Shooting vs. hoarding

[10-Ring]

I noticed that for a while, I was just buying guns basically just to have them. Then, I started shooting them more & more and realized I enjoyed shooting more than I did hoarding, gathering, collecting (Plus ammo is a ton cheaper than whole new guns)
How about you guys?

 

[Hazzard]

I used to "hoard" guns. My thought was that if I kept them pristine then one day they may be worth much more than I paid for them. Unfortunately, I never wanted to sell any. If you never sell it, it's monetary value is basically zero as you will never even recoup what you paid for it. So now I shoot them as often as I can. It's much more fun! I still try to keep them in very good shape where I can, but don't worry about their "unfired" value anymore.

 

[cookie4u1]

Just like to shoot what I own. Went to the range today. I stopped and picked up a shooting friend and when we got there I realized we had 8 rifles and 10 handguns between us. To somebody that doesn't shoot it would probably seem that we could have started our own war. We had a really good time. The best part of collecting is taking it out to the range and shooting it.

 

[trickyasafox]

i like shooting, but i also like new hardware. which is very hard to come by i might add

lately i've been really liking mil-surps. for the price i don't know if you can have more fun.

 

[LeonCarr]

I have an aquaintance who hoards buttloads of guns and ammo, and he never goes shooting. If you ask him if he wants to sell a particular gun, you get a "Four Score and Seven Years Ago" answer on why he bought it and why he won't sell it.

I think it is the height of foolishness to own firearms and not be proficient with them, and I told him that .

Rant mode off

Jusy my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[IdahoFarmer]

My personal choice is to shoot AND hoard. Best of both worlds.

Farmer

 

[Roadwild17]

I personally don't see any need to have something and not use. That being said, I own no safe queens and shoot anything and everything I have to where my father thinks I'm trying to ware them out.

 

[Dave R]

I don't hoard. If I can't shoot it, I don't want it.

Although I am approaching the point where I can't shoot them all regularly. This may cause me to re-evaluate my position.

 

[Jacka L Ope]

I use to "hoard". Had a nice collection nearing 60 guns.

Then I noticed I shot some guns a lot more than others.

Got rid of the ones I was not shooting even though they were excellent pieces.

 

[yongxingfreesty]

i use to do that to, but realized these are tools that need to be used. i dont abuse them, just shoot them at the range.

 

[Croyance]

I only started hoarding because they don't make Pythons, D-frames, and K-frames anymore. If they made them (and like the way they used to) I would have taken my time getting these guns. But the prices will go up faster than inflation. There might be millions of K-frames out there, but if that becomes the latest collector thing, the prices go through the roof. Plus, I really like the old bluing.

It isn't that I don't shoot them, but I don't have the time to shoot them all as often as I should.

 

[heypete]

I used to "hoard" guns, but I've sold a bunch that I had but never really used.

As they say, "only accurate guns are interesting" -- I sold my SKS and a few others that weren't terribly accurate (and I don't mean match-grade -- the SKS could barely hit a pie plate at 100 yards, while I could put 5 rounds of .30-06 from my Remington 700 into a 2-3 circle at the same distance. Not fantastic, but I'm happy enough.

I'd much rather have fewer guns, more spare parts, and more ammo. Having a variety of guns is nice, but with a limited budget, I find it more satisfying to be much more proficient with a smaller number of guns (2-3 rifles, a pistol or two, and a shotgun) rather than somewhat proficient with many guns.

I was thinking about buying a .50 BMG rifle (probably a Serbu BFG-50), but I realized that:
a. I can't afford .223 or .308, let alone .50 BMG
b. It won't fit in my safe.
c. The closest range to shoot it is 45 minutes away.
d. I can't afford the optics needed for long-range shooting.
e. I have no practical reason for it at this time. Maybe if I get into longer-ranged shooting.

My thought on the matter is the following: I can pay $20 for a hefty chunk of steel that can sit in my safe. Or I can pay $800 for a hefty chunk of steel in the form of a rifle that'll sit in my safe. Or I can pay nothing, keep that part of the safe empty, and spend the time out shooting my 10/22 for pennies per shot.

 

[rkh]

The only gun I "horde" is a German Luger my grandfather picked up in Normandy.

Its personal value is too great for me to take it out of cosmoline.

 

[Soybomb]

I sold a handgun last weekend that I just didn't like shooting. It was a quality gun and I hated to get rid of it, but theres no point in keeping them just for the sake of keeping them. My 10mm and sks don't get shot alot but I enjoy holding onto them for fun.

