I've Reached Zen Balance In My Arsenal

[Cosmoline]

For the past ten years I've been buying and selling firearms. In total I've probably owned and operated several hundred. My goal has been to find the best ones for my own purposes, and as I've shot more I've come to focus more on those with the best balance and fit. Now I find myself in gun stores only looking for duplicates of what I've got now, so I think I may have reached some point of dharmic zen with my iron. Here's my basic outlay, which has stayed more-or-less intact for over a year:

--Colt Detective Special, second generation
--Ruger Speed Six in .357
--Ruger Bisley-Vaquero in .44 Magnum
--Mosin-Nagant M-91, Tikkakoski 1940
--CZ 452 zkm in .22LR
--Mossberg 500 shotgun with slugster barrel
--Norinco SKS "Paratroop" (still in trial period though)

plus some odds and ends such as the Nagant plinker, the Schmidt-Rubin and sometimes a semi or something

Not exactly a fancy arsenal. I'd take a picture of them but they're not flashy, and that may be one reason I've settled on them. They're all fairly workaday firearms. They all have good balance and extremely good reliability. I don't think any have seriously failed. All will point naturally for me, and none feel barrel heavy. All have good iron sights. I've pretty much dispensed with scopes because I've never been able to get used to them and find they don't really help me much.

Anyone else reach a personal zen state?

 

[MachIVshooter]

I don't think I could find zen with only a dozen or so firearms, but if it works for you..................

 

[Hoppy590]

im getting there. once i geta SMLE i might be good on the surplus rifles

i want a revolver then il be good with hand guns.

for the time being

 

[lee n. field]

I've Reached Zen Balance In My Arsenal

Zen Balance -- is that the point where you stop perceiving the various guns around you, and you're just always appropriately equipped?

 

[baz]

I'm close, and I don't have much more than Cosmoline. I still yearn for a lever action in .357, to go with the two revolvers I have in .357. I recently acquired my first milsurps, an Ishy Enfield .308, and a MN M44. I've thought of rounding out the C&R battery with an SKS. I might trade, or sell my Taurus 24/7 in 9mm for an XD in the same. But other than that, I cannot think of much to add to what I've got:

Ruger 10/22
12 Ga shotgun
Tromix/Saiga .223
Hipoint 995
Ishy Enfield .308
Mosin Nagant M44
Buckmark Camper .22
Taurus 24/7 9mm
Taurus 605 .357
Taurus Tracker 6" .357

Every gun fits a niche, and every gun gets used on a regular basis. I'm far more an ammoholic than I am a sufferer of GAS (gun acquisition syndrome).

 

[sig226]

I will never achieve enlightenment.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

I think it was Dogen Zenji who said that "One can best achieve true enlightenment through everyday practice, understanding and mastery of the M1 Garand. Mastering the M1 Garand is mastering yourself."

Which is amazing since he lived about 400 years before the Garand was invented.

He later uttered the mantra: "What's the dope on that target, soldier?"

Or maybe it was zen truthsayer George Patton.

A perfect collection! Just one gun missing.

(Although the Mosin-Nagant fills the role nicely)

 

[22-rimfire]

About 20 years ago I felt that I had every firearm I needed for the purposes I pursued; Hunting, home defense, plinking, target shooting.... that was a accumulation of about 10-12 firearms. I couldn't think of anything that I needed. So, I went for about 10 years without making a single firearm purchase.

Well, that was pre-history and as Colts started getting more collector attention. I stopped shooting most of them. Weatherby stopped making their fine Mark XXII (semi); High Standard went out of business; Ithaca is no more.... everything was budding collector stuff.... What was I to do?

BUY MORE. There is no Zen balance. There is only the quest for the next one. There is also the quest for knowledge.

 

[3pairs12]

I am with sig226.

 

[Wolfgang2000]

You mean I have to limit how many gun I can have!!!!!! Say it ain't so!!!! I just found a SKS M for under $300.00. I only have 3 SKS's. Doesn't 4 sound better than 3. Ain't guns like jello, always room for more?

