Thoughts on trimming down the collection and upgrading to quality

[Scotty]

I’ve been tossing this idea around for a few days. I’m sure there’s a few of us that have a gun safe that is a wreck. No matter how many times I organize it, gear just accumulates. I’m general I don’t sell unless I shoot it like crap. The warden is cool with my hobby, I provide and we live a decent life, if I stack another safe in my small house that’ll be the point where she (rightfully so) gets to say how much is enough. I always justify it to myself that it’s a “good deal”, “backup parts will come in handy”, “buy it and store it just in case”. 
 

Most things in my life I’m a minimalist. I have been trying all of my life to improve my organizational skills and I’m upfront and honest with my flaws. I struggle heavily with organization. I find that by just having less possessions, it’s easier for me to manage my day to day. I just had to hip check the safe to get it closed, and that’s kinda where reality kicked in for me. 
 

My question is whether or not I should downsize and upgrade for quality. I’m a simple man, you want to sell me a .22lr for under $250 I’ll take you up on your offer in most cases. I’m by no means well off but my finances are in order and we do fine for ourselves. I also do view guns as an investment similar to the baseball cards I collected as a kid that are surprisingly worth something now. Is there a point where anyone here has gone this route and downsized and just bought higher quality?

Other than a couple odds and ends I don’t have too many “Gucci guns”. I’m of the camp where if you’re into firearms the basics of a 10/22 for pests and plinking, mossberg 12 ga for larger game, Glock 19 for a nightstand, An AR just to have one, and pick your brand and preferred caliber deer rifle adequately covers all bases in whatever scenario you want to play out.

 

I plink primarily as a hobby like people play golf of throw darts. I’m not trying to be the best operator that I can be. I have no illusions that buying the latest and greatest will make me bump up a tier in my shooting skills.  I don’t have a great setup to shoot 5.56 so my budget AR is fine for me to run a couple mags an year out of and I don’t need the latest and greatest DD or LMT or whatever brand. I find myself pulling out a 10/22 or a ruger mkiv/tx-22  90% of the time when I get the itch to shoot.
 

I guess the question I’m asking is if I have a few firearms that I don’t shoot regularly and don’t want to breakdown and clean is it worth it to downsize and upgrade my gear. I’m in the market for a 10mm handgun and can’t figure out if I want to drop $220 on a hi-point or $350-500 on a tisas or rock island armory or just make a commitment and buy a pricey SIG. If anyone here has downsized I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

Thanks in advance and sorry for the lengthy post. Hip checking the safe closed made me consider this more.

 

[FUJIMO]

I've got different guns for different reasons. If there are extras or duplicates in a particular group then usually they are looked at first if a higher quality replacement is considered or purchased for the group. I then sell the extras to pay for the new addition. In the case of the 10mm I'd base my investment amount on its use. Plinker is one price range where a serious carry piece is a different price range. 

As far as selling all those in your way give a feller a heads up when you do lol

[Scotty]

The 10mm would 100% be a plinker. Truth be told I traded labor for a decent amount of 10ammo and I want the room in my safe. 
 

I think you’re on the other side of the state but I’ll give you a heads up, will probably mull this over for a week or so. It doesn’t have anything to do with finances but more so just manageability. I like your reasoning of trading up with dupes/spare parts. 

[FUJIMO]

2 minutes ago, Scotty said:

The 10mm would 100% be a plinker. Truth be told I traded labor for a decent amount of 10ammo and I want the room in my safe. 
 

I think you’re on the other side of the state but I’ll give you a heads up, will probably mull this over for a week or so. It doesn’t have anything to do with finances but more so just manageability. I like your reasoning of trading up with dupes/spare parts. 

For a plinker 10mm I feel you're looking in the right direction. Im quite fond of RIA and while Hi Points won't win a beauty contest they do the job. 

 

[eRay]

I have reached my limit. I am retired with no payments any longer and a decent pension. I could buy about any extra guns that I might want. Most of my guns were bought new and I haven't shot but 4 or 5 of them.  That being said, I am at the point now that if I buy another gun I sell one that I like less just to keep the number manageable. It is just a mental thing. 

[Scotty]

I was at an outdoors show and I was impressed with the ria, fit my hand well. Hi-point takes a lot of flak but they do have really good CS and warranty. The thing is ugly as sin and similar feel and weight to a black and decker drill but I could stomach that purchase a lot more. I’d really like a quality sig 1911 but that’s a stretch for a plinker and I’d feel a bit guilty dropping that money during the holiday season. . 

[FUJIMO]

That's my issue with HP, it's like a black brick on a stick lol. I currently have zero RIA's but had plenty over the years that served me well. 

[NoBanStan]

You're not alone here. I was shopping safes this weekend when the realization hit me; I have a nice collection, but the value of my stuff isn't THAT high.

I'm often kinda jealous of my buddies who have a purpose built set of gear. It's high quality, minimal and well organized.

Part of me wants to sell a chunk of it and get down to a rifle, a pistol and a shotgun... Each higher grade.

To do this however, I have to change ME. I packrat everything.

[Garufa]

If you are pondering quality over quantity then considering a Hi-Point shows that you’re not serious.  

[gregintenn]

Just buy another safe.

