How Many Firearms is Too Many?

[DDT951]

The title states the general question.

How Many Firearms are too many?

I know the answer is N+1 with N being the number one now has. That is the theoretical answer.

But then comes practicality.

If one take an number of firearms, there must be practical limits.

Storage. Storing 5 guns is easy. 50 is harder. 500 much harder.

Different calibers. At some point there is too much overlap in usefulness and then having to maintain an ammunition depot.

Then there is shooting. I would venture to say few people go shooting once a week. But lets say once a week. If that person shot two guns every week, that is 100 guns. With the same logic, 500 guns would take 5 years before you shot the same gun again. Does one get familiar with shooting a firearm well when they have lots of choices or does it become novelty?

So, what is COAR opinion of what "enough" or "too many" is?

[eddiememphis]

You can't have too many, you can only have too few.

[VolksDragon]

It depends. For those of who enjoy the "collect" part of the hobby, and enjoy spending time watching the market, making deals, picking up new and rare stuff, it's never enough. My collections is split pretty evenly between guns I shoot and I guns I don't, and also guns I will keep forever, and ones I'll sell / trade when i feel like picking up something new.

I probably have a "medium" collection, and the current size is limited by how many I can store in my safes.

Ammo and magazines? Never enough....N+1

[Scanker19]

There doesn’t have to be practical limits or reasons. That’s the second cousin to the question, “what’s the point of that gun” or “what purpose does it serve?” Because I want to?
Because practically it could be one more than hands you have to use them.

Too many is one more than you want. Maybe that’s 2 or every gun plus one more.

[Grant H.]

Too many?

N+2 where N is the current number you have.

The appropriate number?

N+1 where N is the current number you have.



As for a real answer to your question.

Overall, for me personally, there really isn't an "appropriate" number. I've gone through a lot of different "phases" where I have focused on different things. Hunting, long range rifle, tactical rifle, IDPA/IPSC, etc. On and on and on...

Between the fun/challenging aspects of it all, the obvious practical benefits (self defense, food procurement), and all the rest of it, the collection has grown over the years. I've got stuff that I haven't shot in years, hell, I actually have some stuff that I have never shot.

There are a few that I have sold in the past, and out of them, I regret selling all but 2 of them. So, now they just get kept and stored...

[Erni]

In my opinion it changes by age and it?s not linear. But if you can afford 500 and have the space and time and money. Go for it. If you don?t you may want to optimize.
To each his own Sounds like you are looking for encouragement to reduce your inventory. But I got to tell you that you came to the wrong place.

[bradbn4]

So the other way to look at it is 2 more than you need, and one less than you want.

[beast556]

It depends. For those of who enjoy the "collect" part of the hobby, and enjoy spending time watching the market, making deals, picking up new and rare stuff, it's never enough. My collections is split pretty evenly between guns I shoot and I guns I don't, and also guns I will keep forever, and ones I'll sell / trade when i feel like picking up something new.

+1 this is pretty much how I see it also. I believe a well rounded collection depending on the types of shooting you like to do and would land a person in the 25-75 guns range. With that said I have came across a bunch of people that are 100% happy with one gun and don't see a need for any more.

[DDT951]

In my opinion it changes by age and it?s not linear. But if you can afford 500 and have the space and time and money. Go for it. If you don?t you may want to optimize.
To each his own Sounds like you are looking for encouragement to reduce your inventory. But I got to tell you that you came to the wrong place.

Probably. There comes a point when storage is difficult. But dont want to thin...

[Clint45]

Depends on if you are a user, a collector, or an investor.