Have you "spent too much on guns"?

[TXAZ]

While hunkered down with relatives and discussing the increase of burglaries - mostly business and other secondary COVID effects, the point was made that I "... have spent too much money on guns." Pretty broad implied question as I haven't spent any money on "guns" in the last year (ammo not included ).

So here's the poll, how much have you spent on guns, assume over the last 10 years.
The poll doesn't show what you voted.

 

[RickB]

I bought a gun a year, for a number of years, but after getting married, buying a house, a third car for the kids, etc., it's been more like one every five years.
I don't shoot most of the guns I have now, so it might go in the direction of swapping, in the future.

 

[Proffer]

"Guns" may leave itself open to some fairly wide interpretation...if you wish to also count, as in my case, ammo, reloading supplies, holsters, magazines, cleaning materials, optics, range gear, and customizing....

It's an addiction......Yes, I have spent "too much" on "guns." Just ask my wife...

 

[DMK]

I spent a lot over the last 10 years. I've gone more into custom builds though. For example I just built two custom CZ handguns this past year with about $1200 into each. I also built some SBRs and an SBS a year before that. Before that I got bit by the suppressor bug.

I keep saying that I have everything I need and taper off for a bit, but then something new strikes my fancy. I have been selling off a lot of C&Rs to finance my projects though, so in a way my collection is getting leaner.

 

[osbornk]

You don't realize a few hundred here and a few hundred there over 10 years add up to so much money. I was shocked but it has been worth every penny. Some years, I bought none or one or two but some years like last year, I bought 6.

 

[cslinger]

Somewhere between PAC Man Jones strip club money and a couple Ivy League educations.

 

[TXAZ]

Somewhere between PAC Man Jones strip club money and a couple Ivy League educations.

Wow! I didn’t realize the “Pac-Man Jones strip club” incident was $40K in $1 bills... at the rate of $1 per second, That’s about 11 hours of ...
Or a lot of ammo

 

[mikejonestkd]

more than I care to admit, and Much More than I'd ever admit to when my wife is around...

 

[rickyrick]

If I added it up, it may not be as much fun

 

[dontcatchmany]

Had a texting conversation with my son-in-law this afternoon.

He and my daughter have indicated in the past that they might take a concealed carry course. But 5 kids in the house has stymied their desire.....for guns...nt for each other that I can see.

Well with several break ins recently in their neighborhood (beach front where most owners are summer folks) he was very open to my text to let him borrow weapons if needed....and ammo.

My buying sprees in the last several years (4 guns in 16 months Dec 2018-March 2020) has jammed my safe and may be of use with him and my daughter.

Might make room for some more guns.....lol.......and, of course ammo when things settle down. I have been eying a couple of 10mm pistols?????

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

My income went up drastically in 2006, so I bought my share of custom rifles and 1911s, w/ more on-order. Also built a new reloading bench and filled it w/ expensive presses that beg to be used. Life is good.

 

[larryf1952]

I bought a crap load of guns from the late 80's through the 90's. Then, I sort of cooled off for awhile. I picked up again about 2009, or so. I've had a significant relapse since then.

 

[44 AMP]

The kids had shoes, everyone had enough to eat, the lights stayed on and nothing got repossessed. Beyond that its no one's business how much I spend or on what.

 

[Ignition Override]

Does the context of the OP's question Also include the fact that many of us get much, or possibly most of our "buying cash" by selling guns and 3,000 rds. of seldom-used surplus ammo?

Or does he mean strictly cash spent?
Even if so, there's no way to know, and those who describe spending many thousands in cash will only spur many other people to envy or resentment.

My true interest didn't begin until age 52 (now 64). The only gun which cost me more than about $700 in purchase or approx. trade value (Armslist) is the recent Czechpoint VZ-58, still at a similar price on Gunbroker.

 

[Geezerbiker]

I deliberately don't keep records on how much I spend on guns and gun stuff. I don't want to know...

Tony

 

[2wheelwander]

I recently bought a firearm log mainly to have a convenient place to keep a list of models, serial numbers, accessories, etc. Not wanting to keep it in my safe in case of a determined theft I've left it out. I also stopped putting what I paid for them in there after a few entries as my wife has access to it.

If she knew what I've paid for guns in the past 5 years she'd develop a facial tick and murmur a lot. If she knew what I've paid for guns since the first of the year she'd loose her mind.

My safe is off the garage in a small room. I can bring anything in the house without her knowing. Its a well oiled machine buying a new gun and getting it inside. I feel like Murf the Surf when its Operation New Gun.

 

[Pond James Pond]

Guns here are expensive

I would say, given the exchange rates and the sheer cost of guns, that I have spent in excess of 10K USD on guns in the last 10 years. Mind you that is about as long as I've been shooting so we could also say that is how much I've spent on guns during my entire shooting life.

However, for me, I also take that to mean accessories and red tape.

For any given purchase there are state fees. Same for the licence course and exam etc. I've also included bits I needed to get my gun into the state I wanted: so scopes, bipods, suppressors etc. Everything except ammo and reloading gear.

But, apart from a BP purchase, I've not bought a new gun in years. My collection is pretty much where I want it to be for now.

Yes, I'd love some guns for the sake of it, but all my needs are covered.

I'd never thought about it in these terms and goodness is this an expensive pursuit!!

 

[10-96]

Man, I'm not crazy enough to even guess out a figure for that poll... my wife might read this some day!

 

[FrankenMauser]

I started adding up my huge pile of invoices and receipts, a few years back. Though mostly 2008+, I started at the top and worked backwards through the pile.

When I hit $15k for just 2014 and 2015 (guns, parts, and gunsmithing tools), I stopped and threw the paper away.

It's more than nothing, but less than everything.
We're still alive and not bankrupt.
It keeps me happy.

That's good enough for me. ...And my wife generally agrees.
(It took a while, but she came around.)


I know people that think $1,000 a year is HUGE.
And I know people that think $15,000 a month is nothing.
Most of us, including myself, are somewhere in between.

 

[Hal]

Have I spent too much on guns?

No - not at all.

I consider guns the same way I consider our rental houses.

I bought the rentals, enjoyed fixing them up (another hobby of mine - which at times seems like a hole I pour money into ), then renting them out & enjoying the monthly return on my investment. Once it's time to part with the rentals - they will have both paid for themselves & have all of my initial outlay of cash come back to me.

I bought the guns several years ago, enjoyed shooting them, with many of them, I paid attention to take extra care of them so they would be worth something when it came time to part with them - and - when it's time to sell them - I should recoup a lot of my initial outlay - if not all of it.

Now - if you want to talk about spending too much on something - there's always beer, cigarettes and slot machines . I shudder to think how many guns I could have had with THAT money