Have you ever grown bored of a certain gun?

[Jo6pak]

A friend of mine recently sold the AR15 he has had for years. I was quite surprised that he sold it and when I asked him why, he replied "I just got kinda bored with it, didn't seem that fun to shoot anymore."
He has other semi-auto rifles that he still shoots, even other 5.56s. So it's not really about changing attitudes toward the type, just that this particular rifle didn't do it for him anymore.

I can kind of see his point, I bought and modded an M1A Scout and had a ball shooting it for a while, but now more often than not it stays in the safe when I go to the range. It's a great rifle, accurate, reliable, etc. It's just lost that certain mojo that makes it a favorite. I attribute my lost love to the fact that I am evolving(devolving?) toward shooting my older milsurp guns lately and blackpowder more often. But my buddy still shoots the same types he has for years.

Sure, the honeymoon of new gun smell never lasts forever, but where has the love gone?

Makes me wonder how many of us become "bored" with a gun that we once really liked. Anything in your safe lost the magic?

 

[Kframe]

Only happened to me about fifty times.

A buddy once described shopping for guns as similar to chasing girls.
You visit often, daydreaming about it, nothing else seems as gorgeous and then one day... Success!

Later gets traded in on a more exciting model.

 

[s3779m]

I have had mine lay in the safe for years because of no real good reason. Then picked them up and started firing them again and wondered why they had stayed in there so long. I guess this would fit into that category. At least I have never been tempted to sell any.

 

[jmhyer]

A buddy once described shopping for guns as similar to chasing girls.
You visit often, daydreaming about it, nothing else seems as gorgeous and then one day... Success!

The nice difference with guns is they don't care if they're put aside for a newer model for a while. My philosophy is that I try to NEVER sell/trade/give away guns (or ammo for that matter). Just save up for the newer model and put the old ones in storage. You never know when that "safe queen" might come in handy.

 

[shooterbob]

I try to differentiate between shooting types so that I use different sets of guns at different times...small cal target, long range, bp, and I have different styles in practice for each. If in feeling a little lazy I shoot small caliber target. Long range obviously the big guns come out. Pick a set of guns and give them a distinction and you'll never let guns sit in the safe again.

 

[n8ball]

i get bored with a gun after i have developed a load that is perfect for it, i keep the gun and shoot it once or twice a year, especially when i want accuracy. but for me the fun is in developing the load. only a few of my guns are true workhorses, the others are there to shoot and enjoy! so yes i have gotten bored with some of my guns, but i always go back to shooting them here and there!

 

[g.willikers]

Without a reason to have it, and use it, a gun just becomes another toy.
And we all know what eventually happens with toys.

 

[22-rimfire]

Bored is not a term I would normally use with firearms. Disinterested perhaps? I just put them away and after a few years if I really don't care about the particular firearm, I'll sell it. Not a big thing one way or the other.

 

[Skans]

Tastes change and I have to admit that some guns I bought a long time ago are/were no longer interesting to me. So, I sell them and replace them with something I find more interesting. Here is a list of guns I've sold:

Ingram M10, Closed-bolt '80's gun.
Chinese SKS
Remington 700 22-250
Ruger 10-22
Taurus PT99
S&W 1960's Model 10 (should have kept that one and had it refinished)

I have a new batch that I wouldn't mind liquidating, but I'd only do it if I can replace them with other guns I already have earmarked.

 

[DaleA]

It might be your social setting too. If you move around the country you might get into an area where your social group shoots handguns, in another area you might have friends that shoot rifles.

For a while I had some friends that shot black powder. It was fun but I moved away from there and don’t shoot much BP anymore.

Even though I might not shoot a gun much anymore I still pretty much abide by Cheapshooters #1 rule of gun ownership – ‘Never sell or trade anything.’

 

[Jo6pak]

Skans reply pretty much mirrors my own history and philosophy of firearm trends.
I don't find myself in the "never sell anything" group. If it's something that I don't shoot, I might as well send it to a better home where it will be used.

That being said, there are guns that I have come back to after a long hiatus (my Garand comes to mind) but I have rarely regretted selling a gun (Husqy M38 comes to mind)....I've regretted not buying a few, but that's another story.

 

[oldcabin]

I have gotten bored before I bought them... I sometimes think it's the chase more than anything. For example I got to handle a G42 a few days ago. Well... after a couple weeks of looking into it and wondering, I got to see it in person. I can move on now. I kinda lost interest after actually getting to see it. Nothing bad or wrong with it, I just got over it, now onto a Smith something.....

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Got bored with five. Sold >S&W blued K-22, Ruger Redhawk SS 7-1/2 w/rings, S&W 686 6" early model w/ a shimmed, stoned, & re-sprung action. Colt series 70 G/cup. Colt new in the box AR-15 H.B. pre-Reagon Law model. Now I wish I had them all back.

 

[Jay24bal]

There are a couple I own that no longer find themselves being regularly taken to the range with me.

But I generally subscribe to the "never sell or trade a gun" camp, with one exception: if the gun I am selling/trading is being used to buy something in the same category (I would trade a compact semi-auto chambered in 9mm for a different 9mm compact semi-auto if I thought I wanted different features or shot better with the new gun). I believe that every gun serves a purpose, even if that purpose is not called for as often as others.

For the guns I have become "bored" with, they usually get pulled out as loaners when I go with other people to the range who may not have many guns or may not have shot that type of gun before. Or I use them as "project guns." For example, I had a shotgun that did not get used much anymore, and I wanted to try my hand at dura-coating a stock, so I did it to that "donor gun" before trying it on my "real gun."

 

[towboat-er]

Don't ever sell a gun unless its just crap.

I sure wish I had many back that I sold.

 

[shooterbob]

I've sold so many in my shop that I wish I had bought for myself that I would be broke for the rest of my life. I have a few that I wish I hadn't sold, brno 22 hornet zkw 465 comes to mind. But some of the consignment guns were amazing. Drillings, a double nitro, and a an old friend brought a peacemaker that he fired once a year since 1942 when he bought it used. After showing him the book value, it never got shot again. I guess its a matter of mind over money. If the wife doesn't Mind if I spend the Money.

 

[l98ster]

I have never gotten bored with any of my firearms. However, I get bored constantly with the targets. Paper can bore you very fast. Things that shatter, make sounds, jump all over the place, swing, etc... are always fun. Don't get rid of the gun, just change up the target!!

-George

 

[Bezoar]

its easy to get disinterested with anything for that matter. Something just happens and you arent tooo happy with it anymore. Some things you may fall out of complete happiness with, but you get a fuzzy feeling from them.

what i believe is actualy happening, is that the brain recognizes it for what it is, an object to be used. When your brain treats it like a beagle with a spastic colon that just ate baked beans, you treat it with kid gloves. but once your out in the field and you get a spot of blood on that brand new camo coat, you dont care anymore and just focus on the fun.

 

[chris in va]

I'm also getting 'bored' with my AR 15. It shoots just fine but I like to cast my own bullets and I can't shoot regular steel poppers with a high speed 223 round. Thinking I would get a lot more use out of a PCC. Used to own a HiPoint carbine but it broke four times.

I've sold quite a few guns, don't regret selling any of them.

 

[9ballbilly]

I wouldn't say I got bored with any of them but many have come and gone over the years due to changes in circumstances. I.E. back when I shot IHMSA competition the 7mm TCU contender saw much use, but once I gave it up I didn't have any reason to keep the gun and sold or traded it off (can't remember which).