Question: Is there a particular focus to your collecting, and if so, how focused are you? Are you a pre-war .44 only kind of guy, or maybe a J-frame junkie? I believe most of us will usually pick up the occasional too-good-to-pass-up gun, even if it's not really what we've been looking for, but there are those who might view it as trade stock or an investment, while others might see it as an opportunity to expand their collecting horizons.

Personally, I have a very broad focus, on S&W revolvers in general, with a nod toward some of the more interesting autos. My goal has been to have a "representative" collection, with as many different factory features as I could get. Barrel lengths, frame sizes, stocks, calibers, finishes; all along I've tried to find something different about every acquisition. I have been acquainted with collectors who passionately sought a very select set of features and would snap up every one they could find. On the other hand, I couldn't produce any two identical guns out of my gun safe.

IMG_5180.jpg
Top to bottom:
M57 8-3/8"
4-Screw 4" M15
.32 Double Action 4th Model
M39 no-dash

So, I thought this might make for an interesting conversation. I could be wrong, of course. I was once before...

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Ain't This Fun Though?

If I have a focus, I'm limited to things for which I can reload.

Since you didn't ask, yes I can and do load and cast for 22LR.

No ammo = no firearm.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

My focus at the moment are 3rd gen .40 and .45 caliber pistols, the two reasons being they are pistols that will never be made again and they are still at a price point that won't break the bank. The days of me spending $900+ on Smiths are a thing of the past since my wife retired about 8 months ago.

Since I pretty much consider my revolver collection complete, I still keep an eye out for good condition, reasonably priced specimens (mainly in J- and K- frame) since the N's are usually beyond my price point, but those opportunities seem to be mostly a thing of the past too.

If I like it, I buy it. (Within the limits if my finances)

I have/had a collection of collections. My original S&W collection was to assemble at least one of every chambering made by S&W. I was within about 4 or five of completing it when I just got bored with the lack of anything I was lacking and could afford. (44 Rimfire, 38/40 and several of the odd British flavors). I gave up about when they started to come out with the boutique chamberings. So far I've kept most of my big bore Smiths, but they have to be older than I am.
I had a fling at .22 autos and single shots that look like autos, but that just didn't have any staying power.

My latest is cartridge Military Rifles, WW1 and earlier. (Preferably pre 1900) This all came about after I picked up a batch of old bayonets at a garage sale and thought, hmm, now I need rifles to go with them.
This is getting out of control as I now am pushing around 50 rifle/bayonet combos and storage space is getting more difficult to find.
(I am also finding that some of those bayonets are more costly than the rifle they go on....)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

None whatsoever for me. I like pre-bans (Valmets and Belgian FALs), WWII Walther P38s (not Mauser or Spreewerk), oddball 22s, Interarms memorabilia, early Weatherbys, and the occasional S&W. I’m all over the place.

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Some Might Say.

I think this is a *great* question, and, like you, I hope it sparks a long and interesting conversation. Here is my too-long contribution:

I have had the “collector gene” since birth, and I know that whenever I become interested in something I must keep a tight focus; otherwise I’ll just buy whatever I see. This focus will broaden and shift as the collection grows, but it’s always there.

While I’ve always owned guns, I didn’t start collecting them until after retiring from the US Army, as moving with guns (particularly overseas) was a hassle. Once I settled down I started with stainless J-frames. They were easy to find, relatively inexpensive, and I’ve had a deep affection for snub nose revolvers since childhood (the first handgun I ever shot was a Model 36). I didn’t want an example of every model and variant, only an example of each style.

After completing this small, but perfectly formed, collection with a Model 60, and 649, and a 640 I started reading books about Smith and Wesson history and became interested in the evolution of the short-barreled Hand Ejector. I decided I needed an early example, so I looked for, and found, a very nice “pre-improved” .32 HE from 1949.

As I continued to learn more about guns of the early post-war years I acquired a copy of the 1952 “Centennial Catalog.” This gave me the idea of collecting an example of each snub revolver from this period, so over the course of a couple of years I added an M&P, a Terrier, a Baby Chief, and a very early Centennial.

Last year I acquired a copy of Tim Mullin’s “The K-Frame Revolver,” which led to an interest in the evolution of the snubnose M&P. I picked up a 2” 10-5, and my most recent acquisition is a very nice 2” M&P from 1940. I am now keeping my eyes peeled for an early 2” Model 64.

To make this very long story short, my current collecting focus is round-butt, fixed-sight S&W revolvers with 2” barrels. I don’t know what the future holds; I may expand into models with adjustable sights, but Lord help me if I ever get into N-frames...

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Mark Lathem

I was collecting S&W .357s and .38s. After my 2018 fire when so many got water and "foam" stained inside my safe I liquidated the bulk of my revolvers and now I'm just an accumulator.

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Come and take it!!

I buy what I like.......And keep it.........Being at this age and retired......I "slingshot" my purchases........Meaning I have a gun fund envelope in the safe that I add to when I can.......So I scrimp and save till I can afford it.....Don't sell one(or 2) to purchase another....Never have ...Never will.

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S&W Accumulator

Well...uh...more like a madness to my method.

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de minimus non curat lex

I like milsurps but surplus stuff is mostly on the secondary market and is getting pricey.

I like police trades, they are, for the most part cheap and in pretty good condition.

I buy what I think is cool and affordable.

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Thread Killer.

If the price is right, I'll buy it. This even applies to non-S&W pieces (lol).

Some around here say you are not a true collector unless you have an area of focus.
I focus on the gun in my hand while I'm considering the purchase. That's about all the focusing I can handle.

