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Mrs. Peel

Collectors - what do you collect? and why?

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Another recent thread has raised my curiosity level about you collectors out there... would love some insight into your collections and why you started them.

I have a relative, for instance, who shaped his lifetime purchases around the shooting sports. You want to shoot sporting clays? He has the ideal shotgun for that. You want to shoot bullseye? He's got the right guns for that. Cowboy action shooting? He's got it covered. So that "theme" shaped his collecting habits over the years - along with a few old historic pieces thrown in simply because he's a history buff. What about the rest of you?

  • How many guns do you think make a "collection"? (for instance, from what I can tell, the MSM believes 2-5 is a collection, 5 or more is an "arsenal" LOL)
  • Do you use your collection at the range? - or is it more the "never been shot" stay-in- the-safe variety?
  • Does your collection have a "theme"? (Military? Other historic? Revolvers? Guns you build yourself? etc.) What initially led you to that? 
  • Or, do you just buy what catches your eye with no real "theme" at all?
  • And if you want to, feel free to share a pic of your most prized collectible.

Thanks!

 

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It's easier to say what I won't buy.  I don't like,

Plastic guns

Striker fired guns

Guns that don't look cool to me. Kinda like ties, it has to catch my eye.

Unreliable guns

muzzle loaders

Shotguns other than 12Ga.

I like Sigs, Berettas, and some S&W guns. I love stainless steel guns although they weigh more and black rifles are always cool!

The only gun I really want but still don't have is the Luger P08.

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Yea, I blew past an arsenal shortly after getting my FID...

I say a collection starts at one, with the desire to get more. If a random person buys a Glock 19 for home defense, maybe shoots it once or twice, but leaves it by the nightstand without any other interest in guns, he has a gun... not a collection. Same guy, same situation... but wants to get a shotgun, AR, lever-action, whatever else... even if he can't afford to, his one Glock is a collection. I think people that used to collect baseball cards or comics can understand where I'm getting at.

In regards to shooting my guns, I don't buy guns I don't intend to shoot. May not shoot certain ones a lot, and I know I have a few I haven't shot yet, but if I get the desire/opportunity to take any one out... it will be shot. Some are just hard to shoot in NJ... others are just expensive to shoot.

I break my collection up into five groups, but guns can be a part of multiple groups. The important one is sentimental guns, like the Marlin Model 60 my father bought me for Christmas. These are guns that I will never sell, and likely going to be a major issue if someone (government) decides they are going to be turned in to be destroyed. My Beretta 92 Brigadier Inox is another, as the first new semi-auto pistol I purchased. The S&W 629-1 was a present from my father when I finished college, but I have a lot of memories shooting it with him, along with the 686 he shot (because he cut his hand opened on the .44, and got scared of it).

Then I have defensive firearms... mainly something I'd grab if I needed to defend my life. Home defense shotguns, carry pistols, and if it ever came to it, tactical rifles. Remington 870 Police, SIG P938 SAS, S&W 642-1 (converted to 9mm), Tavor, one of a few ARs...

Of course, I have sporting guns. Even though I don't do it anymore (cold and early... I rather sleep in), hunting got me into shooting. Still have my pair of Remington 11-87s, which would be one as a slug gun, and the other a field gun. Have a trap gun (Mossberg SRII), and a few others that were made for specific sports.

Probably the biggest group is historical guns. I always had a thing for history, especially World War II. My guns go from the 1870s up through recent times... or in the case of full-auto firearms, semi-auto versions. I really don't stick to one type or one nation, as I feel designs were based off firearms technology across the board. I have examples of most US military rifles up through the M16 (AR), and as far back as Springfield Trapdoor rifles (mine is actually one of those I'm proud of, a Custer era 1873 carbine; 228xx range; no pictures, as I'm not digging it out of the safe tonight). Do have some reproductions (Brownings early shotgun designs; 1887/1901, 1893/1897), as well as modern takes on older designs/styles (Ruger New Vaquero, since SAAs are a little expensive).

The last one is the just because purchases... and I think most people do things like that. I like my NAA Sidewinder, probably will never carry it or have a real use for it, but it is cool. My girlfriend has a picture of me holding it like a James Bond movie poster, which I still laugh at when I see it on her phone. The Ranger II will be as useless... but I'll get one. How many people have a D/I .45 AR? I do. [emoji41] KSG, of course. While I have a few that are strictly in this group, I feel most of my collection can fit into here.

I'm actually excited for when I leave NJ, being it will be some new additions that will be neat to own. A SBR and possibly suppressed CZ Scorpion is on the short list, as is a Mini-14 (could get it here, but rather buy magazines once for it). M1 Carbine will likely be a purchase, as I kind of wanted one... even though I have more capable rifles of the era. Don't think I'll have the money to go into machine guns, but if I did, I'm sure my girlfriend would leave me as soon as she sees the price tag... or I'd have to let her get a horse.

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1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

Another recent thread has raised my curiosity level about you collectors out there... would love some insight into your collections and why you started them.

