Time to get out?

[CLT65]

Or at least scale back?

No, I'm not surrendering or giving up. I've been thinking about this for a few years now, just at a different point in life, different priorities. Guns have been a big part of who I am for a very long time, and I've accumulated a lot of them, as well as a lot of reloading and casting gear. No, I'm not one of you heavy-rollers. I've never had the disposable income to buy expensive firearms and classy gear, but it's surprising what you can accumulate on the cheap when you stick at it for decades. I don't have the quality or even quantity that some of you guys have, but I do have more than I feel I really need at this point in life. I have a number of decent hunting rifles and I haven't hunted in over 20 years. A recent thread on "home-built" guns got me thinking about that AK that I haven't shot in probably a decade. Even those cheap Mosins and Mausers that I used to buy are going for good money now. Maybe find a new home for that AR I never use, before Uncle Joe comes a-knockin'.

It seems to me that now is a good time to seriously thin the herd. Of course keep a few, as well as some projects that I've been meaning to get to for years. It seemed like a hassle to try to sell much, but another thread on consignments got me thinking that direction too. I might even thin out my casting gear, maybe even the Dillon 550. I got along for decades before I had it. Everything's going so crazy high right now that maybe it's the right time to make this change in life.

Anyone else ever hit a point in life where they just made a change in focus? Any regrets? A couple years ago I got rid of a bunch of surplus ammo that I'd been dragging around for many years, and I don't miss it at all. Why hang onto something I'm never going to use? The only reasons I can come up with are the thought that maybe my kids might want some of it someday, and once gone, it's hard to replace.

Edit: please no PMs. Nothing is for sale here, and won't be for a while. Even then, I'll probably just consign stuff at a shop when I figure out what to do.

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[Member 34319]

I've scaled back dramatically over the years. Long gone are the days you could buy 1000 rounds of 22lr for $20 and it was plentiful, on every shelf. Buy a brick or two, shoot all of it that weekend, replenish the following week. Life was good.

Now you have to stock up when it's decent, to get through when it's not. Rinse and repeat. Except each time you rinse and repeat, something is missing.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Imna die with whatever crap I have so might as well have at least a couple things. Won't matter any which way.

 

[Flymph]

Don't want it anymore and it's worth money, then sell it for something you will value more. That's the trick.

 

[CLT65]

Oh, I don't mean get out of shooting. I enjoy going to the range with my boys. It's about the only relaxing, enjoyable thing I do anymore. I even have plenty of ammo, for the level of recreational shooting that we do. With my reloads and the .22 ammo I've picked up over the last few years, I won't run out anytime soon. From the end of '16 up until the recent empty shelves, I found it hard to pass up a brick of .22 LR at a good price, and often came home with a brick or two. I have plenty now.

I just think it's time to get rid of the stuff I don't use, and probably won't in the foreseeable future. It just seems like an ideal time to seriously lighten the load. It would also be nice to offload some medical expenses. My wife has had 7 surgeries in the last 8 years, and we just found out that there was something about the last one that the insurance decided they weren't paying for, so it's another $7k out of pocket for us. We could have bought a pretty nice new car for what we've shelled out in medical, and we drive old paid-for cars instead.

Some of this stuff has been part of my life for over 30 years, and it will feel strange to see it go, but I think it's time.

 

[Dungannon]

When I was younger my focus was on earning a living, paying off debt, saving for the future and not taking up hobbies that shortchanged my family. As the kids grew up and left, there was more income in the discretionary category but none of my interests are all consuming. The amount of time given to any activity varies over the course of the year, and expenses fluctuate with the level of interest as well.

Will, codicil, community property agreement, directive to physician, gun trust, prepaid funeral, instructions to the kids, etc.: all taken care of. If I die unexpectedly sudden, then a bit more hassle for the wife but not much. After our parents died, we promised each other to never leave our kids with such a mess. My wife usually has a garage sale each year, but mostly we give stuff away to people and organizations we trust. If I live long enough, some things will go directly to grandkids.

 

[CountryGent]

Yes and no. I dumped a decent number of firearms last year. I'm tempted to jettison a few more. Or not.

Firearms has been apart my life since the earliest of days and that won't ever stop. There are times, like now, when it isn't as big a focus, and I've had to get real with what I actually will be using now or in the near future. We all have our sweet spot in various life categories; just a matter of finding it. Or just shrugging it off.

