What do you collect? Try to find new theme.

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Redcoat3340

Redcoat3340

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I'm not quite a collector. I have a bunch of themes running through the firearms I own, but I'm not the kind of collector who has original SSAs or museum quality anything.
I've got good shooters....and I target (so to speak) a few different areas:
S&W 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations in 9 and 45 (I'm just missing a 3rd gen 39 ala 3904, 3906 or 909).
German police pistols (and P7s, P88s, and Sig 210s or beyond my budget)
S&W revolvers in both 38s&w (all top breaks) and 38 special (all shooters, but one from every time period from 1900 on)
and "bargains" like the Beretta PX4 in 45 I picked up for a pittance.

I've got sufficient for home defense and carry...Shield in .45, 45 M&P, and some Sigs so I'm on the hunt for an affordable niche to fill the safe.

So I'm wondering what other folks collect. Trying to figure out a new theme for what I look for (finding stuff is half the fun). k
 
My primary collecting area is the issued long arms of all combatants in the First World War.
My secondary area is Finnish military long arms in general.
I'm also gathering examples of World War 2 long arms other than those with Nazi markings.
I just cant stomach those guys.
As a background collection I'm gathering samples of the hunting rifles of Joe Ordinary and his cousin, Bubba.
 
Well, I don't know about "collecting" as such, but I do belong to the Smith & Wesson Collector's Association. I should probably use white-out on the card and change that to Accumulator's Association. My favorite thing to happen across is old S&W revolvers in .32 Long-- they're not usually very expensive and are fun to shoot. Anything in .38, .357, and .45ACP from before, say, 1980 catches my attention as well, but I don't chase after the high-end stuff like Registered Magnums and such. If I were twenty or thirty years younger, I'd set out to have every revision and version of the Model 10. That would be fun.
 
I am more of an accumulator of surplus military rifles and pistols, rather than a collector. A collector needs some focus and this I lack. I started buying as many WW I and WW II arms as possible, but I have added some earlier guns, like the US Krag, and some cold war pieces as well.. I love to shoot these when possible and I get a kick out of loading ammo for them. Most of my stuff was purchased when the surplus was coming in steadily back in the late 1990's and early 2000's, so prices were very reasonable. That was the tail end of golden era, I believe.
 
I have a "gun collection" that consists of original US military firearms (Garand, P17, 1911/1911A1, Krag, etc.), along with a few "special" guns: A python, a series 70 Gold Cup, a 1963 super 38, a 1943 nazi mauser with all matching numbers an no import marks, and a nylon 66. These are a gun collection, because they are all valuable and not as common as what you would buy somewhere like Wal Mart or Academy, and rarely if ever actually fired. I also have a "collection of guns". These are guns I use for things like CCW and HD (a bunch of Glocks) and some more modern guns like various AR's and long range rifles. Also several rifles and shotguns suitable for hunting. These are guns that get used regularly, and I'm not worried about them getting a scratch on them while they are being used.
 
I lean towards replica firearms from the different historic eras. Flintlock Jaeger, percussion plains rifle, Civil War pistols and rifles, old west pistols and rifles, WW1 pistol, WW2 rifle and so and and so forth. Not to mention my modest EDC collection.
 
Walkalong

I'm pretty much like you in that respect. No central theme or collection going on, I just buy guns that interest me and are fun to shoot. Over the years I seem to have accumulated quite a few 9mm. handguns and I also have a tendency to gravitate somewhat to 1911 pistols; Colts in particular.
 
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I have a weakness for single shot rifles.
I have H&Rs in .204, .30-06, 7mm-08, 12ga, 12ga slug.
Keeping an eye out for a .223, and a .45-70.
Leverguns in .22, ,22mag, .357, .30-30. Watching for a .45colt SRC
 
Grandpa's hunting rifle. I didn't grow up hunting, but when I started in my late 30's, I snapped and went looking for "my" rifle. I bought most of the classic rifles you'd see in the field in the 40's-80's in calibers that are almost in danger of becoming obsolete. 30-30, 300 savage, 35 Rem., .303 British, 30-06, .270, 8mm. You get the idea. There's more, but......
Now, I have such a tough time figuring out which one to take with me except for opening day. I take the Marlin 336 that was given to me by a dear departed friend. I also live in the stupid shotgun only county here in CNY so the second safe has a whole other list of choices.
 
I don't really collect anything at the moment. There is only one thing that I own multiples of (3 Blackhawks), and they get the snot shot out of them.

I do want to start collecting something though, but they will be shot often as well.
I love the old West and want to collect as many revolvers as possible from the time period. I'm talking about reproductions.
I want to get them all from the BP revolvers to cartridge conversions to the Colt, Remington and S&W clones. I just love the era, and imagine all the fun shooting them all.
 
