bushmaster1313
Member
Simple economics
If the fun of buying another gun I do not need exceeds the cost and I have the money.
For example:
If the fun of buying another gun I do not need exceeds the cost and I have the money.
For example:
How Do You Justify, In Your Mind, Large Gun Collections?
- Thread starter Phydeaux642
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A lot of the responses here come across as very defensive. I don't think the OP was asking the question some of the responses are answering.
I personally did get to the point a while back where I spent a few years buying and selling a lot to the point where I had most of the "bases" covered with guns I really liked. I'm not dead set against buying more but I've simply lost interest in adding just for the sake of adding to the pile. It's not just guns either, I just plain have too much "stuff"....maybe recently going through the process of cleaning out a few houses full of relatives "accumulation" has something to do with it.
I personally did get to the point a while back where I spent a few years buying and selling a lot to the point where I had most of the "bases" covered with guns I really liked. I'm not dead set against buying more but I've simply lost interest in adding just for the sake of adding to the pile. It's not just guns either, I just plain have too much "stuff"....maybe recently going through the process of cleaning out a few houses full of relatives "accumulation" has something to do with it.
Phydeaux642
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Thank you. I think someone finally got it.
NoirFan
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People seem to enjoy giving prickish responses to questions like this. I don't understand the collector's mentality, whether it's gun, knives, cars, figurines or anything else. For me guns are a means of acquiring functional skill in shooting, and any pride of ownership I feel comes from how well I can shoot, not the gun itself.
I have one .22 rifle. I know it can shoot 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. If I'm still limiting the rifle by shooting worse than that, why buy another .22?
I have one shotgun. If I've never taken it to a Thunder Ranch course and gotten as good as I can with it, why buy another shotgun?
I have one revolver. It's my go-to defense gun. If I can't shoot it as well as Jim Cirillo, why buy another revolver?
I have one .22 rifle. I know it can shoot 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. If I'm still limiting the rifle by shooting worse than that, why buy another .22?
I have one shotgun. If I've never taken it to a Thunder Ranch course and gotten as good as I can with it, why buy another shotgun?
I have one revolver. It's my go-to defense gun. If I can't shoot it as well as Jim Cirillo, why buy another revolver?
Carl N. Brown
Member
How do I justify, in my own mind, a large gun collection?
Some have memories of good times with my father, stepdad, my kids, my grandson. Some are gifts with more sentimental value than anything else. Almost like justifying a collection of family photos or souvenirs of vacations past.
One example: I had to sell my first Marlin .30-30 to make a house payment. My stepdad arranged a trade of a CVA kentucky rifle I hade built for a .303 Lee-Enfield; that Christmas he bought me a .303 Lee Loader kit. I mostly target practiced with it, but did carry it on a deer hunting trip with my oldest son. I later bought a replacement Marlin .30-30, but kept the .303 maybe as a backup, but mostly the gun and loader kit as a sentimental thing.
Besides, having a large collection (or accumulation) often means the individual guns are in a nice home, not abandoned, hanging around street corners, getting into trouble.
Some have memories of good times with my father, stepdad, my kids, my grandson. Some are gifts with more sentimental value than anything else. Almost like justifying a collection of family photos or souvenirs of vacations past.
One example: I had to sell my first Marlin .30-30 to make a house payment. My stepdad arranged a trade of a CVA kentucky rifle I hade built for a .303 Lee-Enfield; that Christmas he bought me a .303 Lee Loader kit. I mostly target practiced with it, but did carry it on a deer hunting trip with my oldest son. I later bought a replacement Marlin .30-30, but kept the .303 maybe as a backup, but mostly the gun and loader kit as a sentimental thing.
Besides, having a large collection (or accumulation) often means the individual guns are in a nice home, not abandoned, hanging around street corners, getting into trouble.
Carl N. Brown
Member
Noirfan (I have one .22....) reminds me of the old warning: in a shooting match, never bet against the one-gun man: he probably knows and can shoot that one gun better than the guy who brags about a cabinet full of guns.
doubleh
Member
I don't try to justify owning guns, however many, at all. I don't consider them tools either. To me they are simply things I like and enjoy just like knives and a few other things that I could get by without or only owning one. If I see one I want to play with and can afford it I buy it. Some get traded after a time when I decide it's time for a new toy because I'm tired of that particular one. I don't try to justify anyone else's collection either. That's your business, not mine.