 

[Deerhurst]

Old, paid for rigs are awesome! My daily driver is 18 years old and my ex daily driver and now toy/backup/pampered old truck is 35 years old. Something about a manual tranny, no AC, no cruise, crank windows, long tube headers, monster heavy flywheel and some mild cams makes me happy. I won't own a vehicle without a manual tranny and now everything I own is AWD or 4wd.


Im the opposite of you in gun stuff. I've been turning it up in the past 5 or so years. I've been building, getting into NFA, learning to load, setting up the Dillon, stockpiling mags, shooting a bunch and the ammo supply never seems to recover fast enough, etc. I've got stuff for guns I've never seen before, I've got stuff for guns I don't own but would like to, and I've gotten lucky with stuff I bought for no reason and now have a gun that uses that junk! I hate to see what it looks like in 20 years when I'm nearing 50!

I've always worked, been in school or otherwise been unable to persue the hobbies I love. Couldn't even had played highschool sports had I wanted to. I now have the time and the $$ to enjoy myself. I figure I should enjoy my hobbies before I'm either too broken to enjoy them or get married. Maybe they will be something I can pass along to another generation, probably not related to me as I do not want children.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I am pretty much in the same social strata as you I think. I don't own even 1 gun worth 2k on it's own, but I own 20-30k worth of just guns. Ammo , mags ,ammo cans , hard and soft cases , optics not even mounted, holsters ,...stuff. My pile has gotten unwieldy and my willingness to make time for my hobby is at a low ebb .
Currently I am trying to cut out any garbage, projects, and also consolidating calibers.
In 2 years or less I also intend to buy the property across the little single lane gravel road from my house with the intention of building a simple shop. Security and humidity control are the 2 biggest issues I see needing to be addressed in my little gun nut hut.
My plan, as it stands.

 

[Dungannon]

I won't own a vehicle without a manual tranny ...

Felt the same way until my knees gave out! Came back from a 3000 mile round trip to Mexico and told the wife it was my last trip with a standard transmission. Left knee was swollen and ached like hell. Replacement truck was full-size, 4WD, V8 but with an automatic transmission. Both knees were replaced shortly thereafter, but now arthritis in the neck, shoulders, and hips is a daily reminder that some concessions have to be made for age - however grudgingly.

 

[NeSeR13]

Don't downsize, that's what "they" want you to do!

 

[P7M13]

Me, I'm going balls deep this year. 'Eff 'em.

then sell it for something you will value more. That's the trick.

Or squander it on puthy and whisky.

Hate and whiskey — Nashville Pussy | Last.fm

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[Bushman]

Or at least scale back?

No, I'm not surrendering or giving up. I've been thinking about this for a few years now, just at a different point in life, different priorities. Guns have been a big part of who I am for a very long time, and I've accumulated a lot of them, as well as a lot of reloading and casting gear. No, I'm not one of you heavy-rollers. I've never had the disposable income to buy expensive firearms and classy gear, but it's surprising what you can accumulate on the cheap when you stick at it for decades. I don't have the quality or even quantity that some of you guys have, but I do have more than I feel I really need at this point in life. I have a number of decent hunting rifles and I haven't hunted in over 20 years. A recent thread on "home-built" guns got me thinking about that AK that I haven't shot in probably a decade. Even those cheap Mosins and Mausers that I used to buy are going for good money now. Maybe find a new home for that AR I never use, before Uncle Joe comes a-knockin'.

It seems to me that now is a good time to seriously thin the herd. Of course keep a few, as well as some projects that I've been meaning to get to for years. It seemed like a hassle to try to sell much, but another thread on consignments got me thinking that direction too. I might even thin out my casting gear, maybe even the Dillon 550. I got along for decades before I had it. Everything's going so crazy high right now that maybe it's the right time to make this change in life.

Anyone else ever hit a point in life where they just made a change in focus? Any regrets? A couple years ago I got rid of a bunch of surplus ammo that I'd been dragging around for many years, and I don't miss it at all. Why hang onto something I'm never going to use? The only reasons I can come up with are the thought that maybe my kids might want some of it someday, and once gone, it's hard to replace.

Edit: please no PMs. Nothing is for sale here, and won't be for a while. Even then, I'll probably just consign stuff at a shop when I figure out what to do.

