Does anyone else enjoy collecting more than shooting?

[Clark]

A guy who goes to a gun show with $2k in his pocket, has standard so low he will bring home a $20 single barrel shotgun, and then sees thousands of guns for sale.... he is in a target rich environment.

 

[gaseousclay]

i'm a collector, but not by choice. ya know, cuz there's no ammo

 

[lefteye]

I'm a hunter by nature;
a shooter by instinct;
a collector by accident (sort of);
and a seller by necessity (more or less).

 

[Ignition Override]

It's very difficult to clearly answer the question. Even though I have six Enfields (#4s/#5s), two or three of them get used.

The Garand is not used that often, and mostly because hitting paper targets is not very rewarding, but taking them to the river means blasting random objects with the .50 cent (CMP) ammo.

The rifles used most often are the M-69 (.22) Trainers, and the SKS. The Spanish FR8s were bought for the milsurp features, and in order to have something reliable in .308 (long-term "just in case" ), and as handy as an Enfield "Jungle".

 

[Herr Walther]

I enjoy both. I collect Walther handguns all the way back to the Model series in the first part of the last century.

Most get fired, all have been fired for proofing, but some of the NIB models will remain that way because of their value.

 

[MattShlock]

"...worse than California"? New York? D.C.!?

 

[22-rimfire]

Arronhgrahm said... I find I'm moving towards the Collector (amasser) side of the fence.

I own 37 handguns,,,
Of which I only shoot 7 of them regularly.

Lefteye said...I'm a hunter by nature;
a shooter by instinct;
a collector by accident (sort of);
and a seller by necessity (more or less).

Tis about the way things are for me. The collecting aspect is something that I just sort of fell into when Colt went bankrupt in 1991. All of a sudden, I felt a push to get guns that I didn't own then and after you get them, there was a natural hesitation to shoot them much or any. I was a bit naive in the sense that I didn't understand the remarkable buying and selling that goes on in the used/collector gun business. I was worried about my favorites becoming un-available. I viewed guns like tiolet paper ("black hole"), if it is not going to be available, you better buy then now. True to a point. I discovered it is mostly a matter of money and being willing or able to buy something that you want when it comes available for sale. However prior to the gun forums and common man internet availability, finding specific guns was a bit of a challenge at times. Hence, the fun of the chase or hunt comment that is frequently stated about collecting. Everything changed in the 1990's and most gun forums began popping up around 2000.

 

[Jeremiah/Az]

I shoot a lot & do not consider myself to be a collector, but I do have several guns that I bought new & have never shot them. I just like some guns & buy them.

 

[kutz]

David 13 is correct. My wife thinks I'm a collector, but with only 30 hand guns, I tell her I'm just an accumulator, cause I've seen some of you guys collections.

 

[Garycw]

I really enjoy shooting, but I have quite a few handguns and rifles I haven't had time to shoot YET! I rarely sell or trade guns , but I have a few that I did that were never shot. I seemed to have more time before I retired.. Go figure. I do enjoy collecting, taking them apart and modifying. I've been shooting since I was 7yrs old. Wished I had a nickel for every round I've fired. I'd be rich.

 

[CajunBass]

I've come to the conclusion that what I enjoy more than anything is the hunt for a gun. Once I've got it, I'm nowhere near as interested in it as I was. It went into the back of the safe, and I started looking for the NEXT one. There they sat in the dark. Once in a while I'd take them out, wipe them off and put them back.

I finally realized I was buying them for the wrong reason, so I sold most of them to people who I thought would really enjoy them more than I did. I still hunt for them, but it takes something specific to interest me enough for me to consider buying it. Most of what I see these days, I can tell myself, "I had one of those."

 

[coldbeer]

Nope

 

[dajowi]

"collecting more than shooting." Yep. Those who panic bought firearms, and all those people who depend on Walmart and the internet to purchase their ammo.

Wait...you said ENJOYED collecting...sorry!

 

[johnwilliamson062]

I get the most joy from studying them, thinking of modifications, imagining frankenguns, etc.

To be honest I don't enjoy shooting much more than what it takes for me to stay proficient with one pistol, one shotgun, and one rifle. Not that I come any where close to accomplishing that at current.

 

[saitek]

collector

any more i am a accumulator more than collector ,i love to shoot when i am phisically able ,i cant shoot as much as i used to .

 

[FairWarning]

No, I don't. I enjoy shooting. Collecting, cleaning and learning are part of the ownership experience, but the purpose is for shooting. I have no safe queens and don't believe in the concept.

There are people who collect swords and merely hang them on a wall, show them to others, probably stare at themselves in the mirror while holding them and wearing a costume, take lots of pictures, etc, but hopefully less people do this with guns. You don't get many practical opportunities to use swords, but there are plenty for the taking with guns.

 

[Ignition Override]

After buying my first Enfield, a true "Jungle" #5, the only reason I wanted my first #4 was to reduce wear on that #5.

I did not expect to see any more #4s at our gun shows, therefore I bought a few more anytime a decent rifle was spotted with a matching bolt.
The other reason was to keep these good examples from being permanently, eh..."modified" by somebody else, to be diplomatic.