What Percentage of Your Firearms Have You Not Shot in Over a Year?

What Percentage of Your Firearms Have You Not Shot in Over a Year?

  • 0%

    Votes: 35 28.2%

  • 1-25%

    Votes: 35 28.2%

  • 26-50%

    Votes: 16 12.9%

  • 51-75%

    Votes: 14 11.3%

  • more than 75%

    Votes: 24 19.4%
  • Total voters
    124
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A

ajacobs

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Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
519
Location
VT, USA
I don't think this has been asked before and it gets at the heart of the Hoarder Vs. User question. I personally have not shot more than 90% of my firearms in the last year. I shoot several times a week but it is always with the same half a dozen guns or so and then I have broken out a few for hunting season etc.
 
Within any single year, I get about 75% of them out at least to the range, but within two successive years, they all get used.
 
My granddad's JC Higgins 20gauge and my early 60s vintage S&W 36 (sq butt with vintage stags). That represents about 20% of my collection.

Chris
 
I answered the poll before I really stopped to think about it. I probably have 75 or more guns that I have not fired within the last year. I would say I have 10 - 20 guns that I have never fired at all.
 
I haven't shot any of my guns in over a year, and it will be likely another year before I do, then two more years until I get to be with them all the time.

I am stationed in a gun-unfriendly country (Germany) for the next three years. Already been here for one year...and it's been a long year without them.
 
I have an old single-shot .410 shotgun which belonged to my father-in-law. It's locked away and I don't have any real use for it. Other than that, no. I would never own a firearm that I don't go out and shoot at least semi-regularly. I'd sell / trade it for something else.
 
I voted 26-50%

The ones I haven't shot are my centerfire rifles. I am not a member of a "gun club" so the only place I have been able to shoot is indoor ranges.
There is one close to me that actually allows real rifles, but to me shooting a 303, or a 7.62 in an indoor 25 yard range is an exercise in futility.
Not to mention being damn noisy.
The only others are a couple of my .22's. One rifle that a local gunsmith messed up, and a revolver that was a gift from my mom.
In the near future I'll check out an outdoor range and you can bet your bippy the bolt guns will speak again.
 
My very first shotgun (Stevens-Savage 94Y 12 ga. single) and rifle ("sporterized" 6.5 Italian Terni-Carcano) haven't been shot in probably 20 years. They're not worth anything but have sentimental value, so they stay in the back of the safe.:cool:

I also have a Winchester 28" Composite Super X2 I won in a drawing; I ran about 10 rounds through it when I first got it over a year ago, but since I haven't had the time or inclination to try clay shooting (yet?) nor been really motivated to try to sell it, it also sits idle.
 
I voted for over 75%.
The welfare system is at it's best in my safe. I've got several that does absolutely nothing except to wait for a cleaning to hold down the dust on them. Then there are a few that ventures out, work as little and as seldom as possible before retiring back to the safe and await the free cleanings. That leaves the smallest group that jumps out whenever the door opens, work till they are dirty and out of ammo, never complains if it gets hot, cold, or wet, and would rather lay around on the tables, chairs, or beds then go back in the safe.
 
Sadly, I've only shot two of my guns (my "always" gun and my "serious social occasions" gun) within the last year. Living on the road in a motorhome with most of my trap/skeet/hunting guns in storage is a real bummer. :(
 
I currently own two handguns and a 10/22. I don't think I've takend the 10/22 out in over a year. it's just boring to me. there's no challenge. you point it at the target, and the little hole is right where the cross hairs meet. you don't have to re-adjust for the next shot, because it doesn't move..

I prefer the challenge of getting good groups with my MK40 or a higher power rifle(which I need to get soon. or at least before the new AWB goes into effect, as I'm sure it will).
 
0%. I've been cleaning out the safe the last few weeks. With all the USPSA, 3 gun, and clays shooting I've been doing the last couple of years, I don't have the money or space for guns or ammo that aren't being used.
 
Only one of mine hasn't been used fairly recently, a sporterized Swedish Mauser.
 
I have a bunch of guns. If I shot one gun a week it would take nearly two years to shoot them all. I have a couple of guns that I have not shot in 10 years, some I have not ever shot, and one that I may never shoot.
 
Voted for over 75% closer to 95%.

You know how it is, you have your favorites. I have some guns I've only shot once since I bought them 3-4 years ago. A bolt action 220 Swift custom has only been shot once in 15 years! Its not just the best quality guns I shoot either, I have an SP1, a Valmet and a Norinco folder (among others) yet I end up shooting the SAR-1 and Romak 3 (rather than the M1A)even through I have plenty of 223 ammo. Go figure.
 
Jeff, I have the same problem. They don't call you OTMG for nothing. If I decided to go on a crusade to shoot them all, this would only take away my enjoyment of them. This hobby for me, is about having fun. I shoot a given gun when the mood strikes me; I don't force myself to shoot just to justify owning a particular gun. For example, I own a number of muzzleloaders, both rifles and pistols. I don't shoot them much. I would say that I don't even shoot them once a year. But, when I want to shoot a muzzleloader, there they are. I own a number of hunting rifles. I really don't do anything with them except hunt. If I don't get drawn for a tag, they sit there. If I do get drawn, I shoot them for a month or two, go on the hunt, clean them, then they are put away for another year or two. My .338 is my elk rifle. I haven't drawn an elk tag for three years and it has sat there for three years.
My guns arn't eating anything. They don't cost me money to keep and even if they did, this is what I choose to do with my money. I don't understand the obsession with having to "get rid" of a gun just because you don't shoot it all the time. For some people, it is almost like they are a plague or something that they must have away from them if they don't use them all the time. Take a look at your tool box some time. Do you own tools that you don't use all the time ? Did you ever buy a tool for one project and the need for it just has never popped up again ? Do you feel that it has to be out of your house because of that ?
I long ago learned that my interests in guns changes frequently. Right now, I am shooting primarily autoloading handguns. But, in September I will be taking an advanced carbine class at Gunsite, so my interest will change to AR15s. If I get to hunt this year, my interest will go to centerfire bolt action rifles. Then who knows what ? I work a job that isnt' 9-5 Moday - Friday. Holidays and weekends don't exist for me. If I happen to be able to make a couple IDPA or IPSC matches in a row, I become enthused with that. Then because of work, I can't make a few and I tend to get into something else. No way I would have to sell my guns only to figure out in six months I wished I had them back. I have made that mistake before and regretted it every time. I buy guns, someone else can sell.
 
I marked 0% but then I remembered that I do have a few that I haven't shot in a year or more.

I try to shoot all my guns at least once in a while. Some guns get taken everytime to the range and some only get taken out if I make myself take them.

If I have a gun that I don't want to shoot or don't enjoy shooting, I tend to sell it and buy something I would enjoy more. I am a shooter first and collector second. I have some guns that I bought just to have but mostly, I buy guns that I want to shoot or have a real use for.
 
I only have 1 that I've never shot, and that's my German Commission Gewehr 1888. Since ammo is impossible to buy, it'll never be shot either.

If this question had been asked just over a month ago, my answer would have been quite different. Prior to that, I hadn't shot quite a few of my rifles in over a year, including my Arisaka, Swede Mauser, AR-7, Marlin Mdl 60, and Cricket .22.

Luckily I've been turned onto a couple of outdoor ranges in the area though. So now my guns will get to come out and play more often.

Frank
 
The only reason I don't shoot the guns I have is that they are old and have significant collectors value.

All the rest get exercised regularly.
 
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