Is there a method to your madness?

[Mike1957]

Anything that I think is interesting.
Problem with that, is that I think almost anything that is of at least decent quality and goes "bang" is interesting.

I always said that I was not a collector. That I just went for what I found interesting. But after doing just that for over 35 years, I find that my accumulation of firearms "that I found interesting" has somehow turned into what could considered several different fairly respectable collections.
Smiths, Colts, Rugers, 1911s, 10mms, high quality rimfires, guns that are just plain out of the ordinary, ect. There is more than a little over lap in the above. Plus more than a few that really don`t fit into any of the above catagories.

 

[Patrick L]

My method is simple. I buy what appeals to me, as long as I can afford it. Upon looking at the collection,though, I do see trends or perhaps threads of commonality.

Shotguns were my first love. Skeet and upland birds, and more recently sporting clays and 5 stand are what I use them for. I own 11. Here is where it gets interesting. I primarily shoot two main "platforms." Of the 11, 7 are Remington repeaters with 26 inch (or 25 in the case of the .410 and 28 ga because that's how they come) barrels. I have 5 870 Wingmasters (all 5 gauges) and two 1100s. The other primary scattegun platform for me is the Browning Citori. I have two Citori Lightnings, both 26 inch, one a 20 gauge and one a 16. Again, identical models. My other two shotguns break the pattern. I have an Ithaca SKB 20 gauge SxS because I got the SxS bug about 10 years ago. And finally, I do have an Ithaca M37 pump. I use that primarily as a slug gun. I do have a shot barrel for it as well, but have never cared for that gun in that capacity.

As for handguns, we see a similar pattern. Two platforms, 1911s and Smith revolvers. The two that break that trend are my Ruger Mk II .22, and I used to own a 9mm Hi Power (although being a 1911 lover that is understandable.) And of my 5 smith revolvers, 4 of them are six inchers.

My rifle tastes are a bit more eclectic, but again I do have a few repeating themes. I do have two 1903 Springfields, and two M1 Garands. An M1 carbine is sort of a mini Garand, so it fits. The 7.7 Jap is a distant cousin, but then the other 5 or 6 bear no connection, other than I liked them at some point.

 

[Bush Pilot]

I have a strict criteria I follow when it comes to my collecting, if I like it, I buy it. I may find a really nice .38 one week and the next week find a .41 magnum, there's no set pattern for me.

 

[medalguy]

Hello all, I just joined this forum but I've been visiting for a year or so and thought I'd finally join. Interesting reading all these comments, and I feel like I've found some friends here.

I too collect whatever appeals to me. I started collecting guns about 1960 with a Swiss Vetterli rifle which I still have, funny how that works huh? Then I started collecting military surplus long guns, mostly US, starting with a Charleville musket and going forward. I then got interested in machine guns in the early 60's and picked up a few then which I mostly still have, and in the last 20 years or so I have become more interested in handguns.

My interests are pretty varied, but basically if I like it, I buy it. For many years when the kids were small I was on a pretty tight budget, but now I have time and money, and I don't mind spending it on nice guns. As someone said, what's it all for if you can't enjoy it? I like Smiths, expecially P & R, and I believe those are probably the high point of firearms manufacturing in this country, I sure think it's gone down in the recent past.

So I'll jump in whenever I have something to say, see you around.

 

[tackdrvr]

Alike, but differant

In my younger years I bought/sold/traded any and everything I could find that went bang. Nineteen years ago, God blessed me with fraternal twin boys. For nineteen years the only thing more fun and interesting than guns has been watching them grow. I have posted about them on this forum before.
Lucian (the older by 10 minutes) graduated HS last year, went straight to Parris Island graduated 9-11-2010 went to Camp Geiger for MCT and then to 29 Palms for his MOS training. He got home in June, reverted to reserve status, had a part time job within 2 weeks of getting home, bought himself a car and has registered for and starts school today.
Logan (the younger by 10 minutes) graduated HS and went to The Citadel on a 4 year full ride Army scholarship. Having survived his knob year, he spent three weeks at Ft. Benning this summer and came home jump certified. He reported back to school last week, early because he is "on staff" this first semester.
But I digress....
My collection theme is "alike, but differant" for instance;
At the very first gun show I attended after getting married I bought my wife a 3" model 60. My dad saw it and wanted one just like it for mom except in Blue (at the time I thought him very old fashioned) so we looked and looked untill we happened across it. Model 36-1, blue steel, 3" heavy bbl., original grips, box etc... and so we grabbed it up.
All of this was years before my boys arrived. Fast forward to Jan. 2004 and my dad passed and my boys were 12 at the time. After dad passed I inhertited his stuff and merged it with mine. It was about then that I started thinking about the future, mine, my boys etc....
I don't know what started me thinking about that model 60 and 36-1 but I got it in my head and the rest is history. Next time I visitrd mom, I told her what I wanted to do and I left her a model 10 with a 4" tube and the 36-1 came home with me. That started it and that is how I now collect. I have two 19's one blue and one nickel. When my FIL passed he left my wife a model 63. Within a year I located a model 34 to go with it.
Also like many of our forum friends, my sickness is not limited to S&W. I received a Browning BL-22 for my 16th birthday. A few years ago I picked up a Henry Golden Boy to pair up with the Browning.
Anyway, that is my story (longwinded I might add) and I'm sticking to it.
BTW, I am looking for;
13-1
14
67
64
and then some...

Remember, gun control means hitting your target.

 

[Davwingman]

I used to ask the wife if it was ok, but sometimes she is a bit hard to persuade. Now I just ask Iggy, he's a pushover!

 

[Timber Wolf]

Do you see one and just have to have it? YESDo you find you go through phases? YES
No common thread? YES

I buy things as they come along, some are on my "list" some are not. I definitely run in phases but that does not necessarily prevent me from buying something interesting "out of phase".

 

[pittspilot]

I have a tactical collection for SHTF and a bucket list collection of stuff I want just because. My tactical collection is complete. My bucket list has a long way to go, but I just filled one spot with a 27-1.