How Many Guns Are Enough ?

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The number is the right gauge

To keep a weapon for me:

1) do I like it (still)
2) is there a role for it

I buy and sell weapons to try but now am down to 5

I have one "go to" weapon Bison Armory 6.8, then everything else is more specific.

I went for years with a deal with the wife, that if a new one came home, one left

I am considering a new build in 277 Wolverine. (a new wildcat that uses smaller 270 bullets in a 223
 
Enough? Enough for what?
Guns are a kinetic sculpture, engineering and functionality and- dare I say it- beauty, wrapped together in something that was meant to be handled and used. How many Remington bronzes can you handle and play with? Picasso paintings?
There's an industrial form-function element to a quality firearm, and the old ones, they took the time to make them look nice.
I suppose when I run out of resources to own them it would be enough. My collection is not static, there's some I won't get rid of but there's a lot I would for the right replacement.
 
Candidly, six would cover all my bases. Ten would be more than enough.

But given my interests and available resources, I have more than ten.
And fewer now than a couple of years ago.
 
Need. How many firearms are necessary for an individual to remain on this planet? Just one. In the moment when you are facing life or death you only need one to improve your chances of surviving.

Now, since the firearm to protect against home invasion may be different than a street attack by multiple perps, you may need two.

Now, since neither of those are effective hunting small game or big game or flying game, you may need 1-6 more depending on where you live.

To train cost effectively, you may need another 1-3 more.

To enjoy a piece of history....
to compete in skill matches....
to have primitive weapns that extend your hunting season...
to have an oulet for birthday-christmas money.....


Im pretty sure that adds up to just one (*more*).
 
By your own account, I`d say your enthusiasm is on the wane.

Time changes a lot of things...........................
 
Meaningless question. Enough is as many as you desire.
We don't, or shouldn't have to, show any "need" to own as many as we want.
Some like me may only have a few dozen, I have friends who can count theirs in the hundreds.
 
It all depends on your interests. If you have guns purely for hunting, you don't need all that many. If you are a collector, you never have enough.
 
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Considering that I suffer from ADOS (Attention Deficit, Ohhhhh. Shiny!) disorder, I'm not sure "enough" is a definable goal for me. Maybe it'll be when that next neat firearm doesn't turn my head, or make my index finger twitch, or doesn't make me want to grab the range bag and an ammo can. If that ever happens, then I'll know and be able to give this a quantifiable answer.
 
For me, one gun per niche is what I'm aspiring for. I'm something of a minimalist, and I really don't want to have dozens of guns, dozens of different kinds of ammo, and of course, so much reloading stuff I need to build or rent an extra building.

I'm thinking maybe 2-3 different chamberings (not including rimfires) and only enough actual firearms to fill the roles I need filled: Defense, small game hunting, medium/large game hunting, etc.
 
Ihave two categories of guns: Shooters and Safe Queens.

For me, I try to keep the shooters in the 6-8 range. I need: Two deer rifles,one 12 gauge, two 22s, and two handguns. I want one of the deer rifles to be a 30-06. I want the 12 gauge to be for birds first, the 22s are for turtles and pests, and one handgun for me and one for my wife.

As for safe queens, I cant get enough. I have not bought a gun to shoot in years as I filled up the paragraph above fairly early. While I might shoot a one off purchase once, most of what I buy gets a good preventative cleaning and goes to live out a long life in the safe. My grandkids are going to think I am the coolest person ever to die.
 
I don't have any "Safe Queens", all mine are for shooting.
I had a semi rare cased revolver once that was unfired when I got the thing, I traded it off for one I could go out and shoot without worrying about.
The more the merrier.
 
The question , "How many are enough?" will be different for each person.

If you own guns solely for their utility purpose and have no other attachment to them, then you can put a number on how many is enough. Not all gun owners are gun lovers.

If you really enjoy guns and use them for entertainment as well as utility, then that number will no doubt be higher for you, if there even is a number. Same goes for collectors.

Neither side is wrong. It is all about what you love to do .

Personally, my collection will be as large as my finances allow. If I could afford it my basement would look like Burt's in the movie Tremors. I realize that not everyone loves them like I do though.

Being an older guy, I am now evaluating my stash. I find it somewhat stressful providing proper maintenance and accountability for my collection.
Click to expand...

If I were in that situation I would certainly sell off a few. This hobby is supposed to relieve stress, not cause it.
 
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I like to (and try to) shoot everything I have.

I wish I had more time to shoot, though.

I do have spares of some types.
 
I want to see your list of 35 different roles.
Click to expand...

OK, I lied about how many roles.