I recently downsized a lot of ammo and gear in general as well as household items period. Becoming a minimalist or essentialist has been liberating to some extent. I still prep, but more reasonably. Largely I feel having too many things ties you down. The things you own really do begin to own you. They control what state you live, how much of a pain it is to move, etc.

 

[Camohunter]

I started hunting with my dad as soon as I was old enough to buy a license.
Years before that I trailed him as he hunted. It's been a 50+ year journey.
Once I retired I thought I would spend much more time hunting and fishing but it hasn't worked out like that. My dad is now gone, past hunting buddies have moved away and my grown sons don't have the hunger for hunting that I had.
My wife and I also watch our two young grandsons 4 days a week. Anyway all of this has lead me me start moving some of the gear and firearms that I have not used in years. I still will keep what I do use and sentimental favorites. It has made me feel good to pass on unused items to new homes where they will be enjoyed.

 

[CLT65]

When I was younger my focus was on earning a living, paying off debt, saving for the future and not taking up hobbies that shortchanged my family. As the kids grew up and left, there was more income in the discretionary category but none of my interests are all consuming. The amount of time given to any activity varies over the course of the year, and expenses fluctuate with the level of interest as well.

I did things a little bit backwards. I got married later than most. I never made much money in my 20s, but didn't have much for responsibilities either, so I focused a lot on my own interests. I accumulated a lot of stuff then, while my contemporaries were spending their dough on the proverbial "wine, women, and song". Now my focus is my family. I still enjoy my hobby, but it's definitely not all-consuming.

Im the opposite of you in gun stuff. I've been turning it up in the past 5 or so years. I've been building, getting into NFA, learning to load, setting up the Dillon, stockpiling mags, shooting a bunch and the ammo supply never seems to recover fast enough, etc. I've got stuff for guns I've never seen before, I've got stuff for guns I don't own but would like to, and I've gotten lucky with stuff I bought for no reason and now have a gun that uses that junk! I hate to see what it looks like in 20 years when I'm nearing 50!

I've always worked, been in school or otherwise been unable to persue the hobbies I love. Couldn't even had played highschool sports had I wanted to. I now have the time and the $$ to enjoy myself. I figure I should enjoy my hobbies before I'm either too broken to enjoy them or get married. Maybe they will be something I can pass along to another generation, probably not related to me as I do not want children.

I could give you an idea of what it could look like, because I'm about 20 years ahead of you! There's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself a little and really pursuing an interest for a while. I was in my late 20s when I got my first real "career" job. I was single and living cheap, and my income at least tripled overnight. I had a blast for a couple years, had lots of money for a while (or so I thought). Then I got married, and the "plenty of money" thing stopped. But it was well worth it. Still is.

Just a comment in passing, and I don't mean to be personal as often people have personal reasons for not wanting kids (no disrespect intended - to each their own), but for me having kids was the best thing ever. My kids mean everything to me.

 

[CountryGent]

I recently downsized a lot of ammo and gear in general as well as household items period. Becoming a minimalist or essentialist has been liberating to some extent. I still prep, but more reasonably. Largely I feel having too many things ties you down.

I too have found it liberating to do an inventory purge on a relatively regular basis. There is something about out with the old and in with the new.

 

[bzltyr]

I do competions,etc. Ammo needs to come back, I pretty much keep to four calibers. My gun status is reasonable. I've sold a few. Not worried.

 

[oremike]

I'm in a slightly different boat in the same river. If this primer crises keeps on to the point where my business fails (and I'm no where near that) then my firearm ownership goes back to being a hobby rather than test fixtures. So I contemplate what I like to shoot, have bonded with and are just plain cool enough to keep and what not so much.

 

[jbett98]

I have two legal tax stamped machine guns and lately I keep wondering if now is the time to sell them. Lately I don't shoot them at all since the rate of fire eats up a considerable amount of ammo in a big hurry and will I be able to hold onto them if they start banning high capacity magazines along with other draconian measures.
Or, on the other hand, since they're already tax stamped will they be left alone and gain value.

 

[User 1234]

I sell physical items of all sorts when it no longer serves me. If it isn't giving me the slight smile from sentimental value as I walk past it, or filling a practical use in a specific role, then I tend to purge it. I am tired of having too much stuff.