Trimming collection...

[MountainBear]

It's not that hard once you decide to actually do it.

It's still always difficult for me to turn loose of gun stuff. I have so many parts and pieces, you couldn't fit my shop in a tow behind uHaul, but then again, you could fit the rest of my belongings in a few duffel bags and some storage totes.

Several years working in Alaska helped pare down the non-gun stuff. I lived for five to six months at a time in either what could fit in two duffel bags and a backpack or the back of a Jeep Liberty.

 

[Certaindeaf]

 

[Pete F]

Since 941 was signed into law, it is more difficult to trim your collection without taking a bath. It is also not good time for sales of previously owned weapons - used or not. There are too many good deals on new firearms. This is from someone who has just had the experience. I took an unacceptable loss on a pistol that I had on consignment. If the owner had asked me, I would have said no to the sale. It was not as agreed on and he threw in a $25 magazine of mine to seal the deal. Granted the gun was a beautiful "Safe Queen," but it should still be in my safe. The 120 day agreement was up and I was going to go pick it up when he called to say it was sold.

Take the guns with you and if you still want to trim, do it there if the law is more reasonable. Dump something else.

I am staying in the NW and fighting till the end for my Second Amendment Rights.

 

[Tim300wsm]

the formula I use for my collection is N+1, N being the number of guns I currently have

 

[MasterChief]

I'm always here to help trim if needed.....pm me

 

[Flymph]

I'm always here to help trim if needed.....pm me

Will you trim down 300 or so cases of 7.62x39 to 7.63x25?

Oh sorry, you said PM...

Also, on that notion, I might buy something if you have something I can't pass up. Have a Webley-Fosbery? I would have to buy that!

 

[MountainBear]

the formula I use for my collection is N+1, N being the number of guns I currently have

Sometimes the math is more complicated for me.

N+1=S-(x)

Where N equals the not sellable guns in my collection, the S is the sellable/disposable guns in my collection, and x is the number of the S guns that have to get sold in order to add a number to the N collection.

That's as much algebra as I do. I'm a history teacher and a gunsmith.

 

[41mag]

My own N+1 notions were strongly reinforced over the decades, by adhering to an early 'Theory of Acquisition': once a year I would focus on ONE specific item that was calculated to bring the most pleasure, use, satisfaction and knowledge to my dawdling steps into The Hobby.

Along the way I noticed certain shiny trinkets weren't really related to any of those qualifiers, let alone ALL of them. Thankfully such observation served to moderate what could well have gotten out of hand.

It also became obvious, to afford shooting them much, reloading was required. The study of ballistic science expanded into further exploration of general as well as firearm history, exploration and trade routes, patent laws, and a variety of other related subjects.
Those are the 'real' N+1 collection items I treasure.

 

[bogeycentral]

My method is find the ones with most value to me whether sentimental or fun value. Figure keep a couple hunting rifles, a single AR, a carry pistol and couple .22's to plink with. Might shed a tear parting with a few AR's and especially a CZ Scorpion FDE pistol with folding brace...

 

[Pete F]

My method is find the ones with most value to me whether sentimental or fun value. Figure keep a couple hunting rifles, a single AR, a carry pistol and couple .22's to plink with. Might shed a tear parting with a few AR's and especially a CZ Scorpion FDE pistol with folding brace...

I don't know that I could do it. After my last experience, it would seem like I was giving away my hard earned treasures. I do have a few guns that I could give up, but they are not valuable enough to bother with selling. They might make good trade material, but even that requires FFL fees.

 

[2DaMtns]

I spent most of my life living in the south, and left it a year ago yesterday to move here. That humidity in the summer is enough to make me never want to go back. That said, parts of it will always call to me. Ramps in the spring, the smell of the air with the first frost, the first morning of whitetail season. I don't know how big your collection is, but I moved most of mine out here with me. I can converse with you via PM if you're interested.

 

[bivy53]

My kids hate seeing me downsize because they know my hardware is their inheritance!

 

[Joe13]

Sold off almost every non inherited gun I owned a few years ago to get us over the hump of my wife being in school for 4 years and me without a job + a kid in high school. Some of it was ok, most of it hurt. My guns and tools are really the only things I would call mine after selling my bike and 1 ton van.

However, I have made a couple of small priced purchases and some friends have been very generous in helping me get some basic's back into my life and collection so I feel truely blessed in that regard.

It is my life long goal to never HAVE to sell anything again and if I have something I just don't like after awhile then I'll do my best to put the funds from selling it into something I think I will like, but I rarely buy something I'm not already in love with (being frugal and on a tight budget nessecitates that lol).



In short I'd take em with me.

 

[TM-Salem]

Ive been thinking of downsizing my collection.... too many oddball calibers and I want something like an AR10 (I have no evil black rifles..) Ive got a 7.65x54 Argentine, MS 6.5x57, Savage99 in 300Sav. I really dont shoot them (although I may give the Argentine to my SIL.)

Eh, just thinking about it.

 

[orygun]

It's still always difficult for me to turn loose of gun stuff.

That means you weren't ready to do so. Sometimes we're forced into unfavorable decisions and we do what we need to do.

I'm sure I've gone on about this subject before, but as I have gotten a bit older I don't like having things just to have them. If I'm not using and enjoying something, I'm likely to get rid of it, freeing up money, space or both! Personally I had reduced "my" guns to just a few and was happy with what I had. Then I acquired a few more.

Now I've been thinking about getting rid of one or two more.

 

[MountainBear]

It used to be easier when I was younger. Very few items were sacred. Guns we're tools, and since I had very few, it was easy to see the greener grass. I've been buying guns for 19 years. In the early years, it was easy to sell a shotgun, revolver, or pistol to get something new. Or to pay bills, or whatever.

But as I've gotten older, I've refined what my loves are in turns of guns. I still have a few tools, but what I've learned is that I can use special guns as tools. Almost everything I own now means something to me. Downsizing today would be more painful than it used to be.

 

[Aero Denezol]

Since 941 was signed into law, it is more difficult to trim your collection without taking a bath. It is also not good time for sales of previously owned weapons - used or not. There are too many good deals on new firearms.

^^^This has been my experience as well.

I've only culled the herd once, and that was when I sold my mil-surp pistols/rifles and reinvested in more practical and newer firearms. It was a hard decision, but I've not regretted it once.

 

[MountainBear]

^^^This has been my experience as well.

I've only culled the herd once, and that was when I sold my mil-surp pistols/rifles and reinvested in more practical and newer firearms. It was a hard decision, but I've not regretted it once.

I went the other way. Except for a few tools, I divested of unused modern guns and went the milsurp route, specifically 1903 and 03a3 rifles. Haven't regretted it once either!

 

[tac]

Anyone ever had to go through thinning the heard before?

Only because I was going to have to go to prison if I didn't.

Don't take this personally, but I think that anybody even thinking about thinking about getting rid of ANY guns right now needs their head looking at.

 

[MountainBear]

It certainly easy to talk about it when we have the legal choice. Sometimes the moral choice requires thinning the herd anyway. But nothing like you had to go through, certainly. It certainly snaps one back to reality. The reality of what could be.