1. Inexpensive casual marksmanship training plinking rifle (Appleseed gun)
2. Camping/take-down rifle (easy to pack for road trips, single shot OK)
3. Kit gun (small handgun for hiking, fishing, etc)
4. Small/private range target rifle (peep sights, bolt action, accurate, able to feed super colibri or the like for quiet shooting)
5. Moderate price-per-round mid to long range practice rifle (.223, bull barrel, or similar with scope)
6. Mid to long range iron sights, recoil management, sling technique, etc. practice rifle (Centerfire high power target rifle - iron sights)
7. Longer ranges, bipod/field support techniques practice (Centerfire high power target rifle - scoped)
8. Non-NFA substitute for detachable stock for pistol (sub2K w/ common magazines)
9. Magnum pistol caliber brush/field gun (.454 casull lever gun)
10. sub-caliber varmint gun (e.g. .17 A. Hornet)
11. Intermediate bore flat shooting "plains" hunting gun (6.5, .270, 7mm mag, etc., longer barrel)
12. General large game rifle (7mm mag, 30-06, etc., shorter barrel)
14. Intermediate power home defense/coyote rifle (M4gery)
15. High power semi-auto, lookin' at self in mirror (m1a, FAL, or equivalent)
16. Practical/modern black powder hunting rifle (saboted .45)
17. Traditional/reproduction muzzle loader for historical interest (e.g. revolving cap&ball carbine, flintlock)
18. Service/HD pistol, full capacity (CZ75, Glock, etc)
19. Concealed carry pistol (short grip frame/slim)
20. BUG handgun (j-frame or similar)
21. Historical/military issue sidearm for interesting newish shooters, and because I like old stuff (tokarev, Nagant revolver, vintage 1911, Luger, Webley, etc.)
22. Historical/military issue longarm for interesting newish shooters, and because I like old stuff (Springfield, Mosin, M1, Mauser, K-31, etc.)
23. Magnum handgun, Hunting (S&W M29 6")
24. Magnum handgun, "predator defense" (Ruger Alaskan .454)
25. Bowling pin handgun (.45 single action revolver)
26. Dressy show-off handgun (lightly customized 1911)
27. Trunk Shotgun (H&R 20ga single shot)
28. Upland shotgun (Beretta AL391 20ga)
29. Home defense shotgun (Mossberg 500, 18" barrel)
30. Waterfowling shotgun (Browning A5)
31. Traditional early pistol (single shot flintlock) for education, making smoke, lookin at
32. Cap and ball "cowboy" gun making smoke and friends - plinking and plates (1860)
33. Cap and ball target gun - anachronistic marksmanship training (Ruger Old Army)
34. Cap and ball pocket gun (1862, 1863) - smoke producing range toy
35. Short LOP .22 for children
36. Short LOP shotgun (20, .410) for smaller shooters/children
37. Glove box gun (stainless steel, inexpensive)
39. Muzzle loading shotgun for figuring out muzzle loading shotguns.

Target vs. hunting guns may be chambered for the same round, but a target gun will tend to be heavier, have a different trigger, lack provisions for a sling, etc.

Obviously some of the roles beg to have more than one gun. E.g. military sidearms... it is just a lot more fun if you have Luger, Walther, 1911, 1917, Tokarev, Nagant, Webley, and so on, than just having one.

I am not even counting silencer hosts and the like, which I never got into.
 
I am getting long in the tooth myself, I have cut my collection to the bare minimum. 22 long guns and 12 handguns, I have probably given that many to my kids. I havnt replaced one in a week.
 
What many of us have learned in the last two ammo shortages is, that most guns are worthless without having the ammo to feed them. In times of strife and when SHTF, guns owned just to look at and admire will be few and far between. So the question is, not how many guns, but how much ammo.
 
During my rural 30's, 40's childhood everyone I knew had a single shot shotgun and some kind of .22 rifle and they were happy with that. Hardly anyone had a pistol. Nowadays "enough" is an unattainable number.
 
At this point in time, maybe 6. I'd like a .45, a .357, a AR of some type, either an M1 Garand or a Carbine, and although I'm not real big in muzzle loading, I'd like a pistol and a rifle. Probably one each of those kits where you assemble the gun yourself. After that, we'll see.
 
"Enough?" I don't know that I will have enough. However, what I have been doing is giving guns to my sons, daughters, son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, and grand children. I seem to get almost as much pleasure watching them enjoy them as I do enjoying them myself. Some of these guns I buy specially for them, while others are guns I have had for years and now no longer utilize. If one of mine is into that type of shooting, I will gladly give them the gun. I do have several guns that I will not give up until I leave this life. Those I have listed in my will to bequeath to specific individuals and the reason I want them to have it.

Each of us has his or her own path to follow, and this is the one I have chosen.
 
The correct number is N-1 where N is the number of guns that causes a divorce or financial hardship on your family.

I'm really trying hard to convince my self I'm there.lol
 
If you ask me, Hubby and I have "enough" now. Next year we may "need" more or have too many. If I happen to find a working military revolver such as my Dad has we won't have enough until that weapon is brought home. If hubby should find a 410 shotgun with a .22 rimfire barrel above it we won't have enough until he has it in the gun cabinet.

If you ask my Dad we are sorely undergunned as we don't have several weapons on his "must have" list.

If you ask my mother in law, she will tell you we have far too many and don't "need" any of them.

Ask my father in law and he will tell you as long as we have what it takes for me to molasses cure venison hams he doesn't care how many we have.

"Enough" is an irrelevant word when it comes to any possession. To date when we need a specific weapon for a specific task we have what we need available. I suggest the question of "enough" deserves the same answer as when one of my in-laws ask why we "need" such and such weapon... I have no idea but should the need for arise I'll be glad it's available.
 
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