A while back I posted that I was losing my intrest in 22s and 357s. Recently, I have an attitude working on me that if I don't shoot it, I don't need it. Now, this question is playing over and over in my mind that asks, why anything other than 45s.

I have 3 Ruger Blackhawk convertables that will handle any 45 load be it mild or wild. I have a 25, and a 1917 that shoot my acps or auto rim. My CCW is a Sig Stainless Carry in 45ACP. Then there is a few other 1911s in the safe to choose from and a 25 in 45 Colt that I have not shot yet.

What the heck is wrong with me? The 44s, 40s, 10s are starting to feel neglect. Has anyone else gone through this mental cut-back mode?

I used to be all about the N frame. Then I found some nice deals on a few K frames. Suddenly I realized I had more K frames than I did N frames. Before all that I was all about double stack 9mm’s. Then I realized when I went to the range I shot my 1911 more than anything else. Next thing I knew I had half a dozen 1911’s. I was at one point a S&W snob and looked down my nose at any other brand of revolver. Now I have a huge love of Blackhawks, Redhawks, Securuty Sixes, GP100’s, SP101’s, and on and on… I listened to everyone trash, smash, and bash Taurus until I finally bought one. Then I bought a few more. They haven’t given me the first problem. In rifles, I thought my grandfather’s BAR’s reigned supreme since they were good old steel, accurate hunting rifles, and the gas system ate up some of the recoil. Then I bought my first Remington 700… My whole point is that tastes change, sometimes you have misconceptions, or sometimes you never knew what you were missing. I certainly never thought I would miss my SKS or that my AK would be such a fun range gun. Live and learn, I guess. But never give any of them up. You will find that you will miss them dearly and pay through the nose to get them back.

I've only made the mistake of selling guns " I wasn't using" once.Over the years I've found I prefer tiny bullets in rifles and big fat bullets in handguns.But every now and then it's fun to pull out a 22 or 357 to play with for awhile and if you have sold them off ,we all know where that is headed ;-)

Don't sell them off. Keep what you have and buy more. They aren't necessarily a good investment, but they are a good store of value. Do you really think there won't come a time when you will want to shoot your .22s (especially) and your .38/.357s? I have "too many guns," but I rationalize a gun purchase, for instance my latest, the Ruger Flattop .45 Convertible, by saying that I don't play golf, and that the price of the gun is probably less than two or three weekends of golf. (Feel free to use that one if you want to.) I might sell one every now and then, but it will usually be a duplicate, and only to finance another gun purchase.

If you keep having those bad vibes, "if I don't shoot it, I don't need it," you might want to seek professional help. This forum is a wonderful place for an intervention, which is what we are doing now.

__________________
Georgia On My Mind

This is just my opinion, but I would keep them. In 1980 I got my first revolver, a 4" 19-3. Later I got a 18-3. I gave the 19 to my father. A family member sold it off. I moved on to the .44's and .45's. There were years when I only shot .45's... lot's and lot's of .45's. Then my daughters were born and I had to adjust. I began to shoot lots and lots of .22LR in that 18 and occasionally I'd get to shoot the .45's. Now 25 years later, I love and enjoy my .45's, and I shoot them as I can. But I positively shoot the 18 far more than any other revolver I own. I've found I greatly enjoy the 15 and 28 that I own. They are not the largest or loudest. But I greatly enjoy them. To replace them would be difficult at anything close to a reasonable price and when I bought them demand for such revolvers was not so high. If you are certain you will not again want the .22 or .38/.357 revolvers, then selling them may for you be a good move. But do remember if later you want to replace them, it will not be so easy. I've been down that road. Again, this is just my opinion. Sincerely. brucev.

__________________
<><

"The man who sells a motorcycle receives money. He spends the money, and then he has nothing. The man who keeps his motorcycle always has a motorcycle."

This old proverb applies just as well to guns.

Keep em. That is all.

Sir, thanks to a layoff a couple years ago (), I went through a literal cut-back mode. I kept the .45s and a .22 and let the .357s, .44s, 9mm, and various other things go. My life is much simplified, which is nice, but I miss some of "the departed."

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

__________________
Wishin' don't make it so.

I find I sometimes slowly cycle through types of guns. Of late I have dusted off the single action Rugers and for some reason I shoot them better than I used to. Plus they always were good guns, and are somewhat "new" to me all over again.

I've sold off some good guns in the past, because if I wanted something new something old had to go to help finance it. But mostly when I sold a gun I got only filthy old cash for it and all too soon both the gun AND the money were gone to parts unknown.

