How long do you hold onto one?

[cornchuck]

My dad told me when I bought my first rifle not to sell or get rid of any guns. That was 30 years ago. And I'll stick to that notion until the day I die. I don't have a big collection right now, but will get bigger in the future. I have a 12 gauge that my parents gave me as a Christams present that I have never shot. It's going on 17 years sitting in the safe. They got my 2 brothers and I 12 gauges. 2 of them have consecutive serial numbers and the third is off a number.

Jason

 

[LVJ76]

Got rid of a 280 Rem, and bought two identical 7mm-08's, one for my wife and one for me. That's is the only rifle I have parted ways with.

I'll shoot out the barrels and rebarrel them.

 

[codyadams]

I have only really got rid of 3 rifles ever. I regret getting rid of two of them.

My very first rifle I bought with 4-h money, was a ruger m77 in 30-06. I traded it, and a .17 hmr in on a remington 700 .308 win, which I still have, but have since rebarreled to .260 ai. I regret getting rid of both of those. The 30-06 was just a solid rifle, I couldn't get it to shoot well but that was likely my inexperience in reloading at the time vs the rifle. The 17 hmr was just a useful rifle, especially when it was hard to find rimfire ammo, I could still find ammo for the 17, which I had sent down the road.

Since then, I also got rid of a remington 700 chambered in .338 Norma mag that had a Manners eh-1 stock and Lilja fluted barrel with a beast brake. Was a great rifle and pleasant to shoot. However I replaced that void with my current 20" carbon bartlien barreled supressed 30 nosler built on a Bat Vampire with an XLR Element MG 4.0 built by Dallas. Absolutely no regrets, this gun does everything I wanted from that one, but better. Pleasant to shoot, supressed, compact, especially with the folding stock, modular, fantastic accuracy, extremely robust, especially topped with a nf nx8, and 9.5 lbs with the supressor. Love it, and will likely never get rid of it. Only thing that will probably ever change on this is the barrel periodically

 

[LRNut]

I have only really got rid of 3 rifles ever. I regret getting rid of two of them.

My very first rifle I bought with 4-h money, was a ruger m77 in 30-06. I traded it, and a .17 hmr in on a remington 700 .308 win, which I still have, but have since rebarreled to .260 ai. I regret getting rid of both of those. The 30-06 was just a solid rifle, I couldn't get it to shoot well but that was likely my inexperience in reloading at the time vs the rifle. The 17 hmr was just a useful rifle, especially when it was hard to find rimfire ammo, I could still find ammo for the 17, which I had sent down the road.

Since then, I also got rid of a remington 700 chambered in .338 Norma mag that had a Manners eh-1 stock and Lilja fluted barrel with a beast brake. Was a great rifle and pleasant to shoot. However I replaced that void with my current 20" carbon bartlien barreled supressed 30 nosler built on a Bat Vampire with an XLR Element MG 4.0 built by Dallas. Absolutely no regrets, this gun does everything I wanted from that one, but better. Pleasant to shoot, supressed, compact, especially with the folding stock, modular, fantastic accuracy, extremely robust, especially topped with a nf nx8, and 9.5 lbs with the supressor. Love it, and will likely never get rid of it. Only thing that will probably ever change on this is the barrel periodically

I forgot - I did sell an M77 .338 Win Mag. Used it to shoot a griz in AK but its recoil pad was fairly ineffective and it wasn't terribly accurate. Replaced it with a Rem 700 .338 that I have used extensively in AK, Canada, and Africa as well as lower 48.

 

[coop2564]

I have some project guns I will not sale. Like Ruger No.1 30-06 I worked long and hard getting it to group and its a great shooter now. About 2-3" group when I bought it and changed POI in different weather with barrel and stock touching under pressure. Did lots of fore end work and bedded, trigger job, and lapped barrel now its 1" and smaller no more POI change. Bergara HMR 6.5cm cut barrel to 18 and suppressed, gun is so sweet to shoot and total tack driver. And then my favorite gun is a cheap TC venture in 7RM, stainless fluted barrel, I did trigger job, lapped barrel, added Boyd At one stock and fully bedded, its my go to long range gun. 168gr Berger @2980fps 3 shots one hole, in my avatar. I did all the work myself and made them my guns. Those 3 are forever guns. Have many others that come and go. Although I have a Ruger American Go Wild in 243 that is high on my list of likes, I think it will be added to my forever stable. Oh I have a win 94 my Dad bought me in 74 its forever. Most varnish on stock worn off, gun is turning a beautiful brown and silver tint as bluing has all but worn off, and silver is high wear spots with a warm shade of rust brown in not high wear spots. But still shoots 3" groups at 100yds with ghost ring sights. It will be 50yrs old soon and boy its been my best friend for many years of woods toting. My uncle suggested I refinish it, but that will not happen. I love its character, its earned all the weathering and those battle scars.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Rifles are a tool, I treat them as such. Only shotguns are kept for years.

I keep all of them. Rifles, Shotguns and pistols. Most will get handed down. I had 3 get away from me. Either they didn't return them or stolen. They were the first 3 firearms I purchased as a kid.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I forgot - I did sell an M77 .338 Win Mag. Used it to shoot a griz in AK but its recoil pad was fairly ineffective and it wasn't terribly accurate. Replaced it with a Rem 700 .338 that I have used extensively in AK, Canada, and Africa as well as lower 48.

I have and use my M77 mark 11 in .338 WM. 24" barrel. It's now my go to rifle. Extremely accurate. Yes it kick the hell out of me. It was a friend of mind. First thing was I had the trigger changed out for him and me. The pad wasn't much, and we added an additional pad, and I put a muzzle brake on it a few years back. It like a little pup dog now. I use 200gr Nosler accurbond @ 3230fps

 

[Mike Matteson]

I'll add to this: We didn't do anything special, except tried different powder, primers, and bullets. Brass wasn't weighted, necks weren't turned.