My dwindling arsenal.

[CaptnC]

I can count the number of safes I have on one hand and I need a another one. I've sold very few, lost more in a divorce than I care to think about...

The few I've sold were good deals when i got them...sold off because they were odd ball calibers...45gap...9mm carbine...AK-74. The only main stream rifle (7mmRUM) I sold was to help buy parts to build more...net gain was 2.5 rifles! It didn't take much pocket cash to make up the .5...

At 58yo I guess I've not hit my peak...

 

[gunaddict]

I am trying to save money. So I decided to have another custom gun built. Stock on the way. Barrel and scope next.

 

[slas]

I got a late start but now it's my hobby of choice. Guess I was too busy gallivanting around seeing the world. I started 5 years ago with a used Savage 270 for deer hunting. I went a little crazy buying selling and trading after that, learning all along the way. Those $80 to $100 used scopes turned into $800 to $1400 used Leupolds and NightForces. Those stock rifles had to be bedded and upgraded, then sold off for higher quality rifles. Reloading investment grew at the same time. What I really like about it is the never ending search for the perfect loads, the perfect rifles and the perfect hunts. I have 6 rifles right now but have two for sale....so I can buy a higher quality one.

 

[Geno1112]

I bought my first rifle about 1957- a .270 Sako. Found a Weaver 10x scope and bought a used reloading set up. Shot bunch of deer and g-hogs with it. After 7K rounds it began to lose accuracy. Sold it. By then I was hooked, and about every 3-4 months, a new toy came in the house. Had to sneak them past the wife. Through the years, I bought many guns, began to collect Sakos. Now in my twilight years, I am no longer hunting, but I still enjoy reloading and shooting in g-hog matches. Sold 33 collectible Sakos several years ago cause my boys did not want them. My arsenal is down to just several dozen. I will be hooked on shooting until the good Lord decides othewise.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

@therifleman556

I'm in the same boat, between the military, being geographically separated from my wife, having a one year old, four dogs, and my guns being in ga with my wife (I move around too much), I've come to realize I would much rather be with my family and pursue my hobbies then finish a career in the military (only did 8 years). So I'll be out in 3 months.

I'm pretty lonely most days and don't have anywhere to shoot so I fill my time on the forum and buying and selling guns and parts. I'm at 13 firearms right now lol. I have gun ADD so I'm always buying, selling, trading. My dad is back home helping set up my garage with reloading gear so I can really get into it when I get back to GA. I have a 200 yard range about 3 miles from my house. My plan is to get all my rifles back out shooting again, start reloading, and try to get into PRS.

I have a pretty good job lined up when I get home, so I'll have vacation days and weekends off to go shoot. But to bring it back around to your post, yes, life, family, work all makes it hard to shoot. I sold a lot of guns in the past 8 years, but I don't want to make a habit of it. And I'll continue to buy guns until "I think I have it all" (aka the impossible pursuit) lol.

 

[kyron]

I own the guns. My summer carry, a Ruger LCP. I have that gun it is crap, but it is very small. My standard carry, a Springfield XD. Love that gun. And my rifle. A Remington 700 7 STW, or if was any way, currently getting rebarreled to a 7 ss. I spend very close to zero on the pistols and have four years. The rifle on the other hand, that is one of my main hobbies, both sporting and tinkering. Though I don't really think I'll tinker much when it gets back from the smith, just focus on shooting.

 

[bowkill02]

When my father passed away I inherited all his guns wich is great because I can look back at each one of them a d remember a time when we were to ether and he was teaching me, and we grew together. Now it's been 8 years since he passed and I have yet to pull any of those guns out of the safe and use them. I WOUKD LOVE to downsize for the room and the money but I just can't bring my self to part with them. Is that normal or am I acting like a child. To the OP, nothing is more Nobel than a man putting aside his feeling and want to sacrifice for his family/children. After all because of a man like that I'm in the position I'm in. Yu can always buy more guns, but time cannot be baught back. Good on you.

 

[Buck Buster]

Who else is at the same point in their life where time and more importantly, funds, limits the hobby we share in common?
I can't help but notice reading through threads here that there is a LOT of time and money tied up into some people's rifles. I imagine some of these sticks with custom barrels, stocks and optics can easily exceed $3000, $4000, or more. This isn't a criticism of any sort. If anything, it's heartening to know there are plenty more rifle loonys in the world.
What I would like to know is after there any other members here that can count their firearms on one hand? When I graduated high school I had an appetite for anything that burned powder, surplus rifles, 22s, pistols, you name it. As life went on though I found myself with a family and limited time to enjoy the hobby and less money to work with. My big collection has been sold, bartered, and traded down to two centerfires, a switch barrel rimfire, a shotgun, and a flintlock rifle. The one thing I've tried to accomplish through this though, is an increase in the quality of my rifles, instead of a handful of rifles I don't get to use I've got two that I my self am proud to take out of the safe. The first is my M70 Featherweight in 7mm-08. It wears a Leupold VX-2 3-9 gloss finished in dual dovetail bases. It's not the most accurate rifle I've owned but it reminds me of the rifles I've seen when I was a kid that caught my attention, pretty wood and blue steel. The second one hasn't arrived yet, it was the subject of my last thread "help me pick a new rifle".

