one I want.

 

[10-Ring]

Not really. I've always been primarily a semi auto kinda guy

 

[Tamara]

Well, I'll confess to having gone through the whole "Tammy Tactical" phase when I was younger: everything had to fit some specialized "combat niche" (you never knew when the Red Hordes were going to descend, looting and pillaging, on Atlanta).

Lately, now that I've realized that my odds of being selected as a non-roster invitee at SFOD-Delta Spring Training are a little slim, I just buy guns I find pleasing. My last five purchases have included a pair of tiny Smith revolvers in .22 and .32, a pair of 19th Century military rifles, and a super-zoomy .223 FBPP.

I don't care how any of these guns "perform under combat conditions" or how useful they are for CCW or how well-represented they are at Gunsite Ranch Force Institute's Urbanubertacticalriflepistolcarbine 305 course. I'll likely never be in a situation where I need to fire guns in anger, and if I am, I have other guns for the job. Now I can concentrate on what I want rather than what I need, and what I want is to have fun.

 

[BerettaNut92]

Lately, now that I've realized that my odds of being selected as a non-roster invitee at SFOD-Delta Spring Training are a little slim,

Keep your head up, Tamara, I think you can do it!!!

I've been moving away from the .45. I've always liked service-type arms and competition derivations thereof, like the USP Expert. Always like reliability first, accuracy second, but I go back and forth between import and domestic.

I like two-tone where available but (believe it or not) try not to overdo it, my next HK may be all black.

 

[10-Ring]

(believe it or not) try not to overdo it, my next HK may be all black.

Say it isn't so!!!

 

[Blackhawk]

Tastes haven't changed all that much, but my habits have.

Used to enjoy collecting just about anything that came into view, but now I'm into a utilitarian mode where each one fills some niche or other.

My current fascination is with small semiauto pistols of the locked breech persuasion, but I'm sure next year it will be something else.

 

[BerettaNut92]

Say it isn't so!!!

I don't like the HK stainlesses as much...too bright silvery, I like the matte gray/silver of the HC'd and Beretta stainlesses. I may get a black one and HC it. And there's no P2000 stainless

Used to enjoy collecting just about anything that came into view, but now I'm into a utilitarian mode where each one fills some niche or other.

Same here.

 

[Robert Farrar]

Nope,
I have pistols in 357 magnum, 45 ACP, 22LR. Rifles In 30'06, 308, and 22 LR. Shotguns in 20-12 guage. No changes in tastes here...

Bob

 

[Flash Hole]

Nope

When I started I wanted one of each.

30 years later I still want one of each.


JOHN

 

[cratz2]

Well, I shot a handful of rifles as a youth but mostly shot handguns, and mostly 1911s and S&W revolvers. When I came of gun-owning age I mostly bought handguns. Matter of fact, I think I owned at least 8 handguns before I bought a rifle. I added a couple rifles, and a few more handguns. In the last year, I've probably bought 10 times as many rifles as handguns, or close to it. I think I just spent so much time with handguns growing up, that I felt that once I had some rifles to get experience with, I needed to spend more time with them.

 

[Tamara]

Blackhawk,

Used to enjoy collecting just about anything that came into view, but now I'm into a utilitarian mode where each one fills some niche or other.

Yes, I was that way too, but I hated feeling all drab and utilitarian, so I bought enough guns to fill all the niches I need so that I could go back to buying the guns I want.

If I was all about "need", I'd be driving an old Toyota hatchback instead of a BMW roadster. With the Toyota I could haul everything I need whereas with the Beemer, I can always say "One of y'all will need to drive; we can't take my car, it's a two-seater"..

 

[bad_dad_brad]

My tastes have not changed that much, although, when I started into firearm obsession, I was more into handguns, and now, I am more into rifles. My latest, an AR-15 Bushmaster 16" Shorty has me totally infatuated. Man, that is one sweet shooting machine. Her name is Charlene.

The only firearm purchase I have had any regrets about is my Mini-14 ranch rifle. Well, she is not so bad, but it just cost too much for what she can do.

My next purchase will be a S&W bodyguard. And one of these days, I want to get a serious varminter .223 upper for my AR.

I am one of those people that optimizes a cartridge and builds upon it. My favorites: .22, .38, 9mm, and .223. Oh, and I would love to have an old fashioned lever action carbine in .30-30. Just because.

 

[capt_happypants]

Unfortunately, I'm still in the Tammy Tactical phase. Next gun is either going to be a Benelli M1 Super 90 Tactical, or a 20" Target HBAR.

 

[andy]

I used to be strictly a revolver guy then got bored with them and moved on to autos. Now I'm bored with handguns and trying my hand with shotguns. It seems once I've learned something and feel comfortable with it, its time to move on to something new. Learning is the fun part.

 

[Joe Gunns]

handguns and rifles in LARGE calibers appealed to me in my youth. No puny .357's or sissy 9's for me! Whats a .30-06 do that a .375 can't do better? On the other side of middle age I still like to say I have shot the bad boys, but what I prefer to shoot is the .38 and those nice and comfy cowboy loads in .45. (Still like the .45 auto better than 9mm though.)