 

[dfaugh]

While I've never had a large number of guns (hovers around a dozen, and none are worth all that much), as someone else said, I only shot some of them regularly. So the rule is, if I haven't shot it in a coupla years, down the road it goes. I've sold a couple, working on a trade on another now, and will probably sell/trade one or 2 others. There are 1 or 2 that I want to get (and finances are a BIG problem) so the total number will remain similar.

There are a couple of exceptions: rarely shoot my HD shotgun (although I do shoot it a couple times a year.) and and unissued SKS, which while not worth a whole lot is the only "collector grade" gun I have, and remains unfired (by me, although someday soon I'll probably break down and shoot it).

My best shooting buddy does hoard somewhat, but he has alot of pretty valuable, rare and collectible guns(Dating back to the 1800's). And many are shot, quite a few of the not so rare ones, fairly regularly. he probably has nearly 100 guns (75% rifles, 25% pistols, only one or 2 shotguns.) so its difficult and expensive to shoot too many. Several he has to reload for (and does) as ammo no longer exists.

 

[22-rimfire]

"Hoard, an accumulation of something for preservation or future use." The word sounds like you're doing something unfair like hoarding food when starvation is prevalant. A fine firearm is a work of art. It is okay to hoard, but I use the terms "collect" and "investment". I hoard ammunition for future use!

I have sold off guns that I shot and for whatever reason ceased shooting. Handguns, no problem as I used to buy quite a few different things that would catch my fancy just to try out. Those days are past. Rifles, I just have a hard time letting them go as they all have a purpose and they all get shot.

 

[DMK]

I think having a C&R helps one to adopt the hoarding mentality some. Like Croyance said, if you don't grab a few when they are on sale today, they'll often be gone in a few weeks, or at least be double or triple the price. Try and find an affordable SVT40, Albanian SKS, or Argentine Sistema today.

I shoot all my guns, but I do have quite a few that I don't shoot regularly and more than a couple I've only shot once. Some are good guns and fun to shoot, but I don't get to the range as often as I'd like and tend to grab my current favorites of the day when I do.

I often go through phases in my collection though. Sometimes I'm into old battle rifles, sometimes modern semi-autos, sometimes revolvers, sometimes hi-cap pistols. So I hate to get rid on ones I rarely shoot. Every so often, I'll get a real itch to take one of them out.

I don't mind having a large collection of rarely shot guns so much. I just wish I had someplace to display them instead of hiding them in the dark gun cabinets.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I'm in the "buy them to shoot them" category.

I have a modest selection of firearms with a serious bent towards practical use (yes my cowboy action shooting stuff is "practical" ).

Am at the point now where I'm considering buying one uber-flashy "BBQ gun" but don't know as I'll ever actually spend the $$$ to do it.

 

[joab]

I'm a hoarder, thankfully

Recently I needed quick cash and was able to generate about $3000 in four hours from selling off some of the hoard.

I was only going to sell one or two and then I noticed a bunch in the back of the safe that I had actually forgot I had

 

[glockman19]

In the past 6 months I've bought 5 handguns, 4 rifles and a shotgun is that hoarding? I shoot them all. Safe Queen, Kimber Raptor II. needs to get out more often.

 

[cheygriz]

I'm a shooter first. I have quite a few guns that I don't shoot often, but I would never buy a gun that I didn't intend to shoot.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

Unless it is over 100 years old, I won't buy it if I can't shoot it. I'll still take good care of them, but all my guns are shooters. If it is less than 100 years old and can't be shot than it is either a peice of junk or is worth more than I can afford.

 

[Joe Gunns]

I have never bought a gun I did not intend to shoot.

I have a couple that I have never gotten around to shooting.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I'm a hoarder. I confess.

IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!! I WOULD SHOOT EVERYDAY, BUT THE LAW SAYS I CAN'T SHOOT IN MY BACKYARD!!! JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER HOUSES PRESENT!!!! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!!

 

[Cosmoline]

I've noticed among surplus gun nuts there are hoarders and shooters. Some folks just like to have them, and rarely take them out. I shoot the bejesus out of mine, and actually keep very few at any given time. The idea of having a bunch of firearms in a collection just makes me nervous. That's a lot of money that can walk out the door with some thief. Plus, what's the point of just staring at them?