Serious question ... How many is too many?

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how many is too many? how about when it effects your ability to pay your bills you buy food. but as long as you can pay your bills and eat spam, buy to your hearts content
 
javjacob said:
16 AR-15's is a lot. why so many of the same gun?
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They're not really the same as none are identical, all are different configurations, caliburs or unique in some way ... as mentioned in the original post.

itchy1 said:
Wait until the next panic and then sell the ones you don't shoot for top $$$.
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The last panic is kind of when I started thinking about it, inventoried, pondered; some I re-configured, then sorted into different safes ... but I missed that wave, and since then several have come out of the "for sale" safe because I've reconsidered.

breakingcontact said:
Its up to the individual. If you have your bills all taken care of, dont have any debt and collecting guns is your hobby then good on you. I think everyone should have the minimum for defense. Beyond that to me, things do start to be extra.I can justify about 10 or so as a minimum for me.Carry pistolHome defense pistolCarbineShotgun22 rifleMajor caliber rifleThrow in a few more an you get to 10 quickly.
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The house is paid for, no credit card debt, the bills are paid monthly and on time and the last child at home, is fairly spoiled and her collage is funded, but most likely that money will be gifted for her first home or something as she probably wont need it as she has her own plans too ... we aren't rich by any means but have planned fairly well, the wife & I have good jobs and are less than 10 years from retirement.

The question of too many kind of comes from today's political climate if there were a situation like Connecticut or worse, it would be a financial blow ...

As to something else that interests me more, I'm finding that difficult to find ... Over the last 30+ years I've owned most of the guns that interest me. I did do an exercise several years ago of my "10 must have" ... maybe I should do that again.

Speedo66 said:
If you think you have too many, you've answered your own question.Even museums pare down the collection when they start to have redundancy.Get rid of some duplicates and add something unique to the collection. Quality vs. quantity perhaps?
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I'm older, not a "kid" anymore, so this accumulation has taken more than a few years. I've owned and sold quite a few unique pieces and kept the ones I like ... when it comes to quality over quantity, there a few firearms like the SCAR I've considered but to the SCAR specifically I don't really care for plasic guns like it and on top of that I'm not sure how many $3,000+ guns I want to own.

skiking said:
No such thing as too many guns. I would rather have a little more variety in there, but.
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There is more variety, bolt's, levers, shotguns, an assortment of pistols; just not to the same extreme ... except in 1911's.

browningguy said:
Well, since I currently have 74 firearms, I'm going to guess 80 might be too many.

But it might not be.:)
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No, even 80 is not too many ...

GBExpat said:
Lessee ... I have 15 M1s, 10(?) Lee-Enfield Nº4s, 8(?) K98ks or Variants, 6 SVT-40s, 5 03A3s, 5(?)M1917s, 11 TT-33s or Variants, and on and on ...

To answer your question, no, I don't think that 16 AR-15 Variants are too many. ;)
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Thanks GBExpat ... It doesn't really help, but it makes me feel better :)
 
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Ed Ames commented,

Quote:
Sounds like Heinlein, but I'm not sure.

It was Heinlein.

Who, incidentally, owned a house. I'd have liked to see him run with it...
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Yeah, and quite a house, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein#Author

(See sidebar)

Actually, I think the original quote included "that you value," but I'm not sure if I stuck that in on my own or it's the full quote. Besides, it was a deliberate understatment of a general philosophy.

I think he had this in mind:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/graphics/nw_belg_refugees_02.jpg

http://ctya.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/refugees.jpg

:) Terry :)
 
With one word cslinger has provided some excellent wisdom. Born of experience, I would imagine. :) I agree wholeheartedly.

Retiring can also make a difference. After I did, I realized that a man can only shoot just so much.

I've thinned a lot and I don't regret it.


Cat
 
At one time I had so many, I realized if one came up missing I'd not even notice it.

Now I try to keep it at less than 15 and more like 10---I value the ones I have now more and new purchases are thoroughly planned and researched---often some of the old ones are sold or traded to buy a new one.

Don't mind thinning the herd at all
 
There have been moments in my gun owning life when I realized that it was the search for a particular gun, the making of the deal for it and the actual completion of a sale that was giving me more pleasure than actually shooting, cleaning, and owning the gun.

I was just accumulating guns.

These were moments when I chose to start a gun buying fast for a year or year and a half. Helps considerably to regain clarity, objectivity.

Helps a lot in seeking an answer to "How many is too many."
 
The one who dies with the most guns wins!

As long as life's needs are met and bills are paid, one cannot have too many guns in my opinion.

