Is this normal? Or am I out of control?

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I am somewhat similarily afflicted n00b. I say, since you aren't spending the kids college fund or going into debt....enjoy! I am.
 
i've been through a similar phase. but, i can't attest to my own "normality". i bought 8 or 9 guns over a 2 month time period, ranging from 250 to 1300 each.

p.s. too bad they all sunk in that weird boating accident.
 
I consider myself just above a "novice" at shooting (5 years now). I spent $2000+ in 15 days about 3 months ago just on firearms. Like the above comment, if you got the cash and want it, spend it, have fun!!!!!!!!!!!
 
If weapons are expensive for you than buy a cheap Mossberg shotgun at Wal-Mart for 150 dollars. Load it with some good .00 Buckshot and keep it in the closet. It's not like you have to put 100 rounds through your weapon to own it.
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Not to own it, but it might be a good idea before relying on it. I can only assume I'm misunderstand your post as you seem to be advocating keeping a shotgun without having shot it. While 100 rounds of buckshot may be a bit expensive for some, there's no reason not to put some ammo through it to get the hang of the thing.
 
No, it is NOT normal. You, sir, are a semi-cheapskate! But look at the up side - it's cheaper and safer than fast women or fast cars!
 
You went at it a little fast. But I grew up and had a nice collection before I graduated High School. Though the numbers have dwindled do to theift and money shortages while being young and stupid in the military.

I was given a lot over time by my father. a gun here and there a reloading kit and a trickle down afect of guns he bought and did not like that well. HEHE That is how I ended up with a sweet S&W M17 K22 w8 3/8" barrel and target trigger and hammer. I could hit squirrels on the run at 25 yards all day with that pistol. If I ever find one it will come home with me as that one was stolen GRRRRRRRR. If you have the money and do not skip bills to buy gun stuff your good. It will slow down and you will stay stable for a while untill another bug hits you.
 
Yeah, that's not what I meant. What I meant was familiarize yourself with the gun. Learn to maintain it. Put a few boxes through it, and store it. IF you're that short on cash. If an armed intruder was in my home whether or not I was an expert marksman with my shotgun would be my last worry. I just meant he didn't have to pump hundreds of rounds through it on a monthly basis to own it.
 
Bear2000,

This is madness. You are going way too fast. What were you thinking? Now the only solution is to get rid of all but one until you are truly competent with that one, then buy another.

In the spirit of the family nature of a THR membership, I will volunteer to sacrifice my plan of slowly obtained proficiency and allow you to donate all those others superfluous weapons to me. PM me when you realize the truth of what I am suggesting.

Hey, just shoot'em all a lot! Your doing fine.
 
You are perfectly normal, its only halfway through the month and so far Ive bought 3 guns. A CZ75b, a Bulgarian Makarov, and a FN 1922 Waffen marked pistol. All told right around $900 so far with transfer fees and shipping for two of them(one was purchased locally).
 
Nothing obscene about your purchases - you've got different guns for different desires.

As long as you don't wind up envying something else ('this 10/22 is nice, but I wish I had that Thompson/Center R-55...'), your big purchases should be over with.
 
Just my two cents worth. So far I would have to say that the majority of these guys are pikers. Guns are like clothes hangers--there is just no place to store 4 guns where they don't look lonely or out of place. They don't fill the safe or closet. If you put them in back of the clothes they'll just wrinkle your wife's bike shorts and then she'll be pissed. The only reasonable solution is to go out and buy the biggest gun safe you can get (bad guys don't like big really heavy ones) and add a whole bunch of weight to it so it's even harder to move.

Let's say about 5,000 rounds of loaded ammo for each of the guns you just bought, electronic noise reduction ear muffs, all the cleaning supplies you can get, multi purpose slings, holsters, shooting rest, spotting scope, pads of targets, different stocks and grips for each, -------You get the picture yet?

That's just the first week. Now for week two------

Enjoy yourself. It is one of the most satisfying hobbies you'll ever have and probably the most healthy. Wait til you get the adrenalin rush of your first really tight group. Beats any other high on earth. Well except maybe doing the Australian down a cliff face. But nope, that's another topic.
 
