Firearm collecting stages
 

During many years of firearm collecting I have been thru many stages. In the beginning I bought WW2 rifles of all types, then on to new guns such as Rugers which I bought many, then modern rifles mostly Remington BDL 700s. Garands came next and I own a few of them too. AKs next then and presently German lugers. I have owned several 44 mag revolvers and a Desert Eagle.
How has your collecting evolved?

I started with 6 P38s and 2 ex-wives!

I started late in life with one lonely P.08 after my wife died. My daughter told me I needed a hobby. A few years later I have four and a half Lugers and nine other vintage pistols.

Life is good. :cheers:

45 years ago, I bought my first centerfire handgun. A Dan Wesson. Pure utility.

Later, I added a Ruger .22LR Mark I pistol. With addition of a S&W Third Generation 3904 that's the way thing stood for many years.

About 15 years ago, I started again with a really nice S&W 586 Pinto that I found in a LGS. That and a nice 1923 vintage commrecial DWM Luger in .30 Luger caliber.

The rest is, as they say, all history!

I started off liking guns in general, but as a kid, i could buy bayonets and swords, so would ask at yard sales and antique shops; swords, guns or bayonets for sale? Bought a number of nice pieces. My first handguns were a S&W 25-2 in 45 ACP (still own), a 22 pistol and a Ruger 357. I collected most anything that caught my eye, I eventually bought my first luger in Hawaii that was an artillery made by Erfurt, reblued, hard buffed but a shooter. Then a mismatched luger and after retirement from the army in 2000, I came onto this forum, met Bill Munis who became my early mentor. He told me collect something specific, something you like, and I started collecting pre WW2, Police, Simson and test lugers.
I was then mentored by Ron, Geo and several others who helped me understand that collecting nice examples was important :)

When I was eight years old our neighbor, Admiral Vance, retired from the Navy and his wife badgered him to get rid of all the stuff in the attic. When he asked what to do with it she responded "give it to Andy's boy, he likes army stuff". I was told, by my Mom, to go next door as Admiral Vance had something for me. I came home with a Jap Arisaka rifle, a T-14 Nambu and an M-1 Carbine. After I saw my first Luger I got rid of the Jap stuff and have never owned another one since

'Beats the hell of 'Johnny Seven' !!

When I started collecting guns, I bought every gun I thought was neat. After while I realized that there are so many neat guns that I could never collect them all.

Then I started concentrating on WWII guns, and after while I realized that there are so many WWII guns that I could never collect them all.

Then I thought it would better to home in on WWII handguns, and after while I realized that there are so many WWII handguns that I could never collect them all.

Then I started looking in to the WaA marked guns, and after while I realized that there are so many WaA marked guns that I could never collect them all.

I'm still trying to collect WaA marked guns though, just waiting for the next moment of clarity. Only German made WaA guns?

"WaA' guns??

Yep. Waffenamt (WaA) Marked Basically WWII guns...

Here's a list, off-site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffenamt_codes

Thank You My Friend~
 

right on my lap!!

We all suffer more or less from the same sickness, but I'm probably a worse case ...

I started about 37 years ago with 1911s, then I went on with K98Ks and C96s aaaaand Lugers... :rolleyes:

In the meantime I've never stopped to go to the range for "defensive shooting" with more modern guns like CZ, Tanfoglio and Beretta... not to mention mid & long range shooting wth Garands, Remington 700 and HS Precision rifles...

All this until about last year when I realized that an ever-taller pile of unneeded guns made my life no happier, so I decided "to prune" my collection, :crying: I kept only some vintage 1911s and a very small number of other guns: two Lugers, three Garands and a couple of modern rifles for long range shooting.
In this way I decided to enjoy more what I already owned.

After such a long time of guns-ownership and thousands of rounds of ammunition I have been reloading over the years I still love to go to the range at least once a week. :rockon:

Regards.

Fortunately Sergio, this sickness is terminal... :D You will have to suffer through it until the Lord calls you home. I will keep you in prayer my friend.:cheers:

Funny thread!
Reading this makes me feel a whole lot better about things now...
Thx!
Zk

I have been playing with classic cars for a long time. Including repairing and restoring them. Welding stuff, engine swaps, etc...

I stepped things up a bit after being diagnosed with a progressive rheumatic condition. Still have 6 cars but I progressed (or regressed) into an owner and less of a mechanic.

Researching and writing about classic gun designs is a bit of a substitute and a passtime for the things I can no longer do. Shooting is no longer an option either although I was amused to find I was able to get a few bulls eyes at 300 yards with an old Mosin Nagant and surplus ammo a couple of months a go.

Anyway, not dead yet, but it helps to keep me somewhat focused on something other than slow decay.