I am addicted to buying guns.

[ScottRiqui]

I've had this conversation with non-gun people and they think we're all a bunch of 'doomdayers' if we have more than a cylinder/magazine worth of ammo.

I know what you mean, and agree that it's all a matter of perception. I'm sitting on about 4000 rounds (not counting what I could make with reloading components on-hand). That figure would make most of my non-shooting friends drop their jaws, but that's spread across a half-dozen calibers, and a full quarter of it is .22lr (and we know how easy it is to blow through .22 ammo).

Couple that with the fact that I get out to the range a couple of times per week, and I don't think of it as "hoarding" - to me, it's a couple months' worth of ammo, and a nice hedge against having to pay gun store prices for ammo because I've let myself run out.

 

[Fetish636]

I think anyone of us JUST CANT PASS UP A GOOD DEAL! lol. Tonight i was at Gander Mountain and a guy was looking to sell his little 10/22 nice little stainless w/scope and Birch? ish tone, Anyhow they offered him 75 Bucks for it, i was trying not to act like i was listing just trying to look busy drooling over some newer guns in the glass. So the kid AKA employee walks back to get a book i asked the guy "Me not knowing much about the 10/22" what it was worth he said he bought it for 250 and threw a 50-75 cheapo scope. i told him jeez that was kind of low on the price he says ya i was looking for 125 range, i pull out my wallet and looked in it, i had no idea if the wife robbed me yet today, I Pulled out 100 crisp new bill, he says "You want it for 100? i said sure il take it, not knowing much about them but knowing that my wife's son will love it. I figured 100 bucks for nice little 22 scoped was well worth the 100 bucks.

 

[bbqbob51]

Some say this about addiction: Any behavior that you continue to engage in despite the negative consequences that the behavior leaves in its wake.
I am up to just 8 firearms for me and one for my wife. I have shot most of my life, mostly target practice with family and friends, I never really got into hunting so I never bought any guns until about 7 years ago. I seem to have accelerated my purchases lately, I bought 2 rugers in a month's time. I got a Single Six convertible with a 9.5" bbl and a 38spl Ruger LCR.
I am now looking at a S&W 686+ 7 shot .357 revolver with a 4" BBL and really want to get myself an AR15. I figure I'll probably have both of them within the next 6 months or so. I don't buy anything I don't have the money for and firearms for me have had no negative consequences so far so I really don't think I am "addicted".

 

[PT-92]

Although I think we have mentioned this only a few times in the entire thread, what separates this "addiction" (which in and of itself is a subjective label) from other "addictions" is the ability to recover financial losses. Money spent on drugs, alcohol, strippers, food etc. are funds that are in no way recoverable.

Conversely, I could sell my entire collection today (essentially collected over just a twenty year span ranging from my 20's until the present) easily for more than I paid by far (I am not addressing other potential ramifications such as family matters which is a possible variable for some). My point is I hope that depression is not the primary result that most of us take away from this thread. My opinion (as always) may or may not be applicable but that's the way I see it.

-Cheers