How Many Guns Is Enough Or Can You Never Have Too Many?

[Rez Exelon]

As a rule guns & ammo appreciate at a rate faster than Gold. It is true they are harder to monetize but are never worth zero. Honestly, I wish that somebody told me as a young man to go out and buy one gun per month as an investment. Some of the guns that I purchased for $500 a few years back are selling for $5000 today and a few have appreciated much more. I try to buy guns that I want to have and keep with an eye for quality and collector value down the road. Some are black rifles but most are walnut and steel classics. I have not counted lately but am pretty sure the total is well over 120 today.

My wife does not care and only knows that some are long guns and some are short guns. She recently allowed me to teach her how to operate and fire a handgun and an AR15. I just told her to look on them as two gun safes full of gold bars and when I am gone, to sell the lot of them using one of the estate auction houses I know and trust. To keep a couple for self defense and to let each of the kids have one of Pop's guns if they want.

40yrs ago or so, I had a friend who had a walk in gun room/safe at the end of his house with glass enclosed display cases along every wall. A 50cal Ma-Deuce on a tri pod in the living room and a handgun stashed in every corner of the house. John Wick would have approved. Probably used him as a mentor. I told him that someday, I want to be just like him. Not there but close.

I have a rule that if I go on a big game hunt that involved guides or PH's and fees, that I buy a new gun for each hunt. Two for each African Safari. These become prized heirlooms after and are placed on display in my trophy room. There are currently six stunning hunting rifles on display and about six more still in the safe looking for a good place to put them. Why limit yourself? I am looking for a great Moose rifle now. I enjoy the process of fitting a scope and testing ammo until I can use the tool at any ethical range to take its intended prey. It makes me smile and that is enough.

View attachment 765234

My wife is the same...not a gun person at all. She let me take her to the range precisely one time. Still hated it. A few years later she saw me going through the spreadsheet that tracks the info I have on the collection. She zeroed in on columns such as "paid" and "FMV" noting that most of them looked like "500" in the first and "1000" in the second. She still hates the collection but at least she gets the value of what happens with those in event of my untimely end.

 

[Das765]

You're pretty average among US gun owners.

Most owners have 2–5 firearms, with 66% owning more than one and a solid chunk around 25–30% having 5.

A smaller group of enthusiasts super owners top 10–14% have 8–17 on average and hold a huge share of the total guns.

Your friend's one rifle one handgun view is common outside gun culture, but inside it, multiple guns for different uses hunting, defense, range, etc. is normal. No therapy needed just typical collector enthusiast behavior. Enjoy the new one

 

[Badjer]

"If you can remember all the guns you own, you don't own enough." -- Me

 

[ReddingArcher]

I’m in the “your wife still talks to you” category for the time being. I don’t necessarily need any more but I want more. I want a 416 Rigby and a double rifle. My wife wouldn’t care if I brought more guns home monthly, she isn’t into them, but has never said anything or rolled her eyes when a new one comes home. I think having 2 boys helps cause I just tell her they’ll get them when I’m gone.

 

[Pondoro]

Basically guns are tools..but when you venture into high class firearms they become art.

 

[Cranhill]

.

Depends where you are I guess ...... in the UK 5-6 guns is a lot, in Germany with a hunting license you can have unlimited rifles / shotguns but are limited to 2 handguns, the States is a different story......

Me, my wife may raise one or both eyebrows when I buy another gun, but she has never tried to stop me.....


.

Hi What of the UK is 5-6 guns a lot?

 

[Spartan5]

See how many you can clean at one setting - might indicate how many is enough.

This is why you have joint cleaning days with buddies who have less guns. You get to admire each others and at the same time can get more cleaned together!

 

[mark-hunter]

Subject with great humor!
Thanks for posting!

I think it was was a matter of time, before somebody brought up this question, in this world of passionate hunters.

I think, average owner needs only one gun, but only one gun for each purpose.
The more active you are, the more of specialized guns you will need.
For example, shotguns: clays, upland, waterfowl, etc
Rifles: pest control rifle, deer rifle, plains game rifle, dangerous game rifle, mountain hunting rifle, driven hunt rifle. etc

I dont know how they manage in the countries where they limited number of guns.