I started buying guns in 1989 and it was not until somewhere around 2013 or 2014 when I had an epiphany and after that long expanse of time, my collection of guns actually found a focus.

The center of all that I love most in firearms are the S&W Performance Center Limited single action only target pistols. 845’s, PPC-9, 945’s, 952’s, 4006 Limited. And the model 52’s slide right in there perfectly… “Performance Center” before the Performance Center existed.

I have a small collection, as such. Started out with some J-frames. A 60, a 36, a 38, then a 637 to have a new version. Then went to finding antiques. 1913 .38 hand ejector, and a 1923 .44 hand ejector. Then some modern designs, post war targets, a 1947 .38, 1948 .22, and a 1950 pre-10 M&P .38 (my near-birthday revolver). Still looking for a 38-44 "just to have one". Two 3rd gen semis, a 3913 and a 6906. A 617-6 for the "big" .22 target revolver. I look at all as good examples of the craftsmanship history of S&W.

I also have some Rugers, almost all single action. Two .44 Vaqueros, one .44 mag and one a Lipseys .44 spl. Several .22's. Single Six, Single Ten, three Wranglers, including a Talo birdshead shopkeeper. A MkII HB target to round it out. Two GP100's - one .357, one .44 spl. Most recent purchase is a .45 Colt Blackhawk. Looked for a new one priced right for years - got lucky. Odd man is a stainless Old Army, with a .45 conversion cylinder.

All get used at the range, except the 1913 and the 1923. It's not that I'm afraid to shoot them. I'm sure they are fine with factory ammo, I just don't want to. Both looked unfired when I bought them, and both are factory nickel. Don't want to even think about cleaning them after a session.

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Heavily armed old man.

I collect .22 boy's rifles with most being Winchesters. In the last couple of years I have completed getting at least one example of every .22 single shot Winchester produced. I have most of the model 69s and 75s. I got all the different chamberings of the 1890/90s. Many other various .22s and several milsurps.

I also have some very nice S&Ws, mostly older blue and wood. Pretty much a full bunch of S&W .22 revolvers.

I think I really just collect safes, then fill them up with guns.

I was relatively new to shooting way back in the late 80’s when a buddy of my brother came up with a rifle that I found quite curious… the Winchester Model 55.

What an odd design — it was a self-ejecting slam-fire open bolt single shot! Have you got one of these?

This is certainly a guide post for a lot of my acquisitions. That's how I picked up my chromed Luger, Finnish L-35 Lahti pisotl, Government Model with the Gold Cup slide and Bar-Sto barrel, customized 9mm Series 70 Colt and .455 Mark VI Webley revolver.

But there were some areas that involved a little more focus. These were Russian arms with Finnish capture marks, 30-06 US military rifles and S&W N frames.

But probably where I got my strongest focus occurred when I started getting into precision handgun on a serious basis, and wanted some good target arms. Somebody over in the next county had a pre-series 70 Colt Government Model for sale that had been customized by John Giles, one of the old time pistolsmiths. From there I acquired a complete battery of bullseye guns that had been customized by John Giles, plus a few extras. I actually got to talk with him once, and I not only collected the guns he worked on but also was able to obtain one of his original catalogs. And then from there I started acquiring a bunch of .22 target High Standard pistols, because John Giles specialized in customizing them.

And probably the last highly focused collection group literally came about as a celebration of the opinion from the Cleveland Clinic that I didn't need any more interventions for my coronary artery that went through 2 failed procedures. My brother and I were taking the scenic route from Cleveland back to his house when came across a little gun shop in a little strip plaza. There in the second case was a Heavy Long Slide .45 Government Model pistol that was built by Jim Clark, another old time pistolsmith. After the proprietor and I talked for awhile about old time pistolsmith, my brother finally asked what the cash price would be and I put down a Golden Dollar deposit and my brother and I went to the bank and got the cash. That started my collection of Jim Clark guns.

I'm old enough to remember a number of the old time pistolsmiths (John Giles, Jim Clark, Austin Behlert and Bob Chow). I appreciate the craftsmanship they put into their guns.

My "focus" covers a big field.......BTW got more Smiths than anything else.

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S&W Accumulator

I'm a target shooter & hunter ... not a "collector".
Every gun I own has a purpose ... getting high scores on paper , shooting bottles and cans ... taking game , large and small .
Every gun has it's purpose . I don't own many ... but the few I do own I shoot well .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

As a shooter and not a collector, My collection is all shooters. I do not buy a gun unless I want to shoot it. A few I have kept after I was done with them. But not actually done as I do take them out and shoot them annually. As I am ageing I have begun to consider selling some. Just considering, not contemplating or planning.

Snub nose revolvers. So far Smiths, Ruger, Kimber, and Taurus. Don’t own a Colt, yet. Up to twelve so far.

I like guns
Especially handguns, rifles and shotguns

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

I don't collect, I accumulate. The closest thing that I have to a collection would be my three Walther PPs; pre-war, wartime, and post war.

The model 55 was one of Winchester's later design for a single shot. It functions pretty well but wasn't very popular. They have a plastic cover over the loading port that is subject to breakage. There is an aluminum cover made now to replace that part. This rifle was an answer to a question that was never asked.

This one is in near new condition.

I've always enjoyed talking about the distinction between accumulating and collecting. To me, a collection is really just an accumulation with focus, or purpose, other than simply adding more, and I imagine that most collectors start out accumulating, until they discover a particular passion to focus on. Personally, I believe I have an accumulation of firearms, within which I have a S&W collection

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Ain't This Fun Though?