Don't forget the old saying "He who dies with the most toys wins'. It can be guns, cars, etc.
Enjoy.
Don't forget the old saying "He who dies with the most toys wins'. It can be guns, cars, etc.
Enjoy.
Unlike some folks I try to keep my "collection" pared down to what I need or what I enjoy to shoot regularly. Anything that doesn't fit into either category is excess to me and is liquidated. I do have a bit of a problem "collecting" ammunition however, I see ammo as the commodity to have in bulk, not firearms.
I don't see why guns should be any different than any other hobby or interest. Does the stamp collector say I think I have enough stamps, or even the little lady who collects porcilin ducks, say that's it enough with the ducks, or the trekkies think, "I sure don't need those spock ears I already have 3 other sets". No they don't, unfortunitlly we all aren't like "Jay Leno", where he can afford to buy anything he wants. But if you scale it down it's just an interest some of us have in a hobby , thats all, there is no limit, only your decision on what is enough for you. Some of us who have been eyeballing guns for 5 or 6 decades, don't choose to "give up" just like others want to follow their choice of what interests them. Why should you put a limit on something you enjoy, If you can't afford it then you don't buy it. I never saw a guy go bankrupt for buying too many guns, if he did he probablly bought too much of everything, Heck 1 boat is going to cost more than most gun collections, and no one is asking that guy if he thinks he has enough boats. Or a good custom watch or a Briani suit goes for 2 grand or more, some guys have 10 or more of those suits and watches, why are guns any different. I save up, sometimes for a year or more if there is some firearm I want. Then half the time I changed my mind or saw something I liked better. I found in life there are very few things that make a man happy, other than for an hour or two, so you may as well try and enjoy the time that you are here. Too many people get swept away before their time to worry about this type of nonsense.
content
Member
Hello friends and neighbors // My friends don't judge me or my choices too harshly. I guess that is why they are my friends.
I have had other folks refer to the "arsenal" when I added a Marlin 336 to my other "3" firearms. namely a Marlin 60 .22 rifle, Stoger Luger .22 pistol and a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12ga.
I have many friends with multiple firearms, some hunters, some shooters, some collectors.
We talk about their pros and cons but never really get into numbers.
Heck, I think I have over twenty .22s, counting handguns and rifles. Half a dozen +.357s and at least a dozen shotguns. Total handguns,shotguns and rifles? I'm not sure.
I am sure others have vastly larger collections.
I do shoot all but four of them, three unfired and one too old (dangerous).
I like what I like, that is all the justification needed. Especially if it is a bargin.
I have had other folks refer to the "arsenal" when I added a Marlin 336 to my other "3" firearms. namely a Marlin 60 .22 rifle, Stoger Luger .22 pistol and a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12ga.
I have many friends with multiple firearms, some hunters, some shooters, some collectors.
We talk about their pros and cons but never really get into numbers.
Heck, I think I have over twenty .22s, counting handguns and rifles. Half a dozen +.357s and at least a dozen shotguns. Total handguns,shotguns and rifles? I'm not sure.
I am sure others have vastly larger collections.
I do shoot all but four of them, three unfired and one too old (dangerous).
I like what I like, that is all the justification needed. Especially if it is a bargin.
forindooruseonly
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The OP asked this:
I have to say that my shooting lifestyle is collecting. I like not only shooting, but the guns themselves. I like the finish and craftsmanship that goes into them. I like the design, the innovation over the years, ect. I like it when I find a hundred year old gun that is nearly mint, as if it had sat in a drawer for years till it came into my possession. I am holding a piece of the past, something that is representative of a bygone era that we will never see again.
Collecting is hard to explain. Some see it as some type of compulsive disorder, hoarding or whatnot, if not just conspicuous consumption. Its even harder to describe when there is no rhyme or reason to what you are buying. Really, I buy guns because I enjoy shooting different types of firearms, and if I don't buy them I'm not going to have the opportunity to do that. Go to your local range and try to rent something old or out of the ordinary. Its not going to happen. I enjoy different and diverse guns enough to want to shoot them and handle them on a regular basis, but that opportunity isn't there unless I collect. Certainly, some get sold when I decide I don't like them, but its not necessarily a function of feeling like I have to limit the number of guns I own.
I have to say that my shooting lifestyle is collecting. I like not only shooting, but the guns themselves. I like the finish and craftsmanship that goes into them. I like the design, the innovation over the years, ect. I like it when I find a hundred year old gun that is nearly mint, as if it had sat in a drawer for years till it came into my possession. I am holding a piece of the past, something that is representative of a bygone era that we will never see again.
