I need to get a better system for keeping records of my collection and need some ideas.

I have been using a business card album, making my own cards with all the info on them. Obviously the problem is when a “new” addition is added, every card has to be moved to stay in alphabetical and numeric order. I am not alone here and am NOT bragging, but with 102 examples currently this is an issue.

So how are you keeping an inventory of your collection?

Jim

I can't quite understand in this day and age why you would use pen, paper or in this case -- cards. This is something I see sometimes when we discuss (extremely important) log for handloading records.

It simply needs to be on a spreadsheet. With spreadsheet, information isneasily moved, ordered, manipulated and edited. And you can make 10 copies in one minute. You can store copies in multiple locations, even avoiding the cloud if the personal security of it isn't something you are ready to trust.

And if you are old school and need or enjoy a hard copy on paper... print one any time or print 10.

Backup on memory sticks... leave one in your gun safe, one at your kid's house, or maybe your brother. Hide one anywhere, all should be encrypted.

I use a data base program called Tap Forms 5.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just have a word doc saved on a Zip drive that gets updated when needed.

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Some Might Say.

I use an app, sortly. Allows you to store pictures along with notes.....

I use a software program that stores all data about each of my firearms.
The program is user friendly, you can include photos and print all data if you want a hard copy.
BurnSoft -Welcome to BurnSoft

I made my own Excel spreadsheet with a tab for every gun. Makes it easy to add or delete a gun. Then I saved it as a multi page PDF file, password protected and sent it to my son so he knows in case I'm no longer around. This is one page from the PDF file.

Attached Images

	2019-01-27_7-39-15.jpg (60.5 KB, 192 views)
	2019-01-27_7-48-01.jpg (112.3 KB, 132 views)

MS Excel for me. You could also use Google Sheets if you don't have or want to invest in a dedicated program. With Sheets, you can carry the inventory around on your phone...handy at gun shows if you suffer from Oldtimers and can't always remember what you already own...

like me

Couple nice guns there Mike.

I'm with Sevens on this one. A simple Excel spreadsheet is the easiest, simplest and most versatile solution. You can customize it to include or do anything you want. I keep a copy on all 3 of my current computers and a copy in the cloud in case my house burns down.

A database program is probably just as good if you are so inclined, but I personally find them tedious and cumbersome. I don't need to track 40 individual pieces of data on each firearm. I get by just fine tracking about a dozen and that's more than enough.

But I do have a problem and that is the safe storage of original paperwork, which is a very big deal where I live. I can scan and photograph documents until the cows come home, but I still need those originals. Right now, I keep them in a large clear-sleeved binder in my home. They really should be in a bank safe deposit box, but that's not convenient and I don't trust an el cheapo fireproof box or safe. Still working on that one.

I use an iPhone app called myArmsCache. Tracks guns, ammo, accessories, range trips, etc. You can email a spreadsheet to yourself anytime you want, and the data and pics back up to iCloud . . ..

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Microsoft Office's spreadsheet program Excel, or the spreadsheet program in a free office program like Libreoffice, can be setup to display every parameter that is important to you.

I've taken a liking to the free spreadsheet program in Google Docs. It does everything I need, and the program is cloud-based, thus available to me on every internet connected device, without needing to download a big program. Just log in to you Google Account from anywhere to use it. I can use it from my phone or tablet, but I prefer editing from the big screen and keyboard of a computer. I also have photos of each firearm, with serial number macro for each entry.

I use a spreadsheet for ammo as well.

I use a simple excel spreadsheet that I keep updated and backed up. My dad uses a card system that he has used since he started in the 1960s - basically 3x5 cards that are in metal box, sorta like a basic rolodex system. Like this, except all metal and made in the 60s:


If you want to use your existing cards, this is a good system that is easy to organize. Honestly, cards or spreadsheet, either works fine.

Google sheets. Cloud storage. New printed copy upon new acquisition or new info on existing item.

