Real reason for acquiring handguns.

That's the one true reason I have so many.

If it were just for practicality I would own:
One shotgun,,,
One 9mm pistol,,,
One .22 plinking pistol.

I'm a sport shooter and collector,,,
So I buy because I see a gun I like and want it.
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When I bought my first handgun a couple of decades ago, I promised myself I would not become a collector, that I would only keep what I could reasonably use. I found something odd about guys who had hundred gun collection about which they spoke a great deal, but who I never saw firing a gun.

Then I discovered rifles, and found that a biathlon rifle may not be the best for shooting off a bench, and the one that really impresses on the bench isn't the one I like to take for rabbits...

Then when a found one I like to carry, I thought it would be circumspect to have another. At one point, I weeded out everthing that wasn't 5.56, .22lr or .45acp, just to keep the ammunition collection simpler, but then I found some nice 9mm pistols.

So now that I have children and a busy schedule, I have a bunch of items I never shoot, keep locked up and talk to people about on the net. Looks as if I've broken my promise.
 
Buying and owning guns is a disease.....I bought my first gun and just became enamered with them.

One is to many and 20 not enough.

It just seems I am never satisfied, and my wife just don't get it lol.
 
I only have 2 for now :o . But that is only because I can't afford anything else. As I told my wife if I had the money I would have a butt load of guns and a big smile on my face. But until then I will be jealous of you guys who can afford the multitudes of guns you guys enjoy.
 
I acquire handguns because every time I shoot them it causes a spontaneous grin to appear upon my face followed by an immense joy and a sense of accomplishment.

Plus the idea of being able to shoot large calibers of hot lead traveling at very fast speeds in a deisred direction is pretty cool.:cool:
 
I was actually thinking about this earlier tonight. Well not this subject exactly but my train of thought definitely works as my answer for why I buy handguns.

I've always liked guns, grew up shooting pellet guns, then .22s and shotguns, had a lot of fun doing so, but I always had other hobbies.

Initially when I decided to purchase a handgun, it was mostly a practicality thing. I had wanted to get my CCW for several years before I did so, but never had money, time, etc.. Finally once I had time and some extra tax return money left over, I bought a pistol and got my CCW. From there... it only got worse.

As I started training with my gun, I fell in love. I loved shooting my gun, looking at my gun, cleaning my gun, talking about my gun. I started shooting shotguns again, pulled my late Grandpa's Superposed O/U out of storage. Then discovered rifles... the rest is history.

These days for me it boils down to three main reasons:
1- Guns are fun, and I think they are fascinating pieces of machinery/history
2- It's very comforting to know that I'm capable of defending myself and those I love with deadly force if necessary.
3- Guns are fun. :D:D:D
 
Great thread! It's helping me to understand my GAD.....
Gun Acquisition Disorder:D Think I'll share the link with my wife so that maybe she'll understand that I'm not alone!
 
I used to REALLY enjoy going to the range just to shoot but lately that's just not the case. I used to own several different handguns but within the last 2 years I've just lost interest. I got rid of all my handguns but the 2 I use for SD (one for work (HK USPc), the other as my CCW (Ruger LCP)).

I didn't even get on the forums for a year or so. One day I got back on, here actually, started reading and I'm slowly getting back into it. I now have 3 as I bought a SP101 for a trail gun mainly for a camping trip I've got coming up. Still have don't any just for fun but I'm planning on getting a .22lr of some sort just for that reason soon.
 
I had a big empty space with a lock on it that needed to be filled.
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This is amazing.

I bought my first handgun, a Beretta Cougar 8040G, with the intended purpose of home defense. That gun is no longer with us, but many other brothers and sisters have joined the family since then. My 1911 is always loaded near my bed. I have the PF9 as a pocket gun (but I live in Chicago, so I can't do that anyway). I bought it because I wanted it, and I only own full size handguns other than that. My Mossberg 500 is also next to my bed, but this is my GO TO. I have some other handguns and rifles that are either not suitable for home defense or otherwise only used for range time. I have many firearms that don't get shot often, but doggone-it, I may need them someday and they are in wildly varying calibers and platforms. They are utilitarian for me in the sense that they are all fit for duty, they are in menacing calibers (unfortunately nothing smaller than 9mm here, but would love a 10/22 sometime soon), and they all have different mission functions. Extraneous buying may be beyond me (for a number of reasons, money being the biggest!), but that doesn't mean that I'm not always in the market for something specific, it may just take me some time to rationalize the decision. My next purchase will probably be a Hi Power or some derivation, only because I own no other high capacity pistols at this time and I want a full size 9mm. Do I need it? Hardly.
 
I buy them because it makes me happy.
semmerlingnrolex-1.jpg
 
too true...^^^^

I found my "perfect" handgun....it is not expensive, it is not rare or "cool" But it fits me, and has yet to fail me in any way with +1k rounds. I love t shoot it. I love to hold it.

What is it? an 89' pre decock Taurus PT-99... yup like it better than a Baretta becuase of saftey placement.

My safe queen? I don't even shoot it or even plan on it.....a 99.9% Colt trooper .357......why? Don't know.....

The gun I shoot the most, like the most is my cheapo walmart .17hmr with a $60 scope on it. I have shot countless jackrabbits and whistle pigs....more than I could even carry. It is my "golf".......walk forever shooting all the way. Something to be said about hitting a 6inch tall prarie dog at 100 yards while standing, with the scope on 6x with a gusty 10mph crosswind.......my hole in one.
 
1. Personal and family protection. I could explain 'why' all day. Too many examples close to me. I carry at all times.

2. Fun. I love shooting. My PPQ is my baby.


I only have two guns, at the moment. I am planning on getting a CZ 75bd, a CZ P-07, a FN FNX9, a Walther PPS, a Walther P99AS, an H&K USP 9c, a S&W M&P9c, and a Ruger Mini 14 Tactical, as well. Naturally, that list will probably grow.
 
I agree with Gary, don't need a reason, just need money.

I am not a hunter, I would like to start, bit it's just too dang expensive for me right now. Im not a competition shooter, I would like to, but again $. I'm not LEO, military or former military, I would have liked to have been, but health reasons ruled that out.

I shoot because I like to. I don't go out and run and gun and post it on YouTube. I would like to get some tacticool stuff, just because it's what I'm drawn to. I'm not trying to pass myself off as an operator. I think of it this way, if a guy wants a Corvette I'm not gonna say he is a wannabe NASCAR driver..

We just like what we like.

Ramble off...
 
yup

I thought these reasons would cover all of us who have fireams:

1. Knowledge and learning
2. Relaxation and stress reduction
3. Personal pleasure
4. Social interaction with fellow collectors and others
5. Competitive challenge
6. Nostalgia and/or a connection to history
7. Accumulation and diversification of wealth
8. Apprecialtion of beauty

For me, it's all of the above, except Nº 5.
 
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