People quitting and leaving the gun life

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Obviously there are people who get out of guns. For some (many?) folks guns aren't some kind of sacred birthright so much as they're just one hobby vying for time and cash vs other hobbies. I have known some guys that got out of guns when they reached that age where they can't get out and hunt or shoot much (arthritis and mobility issues mostly). One of my best friend's dad has Parkinson's and on his very best day he can't manage a handgun or shotgun anymore. My own dad seriously pared down his collection when his many physical ailments beat him down to where he wasn't healthy enough to enjoy shooting. He kept a couple for HD but the last couple years of his life guns weren't much of a part of life anymore. And those kind of on the margins will leave the sport/hobby. My brother bought his first (and only) AR back in 2016 just in case they got banned. But the only time he ever even had it loaded was then he first got it and I took him to the range. He's been talking about selling it now that demand is high. He'd still have one pistol and a shotgun but he doesn't reliably shoot once in three years, and then only if I drag him out to the range.

Again, for many people firearms are a totem and a badge of membership in a fellowship of 2A support. True, the 'cold dead fingers' crowd won't get rid of their guns just because ammo gets scarce and expensive. Those those that own guns but view them like you might view a set of golf clubs or a jet ski...well, those folks really weren't in it for the long haul to begin with.
 
Haven't heard of anyone I know talk about getting out of owning guns or anything like that. Actually just the opposite where I have had several people that I know approach me about learning to shoot and how to go about buying guns, etc. These are folks who never even mentioned an interest in guns until the recent civil unrest.
 
Unfortunately I can see down the road a few more years that age will decide that for this shooter. At least the “sport” part of it. A “cold dead hands” attitude I suppose.
 
Right, "hobbyists" come and go. My sterling example is Frank C. who would stick with a sport for about a year and a half and then move on to something else that maybe he could excel at. I know he shot PPC and Trap, maybe IPSC, also golf and tennis. I heard that he was going to graduate to skydiving but had fallen out of touch by then. Fallen, yuk, yuk.

The Gun Culture is a different thing. I have shot numerous different guns and events as the interest took me, but it is always guns and shooting.

And now we have the newly armed, fearful of Covid Zombies and Saint Floyd Peaceful Demonstrators.
I doubt we will gain many of them as enthusiasts and fear that a lot of them will be generally Left Liberals who are fine with their guns but do not approve of ours.
 
I took another combat pistol class last weekend.
The instructor says he is booked up for cc classes for the next months.
Many people coming into the gunshop wanting their first handgun.
"What do you mean? What is a f.o.i.d. card? I just want a handgun for my personal protection "
 
Stophel said:
I can't afford to shoot up ammunition that I can't replace, and who knows when, or if, I ever will be able to?
Click to expand...

Ever?
You think it's possible that you will never be able to replace your ammo?
I don't know how long you've been into guns, but I assume for quite a while. You've been a member here for 11 years.
These things happen. We go through periods where stuff is abundant, and then periods where stuff is scarce. It's part of it.

I have been handloading for a decade or so now and make a habit to keep a few thousand rounds worth of components for each caliber I shoot.
I won't be getting out of the "hobby" as long as I'm physically able to participate in it.
I honestly don't expect my shooting habits to change either, but that's not because I'm sitting on tens of thousands of rounds. I just don't get to shoot as much as I'd like.
I'm lucky if I get to put 100 rounds a month down range.
 
I have been taking a serious look at my future. I don’t foresee any time in the near future where I can reasonably get out and hunt, and there isn’t a range close enough to me for me to make use of it. My guns have become paperweights for the most part. When I get a chance to shoot it’s typically a box or so for 1 gun at my parents house and we only go about once every other month. I am considering thinning out the safe to fund other things that would make life easier (home addition, nice mower) or more enjoyable (camper, boat). Problem is that I know me and I love guns so if I did manage to sell half of my guns I would put that money into other guns I found at a reasonable price. The market is still soft on antiques, however “nice” antiques which are reasonably priced and fully functional with chambering that are still in use (38spl, 32swl, 22lr) are falling into the panic category. I guess I will continue acquiring until I need another safe. I could stand to do a bigger safe, but I am limiting myself to 1 until the kids are grown, and since I have a 2 month old that will be a while.
 
