Lies you tell yourself...

[MGW]

“I won’t impulse buy a gun ever again.”

“I can stop buying HK’s anytime I want to.”

[Totem Polar]

Yeah, that line is in the first one. I’ll give the Applegates a shot.

You’ve got a deal, bro.

[rob_s]

eventually for a lot of us it’s not a lie. The fear of losing that gunfight in the mall because you didn’t have the latest +1 extension, and the compulsion to feed your consumerist tendencies via some sort of contrarian market like gun fades away.

I should also say that I’ve know. A lot of serious, talented shooters over the years that didn’t fall victim to either of the above, ever. Guys with two guns that are kicking ass at USPSA. Guys with one or two guns that limit out every hunting season. Guys with just one shotgun that are killing it on the clays course...

Being an accumulator doesn’t preclude one from being a great shooter, but it also doesn’t mean that you are. Nor, come to think of it, does that “beware the man with just one guy” bullshit really stand up to scrutiny.

I haven’t bought a new gun in I can’t remember how long other than my Beretta because I got into sporting clays. Eventually a lot of guys find a similar approach and just buy what we need.

In fact, I’d bet that guys like me are the rule not the exception, but the accumulator’s need for acceptance and validation leads them to be the vocal minority.

[olstyn]

Nor, come to think of it, does that “beware the man with just one gun” bullshit really stand up to scrutiny.

Not unless you add the implied "who has thousands of rounds through it in practice and/or competition."

[rob_s]

Not unless you add the implied "who has thousands of rounds through it in practice and/or competition."

I know a ton of guys, and I'd include myself in this group, that have thousands and thousands of rounds in training and competition that are mediocre shooters at best.

[revchuck38]

I know a ton of guys, and I'd include myself in this group, that have thousands and thousands of rounds in training and competition that are mediocre shooters at best.

Quit talkin’ ‘bout me.

[OlongJohnson]

eventually for a lot of us it’s not a lie. The fear of losing that gunfight in the mall because you didn’t have the latest +1 extension, and the compulsion to feed your consumerist tendencies via some sort of contrarian market like gun fades away.

I should also say that I’ve know. A lot of serious, talented shooters over the years that didn’t fall victim to either of the above, ever. Guys with two guns that are kicking ass at USPSA. Guys with one or two guns that limit out every hunting season. Guys with just one shotgun that are killing it on the clays course...

Being an accumulator doesn’t preclude one from being a great shooter, but it also doesn’t mean that you are. Nor, come to think of it, does that “beware the man with just one guy” bullshit really stand up to scrutiny.

I haven’t bought a new gun in I can’t remember how long other than my Beretta because I got into sporting clays. Eventually a lot of guys find a similar approach and just buy what we need.

In fact, I’d bet that guys like me are the rule not the exception, but the accumulator’s need for acceptance and validation leads them to be the vocal minority.

So what you're saying is that shooting guns is orthogonal to buying them after you have one or two decent ones.

[mmc45414]

Being an accumulator doesn’t preclude one from being a great shooter, but it also doesn’t mean that you are. Nor, come to think of it, does that “beware the man with just one guy” bullshit really stand up to scrutiny.

For handguns I have simplified for the most part down to having primarily M&Ps and 1911s and J-Frames. Not gonna say how many of each

[olstyn]

I know a ton of guys, and I'd include myself in this group, that have thousands and thousands of rounds in training and competition that are mediocre shooters at best.

You can include me in that group as well (I keep not quite making it out of C and into B class, let alone the A I wish I was), but you and I are probably significantly toward the tail on the high side of the bell curve when you include the total population of all gun owners in the statistical sample. Maybe those who are highly skilled don't need to beware (I personally know a lot of people who have put in a lot more training time/effort than me and can kick my ass), but I bet you and I can both outdraw and outshoot the vast majority of people out there just by virtue of having a decent number of reps under our belts while under any kind of stress.

[mmc45414]

The one I’ve adhered to: No .41 Magnums.

I used to say that I do not want any additional chamberings, now I have decided I do not want another powder. If I can load it with Clays or Longshot or H110 then Game On