(Sniff.)

I am nowhere near the phase you are in. I am acquiring guns as needs dictates. But somehow I always get sidetracked. I wanted something to CCW like an officer model 1911 but 'discovered' CDNN and their wonderful deals on 5906's. Sidetracked. I wanted to go fish and hunt more often and wanted a woods gun. A good single action 45LC but found a Security Six instead. Sidetracked.

So, I have to try to save enough money to buy a CCW gun and kinda still wanting a SA. Unless of course another deal presents itself.

Then of course there's always a back up hunting shotgun I need when weather turns foul, I need the high power rifle for a future elk hunt, I need a .22LR SA gun to finish up multiple bricks of ammo, I need..., I need..., I need...

My father always told me "never sell a gun". I never understood why he always said that. In turn he has passed down his most treasured rifles to me, and they mean the world to me. We never know what tomorrow holds for this society. Face it, our society is close to reaching capacity. Im not saying massive social unrest is imminent, but something has to give.

Ride out your feelings of wanting to sell. Take whatever you're considering selling and put them in the back of the safe for awhile. I would imagine when you pull them out again, you'll be glad you kept them.

__________________
Un-Reconstructed Southerner

What's with the verbiage "Need"??

You only "need" one gun.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

22 .. still have one, though I havnt fired it in nearly a decade.
since it cant be reloaded it gathers dust. though I just dont know what tomorrow will bring so it retains a place.
357 .. Ive never really thumbed my nose at this caliber, I just found that it is usually surpassed in some way by something else. it'll never be the game getter the 44 or 41 magnums are. but then again, in small critters where the mighty 4's become blatant overkill, 30 and 357 properly loaded seem to have an appeal.
For the record I carry the calibers of 45,44 and 400 corbon almost exclusively, but these "inferior oddballs" end up being members of the special collection.

__________________
it just needs more voltage

Wow, i'm not smart enough to understand your post. Or, perhaps I don't see your humor.

Good Morning:
Just trying to be humorous, sorry it went the wrong way.
Selling your weapons should be considered carefully.
Put the ones you are considering selling away for a few months.
Possible you will want to shoot them again after a period of time.
I think most of us regrets selling a weapon after it is gone.
Jimmy

I understand where you're coming from, I admit, I've thought about downsizing from time to time.

All I have to do is remember: I've never sold a gun or a guitar that I didn't eventually regret getting rid of.

[For some reason, this does not apply to trading up]

Len

__________________
Qui me amat, amet et canem meum

Put down the guns, take two aspirin, and think it over in the morning.

Seriously, you have been given some pretty good advice.
I am kind of in the same stage. I have been carefully pruning things a little. I have kept the guns that have sentimental value and the ones most likely to be shot in the future.

I have sold some duplicates and such and parked the money to use on "nicer" old timers that I really enjoy looking at and trying out.

These guns may wind up as things that can be passed on to family and friends that are not a "taxable event" when the time comes.

Like I say, put the guns down and give some serious consideration in what you want to do.

So far I haven't sold anything that I really miss, and I have picked up some pretty nice new toys to entertain myself with for the next few years.

Guns are "things." Do what suits you with them. I went through a "caliber simplification sell off" a couple years back. Nothing but 12 ga shotguns, .223 and 308 for rifles, .38/.357 mag, .44mag, .45 acp/Colt for handguns. And a few long and short .22's left. Don't particularly miss any of the .410, 20 ga, 30-30, 30-06, .270, 7.62x39, .35 rem, .32 long/acp, .25acp and probably a half dozen I can't recall at this (senior) moment. Joe

__________________
Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Very good advise from all. Thank you very much. I went to the range today like I do each week. I found myself grab the 45 Ruger with both cylinders, the 1911 carry, and the 1917. I didn't have a gun with me that shot a round younger than 100 years.

Every cattleman knows that occasionally you have to thin the herd. Keep what you use, think you will use and what you like.

__________________
Front sight and squeeze

"Keep what you use, think you will use and what you like." Unfortunately that applies to about 95% of my collection.

I once sold a really nice Hi Standard Military Trophy model to buy a K22 that I was hot for, and I was not shooting bullseye. The K22 wouldn't shoot for nothing!! A few years later, I got back into bullseye and traded the K22, at a great loss, by the way, for a Hi Standard that was a Military, but not the Trophy model. I will not part with this one and now have a couple of older K22's that are very accurate. The point is that situations and interests change back and forth and you may again need, want that very gun you sold, traded just a few years ago, and now you can't find anywhere for a reasonable price. Just consider!

__________________
Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102