Accumulator?? Collector??

[Pizza Bob]

Recently I think that I have crossed the line. I find myself buying guns that I have a low likelihood of ever shooting, but felt that I had to have them just the same.

This is what started me down that path...

Model 27-2 / I realized at some point, that I had neither a 27 nor an 8 3/8" gun in my meager collection. Remedied that in one fell swoop, thanks to a member of the forum. Came complete with display case and docs.

Next up was this gun show acquisition...

Model 25-14 / A Lew Horton special - one of 250. Found it in a display case with K/L frame target stocks on it - which made it look less than desirable. I made him a lower offer and told them they could keep the stocks. Bingo!

This one from my local enabler...

Model 625-3 / Walked into his shop and found it laying on his desk. After inquiring if it was available and the price - it wasn't going anywhere but with me. The 3" barrel being a nice complement to my 625-2 (5") and 625-8 PC (4") guns.

Found this on a guns classified ad site...

Model 296 ti / I saw one of these at a gun store in New England in 2007. Should have bought that one then, but was happy to get this one now with only a $200 bump in price.

Model 28-2 / Sorry no picture of this one yet. Still in captivity at the LGS waiting for the NJSP to do their job - hopefully later this week. It is a pristine 4" barrel, S serial number, diamond magna example. Fired, but not much - no wear on the edges and a faint turn line.

Found this on the same site as the 296 ti...

Model 24-5 / Aside from an original Triple Lock or an original Target 1950 - this has to be the crown jewel of any .44 Special collection. The Heritage Series case color hardened model. A collaborative effort among the Performance Center, Lew Horton and Doug Turnbull. This one is 25 of 327 (according to Earl Minot at LH) .Complete with all docs and the aluminum PC case. Just shipped this morning, so hopefully will come home with me later this week. Trying to confirm if the early 24-5's were shipped in PC aluminum cases, with the later ones in the gold "Heritage Series" printed cardboard boxes. Found another low numbered one (65) with the PC case, so thinking this is how it was. Have an e-mail into Earl.

Those are all the recently purchased Smiths. I also managed to procure a couple of new Brand R firearms. Specifically a PCC and a Match Champion in 10 mm that is destined to become my go to for IDPA. The MC will come home with the listed Model 28-2 above.

So, I think I'm done for a while. There is nothing that I'm craving at the moment - of course there wasn't when I started this odyssey either, so I have no idea what happens next. What do you think? Have I crossed over?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Crh1943]

Very, very nice.

BTW, are you also a member of the 1911forum? If not, there is a dude with the same name as you!!!

 

[Old_Cop]

You're a collector of S&W N frame revolvers.

 

[colt_saa]

Found this on the same site as the 296 ti...

Model 24-5 / Aside from an original Triple Lock or an original Target 1950 - this has to be the crown jewel of any .44 Special collection. The Heritage Series case color hardened model. A collaborative effort among the Performance Center, Lew Horton and Doug Turnbull. This one is 25 of 327 (according to Earl Minot at LH) .Complete with all docs and the aluminum PC case. Just shipped this morning, so hopefully will come home with me later this week. Trying to confirm if the early 24-5's were shipped in PC aluminum cases, with the later ones in the gold "Heritage Series" printed cardboard boxes. Found another low numbered one (65) with the PC case, so thinking this is how it was.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Very nice additions to the Family.

I have always loved the Heritage Series. Be they Blue, Nickel or Color Case Hardened. I also like the 4 screw frames

But those Color Case Hardened revolvers do stand out in a crowd. I have the 45 Long Colt versions of your Model 24

Doug Turnbull did a great job on them for Smith and Wesson

 

[bmcgilvray]

Have seen this debating over accumulators versus collectors in the past.

I determined long ago that I have accumulated a collection

 

[Sevens]

I can't speak for others but I can explain what happened to me... it was fairly simple and it happened over a few years' time.

At the start, I was a shooter and while I always nodded to the collectors (and/or the speculators...), it wasn't my taste and it definitely wasn't my drive. I also did not have the funding to spend money on guns that I wouldn't or couldn't shoot, no matter the reason... if I was going to spend gun money, it was going to be a gun that I ran the wheels off!

That's perfectly fine for anyone or everyone, if that is your taste. That was my mantra back in the day.

As time went on and my experience grew, and my finances stabilized and I had a little more to work with... I found that I was getting extremely familiar with the market of the guns that I specifically enjoyed.

Naturally, when you become really familiar with the market of the guns you like best and you immerse yourself in that market (gun shows, forums where guns are traded, online sellers, auctions, etc) then it will become obvious when you occasionally spot something that you like a lot and you know very well with a really, really good price.

Maybe it's something you already have, but higher condition. Maybe it's new old stock or nearly mint in all original packaging with papers and goodies. As you are quite familiar with the market, you know darn well what it likely goes for, and/or CAN potentially sell at.

And then you get sucked in to becoming a collector or speculator. You may find yourself buying something that you already own, but in higher condition. This is a neat place to be because you get to enjoy the thrill of owning a pristine example... and you also get the pure fun of shooting one, without lowering that condition, since you have another.

Maybe you never planned this sort of thing. But it happens.

That is what happened with me. And I really don't have hardly anything that is high grade, NIB, old stock, or all original and mint or nearly so. But I do have a couple. And nope, I will NOT shoot them. And I am not offering them either.