[JohnSutton1980]

I agree with your assessment Mr Scotty! A Navy buddy of mine said you really only need 5 guns. Good quality daily pistol, AR for home defense, Ruger 10/22 for small game hunting, pump action shotgun for hunting, and a decent bolt gun for med game hunting. Weather the world is good or it is a SHTF situation you have what you need. 
I have since realized I don’t need his negativity in my life! But have found myself doing exactly what you’re talking about. Down sizing to 2-4 pistols, 2-3 fighting rifles, shotgun, bolt gun, and a 10/22. I think I have 22lr conversions for the ARs and Glock 19, 23,and 32. 
Still after a few but they are more of inquisitive thing than actual need. I’d like a decent 2011 but maybe just want to shoot one for a bit. I’d like a small Sig p320 to use as a backup to my M17 on my grocery shopping end of the world kit. That way they both use the same magazines. Other than that I think I have everything I need. Just do t tell my boss lady.

[Hozzie]

I have taken a bit of a combined approach.   I have some nice guns of all sorts,  but I am basically now a 100% 22 guy.   I have been selling off guns I don’t shoot and will probably never shoot and putting that money into higher end 22’s.   
 

I have enough of the other to still do anything I want but I don’t hunt anymore and am basically into precision shooting.   I love me some small calibers still like 22-250 and 204 Ruger.

I am a proponent of finding what you really love and finding the rarities in that and making it fun.   I am kind of out of the collecting mode.   Even my rarer or classic 22’s I want to shoot.  What else is the point of having them. 

[Scotty]

46 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

am a proponent of finding what you really love and finding the rarities in that and making it fun.

I like that. Well said. I’ve seen some of the builds you’ve posted and I think I may go that route. 
 

In the next week or so I’m going to start parting out some budget gear and optics. I think it makes sense for me to have 3 slide assemblies for the tx-22 as mine takes a beating and will eventually wear. If I haven’t mounted a scope and it doesn’t have a dedicated home I’m going to let those go. Already texted a buddy who had interest in one of my safe queens and that’s gone. Probably going to trim the .22 long guns and upgrade those and start there. It may be a decent Christmas for a few family members if I can figure out transport and legalities.

 

Thanks to all who replied. And I also did get a serious chuckle out of Garufa accurately pointing out my current dilemma .  

[DocHawk]

Once you have a handful of "no frills" guns... start being more discerning when you are actually out searching for a specific addition. Yes, like almost all of us, if the wrong gun comes along at the right price, oops now there's a new one in the safe. But in cases like yours where you're not just open to whatever comes along but you've got a specific caliber/use/need in mind, why not skip the cheap stuff (it'll come along eventually) and get something that is actually useful *and* gives you a meaningful impression of that specific role you want to fill?

Looking for a plinking .22 so you buy a cheap beater Western Field and decide you don't like rimfire because they have too many misfires, when really it's the deformed firing pin. Want a concealable pocket gun so you get a Jennings .25 and decide all tiny guns are underpowered and unreliable. Or need a big bopper for a pile of 10mm and the High Point Yeet Cannon sours your taste for the big boy auto because the hand feel and recoil impulse are lousy... well, in each case you let $200 separate you from a good experience in that role you were looking to fill.

There are so many good 10mm out there, now. P320 XTen is my favorite affordable quality, but a RIA 10mm is fun enough to shoot, and accurate. Plus, it doesn't take a hammer and punch to break down a mid-tier 10mm like the Yeet Cannon does.

[Wheelgunner]

I've never had qualms with selling or trading, especially when there was a specific purpose I felt a new gun would fill (which others I already owned couldn't accomplish).  And I think downsizing itself is a specific purpose that way - fewer to clean, remain accountable for, etc.

For me the only situation where I feel differently is regarding inherited firearms.  I would probably starve sooner than I would sell those.

[pop pop]

I am 75 and not in good health. Have 9 stents in my heart with double bypass and Agent Orange to go along with it all. About 2 years ago I made a decision to give my collection to my grandchildren so my wife will not need to fool with them when I am gone. I am about 2/3 done. Most of the ones I have now will be what I keep. My safe was running over also. I have about 5 more to give away and I will be finished. I feel good about where I have given them so far. Did include the Granddaughters in this give away. Going to make a list of my remaining guns and who gets them, or my wife can keep them. Her choice. 

[Defender]

Im also getting up there (68) and not in great health.  I have been wanting to pare down, but as sonn as I let one go I buy at least one more. My sons and son in law are all incapable of hanging on to a gun, so I'm not leaving them any and that makes me sad. My daughters are not that into guns but are interested in having one or two of mine for sentimental reasons, and my wife probably wants 2 or 3.  Most of the rest I want to get rid of, and keep only what I need.  After many years of collecting, this is very hard to do.  I just retired last week, so maybe that will be the impetus to get it done.

[pop pop]

Defender, I feel your pain. I also had deep reservations when getting started, but seeing the results of the ones I gave each one, and how they have respected the gifts, I feel much better about giving the gifts now. One of my grandsons and grand daughters are here this morning and we just finished an outing to the back yard range. My granddaughter is a natural. Her and her mom can drive nails with a 22 LR. She enjoys it and realizes she diffidently has great talent with shooting. Grandson is no slouch either.

Scotty, my safe is really thinned down now. Very few safe queens left now. I am thankful all 6 of my grandchildren have respect for guns and their Pop Pop's gifts. I am lucky in that respect. 

 

[Wheelgunner]

Years ago I became friends with an older widow with no kids.  When she found out I'm into guns, she gave me her late husband's beautiful double barrel shotgun. 

Thanks to her, my daughter's first memory about guns won't be some tragic news story, etc.  Instead, it will be that beautiful over-under hanging above our mantle at home.

Anyway, firearms make really special gifts and I think it's cool how they impact the giver and the recipient.

[Mrs Griz]

On 11/20/2023 at 6:35 PM, gregintenn said:

Just buy another safe.

Which is way cheaper than an addition on the house.