Is your "functional" collection complete?

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I gave up buying firearms for a specific purpose a long time ago. I started that way. I realized that the purpose often became that I just wanted it.
 
Since my tragic boating incident on a pond, all my firearms are gone


And if they werent I sure wouldnt list them all on a public forum....
 
My functional collection is complete. When I started shooting, I bought guns for the sake of owning them and having fun. Now that money is an issue, I realize that I have a gun for every task I require: plinking rifle, plinking handgun, self defense handgun, self defense rifle and hunting rifle.

So until I acquire a new firearm need, I will not need any more functional guns. Buying for fun is always a possibility, but will be a question of funds.
 
I've been working at refining my functional core for awhile and this is how it looks with a heavy bias towards defensive use,

-Ruger KLCR .357, Crimson Trace grips for CCW
-Ruger LCR-22 .22lr CT grips, BUG, practice, plinking
-Glock 17L 9mm for home defense, general shooting
-Ruger 10/22 TD .22lr w/ Eotech for small game, plinking etc..
-FN SLP 12ga w/ ghost rings to rapidly deliver heavy hitting buckshot & slugs as needed
-Rock River National Match flattop AR-15, 5.56/.223 w/ Trijicon 3x9. My attempt at an SDMR to deliver precisely aimed fire as needed

Those six cover my essential needs, but I have two more that cover most of my wants as well;

-Freedom Arms 7.5" M83 .480 Ruger, because too much is just plain FUN!!! And you never know when some crazy might turn loose all his zoo animals as happened not too far south of here a year or two back...

-Browning Cynergy 12ga O/U, synthetic stock & 30" barrels, because the FN is a rather poor choice for wingshooting & clays. Plus the full camo finish fills my l'il redneck heart with pure joy!:)
 
I guess what I'm asking is, if you're a guy who does have the dozens of firearms, how far could you whittle those down before you felt short handed? And what would the survivors of that choice be?
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Oh I understand now, this is another 'if you could only have' thread.

I suppose I could whittle my dozens down to 0 before I felt short handed.
If it got to 0, there would be no survivors of choice.
Seriously; these are guns (tools/recreation), not my children or grandchildren.
.
 
My "needs" are covered by a concealed carry pistol and spares to cover breakage. With three pistols, I feel covered for any firearm need that I have.

My wants... an AR, a .308 bolt gun, and a .17 HMR bolt gun.
 
It's not an "if you could only have..." thread, it's a question to see what other people would call their "whole package".
I have much more than what's just listed, but none of those fill the role I feel behind in.
I would like to get a semi-22 as someone mentioned, that'll come soon. But I'm still not sure on the bolt gun. I never said I hunted to 800yds, what I did say was that I want a bolt gun I can hunt with that will touch 800yds. I shoot there, I just don't hunt there.
 
My "needs" are covered by a concealed carry pistol and spares to cover breakage. With three pistols, I feel covered for any firearm need that I have.
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You must be from the city because there are many, many reasons for different guns than a carry gun where I live. In some places a 30.06 wouldn't really cover the stuff that should be covered. Yes it's murder if you shoot at someone at that distance "unless" they shoot at you first and that is entirely possible.
 
God I hope not. What fun would it be to have bought everything I need. Then again, I would just continue buying what I want. Then again, is there a difference between NEED and WANT.
 
That's the last straw! I knew I was missing something, buying guns without thinking about "functionality"!! Now on a serious note, I am sure there are plenty of functional guns out there I can still use. But probably not nearly as many as "toys".
 
Seeing as I have other expensive hobbies, I'm slowly working toward more guns.

Already have the pump 12 gauge. I feel comfortable shooting most things here in the southeast.

Could really use a heavy wheelgun for woods carry, and a ccw. A .300 win mag or even .375 H&H would be nice for when I head west/north west.

Going to a gun show this weekend. If I find anything for a reasonable price...
 
Yes, it is complete. Except for the .22 rifles, all are WW2-Korean/early Cold War types:
Enfields, Y. Mauser, CMP Garand, SKS, FR8. No handguns.