The thing that's wrong about all this is that the value of my gun collection now exceeds the value of my guitar collection.
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One year from now, adding to your guitar collection will not be illegal. I pretty much guarantee it.

Think about that for a while. Please.
 
I told a friend of mine that except for some isolated cases, guns really don't appreciate much. But they hold their value like nothing else. Also, consider that a gun will still be valuable even if cold hard currency isn't.

More on topic, I've easily dropped $15k in 2007 alone. Two months ago I burned $2k in a mere 30 seconds on ammo.

I'd say you're all good. But mind your debt load. Your comment about being shocked once you added it up is telling, and should be a warning. Gun collecting can put you in debt faster than taking up crack smoking. Make sure you have the coin to spend. I personally have a seperate checking account that I put cash in on paydays, bonus time, and any other time I have extra money. That is what is known in this house as "The Gun Money". Nobody questions the gun money. Period. ;)


-T.
 
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orionengnr said:
One year from now, adding to your guitar collection will not be illegal. I pretty much guarantee it.

Think about that for a while. Please.
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I think about it all the time, and I vote and give so that my RKBA will be preserved for as long as possible. But unless you've been playing guitar for 44 years like I have, you might not fully appreciate the love affair a musician can have with his instruments.

...and the Force is intolerant of imbalance. :D
 
Thurnlund said:
I told a friend of mine that except for some isolated cases, guns really don't appreciate much. But they hold their value like nothing else. Also, consider that a gun will still be valuable even if cold hard currency isn't.
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There are, of course, exceptions. I was shocked to learn recently that two pistols I bought back in the '90s are now worth a good deal more than what I paid for them. One is a S&W Model 29 Classic which I bought new for $459.00 for back in 1996. I see used examples selling online for over $750.00. The other is a Colt Government .380 I bought used (in like new condition) in 1993 for $310.00. It is a 1986 vintage 150th Anniversary Edition model. I see them going for between $700.00-$800.00 online. Even if you factor in inflation over the past 10-15 years, that's not bad appreciation.

I have no intention of selling either, but I would not have considered either pistol to be an "investment" at the time I bought them. You're right that many will hold their value, but many will also appreciate considerably.
 
Just barely scratching the surface!!!
Now look at Single action revolvers ala Colt and Ruger. then, to compliment that look at lever action rifles. Next think about large bore single shot rifles shooting blackpowder cartridges. Big bore scoped revolvers. single shot hand cannons - (T/C contender) muzzleloaders..... You got a long road ahead of you ....
 
STOP! Step away from the gun case...thak a deep breath. Now, savor what you have for a short time.

Now call a buddy and arrange time for you, wife, buddy and his wife to GO SHOOT. Thats the fun part. Shooting with friends, comparing, ( your own targets to check for improvement), nurturing the comradship of the shooting sports. Have fun.

Mark.
 
If you have the money (caution on carrying credit card debt), no problem. If you turned around and liquidated your inventory, you'd lose money, but you would be able to recoup a large portion of it. As a long time hobbyist now, I tend to look for good used guns, because they can be flipped pretty much for what I paid for them.

At some point, you'll likely reach saturation. There are some here who seem to operate as if "having" is the thing. Good for them, if they can afford it without putting other obligations in jeopardy. For me and a host of others, though, "shooting" is the thing. I've made a number of impulse buys of guns that I subsequently didn't shoot much. They got flipped for something I would shoot. At this point, I have more hardware than I need. So my rule of thumb is pretty much sell something to buy something.

So I'd say your experience is pretty normal for an upwardly mobile individual with funds to spend. So now take your time shooting and learn what you really like. Don't lose that 10/22, though. If you are at all like me, eventually you will return to shooting .22s (they are cheap and fun, keep you in form, and are great for practice). You'll find that the 10/22 is a tinkerer's dream. I think the only things original about my 10/22 are the receiver and the bolt. Just about everything else has been swapped out. But when you discover a gun in your collection that hasn't been shot for a couple of years, don't feel any hesitation about selling it fund something else, even if the "something else" is just more ammo for the guns you do shoot regularly.
 
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