I'm going to cut this rant short (I know, too late), I just wanted to know if there's other gun nuts in the same boat.

You can probably double or triple the $ figure you quoted for the top of the line Bench rest competition rifles. But looking at them, some don't look like a rifle as most people picture a rifle looking like. Some are all metal, no wooden stocks, and have custom actions that appear twice the size or more than a heavy magnum action, and barrels that match. All parts are custom made, with the exception of the scope, some of them also have custom alterations done to them. Its actually hard to call them a rifle, they to me they appear to be more of a machine. The sky is basically the limit as far as the money you could sink into one of them. Definitely not for the average family mans budget. Your rifles sound great, and are down to earth and also look like a rifle should look. Just for kicks look up bench rest rifles and take a look at some of them, I think this site has some of the overboard guns pics on it, some of them are called BLOCK guns I think, that might also be a good place to take a look at some of the competition rifles that are being made. And yes I only own a handful of guns, but do have one for each occasion : 30-06, 300 Win. mag., two- 22 rifles, two 50 cal. muzzle loaders, 1 flint, 1 primer Ign., 12 ga. turkey gun, and a 357 Smith & Wesson, and a 22 nine shot pistol for trapping. Almost forgot, A very accurate 308 Norma magnum bench gun with a Leupold VX-3 scope. and a crossbow. I am 66 and worked in a factory all my life, the same one for 43 years, its a wonder I have that many guns. Good luck hunting and shooting in 2018.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

@Buck Buster

I'm in the same boat. My "customs" are all trued up Remington's and one bolt together savage. As far as the sky's the limit with these customs you reach a point of diminishing return. I would say anything passed the 3.5k, you're getting a lot less for each jump of the Ben franklin.

Now before I get lynched for that statement, there are guns where you're not hunting for accuracy but are buying for historical value or fit and finish (double barrel rifles, parazzis, fully matching serial number garand etc...) and I can easily see those going passed the 3.5k mark.

 

[CaptnC]

When my father passed away I inherited all his guns which is great...

I WOULD LOVE to downsize for the room and the money but I just can't bring my self to part with them. Is that normal or am I acting like a child....

I would sell one on my own before I'd sell one of my dads guns. He just turned 80 Christmas Eve...so he is still with us. He gave me all his guns several years ago.

Early last year we were talking about some guns I was building on Mauser actions. He said "take my 25-06 and replace it with what ever you want. That Argentine a ton is great!"

As much as I dislike 25 caliber rifles there is no way I would touch the gun. It will be up to my grand son to do something with it. It was the first gun he built.

The rest just take up space, but they are his so they will all be past down when I give up shooting.

Buy more safes...room will no longer be an issue!

 

[Buck Buster]

I would sell one on my own before I'd sell one of my dads guns. He just turned 80 Christmas Eve...so he is still with us. He gave me all his guns several years ago.

Early last year we were talking about some guns I was building on Mauser actions. He said "take my 25-06 and replace it with what ever you want. That Argentine a ton is great!"

As much as I dislike 25 caliber rifles there is no way I would touch the gun. It will be up to my grand son to do something with it. It was the first gun he built.

The rest just take up space, but they are his so they will all be past down when I give up shooting.

Buy more safes...room will no longer be an issue!

I started deer hunting with a 222 savage bolt action with a clip, killed my first several deer with this gun, but also crippled my first few with it. When I was 15 my farther and brothers gave me a new model 700 Remington 30-06, with a 3-9 Leupold scope on it for Christmas. Only ever crippled one deer with this gun the rest of my life, I am now 66 and that was my fault trying to shoot through too much brush. That guns going nowhere, I have many fond memories using that rifle and being a gift from family only makes it more cherished. I think you are doing the right thing.

 

[therifleman556]

I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. It sounds like there's quite a few people here who are in a similar situation or have been at some point. Sometimes I think newcomers to the forum (like me) can get to feeling outclassed in a hurry by some people's rigs. Hopefully some of them will read your posts and see there are many down earth shooters here as well as the hardcore members and see what we've all got in common.

 

[RogerPA]

I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. It sounds like there's quite a few people here who are in a similar situation or have been at some point. Sometimes I think newcomers to the forum (like me) can get to feeling outclassed in a hurry by some people's rigs. Hopefully some of them will read your posts and see there are many down earth shooters here as well as the hardcore members and see what we've all got in common.

I recently traded 9 rifles for 1 brand new Christensen Summit-Ti. There's still many more in my safes than I need, but the decision to thin my herd came after realizing just how long it had been since most of them had been fired. I'm not sure who first said; "Only truly accurate rifles interest me.", but I've learned that's also true of me. Of course of those remaining are several with extreme sentimental value. Someone after I'm gone will have to sort them out. In the meantime, I'm thankful for the half-dozen rifles and high-end optics I do shoot regularly. God has been good to me...

 

[scottyboy]

I recently did the same purge, I'm down to a few rifles and 1 shotgun. I went for quality vs quantity. My only regret was not doing it sooner, now I have hundreds of rounds for various calibers I no longer own and likely won't ever again.