doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ideal Minimum Battery of Guns

Ah, I thought that way when I was young! Now they're a burden.

I'm young.

When young, as many as your safe will hold. When it's full, get a new safe.

When old, very few. Give them away. To young people.

Interesting Feedback overall. The trend I see is one twelve is the minimum (various actions), however no one actually wants to accept the minimum. All would prefer to accumulate more.

I have to admit when I sold down my collection from 38 long guns to 3, the last six were the hardest to let go of. From 3 I am now back up to 6 (4 shotguns/2 Double Rifles). I don't count inherited guns as they can't be sold.

One thing I can plainly see is that I am out of the mainstream in trying minimize. Reading posts about collections being liquidated after the passing of the collector sadden me. Even more so lately dealing with my Father's estate and all the stuff my six brothers and sister could not take has made me question what kind of Albatross I would be leaving for my wife and kids in 20 to 30 years.

For me it is always been a fight between quantity and quality.

King, the guns I mentioned would not be a burden. The guns I own are a burden. There are people out there still adding seriously to their collections while many others are liquidating.

Ideal? What I've got right now.

But tomorrow, the ideal may be different.

SRH

I've pondered this quite a bit, and have purposely bought a smallish safe so that I won't be tempted to spend money I don't need to spend on too many guns. I'd rather have a few really nice ones than a bunch of so so also rans, and I'd rather live below my means if I can. This is such an individual choice that there really is no right answer for everyone.

It's always fun to acquire a new "toy", but I have filled most of the "needs" sections in my battery. I have also recently begun to evaluate a gun more on it's useful merits. In the somewhat recent past, I would have equally weighted a firearm for it's art and history and the voyage of discovery that went with it. A good 16 double could now easily do most of what I'd like in the uplands, but a heavier 12 is very useful as well. I have a bigger magnum rifle for big game and long shots and a lever Winchester (my great-grandfather's) for heavy timber and smaller deer-sized animals. Pre-war American pump guns are fun and good rainy-day guns, as well as my present waterfowl option. I feel blessed to have each one. I also have a smattering of somewhat lesser guns to use as loaners and travel guns as the need arises.

I'm always wrestling with how much is enough. I yearn for a very few guns that I can shoot well, but when I go too lean & mean boredom will inevitably set in and then I'm buying again.

If you can sit down and write a list of what you have, without looking to see, you probably don't have too many.

SRH

The billionaire's Probate lawyer asked him "how much is enough for you sir"? Billionaire's reply, "just a little bit more"!