Is your interest in guns narrow or broad?

I've said this before but I really don't consider myself to be a firearms aficionado. I remember reading a thread on one forum where one of the posters claimed to own more that 350 firearms and I just don't see the point. If that's your thing I'm not knocking it, it's just not MY thing.

I went through my "cool gunz" phase right after I got out of the Army and even then I bet I didn't own 20 guns. I bought guns for their cool factor (that's a thing right?) without any thought to logistics and I ended up getting rid of every single one of them at a significant loss.

When I got married my wife absolutely forbade guns in the house so I had none. Then one day a maniac went road rage on her and chased her clear across town. She came home and told me she wanted a gun and a CHP. I went out and bought matching 1911s. That's when the bouncing around through different platforms phase started.

A couple of years ago I got a chance to get some actual professional training and I started refining things in terms of what I carried and how I carried it. That's also when I started considering moving to one platform and then to the simplest gun I could possibly carry. I used to carry a third gen S&W and an M&P Shield, then one day I went in to brain lock when I reassembled the Shield and tried to decock it. My brain kept telling my thumb to hit a lever that my eyes kept telling me wasn't there. I switched to Striker fired only pistols that day.

I've said it before but if I was doing this now I'd sell off every thing (excepting guns I've bought in private sales) and buy a Glock 19. My rationale is that the 19 really covers both the FS & and C niches adequately and the standard 19 magazine is legal in Colorado. That said I'd take too much of a hit if I sold off my M&Ps (especially since I can't legally sell most of my FS magazines) to buy a Glock and SWMBO would hang me.

My interest in firearms in much broader than my budget for firearms.

Pretty narrow, S&W pistols and revolvers, WWII and Cold War era rifles. Obviously semi-auto examples only, I'm from the lower social-economic class.

My interest is broad, I will discuss about anything on the internet.
My activity is narrow, I have not shot much but IDPA match and practice and self defense practice since The Incident of 2010. The F class, BPCR, BR 50, and CMP gear languish in the closet.

I have a broad interest in a narrow sense. I like rifles, shotguns, and handguns. I have a list of what I want to line my safe. And that list changes based on what I learn I like or based on need. I don't have an interest in bird hunting or clay target shooting, so my shotguns on the list are more suited for the self/home defense role. I have one AR and that is likely all I will ever own as far as that platform goes. Eventually it will look just like my service rifle, without the IR designators. I like bolt and lever guns but my list is geared toward hunting and target shooting. Not for a collector or historic value.

My interest in handguns is specific. I don't like Glocks so I don't own any and likely will never own any. My taste in brand loyalty for handguns has bounced all over the place since before I have been old enough to own them.

My interest in firearms is pretty narrow. It is limited to only guns that go "bang".

I do tend to concentrate on one area at a time. 15 years ago, I was big into M1911s. Then AR-15s and M1 Garands. Currently, I'm collecting certain S&W revolvers and working on some prairie dog rifles for my next assault on the South Dakota prairie dog fields..

What's next. Only the Shadow knows.

Narrow. 1911s, j-frames and Remington 700 rifles. And 22LR rifles and pistols. I also have a Browning Hi-Power, and I like Browning High Walls.

Broad, although I don't shoot black powder. I enjoy clays with shotgun, rifle target and CQB, and self defense and target pistol shooting. I tend to get bored if I stick to one discipline too long, so I mix it up regularly.

My practical interests are becoming fairly narrow as I get older. I have always liked double action revolvers and they still catch my attention far more than any bottom feeder. Not to say I don't own semi's. Just now I tend to be more interested in revolvers.

With rifles, my primary focus are 22 rifles that tend to be higher end these days. I have all that I want and need for hunting, self defense and so forth. So, I mostly look at 22 rifles these days.

I have a pretty good variety from back in the day. But medical problems make it difficult, if not impossible, to put a target out far enough to be worth shooting a rifle. So it’s been strictly hand guns for the last 10+ years. The last 10 years or so I’ve concentrated solely on pre-lock S&W revolvers.

My interest is broad, which also matches my experience.

My collection, though is narrow. Which is budgetary and practical. Ok, so I am immersed in US military. But, I'm not going to go hunt down a Navy 6mm Lee if I can't shoot it. Does not mean I haven't thought about it.
If the Hearing Protection Act passes, I'll have a diversion to chase a bit. If SBR go Title I, I'll have a reason to really look at getting correct length Tommys and M3s. Just have to see.

For me, growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, waterfowl was obviously shotgun and so was deer. So my first and only shotgun, an 870 got used alot. I dallied around with alot of different guns, SKS's, black-powder, revolvers, various pistols.
Being the pragmatist that I am, I consider guns tools and I've narrowed my guns down to specific uses.
My only handguns are Glock 17's, I have duplicate intermediate caliber carbines, Marlin model 60's and the 870.
I've had bolt-action hunting rifles, I just don't like bolt-actions so I'm looking at adding a "hunting" rifle to the collection. That will probably be a pump to complement the 870.
Call me boring, but I prefer to have to purchase only a few calibers and like having familiarity in my firearms.

