The History of Your Gun Collection

[Kind of Blued]

This is quite possibly an over-reaching thread, but personally, I think it's a potentially interesting discussion.

We all go through "phases", and we all have guns which are "close to our hearts". I suppose that's what this is all about.

Most of us own a gun or two which was owned, and handed-down, by our fathers or grandfathers. I'd like to know about those, as well as certain interests which absorbed you for some period of time. Sometimes seeing a certain movie can make people want to buy a certain gun, and that will begin a string of purchases, etc.

So, if you don't mind, share with us what got you into guns, and which guns KEPT you into guns.

 

[PTK]

First gun - 1917 30-06, sporterized before being gifted.

Good gun, still have it (for now)


What kept me in guns...? Mechanical devices have always fascinated me - cars, guns, machines of any kind as long as they're fairly complex in nature.

As for guns that kept me in guns: historical items, mostly. K31, SMLE, that 1917, M91/30, etc. I've fancied the idea of having a relic in my hands since the first time I recall going to the "early firearms" section of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA as a child. After that, my parents (fortunately) took me to the Springfield Armory, where my love of firearms grew even greater.

Nowadays, I have an eclectic mix of the old (from my 1871 Beaumont-Vitali rifle) to the new (my SBR PS90 and similar), the mundane (a single-shot .22lr rifle) to the exotic (a 40mm grenade launcher). I suppose I'd get bored without such wide variety to tinker with.

I do wish that the 1934 NFA would go away, or at least 922(o) would - I have so many interesting ideas that can't fully be explored without literally tens of thousands of dollars in taxation and licenses.

 

[lykoris]

I'm from the Republic of Ireland and so unsurprisingly my grandfather had a farm on which he let me shoot his .22lr. I spent my summer holidays enjoying this rifle alongside him.

Whilst in Uni in Dublin I did two years in a rifle club(strictly air rifles) which I really enjoyed.

Then I became side tracked when I came out to work in Luxembourg. When my father in law died over a year ago we spent a lot of time every weekend in Brussels visiting my mother-in-law and out of boredom I rummaged around the attic only to find an ancient Diana 25 air rifle in .177 - so after a few hours plinking in the garden I was hooked more than ever before. My mother-in-law gave it to me as a present the same day.

My first 'rifle' that I bought was an air rifle and quite a few after that as I've always loved air rifles.

- Gamo CFX in .177
- Hammerli 850 .177
- Umarex cx4 .177
- HW85 .177

then copy air pistols of what I will eventually get colt 1911, beretta 92FS, walther CP99 (all .177)

then I went the pneumatic route which are more powerful than springers/C02 as it uses compressed air.

daystate airwolf .22
daystate air ranger .25
theoben rapid s .22

then I finally got my firearms license in Luxembourg after months and months of paperwork (restricted to rimfire for a probationary 12months)

so I bought all .22lr

S&W model 41
Sako quad
GSG-5

and as my 12 months are nearly up I've paid down the reserve and will be getting the following in June

SIg 550 .223rem
HK G3 .308
Browning HP 9mm
HK45 .45acp
Colt python .357mag
Sako 85 300win mag

Many of you will laugh as I've no collection at all considering everything is currently air/rimfire. What makes me laugh in that what started out as a means of killing time one Sunday afternoon plinking with a .177 pellet gun has taken on a life of its own

AND I've convinced my wife to shoot also which I think is great, she started with air, then .22lr and I'm hoping she will shoot the sig and if a 9 is okay I'll buy her whatever she wants in 40s&w.

I'm also glad I did find that old air rifle hidden away in an attic as it was solely responsible for the start of a currently very humble collection.

All the best,
Paul

 

[JWF III]

Quite a few of my firearms have a story behind them. One is in the "Gun you own but have never shot" thread. Here are a couple others...

Old Model (three screw) Blackhawk, that was originally a 7 1/2" barrelled gun. When my dad was activated before/during the Cuban Missle Crisis, he had the barrel cut down to 4 1/2" to make it easier to use as a sidearm. He drove a duece and a half for the USMC, and all they issued crews were Garands. They would not issue sidearms to drivers or crew, they had to provide their own. So since the Blackhawk was in .357 Mag, and .38 Special was still a standard military cartridge, this was the easiest and quickest (and cheapest)way to acquire a sidearm.

