Poll : The Interest of Handguns

["DoubleAction"]

The posture of any forum is measured by the shared interest of it's membership. Our handgun forum attempts to attract the interest of those who arrive here, looking to particpate or browse the boards. To better accomodate those Topics of interest, which best serves our membership participation, we can use this poll to improve upon our areas of discussion.

["DoubleAction"]

Being a collector can have many different meanings to many different people. I've seen collectors who buy into nothing but Colt 1911s, others who collect vintage S&W Revolvers, and some who collect only 1st & 2nd generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers.
I never considered myself any sort of collector, by any measurement of standards, but I feel I have managed to bring together a fair representation involving some handguns of the modern era which might appeal to the interest of several generations.

[SingleAction]

DoubleAction, All of the guns I buy I shoot no matter how expensive they are. I wonder if I could still be considered a collector without keeping the guns in NIB condition?

[TA]

I consider a "collector" anybody that has a few or more of anything for reasons other than neccessity. I really can not justify the contents of my safe, try as I might. My wife has convinced me to quit trying. You can have a gun for self defense, hunting and maybe a target pistol. But when you have 3 or 4 of the very same gun, and 5 or 6 of those, you might be a gun collector.

["DoubleAction"]

singleaction said:

DoubleAction, All of the guns I buy I shoot no matter how expensive they are. I wonder if I could still be considered a collector without keeping the guns in NIB condition?

SingleAction; If collecting was your only motive for acquiring handguns, I could see reasoning in preserving a gun in it's original NIB Condition. I gave the same issue some thought on this thread, and alot of thought to some of my guns when I decided to shoot or modify them. I acquired most of my guns because of their shooting characteristics, with only one being acquired because I simply wanted it ( my Colt S. A. A. ).
There are certain guns that are very rare, those that are limited in production, the commemoratives, the historical relics, and those that are very scarace in the collector's market place. These handguns are not those that I pursue because I do not consider those to be ones I would want to shoot.
There are many handguns manufactured during the seventies and eighties that are still good buys, which live up to the image of the models manufactured during previous years. Production numbers dicate the most of how much these guns continue to bring on the market; With those of highest production numbers, the better deals might can be found.
Being a collector also means having to purchase some guns that are not N.I.B. condition, which still brings in a good price.
Collecting handguns is making a group among those gathered, from different places, times, and methods of acquisition. A collection also tells alot about it's collector and what he has brought into one place. Some of the best collections I've seen or heard of came from Estate Sales.
Some collectors will shoot their guns, but they also pay close attention to the care and preservation of those guns. Some might agree, or disagree, with this.

[SingleAction]

" Some collectors will shoot their guns, but they also pay close attention to the care and preservation of those guns. Some might agree, or disagree, with this."

Thanks for the reply to my question, both TA, and DoubleAction!

I fit perfectly into the quote above, but I feel silly asking it now.

When I got my Colt SAA, the manual had a stern Warning not to turn the cyl, or do anything(shoot) at all to the gun in fear that you would reduce or worse yet ruin the "collector value" of said gun!

I just can't understand why people would spend $1200 bucks on a revolver, that is mass produced, and leave it in a box for years to get sold off on Gunbroker or something similar by their still living relatives when they die, and never enjoy the piece when it's expensive to purchase, but never going to be truly rare?

But that's just me, and you know the old cliche "You can't take it with you"

[TMan]

Sigh!!! I've spent so much money on handguns that I hardly have enough left to put in my two cents...

I think I only have one gun that I haven't shot and probably never will shoot: the Jubilee edition of the H&K P7M8. When I ordered it I had all intentions of shooting it. The day it came in I had to wait for the paperwork completion and for her to take some phone calls. While waiting I was looking at what was on the shelfs. What is this? a little black H&K box. Wow, a P7 PSP, and for half the price. I took it home and have taken it to the range several times. Since I have it, I doubt if I will ever shoot the P7M8. The only problem is that it is in the safe along with its box, which takes up a lot of room.

I kind of wish I hadn't shot the Founder's version of the Navy Arms Schofield because it definitely altered its looks. However, since I started using it, I've used it a lot. I really enjoy shooting it. In fact it has become my favorite squeeze.

Some guns I consider a little more on the fragile side, and although I shoot them, I don't shoot them much.

What will happen to my collection when I die? I doubt if I'll be losing any sleep over it. I just wish I had the name and address of the young Range Officer that got fired over the fire at Bass Pro Shops. He loved my Sig 220 Sport, and I'd like to leave it to him. I know he would cherish it.

[Mountaineer]

I bought my first gun in 1984 when I was 18 years old. I put it in a gun rack and there was room for 3 more guns. I ended up filling the gun rack up, and then I built a gun cabinet and filled it up. When I turned 21 I started buying handguns and they are still my favorite guns to buy. I started keeping a list of guns I owned, either bought or traded for. I think the number on the list is around 176 or so. I don't collect any certain brand or type of guns, I just like all guns pretty much. I love buying or trading guns and I really enjoy shooting a lot. I also keep a gun loaded for home defense as well.

["DoubleAction"]

singleaction said:

I just can't understand why people would spend $1200 bucks on a revolver, that is mass produced, and leave it in a box for years to get sold off on Gunbroker or something similar by their still living relatives when they die, and never enjoy the piece when it's expensive to purchase, but never going to be truly rare?

But that's just me, and you know the old cliche "You can't take it with you"

My Colt Single Action Army is one such gun, but it shares my safe with eleven other Colts. I had the opportunity to aquire this revolver ten years ago at the price of $1100. dollars; The cylinder has been turned only a few times, but there is not a hint of a ring or mark anywhere on the gun or it's cylinder. I later acquired a handcrafted wooden presentation case, a Galco Trailboss Holster, and, just recently, a John Bianchi fast draw rig for it. At the time I bought this gun I was acquiring various Colts, Smith & Wessons, and Sig Sauers; I thought the Single Action Army would one day contribute something toward my modest collection of Colts.
My dad comes from a generation of gun owners who bought guns just to have; That is one reason it is not unusual to find unfired 30 year old S&W Revolvers in NIB Condition for under $500. When I showed my dad my first Gold Cup he almost had a fit when I told him I shot it; He said, "You don't shoot a Gold Cup!"; I told him that's what the Gold Cup was for.
As for the Colt going up in price; I watched the suggested retail price on the S.A.A. remain at $1215. until I quit keeping up with it anymore.

["DoubleAction"]

somery; My dad has a Colt Frontier model in .22. Last time I saw that gun it was sitting in an unlined holster, as it had been for a few years, with the barrel rusted to the inside of the holster. When he pulled the gun out of the holster, the barrel stuck to the leather like glue, with pieces of the leather stuck to the rusted portions of the barrel. Many his Colts are covered in rust, but you won't convince him of it, he don't see orange like other people.

[TBT]

First and formost, self defense. That is the reason that I own handguns. After owning them and taking in the beauty of the craftsmanship and just overall functionality, I'm a collector second. It's become an obsession with me actually. Third would be shooting them. I don't get to do that too much it seems. Not as much as I used to anyway.

All of the above for me though.

["DoubleAction"]

One way of looking at it would be that some handguns might be collected for the sole purpose of shooting, which might also serve favorably in the role of self defense.

[MitchHankSauer]

I love the skill involved with shooting sports firstly, then comes the beauty of the engineering of firearms which leads to the collecting aspect. They easily go hand in hand if you have respect for one or the other. I believe though, if you're gonna shoot rounds thru now and then at any level, you wanna know how to shoot it on target so as not to embarrass yourself.

MHS