Different Types of Collections/Collectors

P

PT-92

New member
As I quickly approach the big 50 :eek: 'one' naturally starts to recollect and become somewhat nostalgic. For instance, while cleaning out my Safe this past weekend, I took a good look (inventory) of my modest collection of firearms (including long guns here) and I noted that I have done a "decent" job of meeting my overall objective as an "Amateur Firearms Collector." Now obviously, as a diverse group of gun aficionados, we all will have different types of collections to be sure (the key variable like anything else being available disposable income of which I simply do not have enough :(). I would be interested in learning/seeing what some of you gents collect (be it Cowboy Action, Civil War Era, WWII (German only etc.) Big Bore Hunting Revolvers, Sniper Rifles, Vendor Specific (Colt, S&W only etc.).

There seem to be several different groups/categories of collectors. It seems, of course, most of us most likely will fall into the "Random" Gun Collection category whereby there is no specific objective other than buying what one desires at that general specific moment in time resulting in a virtual "hodgepodge" of utter beauty nonetheless.

I have seen another (and perhaps inadvertent sign of the times in which we live) ever increasing group of people that have jettisoned everything not germane to a specific caliber (I know a few here local that have quit buying anything other than .223/9mm/.45ACP/22LR and sold all gear associated with other calibers).

Myself, well I have tried to have a gun or two from each historic period/era of American History (essentially from the Revolution to contemporary times and everything in between). Obviously in many cases I cannot afford an authentic original I may be looking for but I will then settle for a quality replica of some sort (for example, I looked for quite some time to no avail for a 'reasonably priced' Colt Walker 1847 and finally settled on a beautiful Uberti copy (stunningly beautiful, in particular, for the price).

Regardless of your collection, the one thing we can all agree on is there's always that "one more gun" that I have to have to complete my collection mentality that is nearly impossible to satisfy...;)
 
As far as guns are concerned, I've never considered myself a collector, preferring instead the term "accumulator."

Each gun I have bought has been for a specific purpose in my shooting program or hunting requirements. Then there's been the custom touches "just because." I've poured money into projects purely for cosmetic touches, such as nice wood grips or stag, swapped out grip frames on Rugers, and had some case colored simply because that suited me.

My first, and foremost requirement is that the gun had to put the bullet where I wanted to place that shot. And, I'd prefer it be with a tasteful looking six shooter.

After nearly sixty years as a handgunner, I've really tried everything that came into the scene that interested me. My realm of interest was confined to the handgun that was truly a handgun, that is, could be carried, drawn and fired with one hand, and for this I limited myself to a maximun size of N-Frame S&W and Blackhawk sized single actions. Never cared for the huge pistol or revovler. Wanted range that autos couldn't provide within those parameters, and the single shots didn't fill that bill, either.

Along the way I did amass a fairly interesting cartridge collection, though.

Bob Wright
 
My collection basically covers three categories :

1) Major modern battle rifle/carbine designs - AR's, AK's, FAL's, M-1A, CETME, SKS, etc.

2) "Old West" period firearms - SAA-types, 2nd Model Dragoon, SBS shotgun, Derringer, lever action rifle (still shopping)

3) Large bore (45 ACP or 10mm), hi-cap handguns.

I also have a number of other guns which are mostly historic designs (CZ-52, Thompson semi-auto, 98 Mauser, FN Hi Power, S&W N frame, etc) and a couple NFA items.

I can enjoy just about any firearm - single shot 22's, bolt action hunting or military rifles, black powder (muzzle loader or cartridge), shotguns, full-auto - any period, and type. I cannot imagine a functioning gun I would not enjoy. Time and finances are my only limitations.
 
I am one who falls into the Random Gun Accumulator category (taking terminology from both the OP and Mr. Wright)!

I have firearms that are completely non-related to one another.

For example, I cherish my S&W DA revolvers, but no more than my Ruger single actions!

I love my small polymer frame pistols from Glock and Ruger, but I regard my full size pistols from Springfield, Beretta, and Browning with the same infatuation.

I absolutely adore my bolt action hunting rifles from Winchester, Remington and Savage and at the same time I admire the modern look of me Ruger and DPMS AR's.

Not to be left out, my lever action 94's and Hennery's also get my blood pumping.

Finally, my wife says I have too many .22 rifles. My favorite is the Mariln model 70 my dad gave me in the 80's. It is only worth $50, but you couldn't get it from me for a winning lottery ticket!

