Quantity vs Selective

[Rockrivr1]

OK, I'll be the first person to admit I have a gun purchasing problem, but over the last year I've noticed that my "problem" has changed it's dynamic. For many many years I've bought things that caught my interest for one reason or other or I've looked to collect certain named guns to add to the collection. I'll call this my quantity phase as the number of guns owned increased significantly over the last 5-10 years or so.

It would seem though that my addiction has changed recently and I'm now interested in more selective firearms of a certain quality. Ones that are harder to find or are more expensive so it takes longer to get. This includes ramping down on my collection of guns that have turned into safe queens that I haven't shot in years. A year or two ago I would have thought that selling was sacrilege, but now it's a means to get something better. It's an interesting change in dynamic as there is plenty of fodder that might be making it to the sales block in order to fund something a little different. Seems I have no interest to own things that are easily bought at any neighborhood gun store. The search seems to now be on for things not so easy to get or afford.

In the big scheme of things, I think I'm about to be even more broke then I was before. Oh boy.....

So where on the Quantity to Selective scale do you find yourself?

 

[Lsgun1]

A wise man once told me save your money and buy 1 nice gun every year and when you are older you'll have a great collection.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

I tend to be more of a "gun of opportunity" type of collector. It has worked for me so far.

 

[enbloc]

I find this to be the normal course of events wrt firearms purchases. When your safe(s) is/are full you feel well-stocked.

It is then that you start looking for "The One" which is always supplanted by the next "The One". It is a vicious circle...

The hard part of "marrying up" in the gun world is that you need to get rid of the tramps that you no longer spend time with, and to do no financial harm to yourself or family.

As to the scale I'm about a 7 on a 1:10 with 10 being Quantity.

~Matt

 

[ToddDubya]

Yeah, once you have the standard collection (10/22, 12GA, 1911, Ruger MK III, carry, etc) it's time to get nicer things. The problem I have is I don't want things too nice because I'll never shoot them. Even my Ruger 1911 (oooooh, 1911) feels too "nice" to shoot, even though it's not really all that nice and it was cheaper than a lot of other things that are no-brainers to shoot. I'm not a fan of safe queens.

The question I ask when I NEED something new is "What niche does this fill?". If it's just filling a hole in my empty life, I don't buy.

 

[drgrant]

As much as I hate to say it it sounds like you need a "great purge".

I went through it by circumstance (it's not something I actually wanted to do, but had to because I needed the money) but honestly I don't miss like 60% of the stuff I had to get rid of. That's a clear sign that those purchases were basically errors. Nowadays its rare that I jump on something randomly, I have to let it marinate in my brain a couple weeks before
I commit to a new gun.

If I had the money I lost back I would have spent it on ammo. That's why whenever someone posts a "WAT GUN SHOULD I BUY I CANT DECIDE" thread I tend to be that guy that is like "If you don't know what you want, buy a couple cases of ammo instead, you'll thank me later".

I've never heard a person complain about having too much ammo.... well, I have heard ONE person, but he bought ammo by the truckload and got too many trucks
worth...

-Mike

 

[Asaltweapon]

I've been on the nicer things or something a bit less common scale for a while now. Don't really care if I don't shoot it because it doesn't mean that I can't.

Still have a few pre Maura lowers that I think will turn into something someday but I'm pretty much done with AR's. 6 completes is enough.

 

[KevinR]

I went on a buying spree over 2017.. I bought total of 32 guns. I sold a bunch off though, I bought em and then decided they weren't nice enough to keep. I've also found my niche in milsurp... I started to stock up on rare pieces and ones with a good history behind them so they all have their story. Quantity isn't all to me. I need quantity of good historical pieces. Everyone has their niche.. find it and stock up on it.

 

[whacko]

Oh....so as Mike would say.....you've graduated from fs guns.

 

[frenchman]

I don't collect, I own. Every gun has to have a purpose, or I don't own it. A shiny 1911 with ivory grips or a premium blued Python are nice to look at, but I don't get the point of owning good looking tools. My guns are all, without exceptions, fighting guns. I don't have that many, but what I own, I do because they have proven track records (like my hi power, that has been in use in over 50 countries armed forces, my Glerk 17, or my Sig). No internal work done, except for the sights and a Vogel trigger to replace that disgrace on the Stock Glock. The only "custom" gun I am planing on, is a long range bolt gun. Owning for the sake of owning is just not for me. More power to you if it is.

 

[drgrant]

Oh....so as Mike would say.....you've graduated from fs guns.

With some of the stuff RR1 has I'd say he graduated a long time ago.

-Mike

 

[whacko]

I don't collect, I own. Every gun has to have a purpose, or I don't own it. A shiny 1911 with ivory grips or a premium blued Python are nice to look at, but I don't get the point of owning good looking tools. My guns are all, without exceptions, fighting guns. I don't have that many, but what I own, I do because they have proven track records (like my hi power, that has been in use in over 50 countries armed forces, my Glerk 17, or my Sig). No internal work done, except for the sights and a Vogel trigger to replace that disgrace on the Stock Glock. The only "custom" gun I am planing on, is a long range bolt gun. Owning for the sake of owning is just not for me. More power to you if it is.