The short-term goal now is to commute to work by car, just one time, in order to choose a Second Garand at the Anniston CMP.
The only long-term goal is hoping that my grown son gets the "gun bug", before a sad future event or more import bans result in far higher 'normal' prices for a very long time.
 
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Cee Zee said:
You must be from the city because there are many, many reasons for different guns than a carry gun where I live. In some places a 30.06 wouldn't really cover the stuff that should be covered. Yes it's murder if you shoot at someone at that distance "unless" they shoot at you first and that is entirely possible.
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I live in the 'burbs, and work in the heart of the city. I made it a point to specify that my needs only involved handguns, because I do understand that there are people who feed themselves, control predators, defend land, or complete other necessary tasks with firearms. I have extended family in the Dakotas, and I hear that they live with 1911s on their hips, and rifles on hand, all day long.
 
Hello friends and neighbors// Functional for me starts with my EDC S&W 442, .38.

Then comes the go to gun a 6", S&W 586, .357/.38.

Next is the Remington 870, 12ga with choke tubes and interchangeable barrels, 28"VR, 30" double bead VR, 26" cantilevered/rifled and scoped, 18 1/2" VR with 8 shot extension tube.

Longer range is the 1968, Remington 760, .30-06 with a Nikon Buckmaster, 3x9x50.

.22 rifle is the Marlin 795

Enjoy the search
 
My ideas of a "functional" gun battery were originally influenced by the writings of Mel Tappan and other early "survivalist" authors. Over the years as I gained more experience with firearms and technology evolved, my list changed but right now it looks something like this:

  1. Semi or Bolt .22LR for target/small game
  2. Semi .223 for HD/varmint/target
  3. Bolt .308 for large game/sharpshooting/target
  4. Semi 9mm/45ACP for HD/CCW/target
  5. Semi or Pump 12ga for HD/hunting
This list strives to minimize calibers and specify multi-purpose guns where possible, even if the choice may be less than optimum. Certainly an AR can fill all the roles of #2, but I would not argue that an AR and a scoped, bolt action would be better.

For now, I've got the following to cover these roles:

  1. Ruger 10/22 w/scope
  2. S&W M&P Sport w/Red Dot
  3. Savage Model 11 w/scope
  4. Glock 36 w/night sights
  5. Mossberg 590
Now, I already have unlisted "duplicates" in some catagories, and items on my "wish list" that would fall in others or outside the list altogether, but as far as my minimalist "functional" battery, this is my current thinking. :cool:
 
Nope, never.

Every time something within my purchasing ability comes into view causing me to think along the lines of "that's cool" the base expands. Sometimes it's an issue of a long desired but unaffordable/available firearm finally becoming an option.

Example: a Flobert this month.

Equally, every year and often several times a year I'll get to wondering "why do I keep that?" and the base contracts with its sale.

Example: several S&W/Colt revolvers too pretty to shoot and to pedestrian to display.

I can't abide the clutter of a firearm once it's become clutter to me.
 
I think my wife is rapidly growing weary of my expanding definition of my 'functional' collection. The .375 H&H was probably a bridge too far.

:(
 
Wisdom,,,

I gave up buying firearms for a specific purpose a long time ago. I started that way. I realized that the purpose often became that I just wanted it.
Click to expand...

Wise words if I've ever read any.

My functional collection was complete with:
One good centerfire rifle,,,
One good rimfire rifle,,,
One S&W Model 15,,,
One S&W Model 18.

My wants however have allowed me to amass 36 handguns and 7 rifles,,,
When people ask me why I need so many guns,,,
I simply answer that I really don't need them,,,
I just wanted them.

Aarond

.
 
For my own purposes, my "collection" is, I think, complete - I don't own any handguns, coz I don't need any, but, I do have a gun specific to whatever sort of food is in season at any particular time.......:D


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Mine was fulfilled 45 years ago, since then I just change my mind a lot.
 
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