I guess my goal in collecting is to have more guns stacked here and there than I have years on this earth. When I die, my family will remember me each time they find another one stashed in that closet!
 
I just like collecting milsurp from everywhere and from any time period. The history really interests me. I also have a bunch of guns that aren't associated with that, but they all have their purposes in hunting, self defense, or fun at the range.
 
I'm a strange sort, I suppose (shocker, eh?;)), in that while I certainly pass as a gun guy as I spend literally hours every day on this forum and otherwise talking guns, my actual firearms are limited and purpose. I don't "collect" in the sense of buying them to have them. They all have a purpose and finances, if not desire, have always kept them limited.

I currently have:

1)Glock 33 357sig
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2)Ruger 10/22 (No pictures, it's the basic wood stock model from the early 90s)

3)Ruger M77 MkII .204Ruger
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4)Savage 11 with McGowen barrel in .243AI
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5)Encore Pro Hunter 15" in 7mm-08
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They all serve a specific purpose. The 10/22 is a part-time woodchuck gun, full-time kids and wife gun. It was the primary woodchuck gun for years until the .204 came along. The .204 is now the primary woodchuck gun and general purpose, fun to shoot, "shoot the zit off the fly's nose" tack driver. The Glock is my carry gun. The Savage came from trading my 11-87 deer gun because it was no longer needed (and always hated) when they made rifles legal in most places that I hunt. The Encore came along because I hated hunting with the shotgun and wanted something that I enjoyed shooting.
 
I shoot guns and I collect them. I'm one of those guys that:

1. Does not believe a gun always has to be treated like a tool;
2. Will own guns that I've never shot before and will never shoot;
3. Enjoy having safe queens;
4. Can appreciate a gun without having to shoot it.
5. Believes that you can own guns as investments.

I have shot about 30% of the guns I own, more or less. I have a couple of really early Pythons I won't shoot. I've shot a Python before, I have no burning desire to shoot the ones I have. Some guns I've owned, traded or sold and had never shot. For example, I once had an old SKS that I acquired and sold - never felt the need to shoot it. Same goes for a couple of Mac 10's I owned.

On the other hand, I have an old 1st Gen Colt SAA .45 that I'd like to shoot; will shoot one day, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. It's a good solid gun, but not in pristine condition, so I'm not going to hurt it any.

And then there are some guns I don't intend on shooting that scream "SHOOT ME", and I can't resist. Like my USAS-12.

Regardless of whether I shoot my guns, or just look at and examine them, I enjoy all of them. You don't have to make it go bang to enjoy it.
 
My collection covers Walther handguns made from 1913-1996. There are a few I don't have, and many varieties of the same pistol I will likely never own due to their rarity or value.

There are others I have as well including SIG-Sauer and H&K and Browning, but they are not a part of the 'collection'. Oh, and a new Kel-Tec P-3AT I almost forgot about.

I don't collect rifles as collectables like I do Walthers, but I have a couple of 8mm Mauser K.98k's and an Austrian Steyr StG.58.
 
Everything I own has to be practical and has to be something I would actually shoot. I have some rareish SIG's that I love shooting every now and then, but often when a "common" gun becomes a safe queen I will sell it and save the money towards something I will shoot more.
 
i wouldn't say i have a collection- i have some cool firearms- and some old ones i wouldn't shot- til they were double checked. I wish i had money to waste on relics and guns that are rare, I think all of us could easily make a wish list and quickly. Most of my guns have a function as a tool and i have no safe queens. But im young and have time to collect.
 
I bought a big safe one day at a gun sow because it was a gun show special. Have spent the years thereafter trying to fill it with one of anything that appealed to me in modern guns. Several years later I decided I became a1911 "collector" and have been acquiring them as opportunities arise. I am not a history buff and stay to NIB guns. Nothing is a safe queen and most every gun has made a trip to my Master Gunsmith to modify them to my personal liking. I don't collect for investment. However, most of my collection has tripled in value since I began over 40 years ago. One day when I wake up and decide I am too old to shoot, my kids and grand kids will have a fine collection to divide up amongst themselves. My kids are avid shooters and we are teaching the youngins to shoot
 
I like to collect rimfire/centerfire pairs,,,

I like to collect rimfire/centerfire pairs,,,
Anyone who has known me here knows that.