I have passed the point where I need one specialized gun for each purpose, because finally I have collected everything for everything. (I think ).

Now I am in the phase of buying guns for pleasure.
My first gun that "I dont actually need", was last years purchase Colt 1911 (National match gold cup), cal 45, single stack mag, made by Colt, Connecticut. Pure classic, bought with love. I was denying myself this for years, and finally I gave in.

 

[odonata]

I shoot everything I own (no safe queens) so I personally never acquire a firearm for its rarity, beauty or collectability alone. I generally buy a new firearm because it fits a particular niche or purpose I'm trying to fill. Sometimes its just a model or caliber that has a long-time nostalgic attraction that I finally got around to adding to the safe. So far I've only bought & never sold.

Right now I have 15 centerfire rifles ranging from 22-250 to 458 Win Mag so I feel like I have a pretty solid foundation to cover every situation that I would reasonably expect to encounter. It has gotten much easier for me to pass on attractive deals that I would have jumped at a few years ago. On any given day I usually have about half a dozen interesting rifles bookmarked but I haven't bought a new one since 2024. I've now reached that super-picky, deal-of-a-lifetime stage where it usually takes a pretty rare unicorn at a great price to get me to reach for my wallet or make a phone call.

Having said that, I can easily think of several rifles I could still be tempted by so it wouldn't surprise me if a few more appear during retirement. A cast-on SxS shotgun for upland hunting would be a nice addition. I've been a fan of the 303 British ever since I shot my first deer with one (I currently own two). Every time I see a Winchester 1895 chambered in one or a nice British Farquharson, I always stop to take a look. I've shot most of my deer with a 6.5x55 so acquiring a nice Sako Bavarian, Anschutz 1782 or Steyr SM12 has a lot of appeal since they all come in left-handed models. I had fun rebarreling & customizing a donor rifle so I could see doing a few more projects like that just for fun.

 

[BeeMaa]

I have what I need, but there’s always one more out there I’d like to pick up. Limiting factor is space in the vault, because Mrs BeeMaa is fully onboard.

 

[Cabelcan]

As many as I can responsibly afford, safely store, and actually use.

 

[Shaw]

Well I have surpassed the John Wick category and only 1 safe queen as it is new in the box unfired Rem 1100 16ga. that my dad gave me, he also gifted me a 30 yr old unfired .357 pistol I took it out the next day and ran a box of shells through it to let the wife practice as she did not like the semi auto pistols, thought he was going to stroke out. Told him I have guns to use not look at.

 

[steve white]

If stars align and something is really beautiful AND really a deal presents itself, it's coming home no matter how many guns I own.

 

[Rez Exelon]

If stars align and something is really beautiful AND really a deal presents itself, it's coming home no matter how many guns I own.

This. Like I never intended to own a Taurus 856 TORO revolver, but the dude was like $320 for that and wearing an OSight. Academy had the gun for 400ish and cheapest I could find the optic was about $225. So like, sure, I mean, I GUESS if "someone" has to buy if from the dude......

 

[Jay Kelley]

I've got two safes and working on a third. Mostly antique revolvers these days, but a new shotgun this week and a rifle next week.

 

[Philip Glass]

I am a Texan. You need to drastically up your scale on the survey. Not even close!

 

[PARA45]

Not enough!

 

[Challer]

I own too many, including some I am embarrassed to say I have never fired.

 

[Justbryan]

I only own a dozen firearms, mostly hunting rifles. Most of my rifles are pre-64 and pre-war Winchester Model 70 rifles. All have Swarovski scopes.

A few years ago, I purged all my collection. I had a lot of 1st generation SAA, Savage 99, 1911, three Blaser R8, and lots of race guns. Most of the rifles were synthetic stocked. I sold out and started buying Model 70 actions to have built for my LOP. I now have only custom high-grade walnut stocked M70 rifles.

I am happy with my current rifles and don't plan on buying anything else. I might be tempted if I come across another pre-war M70 action, but my stock maker has retired.

 

[yamoon]

32 rifles, 11 pistol. My wife buys me a rifle every year for my birthday, of course she lets me pick it out.
Mike