WheelGunMan said:
I don't see that. I see an increased interest in guns as people see the world becoming a far more dangerous place. They want the ability to defend themselves. Gun enthusiasts are limiting the time spent on the range because of the cost of ammo at the moment but that'll change after November.
Click to expand...
Maybe that's the distinction here? People who are actively involved in an organized shooting sport (a relatively small slice of America) versus people who simply own firearms for a purpose (hunting, SD, "just in case", collecting lint and dust, etc) which is a good portion of all American households. I would not be surprised at all to hear the participation in organized events is down. Heck most organized events of ANY kind are way down if not out right cancelled with all the covid concerns. Yes a bunch of people are 'living their best life' working from home or whatever (I've heard home improvements are off the charts!), but people are not going out as much. Plus many of the shooting sports enthusiasts seem to be older folks, or at least that's been my impression. The flip side 'non-enthusiasts' number appears to be growing with lots of first time buyers.
 
What I see is the same thing I see in almost every outdoor activity (camping, hiking, boating), sport (hunting, fishing, SCUBA, surfing, cycling, motorcycling), that as Boomers age out, they are not being replaced. This is why sporting goods retailers have merged or gone, Dicks has turned into a clothing store, Bass Pro swallowed up Cabela's and is turning them into an outlet for RedHead outerwear. The reasons are many and varied and complex and even political.
 
I definitely cooled off on collecting guns a few years back, and so far haven't had a huge desire to return to that aspect. I rarely have time to hunt in recent years, so I did go through a phase of getting rid of almost everything that wasn't necessity. Kept all the things I had sentimental attachment to and a couple of .22's. Went from 70 some guns to 6 and hardly ever shot the ones I kept. But I still had some, and means to feed them. 90% of it is a hobby for me.
 
People seem to be buying firearms and ammo like there’s no tomorrow but they don’t seem to be using them. My last two trips to the gun club was just me and one or two other shooters. This club has almost 600 members.
It’s never packed but usually more activity than this.
 
Hi...
My observation at the two gun clubs I belong to us that more new people are coming out to shoot.
It seems like there are new people on the handgun range each weekend.

I personally have no intention of getting out of the shooting sports. I have bought half a dozen firearms this year and hope to continue that trend next year. I am nearly 66 years old and have been retired for over two years. The only thing keeping me from doing more hunting is the after affects of three bouts of cancer including two that were deemed terminal. Chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation treatments are more than a little debilitating especially as we get older.
Still I intend to go on at least a couple of pheasant hunts, two deer hunts and a bear hunt this fall/winter.
I go shooting at the gun clubs almost every week. I reload ammuntion every week.
Not likely that I will stop until my body simply can't do it anymore.
 
People who run out at every (imagined) reason to panic and purchase a gun, any gun, are not people who incorporate guns and hunting and shooting sports into their life. Many of these new gun owners when they realize the people they voted into office are not going to disband the police, zombies are not going to result from a C19 hybrid rabies vaccination and that life will go on, will sell off those guns they acquired in a panic, only to repurchase them when they think there is another (imagined) threat to their manifest right to purchase piles of toilet paper.
 
I'm another who has stopped shooting recreationally. Even though I have plenty of reloading components, I never before have been so conscious of using them up. If nothing else, that prevents me from fully enjoying a day of shooting.

So for training purposes - and I don't especially enjoy training - I am dry-firing, occasionally shooting wax, and working on presentation from concealment. For recreation I have gone back to my bows, which scratch most of the same itch as do firearms - but then I can walk downrange to retrieve my projectiles and immediately reload them!
 
I could definitely see leaving the "gun game" life, where active shooting participation occupies a huge part of your discretionary time and budget. I doubt many people fully leave the defensive aspect, where serviceable skills can be maintained with just a few range visits per year.
 
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A co-worker retired recently,,,
He had a huge sale that went on for months.

He sold the vast majority of a large collection,,,
All he kept were these few guns.
  • Home defense 12 gauge
  • Conceal carry 9mm
  • Bolt action .22 rifle
  • DA/SA .22 revolver
He also sold all of his reloading gear and remaining components.

I asked him why when he told me his intentions,,,
His reply was, "These are all I will need for defense and recreation."

He also said, "If I ever feel I need something else, I'll just go buy it."

Aarond

.
 
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