Im kind of the same way but I actually value my hunting irons more than my defensive firenarms. Don't get me wrong.....I have fighting tools too and I shoot them all. I just value the hunting guns more because I actually use them more. Every one of them has a use for taking game and they all have memories attached to them. I'll never sell a gun I use to hunt with.

 

[whacko]

With some of the stuff RR1 has I'd say he graduated a long time ago.

-Mike

I was basing my reply on his neighborhood gun store comment.

 

[frenchman]

Im kind of the same way but I actually value my hunting irons more than my defensive firenarms. Don't get me wrong.....I have fighting tools too and I shoot them all. I just value the hunting guns more because I actually use them more. Every one of them has a use for taking game and they all have memories attached to them. I'll never sell a gun I use to hunt with.

I'd strangle a litter of kittens for a nice Sauer Drilling. That would make me take up hunting again.

 

[TomMontana]

How are we categorizing between quantity vs selective?

If quantity/tramp = readily available in store, polymer, Anderson/S&W
If quality/The One = need to do legwork, steel, BCM/Noveske

Excluding the usefulness factor, I'm probably at 40% quality.

 

[BrianWilson]

I see it, I want it, so I buy it.

 

[45collector]

I see it, I want it, so I buy it.

Me too and that's why I'm thousands in credit card debt.

 

[SKumar]

So where on the Quantity to Selective scale do you find yourself?

Every gun owner in MA should get their foot in the AR door. As far as pistols, I recommend everyone has a gun for CC, like a single stack 9.

Once you tackle those qualitative measures, then you have room to play around with quantitative.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Definitely selective. In fact, quantitativeness has dropped precipitously.

Some guns on my "must have" roster are not worth pursuing anymore. I honestly can't think of any must-have guns right now. I'll probably get a P365 when they come into MA, but I'm not rushing. I HAD to get a Polymer-80, just to check it out. That was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

 

[LuvDog]

I got in to a cycle of quantity. Lots of spares and backups which were never used.

I’m just starting to make the turn to reduce but improve what I have.

I was also a buyer of opportunity. Even if I didn’t really want a gun or have a specific need for one. If something popped up that was a good deal the. I’d want it I’m tying to avoid that more and more. It’s just not guns either. If something is a great deal it’s just hard for me to walk away

 

[mac1911]

i used to snag any gun i thought was a deal.....talking late 80s-90s when you could get a POS model 60 for $20 because it jams or a ruger 10/22 because it wont feed ammo or the mags dont come out easy for $40. Along with many many other lower end utilitarian guns of all shapes and flavors.
Then my interest turned to military rifles and made in massachusetts rifles.
Never really interested in the like new with box and papers but rather the shooter variety. I made some bad buys and some really good buys. All though I purged a good amount of my rifles 18 years ago to buy my house i find myself with more rifles and handguns thats i can enjoy fast enough. So the ones i have that do not see the range or i just dont like shooting are finding their way to the chopping block. I am trying to stick to my WWII surplus representative pieces from the active countries. I also still am drawn to by rifles/pistols made in massachusetts pre 1960.
I also will be adding to the WWII as i come across deals if i have cash to spare. Im looking add pistols to the rifles i have. if possible i would like to match the years of rifles with pistols. Again no safe queens for me , just nice shooters.

 

[whatluck]

My first priority was having a safe full of defensive guns. I wanted range time with the most common guns, so I could be proficient with anything I picked up. I spent alot of time and money getting practice with stuff like the AR-15, M1A, Glock17, Rem 870, 1911, and Smith 629. I bought a number of these and variants. Once I had enough, I started getting pickier, and saving my money for safe queens. Really the best advice I have is buy in cash only if you have enough money to buy 4. Save your money for a sweet deal on an SP89 or Spas-12, or a mint milsurp or that shotgun with ducks engraved, whatever you're into. For me, what's most important is being able to put lead on target. Everything else is vanity.

 

[E.Stoner]

I am shameless in my buying and my collecting. If I have the money to spend and I am good on ammo, I'll buy.
I don't buy junk and I don't plan on ever selling anything. I shoot everything that I have and don't buy for "investment", but I am sure today that I can get out what I spent if I sold everything and as years go by it will probably be a net positive. I don't care.
If I had to make two categories it would be: tool and cool.

Tool: Guns that I would bet my life on. There are a handful of guns that I have the most time on, that work for me ergonomically and functionally that have long track record and reputation as proven duty/combat weapons. I usually have at least three of these (practice, carry, spare) , parts kits, optics, and lots of magazines.
Here quality, function, durability are king.

