By Jim Supica, NRA Museums Director Note: This article was originally posted on NRA Blog
Few of us set out to be gun collectors.
We usually start with a gun.
For those fortunate enough to have grown up in a rural area or a shooting or hunting family, it was often a .22 rifle or a shotgun, which may have been a treasured childhood possession and perhaps the first totem of adult privileges and responsibilities.
For some, it may be a defensive pistol or revolver, purchased well into adulthood as a tool for personal protection. Some will have been introduced to a shooting sport and will select the first gun to meet the needs of their chosen competition. Others will have a family heirloom passed down to them. Film fans may want a gun like John Wayne, or Clint Eastwood had in the movies. Many will want a gun “just because,” which is plenty of reason enough.
After that, for most, it’s sort of like the old “betcha can’t eat just one” potato chip commercial. If one was good, two are better. You need a backup gun, practice gun, hunting piece or a spare, or caliber. One thing leads to another; the next thing you know, you’re shopping for a gun safe.
There are still a few boorish gun-collecting snobs out there who will sniff that a general grouping of guns acquired simply because the owner enjoys them is an “accumulation” rather than a “collection.” Such a view is regrettable and short-sighted. I’d say that if you own one more gun than you actually need, you’re a collector. Welcome!
There are different approaches to gun collecting. Some are building a shooting battery. These folks enjoy owning guns that fill different shooting niches for perceived or anticipated uses. Of course they need a .458 bolt action, because someday they might actually hunt in Africa or Alaska—some day.
Others will become interested in the evolution of guns and want examples of different ignition styles, such as flintlock, percussion, pinfire, etc., or types of mechanical actions. Certainly, many folks have a fascination with firearms’ association with history and may want to collect either a timeline of guns through the decades or focus on the arms of a particular historical era.
These history buff collectors will often be interested in a type of usage, perhaps military weapons, classic sporting arms or competition guns.
Many collectors choose to collect a particular type, make, or model of gun. For a long time, standard advice to beginning collectors was to specialize. This is still not necessarily bad advice. The entire world of firearms is broad and varied; some may flounder a bit if they plunge into it without a specific focus. The specialized collector who concentrates his efforts will be able to develop a level of expertise that will allow him to make smart purchases with an understanding of the market value of the items in his specialty and will become adept at finding bargains in the form of scarce variations within his field that others may overlook.
In addition, specialized collectors do much of the research on arms collecting, adding another building block to our collective knowledge.
However, it’s important to recognize that more generalized gun collecting is also a delightful and worthwhile pursuit. An eclectic collection, spanning many types and eras of guns, will usually be more interesting to a much broader audience than a tightly focused grouping which, to all but a few fellow specialists, looks like 50 different examples of the exact same thing.
It also seems that a general collection is easier to eventually sell at a better price than a specialized grouping that appeals only to a limited part of the potential gun-buying market. An extensive, highly specialized collection has the potential to flood the market and depress prices within that field if it is liquidated at one time.
However you plan to build your collection, it all begins with one. Whether you’re a determined and invested collector or an unintentional one, we’re happy to have you in the culture.
Not ready to start your own collection but want to enjoy ours? Visit NRA Museums online at www.nramuseum.com to view online galleries, or plan a trip to visit the NRA Museum nearest you.
Copyright, Jim Supica—used by permission. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NRA or the National Firearms Museum. This article was originally published in the Standard Catalog of Firearms.
I shot my first limit of ducks at 9 years old with a Remington 870 Wingmaster 16 Guage shotgun . I still have it but it’s sits in the gun cabinet now . It’s a priceless piece of my life and introduction to firearms and hunting that I will cherish forever . It’s a collectors item to me .
What sucks now is you won’t be able the trade and sell a firearm to improve your collection thanks to the ATF “rule” on the supposedly bipartisan safe communities act. It also screws up us retirees whom planned on selling bits of our collection during our golden years to make ends meet or proceed with other hobbies. No such thing as personal property anymore if it is firearms related. I’m beyond pissed.
The government thinks they own us but they know they really don’t so long as we have our guns so they are attempting to get total control of the honest people over their guns in order to join the global cabal NWO and have all guns logged in the United Nations database.
m44 – they already have a ‘good’ start with the billion or so firearm transaction record they are already maintaining. Wanna venture a guess how quick they will turn over that data, and without even be asked.
According to the specific language of the new “Dealer definition”, one can sell guns for the liquidation of collection, improvement of collection, etc. But, ATF isn’t known for following their own rules. They will know one when they see one, will execute accordingly with haste and efficiency. After all, they spent a shitload of little peeps’ money on really tacticool gear and execution training. As demonstrated in Little Rock, it’s a Hell of a lot more back slappin’ fun to no-knock execute a dealer than to mail a cease’n’desist letter, do a non-execution knock’n;talk, make a traffic stop take down,… Read more »
Rover – “make ends meet” HAH – they don’t want us to be able to do that – they would much rather we simply go the way of the dodo.
I remember a senior citizen years ago lamenting that people thought that since he was on a limited income he was buying cat food for himself to eat rather than for feeding his pet.
IMOA, SCOTUS and the current US Congress can’t get out of their own way and find that the Second Amendment is being ignored and infringed. They’re too busy squabbling with each other to do the job they were hired for.
Hmm – seems to me that the vast majority of us are likely in the ‘accumulator’ category since being a specialized collector can be a very expensive ‘hobby’. I suspect that some of us ‘may’ have a gem or two stashed away, due to being in the right place at the right time. Of course as others have noted we are now ‘stuck’ with them since the bats WILL be keeping a close eye on us.
My gun collecting parameters……if I see it, I need it. Never met a gun I shouldn’t have….and no adult supervision in my life.
FUSK YOU nra……..thanks for nothingj
Not everybody at the NRA is despicable. Jim and Phil Schreier are both upstanding guys though I don’t think Supica is with NRA Museums anymore.
Sure, Not everyone at nra is despicable but the organization is and you are known by the company you keep. Working for nra is like being a cop in ca, ny, ma and other totalitarian states. If you wear the uniform and enforce their edicts you are NOT A GOOD GUY, you are a nazi too.
The nra has sold out every gun owner and every American.
Add WA and OR to the list.
I’m gonna miss those really nice LePewPew suits at the NRA Convention Banquet. I’ve placed my hand on LePewPew’s shoulder just to feel that really nice material. All NRA members should rest assured that you ARE getting your money’s worth They are nice suits.
Thanks very much, sincerely appreciated.