Another gun that my dad acquired is a Trapdoor Springfield Saddle Ring Carbine. The gun was found in a schoolhouse in Ehrhardt SC set for demolition. The gun was stored there as part of the armory for the state militia (or something similar), but all others like it had previously been removed. This was the last one there. I can't remember who exactly found it (I had several relatives that worked in the school), but they kept the gun, and gave it to my dad.

Then there is the Rohm .22lr revolver that my great uncle found laying in the middle of the road in rural SC (outskirts of Ehrhardt) that he kept under the seat of his truck to kill stray dogs that he came across on his farm.

I'll stop there, I could keep going on through several more guns if I wanted.

The one gun I have that I am intersted in knowing the story behind is a little off brand, top break , .32 S&W revolver. The butt of the grips have 4 definent lines carved into them. I have a guess of what they're there for, but are they real? Or was someone just doing the lines as a joke? I'm not sure, but back then, people didn't do things to a gun just so it would look cool.

Wyman

 

[Baba Louie]

What got me started? Dad.

Originally he had 2 rifles, only 1 of which got any use. A Marlin 39 and an old loooong barrelled bolt action w/ funny reddish wood and a flower on the receiver that sat in the corner of his closet, given to him by his older brother on his return from the PTO.

About 1962 or 63 he asked me if I wanted to use my allowance to "go in with him" on an old gun he had a chance to buy. He called it a "rolling block" and talked about buffalo hunting and some guy named Eli while we cleaned that thing up... (my allowance was $0.25 a week for cleaning up the dog poo, taking out the trash, keeping my room clean and washing or drying the dishes)

I was 8 years old and hooked. Part owner of an $11 rifle we cleaned up and never have shot. (I owned $1.00 of it)

Next up was a funky old bolt action "we" bought outta the Monkey Wards catalog for $13 or $14 he called a 'smelly". Had fun cleaning that up and we could even buy ammo and shoot it! He told me about WWI, stripper clips and the fields of Flanders (wherever that was).

The next joint effort (my allowance being thrown in) was another brit long gun that had 2 names, Martini and Henry. As we cleaned that one up he talked about the Khyber Pass, red coated soldiers and tallow coated bullets (he actually found a single bullet for it... it was HUGE!). Again, we never shot it.

Then he bought a .45 auto from the DCM. He wouldn't share that one w/ me. It was his. It was (and is)... perfect. He let me shoot this one. Ohmygod.

I won't even mention the 1st 03 or M1 Garand or Carbine 'we' got from the DCM. Shooters all.

To this day I prefer .22 rifles, old rifles that have been there, done that and are cheap to buy (cheap being a relative term)... even if ammo costs are prohibative or not available generally speaking... and 45 autos.

Imagine that.

 

[SaxonPig]

I'm not a collector, but rather an accumulator. I have no specific tastes and own a wide variety of firearms. When I see something that appeals to me I buy it. I enjoy shooting my FAL and my Trapdoor Springfield equally.

Started with a Remington Model 581 in 1967 when I was 12. Sort of out of hand at this point.

 

[CoRoMo]

Hunting was first. I grew up hunting pheasants and my Dad bought me a 12ga. when I was in high school.

Many years of ignorant irresponsibility followed but I eventually grew up.

I returned to the interest of hunting, and that movement truly changed my life back to my roots. Then things hit warp speed. I became so interested in firearms that I soaked up anything I could possibly find. I read about them, I bought them, I began reloading rifle and pistol cartridges.

The gun collection grew in every direction, and my pride in gun ownership enveloped the RKBA and personal freedom aspect.

Today, the RKBA is at the forefront of my moral foundation.

 

[knockonit]

Collection

I too am an accumulator.
I started out with the usual hand me downs from pops, WW2 stuff, Korea stuff, then my own stint in Corps, then the Army, and here I am with a huge collection of Milsurps, find myself assembling ak's like no tomorrow, with four son-in-laws all who like to shoot and reload, its hard to keep up.
I have so many I couldn't keep track,until I found the software Gunsafe, wow, great program, now I can tell you, what, when where and why.
Why, because I can.
happy shootin

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

I started out shooting as a hobby with my grandfather... all .22 all the time.

After 9/11, my dad got into the act and I started to get some trigger time on centerfires. I've always been interested in the military. so the first rifle that I bought was an AR15, and the first pistol was a used 92FS.

Then to celebrate the death of the AwB and my 18th birthday (within a week of each other), I got an M4gery with all the "evil features"... Continuing the military theme with a helping of spite directed at congressional gungrabbers.