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On the whistle draw and fire 6

I use a word document for all info regarding the gun, transfer location, date etc. then I have a separate file folder with all the receipts. All the computer info I keep backed up on a flash drive

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-Matt

Excel spreadsheet for me also. Also keep a Word document for each firearm with picture and pertinent information about each piece. Print each page and put in three ring binder. Put prices i paid / date of purchase and update yearly with estimated current value. This is so when I pass family will have a good idea of how to value for estate or sale. Don't want heirs getting ripped off if they sell.

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes it looks like I need to move into the present times again. I’ve only had a cell phone for 5 years, and can barely operate here on the Forums, (took me forever to learn how to post pictures.)

I will look into all of the suggested options and find the one that suits me best. I had no idea I could attach pictures to information so that is what I need. Even though I’m not 60 yet my wife is freaking out that she’s gonna be stuck with a “mess”. I don’t know why she thinks I’m going out first.

Jim

I use a different page to keep them in separate categories---10-22's, J-Frames, Shotguns, small bore rifle, big bore rifle, single sixes, etc. Copy (thumb-drive) on the computer, copy in the safe, copy in my file with insurance agent, copy in briefcase.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

I have had on excel spreadsheet for over 15 years. I keep two files, one is S&W Only, and one for all guns. The one that is all guns I include the purchase price and the current value, (which I update about annually or so), and the total amount I list as an asset on my financial status file.

Whenever I sell one I cut and paste that item onto a different spreadsheet of only "Previously owned guns" and list the date sold and disposition.

All the guns I have have hang tags on them with the pertinent information so my wife or children can pick it up and tell just what it is and what is worth. I hope to have all of them sold before they have to worry about it, but I keep dragging my feet disposing of very many.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I use Microsoft Access. You can import/export to and from Word and Excel, sort on anything, and create macros to manipulate information in any way you desire. There are no practical limits to what you can do with it.

‘Cause she has the combination to your safe?

i created an excel spreadsheet to capture firearm, range trip, cleaning and ammo information. its easy to produce and edit.

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There's nowt so queer as folk

As bigwheelzip mentioned, I also track my ammo inventory on a separate sheet in the Excel file. Makes it very simple to see what I have, what I need and what I paid. I bring the empty boxes back from the range and adjust the inventory after each session.

lots of people suggesting Excel or similar... it's what that software is designed for.

I WOULD have a current, up-to-date hard copy printed out, because cloud or not, we know computers and electronics can go down, get hacked, files get corrupted and/or deleted, etc.

To be honest, I still have a book with the info handwritten into it. That book also has other personal stuff, like passwords etc.

No tragic boating accident here yet... ... but my slightly more realistic worry (in regard to a major loss) would be a house fire... and without good records kept in a safe place, I'm betting that my firearms insurance company... no matter how good... is not going to be impressed with me reciting my entire collection from my half-senile old memory.

Hence less reliance on paper and even computer drives/sticks... and more reliance on "The Cloud"!

And yes, bank safe deposit boxes too, nuisance factor notwithstanding.

I just have a basic list on my phone with a copy on my laptop and a backup thumb drive. I also keep the sales receipts in a folder inside a document safe. I've got to update my system.

I use Excel spreadsheet. I back it up on a flash drive and the hard drive. I also print a hard copy. I also use MS Word and create a page for each weapon, a color photo, pertinent data and store that and produce a hard copy.

Finally I keep a hard file copy of every data piece on every weapon in a file cabinet. When and if I sell the gun a copy is made for the buyer if they so desire.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

We have all the information here on the Macs both in Apple Numbers and also Excel with multiple backups. The form that AJGunner has is very close to what we have set up showing brand, model, caliber, etc. For those who don't have IWork or MS Office and don't want to pay for Office or Excel there are very nice alternatives that are compatible like Open Office and Libre Office.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Call me old fashioned but nothing important and/or sensitive goes on my phone, computer or into the iCloud!

I keep all my info in a hard bound notebook and paste a photo next to it so unfamiliar people can identify a particular firearm. Computers can be stolen, hacked into, seized, whatever! A hand written notebook stored discretely makes more sense to me.

Show off Obviously, a data base gives the utmost in flexibility, but not many of us have that expertise. Since Excel became so powerful, I neglected to keep up my skills with Access, because I didn't need to, or if I did, I asked some kid in the next office.

