How Many Firearms Are Enough For You Personally?
- Thread starter Joe_Pike
- Start date
larryh1108
New member
I made a rule a few years back that if I wanted to buy another gun, I had to sell one or two to pay for it. I realized I had guns I wasn't shooting and weren't really collectible and still wanted others. So, if I "had" to have a particular gun then I had to sell one or more to equal the cost and pare the herd.
It's been successful, for me, because I sold what sat and shoot what I have. I'm down to looking for a nice .22LR/Mag revolver and when I find it I will sell a really nice Llama IX-A .45ACP. As I get closer to retirement and as my hands are getting shaky and achey I've realized that the ones that you actually enjoy shooting are the ones actually worth keeping.
It's been successful, for me, because I sold what sat and shoot what I have. I'm down to looking for a nice .22LR/Mag revolver and when I find it I will sell a really nice Llama IX-A .45ACP. As I get closer to retirement and as my hands are getting shaky and achey I've realized that the ones that you actually enjoy shooting are the ones actually worth keeping.
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I don't have a number and probably never will. Firearms is one of my main hobbies, and I'm not going to pull an arbitrary number out of the sky and say, "Okay, I'll only own this many at a time". As I live my life I'll buy, sell and trade guns as I see fit. When I get too many to accommodate I'll change my storage setup.
I said between 21 and 30. I now have more than I can count with my shoes off.
I don't have 30 I think. I would have to go to the safe and count or check my record of gun and serial #. I would like to get it to less than ten to be more managable for maintainence, etc. but I can't decide what I would want to get rid of. Also there are a few more I would like to have.
I don't have 30 I think. I would have to go to the safe and count or check my record of gun and serial #. I would like to get it to less than ten to be more managable for maintainence, etc. but I can't decide what I would want to get rid of. Also there are a few more I would like to have.Right now I have about 75 – if you count the one loaned out to a Marine buddy, boxes of parts with a receiver, assembled and waiting on a part or two to finish it up, etc. But I also have a short wish list of about 8 or 10 which are either a) I would buy up in a heartbeat if I found it at a normal price, or b) figuring out the options I really want before I put an order in.
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I expect I will have about 100 by the time I retire and plan to enjoy my retirement slowly completing the ones I really like, selling off the ones I bought in duplicate when I saw good deals, and shooting the ones I have left. Depending on the level of interest either of my sons may have I might be selling off the NFA items just to ensure we get a good price for them – I doubt anybody in my family would know how to get a good price for those if I croaked before selling them.
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I expect I will have about 100 by the time I retire and plan to enjoy my retirement slowly completing the ones I really like, selling off the ones I bought in duplicate when I saw good deals, and shooting the ones I have left. Depending on the level of interest either of my sons may have I might be selling off the NFA items just to ensure we get a good price for them – I doubt anybody in my family would know how to get a good price for those if I croaked before selling them.
Willie Sutton
Moderator
One of each of every version of Mauser 98 would be a good starting spot...
I'm up to 100 of those and still finding new ones...
Willie
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I'm up to 100 of those and still finding new ones...
Willie
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I could't put a number on it but I would say my tipping point would be when you find some of your old firearms becoming unused. To me this is the point where you are no longer getting anything out of your purchase. For example I had an old Remington .22 that took a backseat to my Ruger 10/22 and started collecting dust so I sold it.
8MM Mauser
New member
I agree, if you never shoot it, don't care about shooting it, and it's not strictly a self-defense arm, then pass it on to someone who will actually use it. I shoot all my guns or I sell them, unless they have some other sentimental or historical value to them. For example, I will likely one day inherit my dad's old 20GA stevens shotgun, it's as old as my dad is himself and sometimes it has a hard time actually cycling and chambering a round. I would never get rid of it thought. Might try to make it function better though as someday pass it on to my daughter (she is currently 22 months old.) So with few exceptions, I say use it or lose it. "Safe queens" are just sad to me.
I would love it if I had enough time and money to shoot all of my guns regularly. I don't have one gun I don't want to shoot but with as many as I have they can't all go to the range every time.
Granted, I don't have any dedicated safe queens - guns I would not shoot because they are NIB, too valuable, etc. I would not buy a rare, mint condition Colt or similar gun for that reason.
I will admit that a number of guns I have I just appreciate the mechanism, design, or period in history they represent to me. But that makes them more interesting for me to shoot them when I get the chance.
I also expect that they will increase in value over time so keeping them makes sense. Not so much for the investment value but because I know that if there was a time when I wanted it enough to buy it I would always want to have it - now that I have the money tied up in it I see no reason to sell it knowing I would probably buy the same type gun again one day.
Granted, I don't have any dedicated safe queens - guns I would not shoot because they are NIB, too valuable, etc. I would not buy a rare, mint condition Colt or similar gun for that reason.
I will admit that a number of guns I have I just appreciate the mechanism, design, or period in history they represent to me. But that makes them more interesting for me to shoot them when I get the chance.
I also expect that they will increase in value over time so keeping them makes sense. Not so much for the investment value but because I know that if there was a time when I wanted it enough to buy it I would always want to have it - now that I have the money tied up in it I see no reason to sell it knowing I would probably buy the same type gun again one day.
