How has your collection evolved over the years

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Garycw

New member
I was wondering how's people collection has evolved over time. Including type, quality , number of guns, reloading etc.
I can see mine has been changing over the last few years.
I started shooting & hunting at a very young age. Aprox 50+ years ago. Like some I started with BB guns. Completely wore a daisy out. I went through a series of upgraded models, each being more powerful, then pellets & Co2. Later it was a Ithaca shotgun 20 ga , remington 13 ga semi auto,22 rifle & pistol, along with a 8mm Mauser.
Things stayed pretty much the same for many years, except picking up an occasional pistol or shotgun. Including a Ruger security six.
Within the last 8 years I got re interested in guns & shooting. It seemed I picked up what ever was cheapest. I love to take things apart to see how they work & put back together. The more the merrier. I was looking more for quaintly than quality. 200 was alot to spend on a gun. $100 was better. Then graduated to the thought of $400 was middle of the road price. I have gotten rid of some of the cheaper ones now and at this point $1000 is middle of the road pricing and looking more for quality made firearms. I still enjoy taking them apart, almost as much as shooting them.Then there's the holsters, mags, slings, optics, spare parts on and on . Reloading seems to be the next direction.
 
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Over 40 years:
It started as strictly WWII military rifles.
Then post WWII (Korea, Vietnam)
Then WWI
Then post War of Northern Aggression
Then Target rifles
Then select Sporters (early Savages)
Then WILDCATS
.... and then I was finished:rolleyes:
 
I'm going backwards, technologically speaking.

First I bought auto-loaders; an AK lookin-thing and two small .380's. Then I got into bolt guns, one of them a Mosin M39. Now I'm into black powder revolvers, 1851 (albeit .44) Colts . Next I'll get a Hawken muzzle-loader.

I doubt I'll get another auto-loader ever. I might get a French 1728 flintlock, or a fish-tailed matchlock.
 
My collection evolved in a very interesting way just recently. I added the first gun I'll never fire.

I do not remotely believe in safe queens. If I bought a $5,000 Wilson Combat, I'd carry and shoot it. That said, for Christmas my dad gave me my Grandpa's 1950s-era M1 Carbine and his much older Steyr-Mannlicher 1895. The Carbine is still in pretty solid shape and I have shot it, but the Steyr is pitted severely, including on the breech face, it's just too fragile to shoot.

So I'd say my collection has a lot more character now, and does not consist solely of shooters. :)
 
My gun tastes evolved in the following order:

Air guns as a child/teen
38sp revolvers from about age 18 - 22
Remington 700 22-250 and Ruger 10-22 age 18-22
First 9mm semi-auto age 23 or so
Bought a Polytech AK, Mac 10, Sites Spectre and S&W659 at age 24+/-
More 9mm's and military style "assault weapons from 24 - 30

Lots more guns over the years of diffing varieties.

Then only just about 5 years ago, I decided to add a couple of antiques and higher end handguns to my collection - that's the direction I'm trending right now.
 
I also went into and still in the milsurps. Just in the last year getting into higher end revolvers & 1911's.
 
I started off with revolvers, with little interest in auto's. I currently own no revolvers and own all autos. That will change soon though, my next gun will be a Ruger New Vaquero in .45 Colt.
 
My "collection" began nearly 60 years ago with a bolt action single shot .22 rifle. A couple of years later I was given a .410 single shot. The collection didn't grow much until I graduated from college, went to Vietnam, then graduated from law school. Since then the collection has evolved to include several shotguns, several rifles, and several handguns -- too many for my Ft. Knox safe.
 
My "collection" started with hunting shotguns. O/U, SxS, pumps, autos and single bbl's. 22 rifles led to 22 pistols and revolvers. Then big bore revolvers and autos, which led to reloading. Then it was sks and ak time, when both were cheap. Then Mausers, Mosins and Enfields. Throw in a scattering of misc toys and there you have it, my "collection".
 
I started off with shooting trap with my grandpa at age 12. I had never fired anything other than a shotgun until I joined the Marine Corps and shot all of that stuff. After that, I started shooting handguns. I bought a couple center fire auto loaders before realizing my love for milsurp. I have quite the little collection of milsurp rifles now, and just added my first milsurp shotgun not too long ago.

Laced in between those times, I've built and bought a few AR type weapons and a couple rimfire handguns. Just yesterday, I acquired my first revolver.

The guns on my "wishlist" are quite varied in age, function, type and use, but my handguns are beginning to edge out my rifles again. I've only been shooting for 10 years, so I don't have nearly the experience/opportunity as many of the other shooters/collectors who have posted here already.
 
