A Farewell to "Collecting" Arms

[Odin Bravo One]

I blend into my surroundings too.

I just bought some camo, and refuse to leave the property.

[Bucky]

It’s easy to collect out of “need”. Three levels to the house, his and hers HD on each. USPSA open, limited, single stack, production, carry optics, revolver... three gun - guns, 3 or 4 different size CCWs for different occasions (his and hers), etc. Then you need backups for each.

[mtnbkr]

If I saw that Mark II and it was in decent shape, it would be number fifteen in my collection. I do not need it, but it is worth $175 to me. If nothing else, I could assemble another FrankenRuger as I have a few more Volquartsen barreled uppers in the safe. As I am not a total hoarder, I gave a retired shooting buddy a Volquartsen upper built on a stainless Mark III that I bought for a song. His reaction made my month.

I would buy that gun today. If it was in my LGS, I would leave work right now to get it. It fits with other stuff: my daughter will probably eventually get one of the Ruger .22s I have now, and my son will want one, too, so that would leave me and my wife with one to use.

I think that’s about what I paid for the MKII I haven come to think of it. But that was more than 20 years ago.

It's very tempting. I have two 22lr pistols, one for each daughter after I'm gone, but the price on this one is so tempting... I was trying to talk my buddy into it, but if I can't get him to budge (he's far more practical than I am about these matters), I may pick it up for trade bait later on.

My MKIII 22/45 LTE is a FrankenRuger. Very few original parts are left other than the frame, barrel, and ejector.

Chris

[deputyG23]

It just occurred to me that I've seen a very similar thought process in a completely different hobby/pursuit: Trumpets

I'm a VERY amateur trumpet player. I played all throughout Jr High, High School, and some on college, but put it away for over 20 years. I picked it back up a couple years ago and noodle around with it some at home, mainly during the day when the house is empty (to the approval of the other occupants). On trumpet forums there is a similar schism between collecting and spending that time/energy/money on private lessons and such. Oddly enough, my view is different in that area because I don't feel I'm good enough to justify multiple horns (though to be honest, my one and only horn is pretty damn nice, so I'm not exactly struggling with the brass equivalent of a Taurus).

Chris

Same thing happens with nearly every musical instrument. I am a semi-professional tubist on the side. I know guys that change horns like their shorts. As for me, I have only owned four different tubas in nearly fifty years of playing...

[ubervic]

There's nothing wrong with collecting if the activity genuinely adds excitement and joy to one's life. However, many find that their motivations for buying/owning items changes over time---and there's nothing wrong with that, either.

I began my pistol owning lifestyle by chasing popular items, mistakenly holding the belief that shooting the latest 'cool' handgun would translate into my being a better shooter. (LOL) No surprise that I moved to one platform and then another, and another, within the first 3 years.

I ended up inheriting a bunch of handguns in early 2018----but I sold off all but one G17.3. I guess you could say that I'm finally becoming fiscally responsible at about the same time that I realized that optimizing training/practice with one reliable platform probably represents the best opportunity to master things.

[BigD]

It's an interesting problem to have. It seems to be unique to our country. Maybe it's simply the reality of excess here or maybe it's the fluoride in the drinking water...whatever it is, serial accumulation is a problem that I, personally, struggle with and many others do to. If anyone has practical advice on getting rid of crap - I'm all ears.

Have you heard about the KonMarie Method? Go through everything you own, organized by subject (rather than room) and if it doesn't bring you joy, you should donate or throw it away. (There's a lot more to it than that, of course. Lot's of info online, an app, etc.)

[Robinson]

Absolutely nothing wrong with collecting if it's something you enjoy and have the means.

I have really reduced the number of guns I own down to those I actually use plus a couple I am keeping for when I figure out what I want to do with them. I own two customized Colt Gold Cups -- one equipped with tritium sights which is my night stand gun along with another set up almost the same way only with a gold bead sight for training/practice. I recently bought two Glock 34s, one of which will become my carry gun plus the other for training/practice. Plus two Colt Series 80s that I haven't decided will remain stock or be customized. I just like them.

I've experimented with DA/SA pistols a few times but for one reason or another they haven't worked out. I see the benefits though. I really like Beretta 92s and wish my busted up thumb could manipulate the safety/de-cocker.

I used to own several lever guns in mixed chamberings. Had a Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 that was fun to shoot and a CZ550FS with a sweet ghost ring sight. After my ears became damaged I decided not to shoot non-suppressed rifles any more and sold them all. I now own a single rifle chambered for 300 BLK because it suppresses so nicely.

My revolvers were sold off mostly because I developed a negative association with them because it was a revolver that destroyed my left ear. Probably a silly reason but severe hearing damage and tinnitus screw with your mind anyway.

I still toy with the idea of a suppressed PCC sometimes.

[Cypher]

I blend into my surroundings too.

I just bought some camo, and refuse to leave the property.

The day I ETS'd my wife said to me "Now you can wear your BDUs for work clothes." I told her "If I wanted to wearBDUs to work I would have reenlisted."

[Sal Picante]

Have you heard about the KonMarie Method? Go through everything you own, organized by subject (rather than room) and if it doesn't bring you joy, you should donate or throw it away. (There's a lot more to it than that, of course. Lot's of info online, an app, etc.)

Marie Kondo is a lunatic. That said, her method and that book (I have an Audible) is amazing. I think some of the older guns I have are the only things I have as a "collectible" (e.g. something I look at and enjoy but don't plan to shoot or don't shoot regularly). Everything else, I've tried to get rid of.

It is really tough being an "entropy warrior" - sometimes I feel like the Space Marine in Warhammer 40,000 fighting the Chaos gods: and endless, thankless task...

[Odin Bravo One]

The day I ETS'd my wife said to me "Now you can wear your BDUs for work clothes." I told her "If I wanted to wearBDUs to work I would have reenlisted."

Since I never really wore camo uniforms, I don’t have the same sentiments.