Justice06RR
New member
Its not about having a limit, but just having "enough" guns in your arsenal. Its a personal choice; if you want to own (and can afford) 1000 guns -- why not. But some may choose to own maybe just 5, or 20.
Realistically, not all of us are made of money. There are other hobbies/passions out there other than guns that we would like to pour money into.
I'd like to have more than I currently own, but other priorities need more attention sometimes. I would probably be happy with 20.
At this point I'm more concerned about having ammo for all of them...
Realistically, not all of us are made of money. There are other hobbies/passions out there other than guns that we would like to pour money into.
I'd like to have more than I currently own, but other priorities need more attention sometimes. I would probably be happy with 20.
At this point I'm more concerned about having ammo for all of them...
Yankee Traveler
New member
I really do not believe in "Collectables". I do not buy anything to look at, or to put in a safe.
I buy, build and maintain cars to drive. Chrome is nice, but it does not make a car (truck, bike, boat) go faster, turn quicker, stop shorter. I need a sports car, sport sedan, sport utility, and a truck. With roof and without. I could do it all with suv but I don't want to.
I open the drawer on my tool box and I have deep well sockets, short sockets, 6 point, 12 point, wrenches, picks, wedges, hammers from tack to sledge, ball peen and mallet. I could do most things with vise grips and a screw driver, but I don't want to.
Guns? Big calibers, small calibers, long barrels, short barrels, black powder. I want them all, and every one I get, I will use. I cannot asign a number.
I buy, build and maintain cars to drive. Chrome is nice, but it does not make a car (truck, bike, boat) go faster, turn quicker, stop shorter. I need a sports car, sport sedan, sport utility, and a truck. With roof and without. I could do it all with suv but I don't want to.
I open the drawer on my tool box and I have deep well sockets, short sockets, 6 point, 12 point, wrenches, picks, wedges, hammers from tack to sledge, ball peen and mallet. I could do most things with vise grips and a screw driver, but I don't want to.
Guns? Big calibers, small calibers, long barrels, short barrels, black powder. I want them all, and every one I get, I will use. I cannot asign a number.
When you get older you find out what works and stick with it .breakingcontact
Moderator
I'd like to have one for each thought out purpose and 1 backup for each.
GrailKnight
New member
I have whittled my collection down to 8 firearms.
Four are strictly persona/home security and four are pure hunting arms.
I have plenty of ammunition for every firearm I own but a couple of years
ago stopping going shooting every week and just go every 2 or 3 weeks.
I have found new hobbies in my retirement that are taking time to learn
but time is something I have plenty of.
Four are strictly persona/home security and four are pure hunting arms.
I have plenty of ammunition for every firearm I own but a couple of years
ago stopping going shooting every week and just go every 2 or 3 weeks.
I have found new hobbies in my retirement that are taking time to learn
but time is something I have plenty of.
Niches for my handguns include such things as:
(1) a mouse sized semi-auto that I can shoot reasonably well at moderate distances (25 yards and in). I have a Sig P238 for that.
(2) for when I'm wearing cotton shorts with a drawstring and elastic waistband, I need a mouse gun that is light, even if my effective range is 10 yards or less. I have a Ruger LCP for that.
(3) a more powerful handgun that I can fit in most, but not all, of my pants pockets. My Kahr CM9 covers this.
(4) a "lightweight" 1911 that is very concealable in .45 acp. I have a DW CCO for that.
(5) for practice and backup to the CCO, above, a steel framed 1911 of the same size. That's my Baer Stinger.
(6) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in .45 acp for OWB carry and/or home defense. I have at least one for that role.
(7) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in 9mm cause it's cheaper to shoot 9mm than .45 acp.
(8) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in 10mm just in case a black bear wanders into my city of about 300,000 (don't have to worry about grizzlies)
Well, you get the point. If I want a gun, I can find a niche for it. Having said that, I have contemplated getting rid of a couple of handguns I don't shoot and/or duplicate other guns.
(1) a mouse sized semi-auto that I can shoot reasonably well at moderate distances (25 yards and in). I have a Sig P238 for that.
(2) for when I'm wearing cotton shorts with a drawstring and elastic waistband, I need a mouse gun that is light, even if my effective range is 10 yards or less. I have a Ruger LCP for that.
(3) a more powerful handgun that I can fit in most, but not all, of my pants pockets. My Kahr CM9 covers this.
(4) a "lightweight" 1911 that is very concealable in .45 acp. I have a DW CCO for that.
(5) for practice and backup to the CCO, above, a steel framed 1911 of the same size. That's my Baer Stinger.
(6) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in .45 acp for OWB carry and/or home defense. I have at least one for that role.
(7) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in 9mm cause it's cheaper to shoot 9mm than .45 acp.
(8) a full sized 1911, steel frame, in 10mm just in case a black bear wanders into my city of about 300,000 (don't have to worry about grizzlies)
Well, you get the point. If I want a gun, I can find a niche for it. Having said that, I have contemplated getting rid of a couple of handguns I don't shoot and/or duplicate other guns.