How many do you own?

[JRuby]

How many guns do you need the answer is, JUST ONE.

The one you trust the most

The one that you practice the most with

The one that looks a little rough because you carry it every day

The one you would use to defend yourself from a tyrannical government and bad people.

So, the answer is just one!

The bad part is you might have to interview many, many guns over many years to find that right one that meets all your needs, so until you do find that one, you have to hang onto the rest just incase there is none better than what you have.

SO you hunt with your EDC piece?

 

[CLT65]

I've tested what were the upper limits for me. At one time, I had over 80 guns. Yes, I know, there are some guys who have hundreds. But for me, 80+ was the limit and then I came to my senses. You don't think about it as the count is growing, but after bit it becomes a logistical issue. So many to be secured, so many to be insured, so many to be taken care of.

I once had a pal who owned more than 100 vehicles. Talk about a problem of logistics. He was so busy with them as a mass that he never had time to have fun with any single vehicle. And really only a handful were properly maintained. He was more into acquisition than quality issues. Yet for him, every single one had redeeming qualities. He made it to age 67. At the end of his life, they were cutting off his legs in stages, he had no need of any vehicle. After he died, somebody else had the chore of getting rid of them.

Having certain models of gun that you like tends to beget the desire for more. Like Smith & Wesson revolvers, you can go nuts buying those. "Oh, I have the N Frame .44 Mag. But they make those in .41 Mag, too, so I'll get one of those." And a .45 Colt, and a .45 ACP/Auto Rim, and a .357, and a .44 Special, etc. "Oh, and I want the older one with the pinned barrel as well as the newer one." Etc. "Oh, and they make those in both blue AND nickel." "Oh, and they make those in different barrel lengths, I want one of each." On and on it goes.

Now that I'm getting along in age, out of respect for Mrs. Merkt I have been paring back my holdings. I got started on that about three years ago. Now I'm down to 23 guns and I could let a few more go. When I committed to liquidating most of my holdings, once embarked I never looked back. And I have to say, it's been like a cleansing breath to not have so many to take up my energies.

Posts like yours inspire me to make some changes, or at least know that I can and will at some point.

At times I really feel the pull to live a simpler life. Like Thoreau said, Simplify, Simplify…

I got rid of a bunch of valuable ammo I'd been dragging around for literally decades, and I feel great about it. I think I'd feel the same way if I got rid of a bunch of guns.

My purpose for owning most of my guns is not practical; I don't hunt or compete. Self defense is important, but not my overriding focus. I'm not an operator or a prepper. Mostly I just enjoy tinkering with old guns, and recreational shooting at the range.

I came to terms with my collecting/accumulating a few years back. I'd be fine with letting them go if I had to. Yes, I've had many of them my entire adult life, but they're not my reason for living, my family is. Over the next few years I think I'll start purging the ones that won't be passed down to my kids some day.

 

[kmk1012]

Posts like yours inspire me to make some changes, or at least know that I can and will at some point.

At times I really feel the pull to live a simpler life. Like Thoreau said, Simplify, Simplify…

I got rid of a bunch of valuable ammo I'd been dragging around for literally decades, and I feel great about it. I think I'd feel the same way if I got rid of a bunch of guns.

My purpose for owning most of my guns is not practical; I don't hunt or compete. Self defense is important, but not my overriding focus. I'm not an operator or a prepper. Mostly I just enjoy tinkering with old guns, and recreational shooting at the range.

I came to terms with my collecting/accumulating a few years back. I'd be fine with letting them go if I had to. Yes, I've had many of them my entire adult life, but they're not my reason for living, my family is. Over the next few years I think I'll start purging the ones that won't be passed down to my kids some day.

You pretty well summed me up in your description!

 

[Member 3687]

SO you hunt with your EDC piece?

To answer your question, I do not hunt and have not in many years but if the need arose I could and would use my EDC. Due you not practice out to 50 or even 75 yards with your EDC. In a SHTF it may be the only tool you have.

Like I said, you may have to interview many guns to find the right one to meet all your needs, like hunting, EDC and so on and you keep the ones that are runners up incase the one you currently have no longer meets all those needs.

So evidently your current gun is not the perfect one for all your needs so you need to keep buying and testing until you find that perfect one. Its what I have had to do.

Even in the military your rifle is your main tool but if that tool went down then you went to the next best thing and that became your new tool and it would then defend you and your family and then it is what you carry every day until you find something better.

I have tested many tools in my life and have kept many as possible runners up pictured below but my G43 and G19, at least at this moment, on a day to day is still my go to, until I interview something better!

