How many others map out their future firearm purchases?

[Northern Shooter]

I've always liked to plan ahead and rarely make a spontaneous purchase when it comes to firearms.

I've bought two this month but am already thinking about my next 3-4 purchases based on use-cases that are not currently met by my collection.

Whether it's chambered in a new cartridge, a new action type or even a new rifle brand that I do not own, these are always under consideration.

I tend to plan out which rifles I will be buying over the next 12-24 month window.

Currently on deck:

• Merkel Helix (straight pull for driven hunt)
• Sako 90 (mountain rifle)
• Rigby Big Game (dream rifle)

 

[crackerman]

I do now. I have gone through "collecting" cycles with very low end stuff.

As I am approaching 50 I am trying to pare down most the crap I have at home and in hobbies so have gotten rid of lots of cheap guns and bought nicer stuff. For my hunting guns I would like some class hence the CZ600 vs Savage axis moves and they all need a job to me. So the semi auto shotguns have moved on to nice O/U for clays and upland. Ducks are still the $300 Mossberg I've had for 25 years.

Currently looking for a bigish bore .375 or 404J but only passively.

Any self defense or class rifles can be whatever plastic fantastic is workable at an OK price.

 

[VertigoBE]

I do have a wishlist of firearms I wish to acquire, but it is more focused on older firearms. I however do not plan the purchase date. Rather when I come across an example to my liking and at a price point that is achievable, I will try to pick it up. Now granted, some of these I'll likely never get to, but it is nice to dream.

	Colt 1911 with Ivory grips in .45 ACP
	A fine .22 bolt action, walnut, full size rifle, scoped
	A .22 hornet double rifle, scoped
	A H&H in .240 Apex, scoped
	a fine 6.5x54MS Mannlicher Schönauer take down, single trigger, scoped, reworked by a Brit/Scot
x	A 270win/7x57 falling block ruger no1 with British treatment
	A fine 7x57 stalking rifle, scoped
x	A Dumoulin Centurion 7x64 fully engraved
	An Ischler Stutzen hammer rifle in 9.3x74r
	A vierling or funfling (if possible with a 22cal in the rib)
	A Farquharson falling block rifle
	A fine 30-06 / 300WM rifle, from Hanssen
	A 303 British double rifle, from Daniel Fraser?
	A bolt action rifle in .318 Westley Richards
	A fine 9.3x62 bolt action rifle, scoped
	A fine 9.3x74r double rifle, scoped, ideally with the side clams as the third bite (Kessler)
x	Vereecke 416Rigby African Legend
	The Vereecke 338WM sister rifle, the Alaskan Legend
	A fine Scottish round action in 16 or 20 bore
	A fine Belgian or British side lock in 12bore
	A fine Belgian or British hammer gun in 12bore
x	A 12bore WW Greener boxlock
x	A 12bore Paradox/Shot&Ball/ gun by a British maker
	A George Gibbs 12bore push forward underlever lever-cocking sidelock
	A Westley Richards in 425WR with extended magazine
x	A 458WM/Lott bolt action working rifle
	A 450NE 3 1/4”double rifle, (from Daniel Fraser?)
	A Holland & Holland sidelock double rifle in 500/465NE
x	A Belgian boxlock in .500NE
	A fine British boxlock .500NE
	A Westley Richard’s droplock rifle or gun
	A .500NE 3” self-cocking rebounding hammer double rifle with ejectors and non-automatic tang safety.
	505 Gibbs / 500 Jeffery bolt action or rather a .500 Rigby bolt action? (.450 Rigby case blown out to .510cal)
	A 577 NE double rifle
	A 4 or 8 bore double rifle

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I’ve got my sights set on a Heym Jumbo sidelock ejector in .600 Nitro Express or a Joe Smithson .505 Gibbs built on a Granite Mountain Arms African Magnum Mauser action.

 

[PCC600]

I do have a wishlist of firearms I wish to acquire, but it is more focused on older firearms. I however do not plan the purchase date. Rather when I come across an example to my liking and at a price point that is achievable, I will try to pick it up. Now granted, some of these I'll likely never get to, but it is nice to dream.

