How many guns is too many? What is considered an "armory"?

[Nick87]

I plead the 5th.

 

[seeth07]

Actually cool story about my grandpas deer rifle - there still is a round stuck in it. The gun jammed on him while hunting and he missed a huge buck because of it. He never hunted with the rifle again because he considered it cursed. The round is stuck with with the action stuck as he tried to eject the shell that didn't go off. My dad kept the rifle that way and now that its in my safe, same thing. I don't think I'll ever remove that shell and I hope the heir that I end up giving the gun to does the same to keep that story alive.

 

[noharleyyet]

Too many, to me, is when you stop making impulse buys. I've stopped buying yet am currently dabbling into refinement of existing pieces....so no net savings, believe me. My boys (son and SIL) have enough with what they've accumulated plus what I've gifted. I have traded two nice pieces (long guns) for two nice pieces with solid HT members. My weakness is S&W revolvers...the Kimber .45 and Sig P229 .40 are rarely de-safed or handled.

Each to their own.

 

[Dave N]

Technically, an armory is a place to store weapons. Therefore we all have an armory. An ARSENAL is something different. When I hear news stories about some shooting that say they had an "arsenal" of 5 guns plus 5-600 rounds of ammo I laugh and call them an amateur. Even though an arsenal is also considered a storage place it is also considered a collection.

 

[CAV67]

Wyoming is the state with the most firearms per person @ nearly 200 firearms on average. Arizona the number is 24 and obviously rookie numbers, which I may or may not have exceeded since I live in AZ. However, that WY number is certainly a goal!

 

[elkfanatic]

I intentionally don't count my guns so when someone (wife) asks how many, I can say I don't know,

 

[belshawelk]

Guns are bad.

 

[rjthehunter]

I have plenty. I have been passed down guns by my grandpa. I won't get rid of those. But as far as guns I'm consistently using, I have no issues trading up or selling a shotgun in my case. I just sold 2 shotguns to buy 1 nice one. I don't need a .410 over under that's worth $800. Also don't need it sitting in my safe for no reason. So I sold it and my bird gun to buy a nicer bird gun.

Thinking about doing the same thing with my concealed carry pistol. It's worked great. S&W M&P shield 2.0 in 9mm. I want to get the new shield plus that has more capacity. Do I really need 14 rounds instead of 9? No probably not.

 

[Jbotto]

I’ve always found it funny how non-gun people always ask for the number of guns you own. I’ve never counted so I never answer. It wouldn’t be hard to count as there isn’t that many, just never cared enough. Same with ammo.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Technically, an armory is a place to store weapons. Therefore we all have an armory. An ARSENAL is something different. When I hear news stories about some shooting that say they had an "arsenal" of 5 guns plus 5-600 rounds of ammo I laugh and call them an amateur. Even though an arsenal is also considered a storage place it is also considered a collection.

 

[307Fflam]

The only correct answer is there is no such thing as too many

 

[Sask hunter]

It’s an investment! Price for guns, ammo and reloading stuff never seems to go down

 

[buckbull]

You are way "cooler" than me. I know who Ariana Grande is but to quote her? That is unless you are 15 years younger than me but based on your world travels I'm doubting so!

He probably has a teenage daughter that commandeers the radio when she gets in the car. I've heard all the pop stuff then my daughter was a young teen. Post Malone, Ariana, T swift, SZA, cardi b. Mostly crap. But I like country and 90's rock.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Would you keep a wrench that won't hold a nut in your toolbox if the tool box is full?

I guarantee that if that wrench was the first thing my grandfather bought after returning to the US from the Pacific Theater, and was the wrench was the first wrench used by my dad and all my uncles to turn their first nut, and was specifically called out by my grandfather to be passed to me upon his death - then yes, I would hold on to that wrench.

Now, I don't have my grandpa's wrenches, but I do have his guns... a gun isn't a wrench - it's waaaaayyy cooler.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm a gun geek and have a bunch but a pile of guns you don't use or value that need to be kept from corroding is the same as hoarding any other junk that is of no use to someone IMO. Some of the "never sell a gun" takes are dumb. There's no tragedy in having fewer chunks of metal sitting unused and taking up space.

I'm primarily just too lazy to deal with the hassle of selling them or dont like to sell guns that have minor issues that someone else might have to deal with, so they sit.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I'm not a collector. I know people who literally have hundreds and I know people who have 5-20. Most of the people who own 5-20 are the ones who actually know how to hunt. lol

 

[jt13]

My grandfather had about 100 guns when he passed, but he only used the same few whenever we'd gone hunting together. I kept those and most the remainder will be sold at some point. You may even seem some of them on here in the classifieds. I see no reason to keep something that doesn't have functional or sentimental value.

My father in law passed and left a pile of guns in the safe, guns leaning in corners, guns in the bedroom closet, guns in the rafters, etc. Most of his guns he inherited from various family members, now that he's gone we have no idea their history or origins. They're just rusty metal laying around the house. Due to the lessons learned I have an excel sheet with every gun, serial number, where I got it, and what I've used it for.

In my opinion, you can have too many guns. How many is too many? What's an arsenal? Eh, that's up to you to decide

 

[Johnny Bravo]

We all waste money on something that just sits there....for you and others its guns. I personally don't see a reason to have more than 1 rifle, 1 shotgun and a few handguns, but thats just me. I get a reminder every now and then from my wife about the stuff I buy and don't use...I have to say I'm learning because I'm not wasting as much money on things that just sit in a closet or drawers much anymore.

 

[Chama Grande]

Speaking as someone who will inherit nothing - I couldn't imagine owning more than 10. I enjoy seeing other people's collections and that childlike wonder in their eyes when they show them off, but at the end of the day - being gun rich and cash poor has about zero appeal to me. Doesn't seem like there's a formal limit on guns you can own though.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

My grandfather had about 100 guns when he passed, but he only used the same few whenever we'd gone hunting together. I kept those and most the remainder will be sold at some point. You may even seem some of them on here in the classifieds. I see no reason to keep something that doesn't have functional or sentimental value.

My father in law passed and left a pile of guns in the safe, guns leaning in corners, guns in the bedroom closet, guns in the rafters, etc. Most of his guns he inherited from various family members, now that he's gone we have no idea their history or origins.

It's a little sad to go into the local gun shop and see a guy's collection that was brought in from an estate. You can usually tell because the stuff will be three or four of the same brand of firearms all grouped together (Ruger M77s, Winchester 70s, S&W revolvers, Colt 1911s etc).