For the record (!) I keep a single spreadsheet with about 15 fields on each gun including a column for a clickable link to the photo. A copy of the file is regularly backed up and stored in safe locations. A mysterious slowdown has occurred, in that I actually did take pictures of all the guns (well, except the last few...), but no one has yet gone to the trouble of actually inserting the links in the spreadsheet. I hope to finish that project before I die or before I forget which photo belongs to which gun, whichever comes first. It seems like the photos would be really helpful for someone trying to make sense of the mess. Serial numbers rule of course, but photos can provide a quick reference.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

You might also want to take a look at "NM Collectors Software" [nmcollectorsoftware.com]. Its primarily developed for gun collections but can also handle coins, knives, jewelry, household inventory, etc. I've found it covers about all the data you care to record about your firearms including cost/value, accessories, notes, storage locations, photos, etc. plus you can add custom fields. It can also deal with your acqusition & disposal activies. You can extract information for customized reports for printing. I have it running on an external hard drive that I can take with me in an emergency.

I've inventoried a number of gun collections for an appraiser friend and only one had a somewhat up-to-date inventory that the heirs could locate. Hopefully my survivors will find my inventory useful in accounting for my small collection and getting fair sale prices for the items.

I use one called Gun Safe.
A freeware program I picked up a few years ago, but I can't remember where.

I have it all up here (Pointing to that body part that houses the brain.) Wait, what are we, never mind! Use a computer. Really. I only have about 10 to 15 firearms plus one Crossman BB gun! All written on a piece of paper, or several, and in the cyberworld floating around in Os & 1s. Good luck. Peace, JLT PGH PA

To CORNHUSKER: Oh, by the way...you picked up a gun safe for free a few years ago? You are one bad mo fo to pick up a full sized gun safe by yourself! I heard the good ones are kinda heavy! Kuddos to you, my new friend!!! Here's to one of the best! Peace! Jeff...

I have it all up here (Pointing to that body part that houses the brain.) Wait, what are we, never mind! Use a computer. Really. I only have about 10 to 15 firearms plus one Crossman BB gun! All written on a piece of paper, or several, and in the cyberworld floating around in Os & 1s. Good luck. Peace, JLT PGH PA

Excel table in landscape format, sorted in alphabetical order.

In my safe, I have a folder with all of my hard copy paperwork, like receipts and such, and a ledger like list/index of all the stuff I have. I've been doing this since I bought my first firearm, it works for me and I have no reason to change. The real reason is that I'm too lazy to input all that info.

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Thread Killer.

Darn, you guys made me stop and think. I used Point Blank that I down loaded 10 years ago. Doesn't allow pictures but has load info and gun info.

But it's time to replace it after 10 years. I want something that will run on my Mac or Windows computer, nothing on a phone. I'll be watching this thread closely.

On my data drive, I have a folder named Gun Data. Inside this folder is a folder for each gun I own, with descriptive folder names such as S&W 686-4 (see attached picture). Each of these folders contain digital photographs of the gun, from all angles and including a close-up of the serial number. Also in the folder is a simple text file containing a description of the gun and the serial number typed out. If I remember where and when I purchased the gun, I'll include that information. I know, this is a simple way of doing it, nothing fancy to say the least, but this method serves me well for all kinds of applications. I can copy/backup/archive the info in any number of ways.

Attached Images

gundata.jpg (14.9 KB, 25 views)

Another vote for an excel spreadsheet that I keep in the cloud (and a periodic saved copy on a thumb drive).

I'm doing mine in Excel. At work I used to use Excel often but not in the last ten years or so, wow, I sure got rusty! But it is coming back. Looks good.
Steve W

I keep a spreadsheet with model, serial number, finish, barrel length, and any other remarkable features. Probably don't update it often enough. Then, I (1) email it to my personal email and (2) save it in a secure electronic case file at work and finally (3) save it on my desktop. The information resides in several places for easy remote access.

An old school method that works well for me, look at AG Russell , they sell a lot of knives but have a great ( my view) inventory notebook with sheets for pistols, rifles, shotguns, knives, and books to keep them in. You can by extra sheets for any group.