	Colt 1911 with Ivory grips in .45 ACP
	A fine .22 bolt action, walnut, full size rifle, scoped
	A .22 hornet double rifle, scoped
	A H&H in .240 Apex, scoped
	a fine 6.5x54MS Mannlicher Schönauer take down, single trigger, scoped, reworked by a Brit/Scot
x	A 270win/7x57 falling block ruger no1 with British treatment
	A fine 7x57 stalking rifle, scoped
x	A Dumoulin Centurion 7x64 fully engraved
	An Ischler Stutzen hammer rifle in 9.3x74r
	A vierling or funfling (if possible with a 22cal in the rib)
	A Farquharson falling block rifle
	A fine 30-06 / 300WM rifle, from Hanssen
	A 303 British double rifle, from Daniel Fraser?
	A bolt action rifle in .318 Westley Richards
	A fine 9.3x62 bolt action rifle, scoped
	A fine 9.3x74r double rifle, scoped, ideally with the side clams as the third bite (Kessler)
x	Vereecke 416Rigby African Legend
	The Vereecke 338WM sister rifle, the Alaskan Legend
	A fine Scottish round action in 16 or 20 bore
	A fine Belgian or British side lock in 12bore
	A fine Belgian or British hammer gun in 12bore
x	A 12bore WW Greener boxlock
x	A 12bore Paradox/Shot&Ball/ gun by a British maker
	A George Gibbs 12bore push forward underlever lever-cocking sidelock
	A Westley Richards in 425WR with extended magazine
x	A 458WM/Lott bolt action working rifle
	A 450NE 3 1/4”double rifle, (from Daniel Fraser?)
	A Holland & Holland sidelock double rifle in 500/465NE
x	A Belgian boxlock in .500NE
	A fine British boxlock .500NE
	A Westley Richard’s droplock rifle or gun
	A .500NE 3” self-cocking rebounding hammer double rifle with ejectors and non-automatic tang safety.
	505 Gibbs / 500 Jeffery bolt action or rather a .500 Rigby bolt action? (.450 Rigby case blown out to .510cal)
	A 577 NE double rifle
	A 4 or 8 bore double rifle

Great list . I am quite familiar with 303 double rifles and a Daniel Fraser would be my pick .

 

[Rellik]

Almost all of my gun purchases over the years have been spontaneous or I get a whim for something and then spend the next days trying to justify the cost before I buy it.. Sometimes my good sense takes over and sometimes it doesn't. And since most gun collections seem to have a theme or a common thread, I don't have a collection, I have an accumulation.

 

[BJH65]

If I was smart or more disciplined I’d plan it out in advance like you but my desires sometimes change because I’ll come across another “bright shiny object.” I enjoy collecting and shooting guns but I must weigh some factors:

Does it impact my ability to go on an African hunt? I enjoy collecting and shooting rifles too much to relegate myself to just a few rifles so this stops me from purchasing a Heym double or a Rigby Big Game that may limit my ability to go on a hunt of my choosing. Buffalo or nice rifle? Elephant or nice rifle?

During the past two years, I sold 30 guns, many were vintage hunting rifles I collected over the years and vintage S&W revolvers with the idea of using some of the funds for a custom bespoke rifle or a high quality vintage H&H bolt action 375 H&H, or a Reimer Johannsen 416 Rigby or Rigby Big Game 416 Rigby. I had a change of heart and put most of the funds into a CD to cover our upcoming 2026 African hunt with at least two DG animals on the menu.

I did obtain a few rifles: semi custom Randy Selby stainless Winchester M70 375 H&H, custom pre 64 Winchester M70 416 Rem Mag, Custom AHR Brno 458 Lott, and a Brno ZKK 602 375 H&H, so that has temporarily satisfied the urge at substantially less cost.

Every so often, I have considered selling off most of my collection of guns to just a few, then I could perhaps have a Heym 470 double, a Rigby Big Game 416 Rigby and a Rigby Highlander in 30-06 to cover all the bases and with those rifles it would absolutely be nothing else! For now, I enjoy collecting and shooting too much to limit myself to just a few very fine rifles and I really get tempted when I come across a bargain. I can still hear my dear departed Mom’s voice, “you have plenty.”