It started with Traditional guns from my dad as a youngster. Revolvers, single shot rifles, 30-30, over and under shotguns. I didn't know how to work an auto anything until I was 18. Then came all the semi auto pistols and Ar15s. Then nice DA revolvers like 686 and GP100 now more 'practical' hunting guns and bolt action rifles/target rifles. I'm 30 now and started reloading this year and assembled my first target rifle. I'm not looking at new guns as much anymore but am looking to specialize and customize the ones I do have.
I still want a comp 38 super and ar10/lr308 or m1a.
 
Ive been collecting since I was old enough to buy a long gun ( 18) Thats been almost 10 years ago. I bought my first 3 guns new. A cheapo Remington spartan 20gauge. Followed by a Remington 870 a year or two later in 12. A few days after I turned 21 I bought my first handgun. A S&W sigma in 40. Soon after that my collection evolved. A year or so later maybe not that long I went back to the same store and had to have that custom ruger old vaquero. New in box but several years old. I got screwed on the trade. I haven't bought a new gun since. I'm a huge fan of C&R Firearms. I now have 2 98 Mauser's a Smith Corona 03A3 A S&W model 65-4 A ( mostly) colt 1911 a Sako L46 (pre vixen) And just last week welcomed a Model 12 Winchester in 12g to the family. That ruger changed it all. Although its no curio or relic and was said not to have been used...it was the lesson. I pass the new guns in the LGS and sniff through the used section. Not that I wouldn't buy new again...just hasn't been the right one. I like the older stuff. I also have a winchester model 69A a Remington rolling block want to say #3 ( my dads) and a marlin sears and roebuck sitting at the police station now that were stolen from me over a year ago. Supposed to get them back soon. Crossing my fingers. Awesome topic. Enjoyed reading all the posts.
 
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Started uninformed and bought what I thought would be fun to shoot and could afford. Quickly got the 1911 bug and the custom bug. Everything went to a gunsmith, rifles and pistols. Dabbled with a couple of rifles but mostly pistols and mostly 1911. Recently revived my interest in long guns, unfortunately I gravitate towards custom/mid range expensive stuff. Initially bolts but now I am loving my m1a. How come I can't have 1 or 2 of anything I really like? I have 1 m1a and looking for 2 more (probably garands that are carbines). I'm not sure there is any logic to how I have evolved. I just get what I like. I admit I have safe queens. It's a disease.
 
Matt C& R collecting to me has special meaning that you just don't get with new guns. I enjoy both, but old guns are just cool! I would say over half of mine are between 30-100 years old.

1stmar I feel a little envious and relieved I didn't get the 1911 bug early on. Luckily I'm easing into it. The longer you've got it the more expensive and refined they become. I've been taking baby steps, but they've quickly went from $400 to $1000
 
I just love the history and quality of an old firearm. I love Americas history. Is there a better way to celebrate it? ( besides the 4th of July)
 
Some things have not changed. I still buy lots of mil surplus rifles as well as sport versions of AK, SKS and FAL's.

Shotguns I have gone all over the place starting out with a pump like most people. Have tried a variety of OU shotguns. Currently I use an auto for most everything.

I have gone from mostly using auto loading pistols to using revolvers although I have both in my collection I don't really have any autos that I want. I mean I would like to have a DE in 44mag just to have one because they really are quite impressive from an engineering standpoint but there are other things I would like to spend 1K+ on.

I currently do not own any lever guns and would like to change that. If auto's were legal here I would love a Thompson because how cool are they. Other then that Ill prolly stick to the staples of my collection mil surplus/clones and high quality revolvers. I hope to pass that collection on to my nephew someday in the not to near future and hope he can enjoy shooting them and what they represent both to me and in a historical context. It's a great hobby I hope that many more generations have not only the freedom I have had but an expansion of those freedoms. Sorry for the rant
 
Over thirty years now. Started with a couple 22 rifles, a 22 Colt SA revolver and a .357 Colt Trooper Mk III. Added a Marlin 1894CS carbine shortly after and then the collection stayed stationary for several years. Got into pistols and bolt action rifles in the 90's but about twelve years ago it really took off. Mostly older revolvers now - Colt and S&W. Only a couple rifles and shotguns anymore. A few pistols.My milsurp and black rifle phase passed many years ago.Times and interests change. My main interest is six shooters and as my personal income has increased the quality of my pieces have as well. However I still have some of my early beaters. Holding onto them for sentimental reasons.
 
I went through my C&R period which allowed me to get my hands on many types of interesting firearms and learn about them for cheap.
Since then I'm more about functionality and available ammo. I still keep an Arisaka in the safe along with a re-build SP1 w/forward assist, but nowadays I'm mostly about commercial stuff built in the last decade.
 
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