But, only an individual can decide what too many guns are for himself.
 
I can see having an SBR, a retro-AR, an 18 inch rifle for 3 gun, a heavy 20 inch for high power competition and a 16 or 20 inch standard for hunting,plinking, etc. I can't see having a bunch of 16 inch middie ARs. They are so modular. Unless you are shooting competition, you can get by with a single lower and lots of uppers.
 
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I'm 63 YO. Few years back I kinda went thru the same thing. The safe was full, I was paying nearly $900 a year on an insurance rider. So, I started with the ones I wouldn't/didn't use.

Ended up selling a Colt SAA .44-40, some rifles, etc. Stuff I hadn't shot in at least five years. Stuff I'd most likely never use. Figured if I gave them to the kids, they'd just pawn them anyway.
 
cslinger is dead right. I just did a local move, and that was enough to convince me that I need to start thinning. And I don't have 16 ARs. I'm getting older, and finding my interests shifting, too. I could probably reduce my stock by 50% and not seriously miss anything. I've been at the "sell one to buy one" stage for a while.
 
As far as I'm concerned, you have diversified your investment portfolio. I don't see any number being too many due to the fact that they do not loose value and in time, will offer a return on investment. Case in point, the 65 dollar SKS that could be bought at the hardware store now sells for 325 to 450.
Once you reach a point where you want to cash in, or pass down to others you will have increased your personal wealth.
 
This is a very astute observation and at times has fit my situation from AL

"There have been moments in my gun owning life when I realized that it was the search for a particular gun, the making of the deal for it and the actual completion of a sale that was giving me more pleasure than actually shooting, cleaning, and owning the gun.

I was just accumulating guns.

These were moments when I chose to start a gun buying fast for a year or year and a half. Helps considerably to regain clarity, objectivity.

Helps a lot in seeking an answer to "How many is too many.""
 
I've thinned mine down quite a bit through the years. I've decided I'd rather invest in fewer firearms that I actually enjoy using, than to get caught in the perpetual purchase and storage of things that ultimately do not really satisfy beyond the thrill of the next purchase.
 
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Over the last 50 years there was a reason for every gun I bought. Today some of the reasons are either cloudy or without merit.

A few of the guns I never think about. For example, one of the guns I removed from the safe several years ago to get to another gun... I found it the other day where I had laid it on a pile of little used reloading supplies -- never missed it.

I don't need the money that guns sales would generate, so I'll keep the ones that I use and the ones I rarely use, but that simply please me (i.e., P-08 Luger, M-1 Garand, 1863 New Model Remington, etc). There are a few inherited guns, unused guns and a few that have lost favor that will be sold off to greener pastures.

The sell-off is mostly due to my wife's failure to appreciate the value of the guns I own. I've tried to educate her about using the books that value firearms, but I can see that is a fruitless endeavor. God gave her two ears... gun info goes in one and out the other.
 
Your original post title (How many is too many) brought two tongue-in-cheek thoughts to me, one rock & roll related:

"If its too loud, you're too old"

and

"One more than I have right now"

Seriously, that is a hard and very individual question. I have a dozen guns and would like more. I plan on buying at least 4 Shiloh Sharps rifles, each will be slightly different but all are basically single shot black powder cartridge rifles so is 4 too many? Not enough? Depends on who you talk to. I have two Uberti Walker colts - why? Because I like them. No easy answer.
 
Each of us must determine what we need/ want.

I just thinned out my armory by a two sidearms and 750 rds of ammo that went with one of them. I am trying to be more adept with what I have, and being responsible for too many weapons and their particular idiosyncrasies requires time I do not have. I also got to connect with my awesome LGS and reinforce that relationship.
 
Too Many?

Think about this....shortly before dear 'ol dad died about three years ago, he sold my entire collection without my knowledge. It contained three generations of weapons, plus my own additions starting when I was big enough to hold onto a Marlin 22 bolt rifle, hunting bows, many of which I had built, knives from well known makers etc. In a flash I went from thirty some odd weapons, if not more, to nothing.

So, I've no idea. I could never afford to rebuild that collection. Since that time I have bought or built five rifles/shotguns and added two handguns. For me, except for the fact that reloading and building guns is my love and my hobby that is probably enough. When I can afford to replace my Commander in .45, nickel plated, I bought when I was fouteen that should do it except for the occasional rifle build and they usually get sold or traded to start over again.
 
Must be nice to be able to have what, probably $20+ in guns :) If I were you, I'd sell the ARs and get something cool.
 
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