Collecting is hard to explain. Some see it as some type of compulsive disorder, hoarding or whatnot, if not just conspicuous consumption. Its even harder to describe when there is no rhyme or reason to what you are buying. Really, I buy guns because I enjoy shooting different types of firearms, and if I don't buy them I'm not going to have the opportunity to do that. Go to your local range and try to rent something old or out of the ordinary. Its not going to happen. I enjoy different and diverse guns enough to want to shoot them and handle them on a regular basis, but that opportunity isn't there unless I collect. Certainly, some get sold when I decide I don't like them, but its not necessarily a function of feeling like I have to limit the number of guns I own.
It's funny how some people feel that the fact that that they feel that they have enough of something should somehow influence what anyone else feels or likes or wants. If you like having 3 guns and all your "bases" are covered, God bless. But who are you to assume that what you want, have, or did, has any bearing at all on what others decide is their business.
I hate to bring in poor "Jay Leno" twice in one day, but do you think he has enough cars.
He dosen't, I think he has all the "bases covered", Steam engine, several Fire Engines" hundreds of cool cars that he enjoys. So why are guns different? Because you are looking to get reactions from people? Or because you just don't understand that communism no longer is practiced in even those countries that invented it. The theory that everyone must conform to a standard set by some arbitrary group is gone and done,although there always exist those who are narrowminded and feel that their way is the best way. It ain't like that here. We can discuss differences, that is a healthy thing, but you don't get to put a cap on what peole can and canot have, or set a rule saying that if you don't shoot it, you don't need or shouln't have it. Look in your closet, do you wear all the shirts you own? that's why last time I checked this was still a free country, the same one that offers you the right to your opinion, but please don't expect people in a firearms forum to not collect firearms, that is just silly.
I hate to bring in poor "Jay Leno" twice in one day, but do you think he has enough cars.
He dosen't, I think he has all the "bases covered", Steam engine, several Fire Engines" hundreds of cool cars that he enjoys. So why are guns different? Because you are looking to get reactions from people? Or because you just don't understand that communism no longer is practiced in even those countries that invented it. The theory that everyone must conform to a standard set by some arbitrary group is gone and done,although there always exist those who are narrowminded and feel that their way is the best way. It ain't like that here. We can discuss differences, that is a healthy thing, but you don't get to put a cap on what peole can and canot have, or set a rule saying that if you don't shoot it, you don't need or shouln't have it. Look in your closet, do you wear all the shirts you own? that's why last time I checked this was still a free country, the same one that offers you the right to your opinion, but please don't expect people in a firearms forum to not collect firearms, that is just silly.
monet61
Member
Large Gun Collections
I've really enjoyed reading this topic.
I don't have a large collection by most assesments, although my wife would probably disagree! That in itself is pretty funny, cause she has probably gifted me more over the years than I have bought myself.
I have about 10 that I would absolutely never part with. The others I may like, but mostly I just try to teach myself to tear them down and put 'em back together.(And have them work). Sometimes I am successful and sometimes my friend the gunsmith has to help me. After that, they're just trading material.
Anyway, thanks for the interesting read.
I've really enjoyed reading this topic.
I don't have a large collection by most assesments, although my wife would probably disagree! That in itself is pretty funny, cause she has probably gifted me more over the years than I have bought myself.
I have about 10 that I would absolutely never part with. The others I may like, but mostly I just try to teach myself to tear them down and put 'em back together.(And have them work). Sometimes I am successful and sometimes my friend the gunsmith has to help me. After that, they're just trading material.
Anyway, thanks for the interesting read.
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Hot brass
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You only live once.
dejzebmoorbn
Member
Justifying a collection
I really don't feel the need, personally, to justify my collection... probably because I also have far less than 1500.
I do occasionally have to justify my next purchase, but I can usually reason that out by not investing in more conventional (not to mention volatile) things like the stock market or commodities. I do think of a gun collection (with a representative ammo selection) as an investment, but not in the sense that I plan to sell anything.
If things get ugly, whether or not society collapses (admittedly unlikely), I like knowing I'll have a few firearms for myself and a few more to share with friends and family. They may not want them now (and indeed they don't), but times change.
Reading the initial post, however, gave me an idea. If I, too, should pass unexpectedly it might be nice to have reasonable price ranges listed for each of my pieces in the event that my family decides to sell them. I'll get on that list.