 

[686+]

Pfffft. Sounds like quiter talk to me.

Seriously though, you are in an much envied position if you can say you got all your itches scratched. Me....still "need" a few more things.

 

[CWL]

My Karmic wheel started spinning towards the positive the day I purchased my HK P7M13.

 

[Richbaker]

Readyonthe Right's got it....I got my HRA M1 a couple weeks ago from CMP. I LOVE it.....

 

[Winchester 73]

You've done very well.
A nice mixture there.

 

[JohnBT]

I've always borrowed, begged and mooched to try out guns during the past 50 years. It's cheaper than buying one of everything. As a result the ones I have are the ones I liked and/or truly needed.

At this point in my life I have all the less expensive guns I need and it's now Zen Balance vs. Bank Account Balance.

I'm weak, so I try not to handle too many new guns. The last gun I gave in and handled in a store was a Guerini 20 ga. sporting clays model. Only $5200. Nice gun. It would make a good companion for my Guerini 28 ga. field model, but a 12 ga. sporting might be a better fit in terms of maintaining Balance.

John

 

[Mazeman]

I think the state of zen is different for each person.

I believe I've reached it with 11 guns:

Ruger 10/22
Reminngton bolt 30-06
Winchester lever 30-30
S&W J-frame
Colt Pony .380
Ruger Mark II
Sig P220
Kimber Pro 1911
O/U Browning 12 gauge
Mossberg pump
Colt LE6920 AR

Although there's something to be said for a nice, round dozen...

 

[Just Jim]

True balence is only obtained when ones ammo supply equals five times the cost of the gun.

jj

 

[GunTech]

I have a few core guns, but the others seem to change with some frequency. And occasionally, like last week, I find a gun I forgot I owned.

I will have achieved zen-ness when I own every model of S&W with 5 screws.

 

[PTK]

I'm sort of in transition myself, getting rid of shotguns/rifles/pistols I bought, thinking I needed/wanted them. Many have simply sat in the safe since being purchased, and I don't like to hang on to things if they're not being used.

 

[kamagong]

I'm nowhere near reaching a state of firearms Zen since I'm so new to this pasttime. I do find that I'm drawn to some firearms, both aesthetically and when I pick one up for the first time. It's happened with the 1911, and it happened again this weekend when I held a Garand and a CZ-452 Trainer for the first time. I can appreciate a good gun, whether it's a Baer semi-custom or a Glock, but I only connect with certain ones.

 

[romma]

After Death, there will be Zen... At least I hope!

 

[bluestarlizzard]

posh... true zen shall never be reached until dad can look through a gun rag or shotgun news without going "man, thats so cool, i want one." as long as the manufactures keep coming up with nifty new stuff, we'll be buying more guns.
now as for having a great collection with the niches filled, we're doing pretty good. i think another revolver or two (we only have the one now), another couple glocks (we have 3, but only .45, .357 sig and .40 s&W), a high power bolt action rifle or two and maybe another shotgun. ohhhh and i need to replace the HK 91.
okay so maybe not.....

 

[Cosmoline]

is that the point where you stop perceiving the various guns around you, and you're just always appropriately equipped?

It's where I can work on my computer with an M91 balanced on my head while watching "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin."

I admire collectors, but I find little satisfaction in owning firearms I don't use or can't use because they're too valuable. It's too much responsibility, for one thing.

 

[Crow1108]

So far so good with mine. I'd like to get an FAL of some type, a decent shotgun, a small to medium sized revolver in .357, a Sig P239 for the wife, and a .22 for cheap plinking. Then my zen point will be reached

 

[md7]

i think i have a pretty good start, but there are a few more i want that are essentials to me.

1. Marlin 336 30-30
2. Remington 700 in 30-06
3. 4" .357 revolver, GP 100 or SW 686
4. Remington 870 Wingmaster

maybe zen will be closer, but i doubt it would be achieved. there is always one more.