To me, if you are buying a gun to own and keep, rather than buying to sell in hopes of turning a profit, then you are "collecting" them, which makes you a "collector". It seems a little like infighting to me to say that only those who own the most rare or mint examples are "collectors".

The idea that a gun has to be rare or mint to be collectable is usually only found on boards like this one, and the many other gun boards on the net. When talking with fellow gun enthusiasts at the range, their idea of what constitutes a "collector" is very different from what you will find on the many gun boards, especially those that cater to one brand like S&W, Ruger, etc.. Many of them feel that if you own older guns (and/or) lots of them, that you are a collector, regardless of their vintage of monetary value.

I tend to fit into that class I guess, because I could care less about having the biggest collection of the rarest guns which simply sit idly by. Guns were meant to be shot, or else they wouldn't have a hole in the barrel, so I prefer to use them for what they were designed for. I simply get far more enjoyment from them in doing that. I also believe that you can shoot a fairly "collectable" gun without any remorse as long as you take care of it while at the range, and use proper cleaning techniques, especially if it was fired at some point prior to you buying it.