Only in the movies do folks fight, hunt or protect their family using more than one tool at a time. So my thought is you still only need one, the one you have in hand.

Just a few runners up

 

[Alexx1401]

Now and then when someone asks me this I really do not know off the top. Some look at me like maybe I have a foil hat on when that happens until I tell them I own a lot more than I really "want" right now. It just got to be no longer worth selling something to buy something else. It was both too much time for me and or too much of a hit in what I would get compared to what I paid. So I just sit on a lot of them that I would readily see re-homed. Always say what the hell, the kids can use or sell them when their Mom and I shuffle off if they are still legal. Any that are not before we are gone will of course go. If in my lifetime I have to give up any for the laws changing though it would of course have me buying something else that was still granted so I would still have as many I guess. First world problems I guess?

 

[Aero Denezol]

Like many people have said, I can always think of "one more".. But the inspiration is coming more slowly now. I'm hoping the buying and selling will slow down next year. I'd like to spend more time shooting what I have.

 

[JRuby]

To answer your question, I do not hunt and have not in many years but if the need arose I could and would use my EDC. Due you not practice out to 50 or even 75 yards with your EDC. In a SHTF it may be the only tool you have.

Like I said, you may have to interview many guns to find the right one to meet all your needs, like hunting, EDC and so on and you keep the ones that are runners up incase the one you currently have no longer meets all those needs.

So evidently your current gun is not the perfect one for all your needs so you need to keep buying and testing until you find that perfect one. Its what I have had to do.

Even in the military your rifle is your main tool but if that tool went down then you went to the next best thing and that became your new tool and it would then defend you and your family and then it is what you carry every day until you find something better.

I have tested many tools in my life and have kept many as possible runners up pictured below but my G43 and G19, at least at this moment, on a day to day is still my go to, until I interview something better!

Only in the movies do folks fight, hunt or protect their family using more than one tool at a time. So my thought is you still only need one, the one you have in hand.

Just a few runners up
View attachment 1084639View attachment 1084640View attachment 1084641

No I do not hunt with a weapon I use for concealed carry
There is no such thing as a gun that is perfect for all situations. I would not use my deer rifle for wing shooting any more than I would use my M1A to conceal carry. To me there are certain guns for certain situations. They are all trade offs.

 

[Spitpatch]

SO you hunt with your EDC piece?

In my case, Repeatedly.

Here's one:

On my way to work, 20 mile commute, first part rural highway. Coyote. Mousing in a field about 200 yards off the highway. "Damn! I need to start carrying a f.....n rifle in this rig!", I say to no passenger.

Wait. I have a gun. I HAVE A GUN!!! Boy am I happy I have a gun!

It's a Stainless Walther PPKS .380. But it's a GUN!

Whipped the Tercel (I traded a lawnmower for) into a nearby pullout, bailed from the rig out of sight of the dog, hit the brush and worked back to him.

Looked repeatedly at the "chamber filled" indicator pin on the approach. At the brushline, I took a sitting position 75 yards away, elbows on knees. Knowing the Walther shot high at 25 yards, I held dead center chest as he faced me.

Federal 90 Grain Hydra-Shok was the medicine and it was delivered to his doorstep. He hopped like a heart-shot whitetail, circled 3 or 4 times and was down with tail flagging.

So, yeah. I hunt with the gun I pack.

 

[JRuby]

In my case, Repeatedly.

Here's one:

On my way to work, 20 mile commute, first part rural highway. Coyote. Mousing in a field about 200 yards off the highway. "Damn! I need to start carrying a f.....n rifle in this rig!", I say to no passenger.

Wait. I have a gun. I HAVE A GUN!!! Boy am I happy I have a gun!

It's a Stainless Walther PPKS .380. But it's a GUN!

Whipped the Tercel (I traded a lawnmower for) into a nearby pullout, bailed from the rig out of sight of the dog, hit the brush and worked back to him.

Looked repeatedly at the "chamber filled" indicator pin on the approach. At the brushline, I took a sitting position 75 yards away, elbows on knees. Knowing the Walther shot high at 25 yards, I held dead center chest as he faced me.

Federal 90 Grain Hydra-Shok was the medicine and it was delivered to his doorstep. He hopped like a heart-shot whitetail, circled 3 or 4 times and was down with tail flagging.

So, yeah. I hunt with the gun I pack.

Nice shot - it worked well. You going start hunting coyotes with your walther now. I have seen deer killed with a 22LR but I still don't consider it a deer rifle anymore than I consider a EDC a varmint gun.