It started when I bought a Model 18 in .22 LR,,,
As a cheap practice understudy for my model 15 in .38 Special.

It blossomed from there:

Model 36/34 (two pairs for different barrel lengths)
Model 15/18
Taurus 22-PLY/25-PLY
Bersa Thunder 380/Thunder 22
Colt Trooper Mk-III in .22 and .357
CZ-75B/CZ-75B Kadet in .22 and 9mm
Beretta Model 85BB/Model 87 in .22 and .380
J. P. Sauer & Sohns SAA Clones in .22 and .357
Charter Arms Pathfinder/Bulldog in .22 and .44 Special

There's no particular added value here,,,
It's just something I get a kick out of doing.

Aarond

.
 
It's almost become old hat to correct folks that call us "collectors" when we know that most of us are indeed "accumulators" just as Bob Wright explained early in the thread.

I have a bunch of guns, mostly all handguns, and each one definitely has a specific reason why I acquired it. I wouldn't say that it could be compartmentalized as a particular "style" of collecting or accumulating.

Some of reasons behind the "why" and "how" are interesting, some of them are really not at all interesting. I'll fish out a couple examples.

I bought a Tanfoglio Witness Elite Match in 9mm (you see them in magazines imported by EAA) because I was tired of a lifetime of "service" grade 9mm semi-auto pistols. I wanted a fine single action trigger, a nice sight radius, steel construction, quality adjustable sights and a gun with heft that gave me a working chance at target accuracy... and I wanted this in 9mm. Which isn't as easy as it sounds. In a world of Glock and similar tupperware, target-style pistols in 9mm aren't mainstream and seem to cost a LOT of money. For under six hundo new, I got what I believe is an absolute sleeper in the market. It's been phenomenal through over 3,700 rounds and the -ONLY- thing I ever feed this pistol is 125gr cast lead round nose handloads. It murders steel plate racks with 17+1 on tap. This gun has added a whole new angle to my shooting that I never explored in the first 25 years I spent behind a handgun.

On the other hand, I popped in to my local FFL's shop and he pulled two pistols from the case simply to show me the hobby work of some local guy that has fun working on Hi-Power clones. The pistols were twins on the outside, a pair of ugly-duck FEG clones, the single action clones (not the DA/SA guns that merely look like Hi-Powers) On one, it was untouched just as imported...en masse. Still had magazine disconnect and the trigger was...abominable. The other pistol was outwardly exactly the same, but the local guy had removed the mag safety and done a home-brew trigger job, and the trigger was just jaw-drop astounding. :eek: With the tax added, I was out the door at $320 and at NO TIME before that trigger pull had I ever had any desire, in any way, to own a Hi-Power clone or variant, or even a genuine Hi-Power. Frankly, I find the design interesting, noteworthy, but yet -- I simply do -NOT- care for it. But this pistol got purchased and I've since put 700 rounds through it.

So it would be hard to define "HOW" I collect my guns, but suffice to say, I typically have some train of thought behind each one of them. :D
 
There are a good number of guns I purchase because I want to explore their design. The best way to do this is buy the gun, disassemble at your leisure and have fun exploring the intricacies of the various parts and mechanisms. Some that fall into that category are: COP 357; Detonics Pocket 9; Swiss (Sig) 1882 revolver; Steyr GB; Gwinn Arm Pistol - there are probably more.

My wish list of guns of interesting designs are as follows: Braverman Pen Gun; G.R.A.D. Knife-Revolver; Borchardt C-93 (doubt I'll be able to afford one of these); Boberg xr9. Out of these, I would probably shoot the Boberg, the Pen Gun (once) and I wouldn't be albe to resist shooting the GRAD Knife Gun once or twice. But, it's not like I'm going to win a bowling pin competition or defend myself with any of these (except perhaps the Boberg).
 
.22's

Mostly .22's. 1. Remmington Special .22WRF
2. Winchester 1890 .22l
3. Winchester 1890 .22s
4. Winchester 90 .22WRF
5. Winchester 1906 .22 s/l/lr
6. Winchester 1906 back half and 1890 front half (they're
interchangeable) This is my favorite. It's an old beater that
belonged to my uncle. Its.been re-lined and completely
rebuilt. Did it mtself.
7. Mossberg 44US
8. Henry .22
9. Marlin 39A
10. Ruger Mark III Hunter
11. Ruger Single Six Convertible SS .22
12. 2 Ruger Red Labels 12ga. & 20ga.
 
