Hey all,
It's a friday in the month of November and work is slow. That isn't a bad thing for me, it means if all my jobs are done i can leave work early (a very infrequent event). I normally stay so busy that i have little to no time for aimless wandering and pointless exploration. So I depart work about noon with the goal of going to a few local gun stores to really see what it's looking like. This normally isn't an option for me, i have 2 small children that i pick up after work and my weekends are pre-scheduled by my wife and gun store cruising for some reason is never on the agenda. So long story short, I'M BUSY.
There is a fairly large gun store (gat guns) just a few miles from my job and i head over to see if there is something of interest. Nope. A cabelas a few miles from there. Nope. An amazing gun store about 35 minutes west . - a couple things, but not much of interest.
The firearm hobby started for me at 22 years old (35 now). I lived in tennessee and met a few patriots who lived in stone cabins deep in the smokie mountains who were bonified gun nuts. I got into SAA's and clones, big bore firearms and the hobby/lifestyle in general. My first gun was a taurus gaucho in 45 colt (raised by liberals who hated guns but own them- go figure). From there i was into everything gun related, revolvers, semi autos, lever guns, shotguns - everything.
As the years rolled on i found that i gained no pleasure from my carry guns (all glock) , nothing at all from shooting the ar15s I've owned (currently just one, a daniel defense ddm4v5), the 1911s i've had and sold, nothing from bolt actions and little from shooting shotgun. My joy was with revolvers, lever actions and single shot firearms. I've known that for years and purchase accordingly. I'm a 22lr and big bore fanatic and not much else.
That's where i now notice the issue. Looking through case after case of modern polymer and steel semi autos i can't find one single gun that i desire more than a passing interest (i do like the dan wesson bruin). Ar's, ak's , precision bolt guns and the whole array of wonderful offerings from countless makers are very hum drum. I thought that maybe i am not the gun fanatic i believed i was. No, thats not the case. I spend my evenings researching ballistics, looking at masterpieces of steel and walnut , dreaming about my next revolver and reloading ammo.
I think i'm ruined. The guns that used to excite me and give me such joy at the range are now seen as tools not unlike a hammer or a wrench. The only guns that get me excited are ones not common in the modern gun store. Revolvers chambered in rounds most people never heard of that have no practical use beyond shooting clear through a buffalo. Lever actions chambered for cartridges that were developed well over 100 years ago. Odd things from a by gone era.
Maybe its time catching up to me. Maybe i've just seen too many polymer 9mm guns. Maybe my brain shorted out. Whatever the case may be, this is the first time i noticed while walking along vast cases of beautiful firearms that i didn't see anything i wanted or needed (the days of needing to buy a firearm for a specific role passed a decade ago). The only guns that caught my interest generally were in the used cases and a few ruger, S&W , henry and marlin offerings otherwise.
I can remember staring into the pile of glocks or sigs thinking "if i could just get this one, that one, oh and that other one" how happy it would make me. Not the case anymore.
Is this a product of age? Maturity? Being jaded by years of being utterly consumed by firearms research and collecting? I don't know. All i do know is, i like what i like. I have what i need for realistic use. I can't get excited for a gun coming next summer that holds 2 more rounds than its next competitor.
Is something wrong with me? Maybe.