 

[Jay Walk]

Some people are over it, have lot's of guns and never shoot them. '

Others are addicted to buying more guns, as many and as fast as possible.

Newbie has a few guns now but is not interested in guns that he will not shoot at least once or twice per year.


So the answer varies by the person IMO.

 

[NCW_Robert]

Too many guns?

When I can't fit anymore into a 30 x 40 building is when I'll think enough is enough.

I went into a business where guns are considered business equipment. So now I can proceed with filling that 30 x 40 building with as many guns as possible.

~

 

[Spitpatch]

Nice shot - it worked well. You going start hunting coyotes with your walther now. I have seen deer killed with a 22LR but I still don't consider it a deer rifle anymore than I consider a EDC a varmint gun.

It was my "fannypack" pistol on numerous hunts in Montana. For "finishing" big game, it makes much more sense than detonating the rifle again, and performs much better than .22lr for that work.

...and I have spent the better part of an afternoon (and all the .380 ammo I carried) in a Prairie Dog town. It's a pretty consistent pistol.

 

[gmerkt]

I came to terms with my collecting/accumulating a few years back. I'd be fine with letting them go if I had to. Yes, I've had many of them my entire adult life, but they're not my reason for living, my family is. Over the next few years I think I'll start purging the ones that won't be passed down to my kids some day.

Yes, this same situation can apply to way more than guns. If a person has the acquisitive personality, they can get carried away with just about any object of interest.

I once knew a guy who was born in Cut Bank, Montana. His mother decided to blow town when he was a child, and forced him to throw away all his toys. Later, he spent most of his adult life filling up a barn and various other out buildings with toys. I don't know that all acquisitive personalities have such a clear-cut basis, but the worm gets into the brain somehow.

My purpose for owning most of my guns is not practical; I don't hunt or compete. Self defense is important, but not my overriding focus. I'm not an operator or a prepper. Mostly I just enjoy tinkering with old guns, and recreational shooting at the range.

My condition, pretty much.

 

[ma96782]

Just ONE more......


Aloha, Mark

 

[Jason999]

I've stopped counting how many firearms I own, I'm guessing around 40.

It's not about me "needing" anything else, its about seeing something weird and cheap and saying "I'd like to fix that up. Fire a few rounds, then toss it in the safe to be forgotten".

What do I actually need? I'd probably only NEED an EDC, a bedroom pistol and a carbine for SHTF scenarios.

 

[Member 3687]

No I do not hunt with a weapon I use for concealed carry
There is no such thing as a gun that is perfect for all situations. I would not use my deer rifle for wing shooting any more than I would use my M1A to conceal carry. To me there are certain guns for certain situations. They are all trade offs.

You are correct there is no perfect gun, because if there was one there would only be one gun and we all would own it.

That is my point and that is why I still buy and keep most of my guns as none are perfect for every job but at the same time, my point was you don't carry your hunting rifle, shot gun, SHTF gun and your EDC on you every day.

You carry the one gun that you feel fills the needs at that moment for that job.

So, if you're hunting you carry your rifle that you sighted in and you know the trigger, why because you practiced with it, trained with it so you feel safe with it.

When you bird hunt you do the same thing, you take the shotgun that you know, the one that has not failed you.

For EDC you also do the same you take the one that you trust why because you have fired it, zeroed it and trained with it.

In each one of the situations what's the common ground, its one gun being used for one job and no other. Yes, many guns may over lap but your key job at hand determines the tool you use.

The bad part is you might have to interview many, many guns over many years to find that right one that meets all your needs, so until you do find that one, you have to hang onto the rest just incase there is none better than what you have.

This is what I was trying to say here because there is no perfect gun you may have to buy, interview (test fire, train with) and keep many guns for different jobs.

But in the end you use one gun for one job (what ever it may be) so you only need one gun and in a SHTF the one you have with you may have to cover all jobs until you can safety get to others better suited for that job..

 

[wired]

I dont "need" more guns. I need more racks.

.

 

[kisfish]

I have a few left on the want list. Really haven't had anything on the need list in years. The next pistol will be an original colt python, next rifle a savage 99 in 25-35.

 

[Cody01]

I used to have a rule about if I wanted a new gun I would part with my least favorite so I never had too many but lately I have a harder time parting with them. How many is too many. I feel I should just get it down to about 5 or 6 favorites it thats a tough thing to do.

 

[Nosferatu]

Less than I want, more than I need.

FWIW: I once went from nearly 50 down to 3. I've recovered from that dark time and have added a few, but will never be a collector again. They all serve a purpose, even if narrowly.