I also recognize myself as an accumulator, rather than a collector. Whatever grabs my fancy at the time (mostly handguns). I've been meaning to get an 8-3/8" barreled SW Model 27 for awhile but something else keeps coming up.
 
I think one can be both an accumulator, and a collector. One can be either, or both at once.

Every gun I ever bought was because I had some interest in either the design or the caliber, or both. I have accumulated a number of guns I was curious about, and collected some guns I was interested in.

Grouping them together, I have "collections". Some collectors focus on a specific gun, and try to get all (or most) of the variations. Others focus on a company, or caliber, or a particular historical period, or some other factor. Its all about what personally interests you.

Here's some of my collections...

British: WWI (1917)Webley, SMLE , and a WWII SMLE
Japanese: Several type 99 Arisakas
Russian: Moisin Nagant 91 long rifle, M38 carbine, SVT 40 Tokarev rifle
German: Various assorted Mauser 98s, P.08, P.38, C-96 Bolo, HSc
US: Springfield, Enfield, Garand, M1A various 1911A1s, & S&Ws

Remington 600 series rifles, .222, .243, 6mm, .308, & .350 Mag

Ruger No. 3 rifles, .22 Hornet, .30-30 Krag, .45-70

Ruger Blackhawks, .357, .44Mag (superblackhawk), .45 Colt
Ruger Vaqueros, .45 Colt (different barrel lengths, one is a bisley model

Magnum Auto Pistols
Auto Mag, Desert Eagle, Wildey, LAR Grizzly, Coonan Model A

I also have a "collection" of sporterized rifles, Mausers, Springfields, Arisakas, etc.

Also have lots of other guns that one could group by caliber or maker...for instance, all my S&Ws, or all my .357s, etc....

And then there are the Contender (2 frames and about a dozen barrels) which are a collection all to themselves...

I don't have any guns that I never intend to shoot, but I currently have about a dozen or so that I haven't gotten around to shooting, yet...
 
but I currently have about a dozen or so that I haven't gotten around to shooting, yet...
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I do see how it's possible for this sort of pitfall to suck in someone in certain situations.

I do not see myself ever falling victim to such a thing... unless I end up freakishly old or in poor health and unable to shoot as I would like. :(

I wouldn't say this is likely a common situation for the rabid of us in this hobby... and by that, I'm talking about the kind of folks who spend the time & energy we all do discussing it. Here. Any of us.

-HOW- do you end up with "a dozen or so" that you haven't shot?! :confused:
 
Lots of interesting responses that speak much to what I expected in that there exists an "eclectic" taste amongst us so to speak. I have learned that "whatever floats your boat "is the absolute rule ;). While the hardware spoken about and seen in the thread are both educating and outright gorgeous, I still find it interesting how one man's "safe queen" is another man's "tool." Me, while I can indeed think of no more important tool on Mother Earth than "The Gun," I am equally fascinated with the story of these "tools" and the indispensable role they have played in our great Nation's history. IMO, guns more so than than anything else across the spectrum (Baseball, Apple-Pie and GUNS...) represent true Americana which largely accounts for my interests in terms a "novice" collector's point of view. Regardless of ones proclivity and as someone earlier in the thread mentioned, suffice it to say that one could find themslves spending "several hours" a day in some form or fashion devoted to our beloved guns which I think sums 'it' up in a nutshell...

Lastly and as alluded to in the thread above, location, location, location! As I see it this illustrates how lucky "rural" folk are to essentially shoot at will given their "shooter friendly" surroundings whereas some unfortunate "urbanites" (like me :()are lucky to get even so much as an occasional "lead-infested" unventilated range to practice at :rolleyes:. And yes I am Jealous!
 
-HOW- do you end up with "a dozen or so" that you haven't shot?!
Click to expand...

You get there by a)having more disposable income than time, b) still going to the shows and buying one, two or three each time, c) after decades of shooting at home, you stop,(because it scares the wife's dog), packing things up and going to the range is still something unusual, even years later...

d) when you DO get to the range, you shoot your favorites most...and that one (later 2,5, 11etc) that you meant to bring will just have to wait till next time...and next time is a repeat of this time, etc...

"and then one day you find, ten years have got behind you..."
 
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