My graduation gift from HS was a CMP M1 which I still have yet to fire, although the way 5.56 is costing I may do so pretty soon. (It was one thing to fire .30-06 when I could feed an AR at less than .20 a shot... now the math has changed, sadly). I have it for the history of it.

A couple of AKs have followed me home since then... 'cause they used to be much cheaper to feed, and because I'm not letting an AR kick around in my trunk. No real theme there other than the practicality of a cheap, rugged, combat worthy weapon.

Picked up a pair of .45s after starting to shoot IDPA. An XD and an 1911 carry gun.

And now, it's back to (almost) all .22 all the time, out of a ciener kit on my 1911, and one of the rifles I inherited from grampa.

 

[jacob.elliott]

My grandpa gave me most of the guns that I own now. All are sporterized and very nice. they include a
98 mauser chambered in 8mm-06 unkown year
98 mauser chambered in 25-06 a bunch of german writing and 1915 stamped on the top of the receiver
from the best I can read the jap symbols (with help from the net) a type 44 chambered in 6.5 Jap from the 40s
model 97 winchester 12 ga
enfield chambered in 17/222 (this one must have taken a lot of work!!)
marlin 30-30
several muzzeloaders

i still shoot all of them but the modle 97 they have to take turns on whose week it is

 

[anhedonic]

My favorite firearms also came from my Grandfather...including many flintlock pistols and a fair number of derringers from various 19th century makers.

The crown jewels of his collection are a matching pair of English saddle pistols made in London circa 1760 with French lock sets.

I wish I knew the history behind them...

Oh yeah...this is my first post so I am a lurker no more!

 

[Onmilo]

Whatever you do, don't buy or allow people to give you gun picture books.
Never buy or allow anyone to give you a copy of The Gun Digest.
It is the beginning of a lifelong obsession with wanting to handle and shoot every firearm pictured in those damn books!
Those books will lead you to own far more firearms than you ever planned on owning.
You will put aside owning a large screen flat panel TV, having broadband internet and carrying a Blackberry so that you have the funds available 'just in case' a firearm you are wanting happens to show up for sale somewhere.

Gun collecting isn't about personal history, it is about having a passion for something that makes life worth living!

 

[sm]

Life is Life.

I simply have today what is left; of which I can hold everthing with one hand.

Fire, Tornadoes, Theft, Floods...

I was born with a .22 revolver in my dresser drawer crib. By the time I was 5 years old, I owned more guns than I do today.

Honest?
I miss the people, places and dawgs associated with firearms over the years, more than I do the actual firearms.

I have memories, experiences and observations going back to when I was born in the 50's.

So not only have I a history involving firearms, I am part of history in regard to people, dawgs, places, events,... Life itself.

 

[KarenTOC]

I'm an accidental gun owner.

The first gun I *could* have owned belonged to my husband. When he died, I told my son to take it – a model 10-5 snubby. Fast forward a few years to last June, a few months after my father-in-law died. My son insisted that I take the Model 642 that had belonged to his grandfather, so I did, reluctantly.

I hated the 642, so my son suggested a trade – he'd give me his dad's gun and he'd take his grandfather's. The Model 10 was much better for me. Plus, he threw in his grandfather's Colt Huntsman for me to practice with. The Colt got me hooked on shooting.

Eventually, I ended up with three more "castoffs" from my father-in-law's estate: Walther P38; Baby Browning; Burgo .22lr revolver <I have to wonder how that one slipped in there>. The heirs didn't want them, so they gave them to me.

Those guns have sentimental value, and I'll keep them forever – even the Burgo!

Another accidental acquisition: last Christmas a friend asked me to "dispose of" a gun she had in her house and wanted rid of – an unfired H&R model 732, made in 1972. Free gun, yay!

I've purchased 3 myself, but they don't have any interesting stories associated with them (unless you consider buying an old ppk/s just because it says "Alexandria, VA" on the slide, or buying a 19-3 to fit a set of grips I was given is interesting).

Zero guns to nine guns, and a wish list of at least that many -- all in less than a year.

 

[JWF III]

anhedonic-welcome to the site (officially not as a lurker)

Would be interested in seeing pics of those saddle pistols if you have some. I'm sure others may be interested also.

Wyman

 

[Kind of Blued]

I'm glad I started this. It's very fun reading the stories. I guess I should post my story!

