The Final Answer: How Many Guns Do You Need?

Status
Not open for further replies.
But,

what if I need a pair of sequential serial numbers?
What if I just got a beautiful, twin holster, CAS gun belt?
What if I need 21st birthday presents for my triplet grandchildren?
 
Pat McManus had a story about his wife not wanting to go through the trouble of counting his guns so she would count the empty spaces in the gun cabinet. He had an expandable gun cabinet so that he could always have the same number of empty spaces.
 
You only "need" one gun... The one that you are effective with and can protect you from tyranny. The rest are just luxuries.
 
Too Subjective...

I have found after almost thirty years of shooting and collecting guns that it's always imposible to speak in absolute, empirical (or in the OP scenario mathematical) terms.

Although none of us will agree on 'quantitatively' what defines either too much or too little, I can tell you what did finally did awaken me (and I can't hardly believe that I am the only such case :confused:). It's actually quite simple, when I was organizing and inventorying my ammo/guns, I began for the first time in my life to find guns I FORGOT I owned :eek:. Henceforth I now only buy something that is either practical or a collection piece (But I still haven't gotten rid of anything as I think if things are headed where I see them unfolding prices are likely to only increase (like fine wine) with time...
 
I've read all the posts. What I see is this...the answer is different for every one of us.

But...you all know that, thats why all posts were fun to read! :D

I figured that seven guns would cover me for my shooting times.

No, I'm not going to sell off my guns to get down to that magic number! :neener:

Mark
 
The Idea is to have enough that one sits in the back of the safe, hidden and forgotten for long enough that one day you pull it out and it's like having a new gun all over again. That is how many you need in order to satisfy the want.
 
"Navin R. Johnson: [outside now] And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
[Dog growls at him]
Navin R. Johnson: I don't need my dog."

From "The Jerk" Starring Steve Martin

I like the = n+1 it works for many many circumstances. Motorcycles, Fishing Rods and Reels and Knives how many things could this apply to? the Sky is the limit.
 
ide imagine if i was forced to pick the minumum number of gun....i could get away with 2

1) 12gage pump action shotgun.....the most versatile gun you can own. can hunt just about anything with it and you can use it for home defense.

2) conceal carry pistol....something simple and rugged...ide probably go with my Ruger SP101.
 
PT92 said:
Although none of us will agree on 'quantitatively' what defines either too much or too little, I can tell you what did finally did awaken me (and I can't hardly believe that I am the only such case :confused:). It's actually quite simple, when I was organizing and inventorying my ammo/guns, I began for the first time in my life to find guns I FORGOT I owned :eek:. Henceforth I now only buy something that is either practical or a collection piece (But I still haven't gotten rid of anything as I think if things are headed where I see them unfolding prices are likely to only increase (like fine wine) with time...
Click to expand...

You aren't alone.

I just did my periodic inventory / check-for-rust / revalue-insurance-pricing thing yesterday. I found a rifle that was scoped and I had NO recollection of buying the scope or mounting it. In my mind's eye that rifle was still bare (match 10/22).

I also would have sworn up and down that I had an Enfield Mk 4. I spent an extra half hour hunting for it, wondering where in the hell I could have possibly mis-placed it. Turns out (after digging through my records) I sold it back in fall of 2009. If you asked me yesterday before I started which military WWII bolt guns I had, I would have started with "Enfield,....".

WHY I sold it? I have no frigging idea. I never even cleaned the cosmo off of it. But until yesterday I was convinced I owned one. And I was convinced my 10/22 didn't have a scope.

Thinning the herd is on the way. Need a day to take pics so I can post some stuff up for sale. I've accumulated too much stuff - up to 85 firearms, I want to thin this collection down and recycle the money in to more rare and obscure "stuff".

That, and daddy "needs" an Accuracy International 338 Lapua.

N+1.
 
Trent said:
You aren't alone.

I just did my periodic inventory / check-for-rust / revalue-insurance-pricing thing yesterday. I found a rifle that was scoped and I had NO recollection of buying the scope or mounting it. In my mind's eye that rifle was still bare (match 10/22).

I also would have sworn up and down that I had an Enfield Mk 4. I spent an extra half hour hunting for it, wondering where in the hell I could have possibly mis-placed it. Turns out (after digging through my records) I sold it back in fall of 2009. If you asked me yesterday before I started which military WWII bolt guns I had, I would have started with "Enfield,....".

WHY I sold it? I have no frigging idea. I never even cleaned the cosmo off of it. But until yesterday I was convinced I owned one. And I was convinced my 10/22 didn't have a scope.

Thinning the herd is on the way. Need a day to take pics so I can post some stuff up for sale. I've accumulated too much stuff - up to 85 firearms, I want to thin this collection down and recycle the money in to more rare and obscure "stuff".

That, and daddy "needs" an Accuracy International 338 Lapua.

N+1.
Click to expand...
Trent,

Your post definitely made me feel better as well as have a laugh or two :)...

-Cheers
 
Warning: Calculus ahead.

If the total number of firearms owned is X and time is T, then

dX/dT = X ln X + 1

This rate is doubled if the owner holds an 03.
 
Thankfully I haven't had to do calculus for 13 years.

It has been interesting to read the responses. I love the exchange of ideas and viewpoints you get on this forum.

Yes, most of us really mean "want" when we say "I need this gun," and yes, you definitely NEED to make sure you are taking care of your family before you spend money on a hobby (which is what it is to many of us, at least after the 1-3 guns or so that have real justifiable uses). I think/hope most of us understand that, and it is just a matter of semantics.

It is fun to dream and have the possibility of adding another gun to each of our collections, and I think that is what most of us have expressed.

I also think most of us would enjoy at least one more shooting outing each month (or year) than we are currently getting.
 
marv said:
So far I have not really needed ANY. Don't know how long I can keep it that way.
Click to expand...
Let's hope I never need them for anything but fun:
870 Marine Magnum (12 ga)
FNH SCAR 17S (.308 )
HK P7 (9mm)
Marlin Model 39 ( .22 )
The rest are optional/recreational...
 
It depends on ...

It depends on what YOU see as a guns purpose. Are they tools ? , then you need as many as it takes to complete whatever jobs you think yo may encounter. Are they valuable invesments to be possessed, then , all you can afford, just remember to diversify all your investments.
 
I had lots of guns in the safe once.....and countless calibers to keep up with for all the firearms :banghead:
Some time ago I decided so many guns and different ammos wasn't rational for me.....So, I asked that question; "What do I honestly need?"
When I got down too it I needed 5 firearms and 3 calibers....Over the years the collection has been through a few iterations, but I've stuck to my 5/3 rule...

-A rifle and pistol in .22lr for practice and fun shooting
-A small, light weight 9mm for EDC
-A "combat" 9mm pistol for HD/SHTF, plates, IDPA and range use
-A semi-auto carbine/rifle in 7.62x39 for SHTF and range use.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Lo-Profile
  • Locked
How many guns should one person own?
2 3 4
Replies
99
Views
4K
unspellable
U
D
  • Locked
  • Poll
How many *MORE* guns do you still want to buy before you are finished?
2 3 4
Replies
87
Views
3K
10X
1
R
  • Locked
how many duplicates do you own?
2 3
Replies
74
Views
3K
CajunBass
CajunBass
3
  • Locked
How many guns do you NEED?
2 3 4
Replies
84
Views
3K
Gewehr98
G
F
  • Locked
  • Poll
Poll. How many guns do you own?
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
Kobun
K
Back
Top