Well, there are definitely a few good options listed here but the OP has 102 guns and some of the given options would be hard to file for the OP because of the sheer number of guns. This is a problem, that I understand just too well ...

All it takes is time . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Having a few more guns than the OP, I beg to differ. It is hard to get a whole lot of info into one file and still have an overview with just one glance.

That is why I have an excel table with 21 rows per page, alphabetically sorted with continuing numbers. Separately filed but under the same stock number are the corresponding photos.

Still a lot of work to get everything fed into the system at the start but it works for me and I can find the important info right away. I do not worry about what will happen to my guns after my demise, I infected my sons with my disease, eh ... hobby.

I keep two inventories: one for all the guns I currently own and one for all the guns sold or traded away. They are both Word documents simply because I include all the detail I need to remember on each, and a table is not flexible enough for my needs. I list the type, whether it was customized and by whom, when it was bought, from whom and for how much, when it was customized, by whom and the cost, what non-standard parts or features it has and their cost and the total value. All the info above is in the Sold inventory as well, plus when it was sold, to whom and for how much. On the currently owned inventory I bold the total values and from time to time add them up to determine my current investment. I'm not overly concerned about the total since I know approximately how much I have in it at any given time. I don't include pictures on the inventories, but do have pictures saved of almost all the guns I currently own, and most of those that I have sold.
Keith

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Keith Herrington

Wow..... After reading all this, I need to get more organized. I just put the receipt in the box or if no box just save the receipt in my files.

Years back when I got my FFL03 (C&R) I was advised by a LGS owner and friend of mine to treat my buying and selling same as if I had a FFL 01 and keep a "bound book" at minimum and a separate financial file for estate, tax, and insurance purposes.

The most handy "form" I found was the NRA issued "Firearms Acquisition and Disposition Record". This is a quality bound book, hardcover, BATF rules posted in the appendix section along with other valuable tips. The book sold for $5.00 at the time (don't know what they cost now a days, or if they are even still available).

I have never written (longhand) anything on any page of my book, as my local BATF guy (actually a lady) told me to just make an electronic copy of one blank page and then fill in everything electronically using Adobe which I have done ever since. The BATF considers a three ring note book with the Firearms "record" information to be a valid "bound book".

So my "organization" now consists of the "record" (see blank form attached) in hard copy, and electronically, a Word file folder named "Gun write-ups" containing a separate folder for each firearm, with my research findings, gun condition, and a photo (see Python example attached), and a third Excel file containing gun type, s/n, current "value" with two (2) columns, dated (1 - my appraisal, 2 - either closed auctions/local sales/Blue Book/Forums, etc.). This is mostly due to my age and not wanting the wife or kids to dump everything without some info on value.

Lastly a separate folder electronically titled "Gun Photos" containg ,for each firearm, full size digital pics, and reduced size digital pics (for e-mailing and Fourm uploads, local sales listings, etc.).

Sounds complicated and labor intensive?........No way.....the gun write-up is the most time consuming, but also the most fun, because here is where you compile all those wonderful tips and notes from the Forum Members (the real experts) and list what sets your treasure apart from the run-of-the mill specimens we all run across.

A backup cheap thumb drive is also in my Bank safety deposit box.

I'm really not concerned when the BATF comes knocking for an audit, and I have a little piece of mind that my heirs will at least have an idea of the guns so they can "intelligently" do with them what they please after I'm gone and the "spoken for" ones have been transferred to the ones that spoke for them.

NOW.........to get started on organizing, recording, and photographing all that "stuff" I call "gun gear" (vintage holsters, vintage slings, 1911 WWII magazines, extra stocks, military web gear, bayonets, specialized gunsmith tools, vintage ammo, extra boxes and docs....blah...blah...blah).

Attached Files

	BATF - Gun Log Record - Blank.pdf (256.5 KB, 22 views)
	Sample sold gun.pdf (98.1 KB, 9 views)

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

I use the myArmsCache app also.
Seems like a really good way to keep up with all of them.
Recently started going through and adding all the firearms with notes relating to each.
Seems like a good program.

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Some men, you just can't reach