My parents never owned guns, but I grew up shooting when visiting family friends. Even though my parents didn't own firearms, I'm thankful that they allowed me to experience them, and mostly, that they didn't have a negative view of them to push on me. I shot .22 rifles and shotguns mostly when we'd visit those family friends, occasionally a handgun. I set up a pellet gun range in the unfinished corridor of our basement around 12-13 years old. While I don't remember how, I got a subscription to this "Classic Firearms" sort of box set around 10-11 years old. I vaguely remember convincing my mom to let me sign up for it, but I don't remember how I found the advertisement in the first place. While other kids played video games, I ogled over the guns featured on each card.

They had the country of origin, type, specifications, and a brief summary on the front, while the back of the card had the story of the development, the gun's military use, if any, and a factoid about the name of the gun, the developer, or something to that effect.

I eventually dug them out of the parents' basement after all these years and immediately reverted to my 13-year-old self, sitting on the basement floor for hours reading over the different cards and models.

When I finally turned 18, I was too busy pursuing the usual adolescent teenaged boy interests to spend any money on guns. Shortly after my 22nd birthday, and after ridding myself of a woman who I had developed a very expensive lifestyle with, I decided to spend all of this spare money I had on a .22LR pistol for myself. It was lost by a friend of mine, but he paid me back and I bought an AK. To this day he's my only real "gun friend".

Since then, I've mainly developed my interest in "societal history", American history, American jurisprudence, RKBA, and modern self-defence law, as well as the historical logic and purpose behind a self-reliant, armed population of civilians. Consequently I took a liking to a few ARs/AKs, and a journey of finding the perfect fleet of carry guns. Interestingly enough, these interests also helped me decide to study criminal justice and to go into law/law enforcement as a profession.

I mainly own "defensive firearms", but my general philosophy is to buy guns which will provide me the greatest use. Considering that I don't get into a lot of gunfights, .22LR rifles and pistols have become desirable. Considering that the guns that "serve me most" are the ones that I carry every day (even though I never "use" them), I've taken to searching for the perfect carry guns.

I haven't been a gun owner for very long, but I've developed a "taste" of my own. Deep down I love double-action revolvers, lever-action rifles, 20th Century military rifles and carbines, and any gun which can practically be applied as a tool.

As for the "hand-me-downs", here's my late-Grandpa's Ruger with the accompanying card. "Grandpa look! You got one like this one right?"

 

[hdgroundpounder]

Accumulector

Dad started the passion, pheasant hunting, squirrels and plinking. A good friend had a FFL and we started a business then he moved for another job so I kept the FFL and started my own gun running service. Found out real quick I had to compete with the everyday FFL guy/gal out there so I started a specialty! Worked into H&K, USAS-12's, AUG's, distributor for ASP, Coonan and such. When I sold one I made more than selling 4 of the average guns. The business created inventory which is now all in my name. Most are my favorite shooters while others sit there waiting for my son to discover someday.
Thanks for the subject matter and letting me ramble.

Greg

 

[bang_bang]

I've always been into firearms and hunting. I remember me and my brother bugging my grandpa at Thanksgiving to let us go out and shoot his Model 60 off of his back porch, or to shoot the SKS before deer season.

I'm probably quite a bit younger than most of the other regular members on here (20) and my collection is by far not the most impressive. My rifles and pistols are not "collector's items," each has its own purpose in my books.



My first SKS is by far the most babied out of my firearms. It's always oiled, stored in a gunsock, and the bore is as clean as it can be. My grandpa has killed several deer with it and purchased it brand new some years back. It's all matching, except he cut the bayonet lug off because "it got in the way." I've never taken a deer with it, but have shot a groundhog or two and every once in a while put a box or two through it plinking.

I also have a .22lr rifle that my grandpa bought my uncle around 35 years ago or so. It's a Revelation single-shot, sold by Western Auto Supplies. It's an accurate gun, that I have since put a scope on and proceed to make 50-60 yard head shots on squirrels. Cheap, ugly, but means something and for the past couple of years has grown on me.

The other guns either came as birthday or Christmas presents from my dad. He knew how much time I put into deer season and the joys it brought me, so even if it was a New England single-shot 12 gauge he knew I would enjoy it. The past 4 years or so, I have been more into pistols and semi-automatic rifles. Things have changed, my tastes are getting more expensive, so my gun addiction is now my burden and not my father's to feed. They've supported my efforts, and recently my mom (who didn't shoot a gun since she was little) bought a Kel-Tec P11 9mm for home protection. Actually, she even out shot my brother (who attended the Department of Corrections training) and myself with that little gun. No one in my family is anti, just some don't feel the need for guns as strongly as I do.