I really don't feel the need, personally, to justify my collection... probably because I also have far less than 1500.
I do occasionally have to justify my next purchase, but I can usually reason that out by not investing in more conventional (not to mention volatile) things like the stock market or commodities. I do think of a gun collection (with a representative ammo selection) as an investment, but not in the sense that I plan to sell anything.
If things get ugly, whether or not society collapses (admittedly unlikely), I like knowing I'll have a few firearms for myself and a few more to share with friends and family. They may not want them now (and indeed they don't), but times change.
Reading the initial post, however, gave me an idea. If I, too, should pass unexpectedly it might be nice to have reasonable price ranges listed for each of my pieces in the event that my family decides to sell them. I'll get on that list.
Blackhawk30
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I satisfy my addiction for new guns by selling the old ones.
omegaflame
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"I'll do whatever I want, thanks."
LoadandShoot
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I'll justify my gun collection when Al Gore justifies all of his jet airplanes and energy gluttonous mansions while telling us we need to stop using petroleum and turn our thermostates to 65 F.
therewolf
member
There's always somebody who's going to ignore their own faults while pointing around and saying "Lookit over there what he did!"
"It's a free country." is the only justification I need for my gun collection.
"It's a free country." is the only justification I need for my gun collection.
Old krow
Member
I'm sort of a utilitarian when it comes to guns. There are guns that are useful and guns for plinking. All of the useful guns should be acquired first. After that, it sort of goes into "hobby status." It's partially based on entertainment (because shooting long distances is fun), partially something that can be passed on to my kids, and some because they're holding their value.
I consider proficiency to be one of the return on investments with firearms, so any gun that I may buy after the "useful" gun are bought should not prevent me from being able to continue to shoot on a regular basis. I buy more ammo than guns, like Rshooter, I think that's where I will find my ceiling too.
There is no difference. If we were in a stamp forum the question would have read the same as the original except guns would have been replaced with stamps. The OP was just asking how we "justified" it. I justify every purchase I make one way or the other.
ChCx2744
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I, personally, believe that "enough" is:
1) Having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" pistol (I.E. mid to high cap CC or HD pistol in .380, 9mm, .40, .45, .357, 10mm, etc.) *Bold-faced because this is the most important gun any gun owner should own, the basic of the basic, the most necessary of all necessities gun-related needs*
2) After full-filling criteria 1, having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" shotgun (I.E. a pump or semi in 12-ga, 20-ga, etc.)
3) After full-filling criteria 1 & 2, having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" rifle (I.E. semi-auto rifle in .223, 7.62x39, 7.62x51, etc.)
4) After full-filling criteria 1-3, having at least 1 rifle chambered in .22
5) After full-filling criteria 1-4, having at least 1 pistol chambered in .22
6) After full-filling criteria 1-5, having at least 1 "Hiking/trail" revolver/wheel gun (I.E. in .44mag, 10mm, .454 casul, etc.)
7) After full-filling criteria 1-6, having at least 1 hunting/long-range/precision rifle (I.E. a scoped, bolt-action in .270, 7mm, .308, .30-06, etc.)
Anything else is not necessarily "necessary." Anything else is an impulse buy or considered a "fun gun."
1) Having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" pistol (I.E. mid to high cap CC or HD pistol in .380, 9mm, .40, .45, .357, 10mm, etc.) *Bold-faced because this is the most important gun any gun owner should own, the basic of the basic, the most necessary of all necessities gun-related needs*
2) After full-filling criteria 1, having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" shotgun (I.E. a pump or semi in 12-ga, 20-ga, etc.)
3) After full-filling criteria 1 & 2, having at least 1 "all-around/multi-role" rifle (I.E. semi-auto rifle in .223, 7.62x39, 7.62x51, etc.)
4) After full-filling criteria 1-3, having at least 1 rifle chambered in .22
5) After full-filling criteria 1-4, having at least 1 pistol chambered in .22
6) After full-filling criteria 1-5, having at least 1 "Hiking/trail" revolver/wheel gun (I.E. in .44mag, 10mm, .454 casul, etc.)
7) After full-filling criteria 1-6, having at least 1 hunting/long-range/precision rifle (I.E. a scoped, bolt-action in .270, 7mm, .308, .30-06, etc.)
Anything else is not necessarily "necessary." Anything else is an impulse buy or considered a "fun gun."
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