30-30 Lever actions no real reason, I don’t have a ton maybe 6 or so I just really enjoy the rifle/cartridge combo- I hunt with two of them but the rest are just in the safe and occasionally shot. I have a bunch of other guns but except for 1911s just one of each
But if I see a Win 94 at a decent price I usually buy it
 
I don’t collect specifics, such as focusing on old Colts, Pre 64 Winchester’s, pre-lock S&W revolvers, etc.

I do however, collect firearms. I guess because I like them all.

Revolvers, autos, bolt rifles, AR’s, lever guns, shotguns, etc. all haunt my safe. I have some WWII veterans from the US. England and Germany, a variety of semi auto Remington shotguns, 13 levers, 7 ARs, a Gernan Mark V I have never shot, a growing batch of .22’s... yadda-yadda. :)

I believe I do own more Rugers than other makes, but since the Ruger clan consists of autos, DA and SA revolvers, semi auto rifles and bolt rifles in both center fire and rim... and a lone Red Label 28 ga OU shotgun...even my Ruger ‘collection’ is diverse :thumbup:.

One surely may focus on a specific type or brand, and I tip my hat to those who do and eventually amass a nice variety of their chosen arms. I guess I am too much of a ping-pong ball and just can’t stay focused long enough on one thing to buy several of one type/brand/caliber in a row.

Stay safe!
 
I focus on lever action rifles and S&W revolvers from between the 60s and 90s.

I might buy anything but my main LGS will always be quick to show me any used lever gun or pre-lock S&W they just took in.
 
I feel like a collector has a specific goal and a method, so I’m not sure I really fall into that camp. But I do have an itch to own several of the popular metal framed military sidearms of the 20th century. They don’t necessarily have to be surplus or the exact type, just the general style. Already have a 1911, CZ 75b and Hi Power. Working on a Beretta 92/M9 next. Would like a 226 eventually too, as well as a Walther P38. I’d love to have a Luger someday, but I probably would never cough up the money for one.
 
For years I collected post war "pinned" S&W revolvers. I also have a C&R license so I travel down that road now and then looking for a hidden gem but not anything in particular.
I buy what I like and lately it's been pistol caliber carbines. I've sold some of my Smith's and Colts to satisfy that itch but such is life. No regrets.
 
I started to drift from a shooter to the dark realm of collecting firearms when C&R bolt action rifles and their ammo was an inexpensive way to have diversity in the gun safe. When Wondernines captured everybodies interest, I ventured into the then overlooked older S&W revolvers, which could be bought at good prices.

In my quest for well made and accurate revolvers, I eventually bought my own first Korth after having shot some that were owned by friends decades before I bought mine. I was immediately intrigued and started a collection before prices and collector interest spiked a few years ago. Right now my interest is once again turning to my (shooting) roots, I get back into rimfire target pistols.
 
Redcoat3340 said:
I'm not quite a collector. I have a bunch of themes running through the firearms I own, but I'm not the kind of collector who has original SSAs or museum quality anything.
I've got good shooters....and I target (so to speak) a few different areas:
S&W 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations in 9 and 45 (I'm just missing a 3rd gen 39 ala 3904, 3906 or 909).
German police pistols (and P7s, P88s, and Sig 210s or beyond my budget)
S&W revolvers in both 38s&w (all top breaks) and 38 special (all shooters, but one from every time period from 1900 on)
and "bargains" like the Beretta PX4 in 45 I picked up for a pittance.

I've got sufficient for home defense and carry...Shield in .45, 45 M&P, and some Sigs so I'm on the hunt for an affordable niche to fill the safe.

So I'm wondering what other folks collect. Trying to figure out a new theme for what I look for (finding stuff is half the fun). k
Click to expand...
At one point I was trying to get all of the major interwar "art deco" pocket pistols. There is such a great design diversity to collect with these little guns, everything from the Colt Pocket Hammerless to the Savage and H&R automatics to the PP and '14 Mausers.
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
At one point I was trying to get all of the major interwar "art deco" pocket pistols. There is such a great design diversity to collect with these little guns, everything from the Colt Pocket Hammerless to the Savage and H&R automatics to the PP and '14 Mausers.
Click to expand...
-I wish that I could find any of these little guns.
Here on the border, anything pocketable that is in a non-military caliber is pretty much doomed to cross over to Mexico before I ever see it.
 
I used to collect Winchester models from the 1890s.
I sold them off except for a '92 movie prop gun, a '94 carbine that was part of my survival kit when I flew a Super Cub in AK and a '94 rifle I kept for hunting
I also collected WW1 US military arms, but those went as well when we were blessed with children (expensive children, LOL!)
 
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