As "CapnMac" said, same here also; my interest is broad, yet my collection fairly narrow. Pretty much my collection mirrors what I do for a living and the (lately) limited amount of hunting I do.
- I've more than a few semi-auto pistols, mostly higher-end or semi-custom 1911s and a bunch of SIG-Sauer pistols, though I've got samples of some other makers I like.
- I also love older S&W revolvers in .357 or .38, so I've got a few there.
- Rifles, just a few bolt actions and lever-guns for hunting, a .22 for plinking and some AR-15s for home and work.
- Shotguns, one 12-gauge for bird hunting and another for work and home defense.
- Out of the mil-surp business, though I often wish I'd stuck with it and not sold/traded off some of the great stuff I once had, simply because I'm a history buff ...

Well, my interest is broad and so is my collection - but only in types, not in quantity, sadly due tu a limited budget.
I do keep coming back to guns of the old west, black powder or cartridge, I love them and they are fairly easy to get around here!

I consider myself a handgunner. I can see myself owning no more than 10 rifles and 4 shotguns. I don't see myself running out of handguns that I want to buy. I invest more time into practicing shooting handguns.

From memory, broad interest in several areas/makes:

Unusual or big bench blackpowder guns(30-80+lbs), generally anything with a false muzzle=15+
Freedom arms=5 in 7 calibers
Smith and custom variants =10+
40x=5
Custom ruger #1=2
Sigs=6+
Luger artillery/broomhandle= 3/1
Lever guns=10+
Black guns=3
Others=10+\-

Relatively narrow, when you consider the breadth of the spectrum. From pure collection to owning a single shot 12 for utility and everything in between.

I hunt squirrels, rabbits, pheasant and deer. I enjoy target shooting. I CCW.
Everything i do regularly could be covered by a .22, 12ga. and a .45. But where's the fun in that? And how would that explain the multiple shotguns, centerfire rifles, handful of .22's, drawer full of pistols, and let's not forget the muzzleloaders for Ohio's black powder deer season.

Of my last 6 gun purchases, five of those were 22's. Out of my last 11 gun purchases, nine were 22's of various sorts. Tells you something about where I have been going in the shooting sports. You just have to watch where the money goes to see my interests.

In my own case it is not just what guns I like. It is how much my finances will allow.

i started 20 years ago as a survialist/prepper perspective, ar-15 a 10-22, a & 1911 lots and lots of cheap ammo. bases covered narrow goal/focus

later got interested in battle rifles built and FAL from a parts kit, picked up an ak, an original Russian sks, same function little more history, but still narrow, then got an m1 Garand, that stared my love of walnut.

i borrowed a win94 in Alaska and it was just a handy companion in the woods, light compact elegant. had to buy a pre 64 wen i got home. would love to have a 92 in .357

as i have aged the battle rifles are nice but i spend more time with bolt actions, often a 22. but have several in 30-06, working on my skills instead of how fast i can get rounds down range (and how fast i can empty my wallet.)

of course small concealed carry arms, but they serve a function more than a passion.

one day at a garage sale i picked up a pre model 10 S&W, cheap, such a smooth clockwork of interesting finely crafted bits, timing a symphony, that lead to a small wheel gun collection, my favorite being a no dash 586, I lust after colt snake guns but cannot afford that game.

along the way O/U, pump and semi shotguns, scatterguns are extremely versatile. with their own skills to learn.

I would like to get into black powder, particularity revolutionary era flintlock, and 19th century revolvers

I would also like to get into long range, but being eastern makes it difficult.

I like looking at fine firearms, gold inlay, engraving, age history, etc, cannot afford that game either.

another unfilled interest is falling blocks, very pure, potential for great accuracy, great strength to weight ratio

I guess I am very broadly interested now, some might say scatter brained. too many interests, not enough money or time

For me it is very broad. I have everything from flintlocks to full auto's. I have a 50 bmg down to a .17 in rifles, 10ga to 28 ga in shotguns and 22's up to 500 S&W's in handguns. If it goes boom and I don't already have it, rest assured I want it.

Broad.
If I see a firearm type that interests me I'll try to locate a sample and try it out.
If my enthusiasm wanes off it goes.

Ryanxia said:

Broad, I like everything. While my specialties are in AR-15's followed by World War 2 firearms, I dabble in everything including shotguns, revolvers, black powder, etc. In fact on my short list is a newly made blunderbuss made in NH.

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Pretty broad, rifles, shotguns, handguns, black and smokeless power guns, bolt and single shot rifles, semi auto, double action and single action hand guns, pump, double barrel and semi auto shotguns and both rim fire and center fire guns.

I'd say my interest is fairly broad. I buy more handguns than I do rifles and shotguns, but I have my rifles and shotguns that I like to shoot. More than anything I can stick with the same rifle and shotgun while I am constantly selling and buying new handguns to find the right one.

Oh, I'd say fairly broad. I own everything from rifles to pistols to shotguns to black powder from semi-autos to single shots to lever actions to bolt guns to pump shotguns to double barrel coach guns to revolvers to mouse guns to magnums in all calibers both large and small. Black rifles, brown rifles, wood stocks, synthetic stocks, sporting rifles and scary rifles with the thing that flips up. I love them all and I won't give them up.