ever quit buying?

I have. And it lasted up until I saw a deal I could not turn down.
Ruger Service Six Stainless .357 for $320 out the door.
 
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I have sort of stopped just because it never seems like any of the local LGS's have any cool old guns I go in there looking for.

I just am never the one to have good luck at the gun show or anything like that. Generally when I do find a gun I want, it's on Gun Broker and it's usually selling for scalped prices.

I really have most of the guns I want... except a couple but again the things I like are stuff like old service revolvers, milsurp rifles... the kinds of guns they don't make anymore and finding them in both decent shape and at an affordable price is a challenge!
 
It's easy to quit buying guns.

I've done it several times and it only gets easier the more you do it.
 
I once had in about 20 to 23 revolvers. The last two years I have sold all but four. Still have my model 10-7 and M&P 38 special from 1955, my Ruger Police Service Six and my Blackhawk. I have only one S&W 9mm semi-auto.
Thats it. If I were to buy now it would be only a rare revolver. Because of lack of funds that probably won't happen.
 
A few strategies that have worked...

I have a few of strategies that have worked pretty well...

1) First, I've bought nicer guns instead of looking for a lot of deals. If you're on an unlimited budget, then just keep buying, otherwise you can buy one or two really great pieces instead of 25 mediocre ones.

I used to have many revolvers, then I settled on 4 four very nice ones. Every time I get an itch to buy, I compared it to what I already have and the new purchase always comes up short.

2) Instead of buying a new gun, ask yourself if custom work will satisfy your itch instead. If you intended on using a pistol for self defense, then why not equip it with night sights? I want to having several of my .357s cut for moonclips, for example.

I sent a CZ-75B to the custom shop a few years ago, single action conversion, pretty much every bell and whistle done. I have zero desire to purchase anymore single action or target pistols.

3) You can buy can attempt to buy on need. Even in the country, nearly everyone can get by with a 12 gauge, a couple of rifles and a couple of handguns.

4) Decide if you're a shooter or collector. If you collect, then focus your collection. If you shoot, then buy some good quality targets and a reloading set up and starting shooting more.

I like to shoot, not collect, so I sold a few pistols and bought some steel targets. I don't miss the handguns, the steel is a lot more fun to shoot than paper ever was.

5) Don't get caught up in trends. If you don't like Glocks, then don't buy one just because everyone else has one.

I've owned two Colt 1911s (.45 ACP and .38 Super), hated them both and don't care to buy another. I also have no use for .223 rifles. I started buying a lot fewer guns when I realized what I liked, instead of buying what everyone else liked. I like S&W revolvers and CZ autos, so that's what I buy...no reason to look at GP-100s just because I don't have one. I prefer L-frames to K-frames...all of my K-frames have been sold, I don't miss them.
 
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Retirement and a fixed income put the brakes on my buying in volume ( 3-5 a year), and now that I have most of what I ever wanted It dosen't make sense to just own em and not shot em! With the exception of Rimfires, I try and shoot as often nd as much as possible.
Those rapid-fire runs have stopped, (high ammo prices) and I now pace my shots. I love BP because it paces itself! Rimfire shooting is done cautiously as my supply is low.
I am going to just say no about buying for a long time.
Man I just want to shoot!
I stopped buying high end airguns a couple yeqrs ago and primarilly shoot these days.
I noticed that I am spending more time talking guns at the range too!
Well I'm going to try and quit but ya never really know.... LOL!
 
"Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times"
................................................................Mark Twain

Appropriate for gun buying as well.:D
 
I only buy screaming good deals at this point. That way when I'm tired of the gun I can probably at least get my money back. I'm tired of having hobbies where I lose my behind when I sell the stuff I no longer want.
 
I thought I hadn't bought any guns lately until my brother and I were texting tonight and he asked if I had any newly acquired pieces. Got to thinking for a minute and came up with 4.

In the last 60 days. :D
 
I have consolidated calibers I stock... that helps a ton and simplified things to some degree.

I want few new guns. That helps. I refuse to buy used online... I want to inspect what I buy. I wait to find local, good deals.

I am trying to keep the project guns down,... I have 6 in various stages of work

That being said it seems to run that 3 great guns come to me at once then a 6 month dry spell.
 
I got a job overseas and had to clean, oil, pack and store every single one of my guns. This drove home the fact that I have way too many, so I'm selling off some of the duplicates, the projects that never happened and the ones I bought just because they were such a good deal.

I may buy a gun or two in the future, but the days of having gun buying as a hobby in its own right are over.
 
I definitely slowed down....retirement led to lower disposable income.LOL
Luckily, I had all of what I wanted!
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Pretty much where I'm at now. There are still a few guns on my want list, but they are all uncommon, long discontinued models. I have about zero interest in getting anything new.

I'd buy new S&Ws IF they were made the way they made them in the 60s-70s.

No interest in any "combat Tupperware".

I did, sort of, quit buying, once. Back in the mid 80s, I decided I was finished with the .357 Magnum. Sold the 6" model 19 that I had, even gave away all my brass to one of my buddies. I did keep my dies (somehow, I always keep the dies, ;)).

Everything was fine, for months, until, at a show, I found an unfired 6" Model 28, in the box. My Dad had a model 28, and to me, that has always been THE .357 Magnum.

I made it almost 4 months, before I shot it. Thought I could just keep it NIB, but I couldn't. (yes, I am weak).

It came with the target hammer & trigger installed, and wearing a set of Pachmayr grips is my favorite double action revolver.

Never say never...
:D
 
I'm at a point I'm pretty selective in what I buy
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At age 52 and buying guns ever since my teens, that's pretty much where I'm at. I have no real need for any sort of "general utility guns." A lot of inexpensive modern guns actually work quite well and are accurate. But after you have xx number of big game rifles... you just don't have any real "need" for one. So the only way I would buy a bolt action rifle (for example) would be if it was something genuinely rare and unusual. Something really well made and that I remember from 30-40 years ago.

So I agree with what another person said. You could buy a whole lot of $300-$600 guns. Or you could roll that money together and only buy the more expensive ones. And, if you pick well, those girls aren't going down in value. I do consider some of my guns to be long term investments. But they are a lot more fun to own than numbers on the computer screen.

And I also agree with custom guns. It is a wonderful thing to have a gun made just the way you want it. On the other hand.... in most cases that works against the gun as a long term investment. Just because you spent $1500-$3000 having a really interesting Ruger OM custom made in a certain way that you love.... you can't really expect Joe Buyer to be willing to part with that kind of money. I've bought several really nice custom revolvers over the years and I think the seller has lost money every time if you look at the gunsmith invoice.

Gregg
 
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