I have a relative, for instance, who shaped his lifetime purchases around the shooting sports. You want to shoot sporting clays? He has the ideal shotgun for that. You want to shoot bullseye? He's got the right guns for that. Cowboy action shooting? He's got it covered. So that "theme" shaped his collecting habits over the years - along with a few old historic pieces thrown in simply because he's a history buff. What about the rest of you?

  • How many guns do you think make a "collection"? (for instance, from what I can tell, the MSM believes 2-5 is a collection, 5 or more is an "arsenal" LOL)
  • Do you use your collection at the range? - or is it more the "never been shot" stay-in- the-safe variety?
  • Does your collection have a "theme"? (Military? Other historic? Revolvers? Guns you build yourself? etc.) What initially led you to that? 
  • Or, do you just buy what catches your eye with no real "theme" at all?
  • And if you want to, feel free to share a pic of your most prized collectible.

Thanks!

 

" everything I I have i like"

-

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1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

Another recent thread has raised my curiosity level about you collectors out there... would love some insight into your collections and why you started them.

I have a relative, for instance, who shaped his lifetime purchases around the shooting sports. You want to shoot sporting clays? He has the ideal shotgun for that. You want to shoot bullseye? He's got the right guns for that. Cowboy action shooting? He's got it covered. So that "theme" shaped his collecting habits over the years - along with a few old historic pieces thrown in simply because he's a history buff. What about the rest of you?

  • How many guns do you think make a "collection"? (for instance, from what I can tell, the MSM believes 2-5 is a collection, 5 or more is an "arsenal" LOL)
  • Do you use your collection at the range? - or is it more the "never been shot" stay-in- the-safe variety?
  • Does your collection have a "theme"? (Military? Other historic? Revolvers? Guns you build yourself? etc.) What initially led you to that? 
  • Or, do you just buy what catches your eye with no real "theme" at all?
  • And if you want to, feel free to share a pic of your most prized collectible.

Thanks!

 

" everything I I have i like"

-

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I collected zippos for a while when i was younger. To be honest they never really increased in value but i always thought they were cool.. They have some really nice limited edition lighters out there. Sold most of them off over the years but regret doing so because the money ended up going to waste, anyways, lol.

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15 minutes ago, Lambo2936 said:

I collected zippos for a while when i was younger. To be honest they never really increased in value but i always thought they were cool.. They have some really nice limited edition lighters out there. Sold most of them off over the years but regret doing so because the money ended up going to waste, anyways, lol.

You could have sold them to the guy above you!

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12 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

You could have sold them to the guy above you!

I only have a handful of them left.
The one expensive one i kept is extremely rare, and i can't get enough money for it to be worth selling. Only seen one other one for sale, ever, and it was used.
One of only 2,000. Its a 9/11 Memorial Lighter.

zippo.jpg

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14 hours ago, BlueLineFish said:

I collect guns that I don't already own

+1000 me too.  Well I may have stretched.  I've occasionally bought one I already had. 

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14 minutes ago, stuckinNJ said:

I collect everything ... so I can say I'm a collector on the OGAM exemption...

Me too!

Since I only have two hands to hold them, any number of handguns over two amounts to a collection. :D

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I personally regard firearms as 'tools' for the most part. My 'tools' are to do specific jobs, and I try to have the best tool I can for that specific job. 

While I DO own multiple AR's, for example, with the exception of one, they all serve a specific purpose. 

My primary ranch utility/HD AR (and its identical twin as a backup).

A .308 AR specific for medium sized game hunting. 

A 20" A4 for long range shooting. 

A 14.5" M4 carry handle clone...just because I have a soft spot for M4's with iron sights. 

I may re-prioritize AR's a bit, as Mrs. DT insisted I build one to leave out at the ranch. Working on that one now. 

 

I have a few handguns, which are specific to HD for my wife and I. 

My shotgun, a bird gun, Browning Citori 20 gauge was a gift from my dad. 

Also, an old Remington 700 in .243 which was my moms deer rifle I inherited after she passed. I love that little rifle, and still hunt with it from time to time. Always makes me think of mom whenever I see it. 

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On 7/8/2017 at 9:11 PM, BlueLineFish said:

I collect guns that I don't already own

I messed this up again today. I walked into a store and saw a mint stainless King Cobra in 4" stainless and couldn't resist.  

I wasn't expecting to buy a gun today but you never know I guess. 

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56 minutes ago, Krdshrk said:

Jeez - King Cobra?  If you had the money and the permit why the heck not?!  

Didn't take it home I'm OGAM bound.  It was a steal box, hard case, manuals, everything.   I don't feel badly having more than one.  My first was purchased by wife, then girlfriend, at the bullet hole for my 25th birthday.  

I texted her and she said you must grab it.  Now I don't even have my wife as a restraint.  

It was just luck. I was in the hall at GFH shooting the shit with Bully.  He had to cut out so walked in to chat and I saw it.  

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