 

[PARA45]

Truthfully, there are some fine firearms I'd like to own (Rigby Highlander), but realistically and financially I cannot justify buying one. I honestly prefer to use that money and hunt more with the rifles I currently own. However, after saying all that, I was able to purchase a Blaser R8 (which at one time was a pipe dream), and purchased a 375 H&H barrel. Now, if the planets would align and maybe a wood stock R8 would somehow show up, I may be inclined to sell some body parts to acquire that said R8 rifle.

 

[Munnik]

With me, it's just the opposite. After more than 50 years of hunting and having just become 75 years old, I am not planning any new acquisitions. I only own three rifles: a Krieghoff double rifle in 9.3x74R, a Cape Gun from Ferlach in 9.3x72R-16/65, and a single barrel rifle from Krieghoff in 6.5x57R.

The Cape Gun from Ferlach I gonna sell definitely - plus one of the others. Can‘t make up my mind which one…

 

[coreydb]

I've always been a utility hunter type of a person; maybe because I grew up with everything I needed but verrrry little I wanted.

 

[Muskox]

• Merkel Helix (straight pull for driven hunt)
• Sako 90 (mountain rifle)
• Rigby Big Game (dream rifle)

The Helix can have a lot of problems.

Sako 90 is wonderful.

Rigby big game meh, it will be a really nice and expensive bolt gun.

The Helix handles the best of all the straight pulls, but they have had and continue to be plagued with some problems with safety. If you want that kind of straight pull I would buy a $900 Savage Impulse and see if you really like it. The Heym is smoother than the Savage, but the same price and the quality is lower than the either one.

If you can find one the Browning Maral is pure magic.

I am a Blaser R8 guy, but they are a totally different gun than the ones above. Quality is very high, accuracy is good, but the real magical part is the safety. Blaser is a system. The rest are rifles. I actually prefer the Savage Impulse to my R8's as I think they are exceptional value. But that Blaser safety and take-down-ed-ness keeps me buying Blasers.

Not sure what you can get in Canada.

Here are some other ones.

Steel Action

Mauser 25

Heym SR30

Chapuis Rolleis or something like that.

Strasser

 

[franzfmdavis]

I’ve tried to, but don’t have very good luck with patiently planning. I’m usually too spontaneous and irresponsible.

However, I am momentarily at a point where I don’t “want” anything more. It’s kind of nice for a change.

 

[FlowHamed18]

I am totally lost, if I see an original Mauser 98 with matching numbers all over the stock and the action and made between 1904 and 1945... that's most of the time a "shut up and take my money" situation.

Last month I was able to get my hands on a Farsi Mauser in like new condition...

Up to now my wife didn't recognise it, so please let's keep that secret ;-)

 

[Fatback]

I am always on the look out for nice left handed Winchester M70s. Either for the caliber they are or for what I can have them made into. I typically keep some money set aside and available because when I find one, they don’t typically last long. I also have set limits for what I am willing to pay and if the rifle is more expensive then I pass. I am at the point now that I’ve got most all the calibers covered that I would ever need from 25-06 to 404 Jeffery and lots in between.

Since I don’t really have any more bolt action caliber “gaps” to try and fill, I have recently found myself thinking about the possibility of a left handed dangerous game double rifle. Some recent posts here have spurred those thoughts along. I may have to start saving a little more if I eventually decide to make owning a double rifle a priority.

As it sits now, I do plan on speaking with some of the double rifle companies at SCI next year. After that I’ll decide if I want to seriously pursue getting one.

 

[Josh P]

Mausers and M1917 actions are acceptable impulse purchases!

Buying a gun because “it’s a good deal” is a sure way to diminish the gun savings budget. I have a list and I try not to deviate from it without good reason. I’m to the point where a smaller number of purposely chosen guns is preferable to a pile of things that have no real attraction.

On the black powder/ML side a .72 Pedersoli Kodiak double (Please start making these again already!) is at the top of the list.

 

[Field28]

I've posted on here before that I pretty much have a list of guns that I've wanted since I was young. Occasionaly I knock one off the list, but the damned list seems to keep growing!