What I think I envision down the road is that maybe when I hit about 70 (God willing!), maybe I will be on the other side of the great gun show table. And I'll be able to impress my bride as I come home from the show not with (oh jeez, yet another...) "must have" handgun, but instead... one or two less handguns than I had the day before, and a little stack of cash that I can hand her to help us enjoy our retirement days.

 

[Redcoat3340]

Definitely a collector! You know what you want, you already have a bunch of them, you're willing to spend good money to get more, and you don't seem to be distracted with other bright shiny objects.

I'm an accumulator: my tastes/interests are too broad to focus on any one manufacturer, caliber, or model (have Smith pistols and revolvers Berettas, Walters, Sigs, etc.); I mostly buy shooter-grade guns, not "museum quality;" I shoot everything I buy (except an Astra 600 which has a slide so stiff a chain-hoist won't rack it and a trigger I need a hammer to pound on to get it to go bang, but it's part of my German police-pistol accumulation); and I'm distracted by anything that looks interesting....I wasn't ever going to go deep with 38 S&W...but my son gave me a British "Victory" in 38/200 and within no time I had a Terrier, 2 H&R Defenders, a Perfected, Colt Police Positive, and a 33-1 in the safe. Then I discovered a Colt 1903 and now I'm off into .32 ACP-land.

Beautiful stuff you have. I hope you get more chances to show it off...I find it hard to get people interested when I pull something out of the safe and, as there's no way today to actually display it, I'm sort of relegated to petting them late at night or taking two at a time to the range.

Keep at it!

 

[The_Truth]

I go back and forth between collecting and accumulating. I usually accumulate when a specific item I'm searching for is nowhere to be found, then when I find it, I sell off the excess accumulation to fund my collection

I somewhat recently acquired a 296 Ti myself. I'm carrying it OWB in a thumb break around the house right now. Love this little cannon! It's the baby brother to my 29-3 3" LH overrun The 296 Ti is definitely a part of my collection, not my accumulation!

 

[Pizza Bob]

Very, very nice.

BTW, are you also a member of the 1911forum? If not, there is a dude with the same name as you!!!

Thank you.

Yes, that would be me also. I use the same moniker across all forums I subscribe to.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Yes, I have accumulated a collection, too. If every gun I owned was a Smith & Wesson I'd say yes, I am a collector but since at least half of my guns are NOT S&Ws then I am an accumulator.

It was around the time that I acquired this .38-44 that my LGS owner said that I should join the S&W Collectors Assn and get on this Forum.

Things happen that you just don't always plan for!

 

[22hipower]

What I think I envision down the road is that maybe when I hit about 70 (God willing!), maybe I will be on the other side of the great gun show table. And I'll be able to impress my bride as I come home from the show not with (oh jeez, yet another...) "must have" handgun, but instead... one or two less handguns than I had the day before, and a little stack of cash that I can hand her to help us enjoy our retirement days.

That's right up there with "these are investments dear." I hit 70 in January and have been selling "stuff I don't need" since then. However, the number of S&Ws has actually grown and I'm not sure the total number has declined either. Makes a good plan though. . . .and you might want to leave a note with a good friend along the line of "don't let her sell these for what I told her they cost."

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[AveragEd]

I consider myself a minor-league collector - 62 mostly Remington and Smith & Wesson firearms at last count - but I tell my wife I am just accumulating them.

Ed

 

[jtcarm]

Like Sevens, I'm a speculator.

I speculate about which gun I'd like to get next.

 

[Dieseltech56]

I used to think of myself as an accumulator but lately I realize there are certain S&W revolvers I do not like and will not buy. I just don't go looking for whatever is out there to buy next.

Edit- I also totally agree with Sevens. This is exactly what happened to me. Used to be a diehard shooter, wanted to shoot everything, now I have so many guns that I couldn't possibly shoot them all and I find myself satisfied with just admiring some of them.

 

[Narragansett]

I only have a couple guns that are dead collectible. The others are generally high condition shooters, and yes I have more than I need so I am more of an accumulator. It is just a question of what stage of the buying disease are you in.

I do believe in pride of ownership though. You don't have to shoot them all, or at least I don't

 

[mike from st pete]

I buy firearms to shoot, so I am not a collector

 

[rubiranch]

My brother was an accumulator and a collector. At one point a few years ago he had over 300 handguns. I am grateful that he greatly "thinned" the heard before his passing.

I am neither an accumulator or collector. I just have a few really nice handguns and doubt that I will ever acquire more than what I currently have.

 

[Mrnurse]

I use to collect now just shooter. I admit I am Hooked on N frame Smiths... they are just solid weapons that work every time, and I like the balance with target grips as I have huge ham hands. I collected winchesters and WW2 US weapons but became disillusioned with the arguments among "Experts" on Carbines and the 41 Johnson... Nice Buys.

 

[andy52]

I'm not even sure how to describe my S&Ws at the current time I have about 50 some I shoot often, others occasionally and some not at all.
When I come across a ANIB most times it remains that way, a couple I bought new 30 years ago that have not been fired. Most are high grade shooters that do go to the range and get cleaned immediately after. Last year I did have a lapse of judgement or will power with a Lew Horton 24-3 3 inch ANIB and I just had to try it out.....

 

[Narragansett]

"""I am neither an accumulator or collector. I just have a few really nice handguns and doubt that I will ever acquire more than what I currently have."""

Famous last words