Cool: Collection guns and range toys. These might be historical guns, early production guns, project guns, guns that I have coveted or admired, sport guns, spaceguns, mechanical curiosities, oddballs.

I am about 50/50 tool/cool. Tools will always come first.

 

[Supermoto]

Guns are tools for me, I have very few that have any sentimental value. The rest are for competition or home defense/CCW. If there is a gun that I shoot better then the lesser gun gets sold. I also don't see the value of having a gun and not being able to shoot very well, so ammo and practice is far more important to me than how many guns I have. I'm a gun shooter not gun collector. It would be nice to be both, but its too much money.

 

[daekken]

For me it either needs to serve a purpose or have a historical quality to it, but I will also occasionally go for "guns of opportunity."

The first thing I ask myself is "does it fill a need?" At this point, I think I've basically got it covered other than a shotgun and a real "precision" type rifle. This "need" is akin to "tool," by the way, (i.e., carry or defense) not "I need to add a .50 AE pistol to the stable." For 100-200 yards I am plenty fine with what I have, and I have three pragmatic options for carrying based on the circumstances.

This is the reason I haven't bought a 1911 or a single action revolver yet. Both are things I "want" but they would be purely range toys, so they have a low priority. I know plenty of people carry a 1911 but as a lefty, I find there are things that will do the job better for me personally.

On the historical side, it's chiefly milsurp (and specifically WW2 service rifles) but could be other items as well (an old police revolver, for example).
These tend to give me more enjoyment than the "needs" gun and I probably shoot them more than anything else. That said, I will only buy shooters, not safe items.

I further rationalize them by intending to use them in competitions when possible and to bring more shooters into the fold (my Mosin Nagant has made more than one new shooter).

Then, there's "opportunity buys" which can sometimes fall into either camp, like when I found a good price on a Lee-Enfield where the auction ended at an awkward time and I got a good price on it. Or, in the case of my Tokarev--I have a C&R and for $220 with two magazines, it comes right to my house and it's not going to break the bank. Now, if it were $800, I would not be buying it.

I've never sold or traded a gun before but I have been considering trying to trade my Gen2 G19 for a Gen5 because I am left-handed and the ambi slidelock/mag release is a draw. But, I probably won't unless I am surprised by the offer. In this case, while I own the "tools" there's always room to optimize.

In all I find myself buying less firearms since moving to NH, but buying more ammo and A LOT more magazines. Lately I've been getting more interested in competing as well so there's plenty needs and accessories on that front.

In the end, I don't plan to stop buying, but I do plan to be a little more selective. I don't want to end up in a situation where stuff sits for long periods of time. That's why I keep my spreadsheet with last fired date and round counts, to help ensure everything is rotated.

 

[426wedge]

I saw a Timber wolf in a shop the other day. 357 mag. Nice puppy........Please help me, Doc.

 

[Nick Leduc]

Im a sucker for used firearms. Let someone else get the first scratch and take a good hit on the MSRP they paid.

 

[drgrant]

I saw a Timber wolf in a shop the other day. 357 mag. Nice puppy........Please help me, Doc.

I'd only ever seen those a few times but never held or fired one so can't pass judgement..

That's the type of gun I'd only get into regardless if I had a setup to load 357's....

-it's the only way you can really stretch the legs on something like that;
-it'd keep you from going broke while shooting it.

Don't see pump actions common in 357, Lever is more likely (Henry, few others make levers in 357 magnum)..

-Mike

 

[Mark from MA]

I have to say my father had enough guns for the both of us when I got my LTC, I dabbled and bought a few pistols and some hunting irons of my own just to have my own. Then I got really into archery, and didn't do much for ten years or more. Kids grew up, I started back dabbling, then I went in full bore. Bought sold, traded, then bought some more. For me it's time for a good purge....my problem is Ill never sell a gun my dad had for the most part, Most of them are not made anymore, in very good or perfect condition and are tough for me to let go.

Now like the OP, I'm only looking for certain pieces and tougher to find things.......I'm done with getting the new and best thing......

Pretty much the time is coming to leave this state, and the purging will begin.....

 

[drgrant]

Im a sucker for used firearms. Let someone else get the first scratch and take a good hit on the MSRP they paid.

This isn't a bad way to deal with/prevent impulse buyer remose etc.... if you bought it used and you did your homework less likely to get soaked on the back end if you end up not liking it and dumping it later. On the other hand if the gun was a bad idea to begin with (eg, like a taurus product or something) you can just end up inheriting someone elses
misery.

I buy both new and used now but more a matter of circumstance. Sometimes its easier to get a used gun than it is to wait around for a supply channel to refill, etc. Then there's shit like S&W... say for example a friend has a nice smith revolver he/she is selling and its RIGHT THERE. and I've shot it. It runs nice... I just assume buy the used, KNOWN, broken in, revolver right there; rather than risk buying a new S&W and having like a 20% chance of getting a turd or a partial turd in a box.

-Mike