Thinning the herd???

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pyscodog

Active member
Seems I ask myself this question a lot lately. I have quite a few rifles that don't see the light of day very often, some not at all. Thoughts of selling off some of them cross's my mind more often now that I'm getting up in my years. With the exception of deer hunting and coyote hunting, most of my shooting is at the club off a bench shooting paper. I really don't have family to leave them to and if I did, they will only get sold at probably pawn shop value. What to do, what to do?? Thoughts of selling them off and building a nice hunting rifle and one for the bench almost sound like a good idea. Anyone else get these thoughts?
 
Only one remedy comes to mind since my herd is already thin.
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Actually I've just started throwing the idea around myself. I've got a few I never use and a pistol I've shot maybe 25 times in the 7 or 8 years that I've had it. It's a nice 1911 but there's no reason a gun that old should be almost brand new. I also have a shotgun that likes to double feed every now and again and I bought it for the purpose of coyote huntin. But the way I figure it is there's no reason to have a gun you can't trust to work every single time.

I've never sold a gun before. So it's not something that had ever even crossed my mind until recently. I don't really like having things that I don't use. Plus you can only shoot one at a time. It ain't like I'm taking everything I own out to get a coyote killed.
 
Ah Bill! I feel your pain. And dilemma.

I have guns (mostly handguns) that have not been shot in a decade or so. And no good reason except when I am going out I seem to always be grabbing the same half dozen or so. My old police .38 Specials and guns like my Walther PP .32 ACP are fun and all but if I want to hit something a ways out there I know those will not be my choices. I do enjoy shooting them, I just like shooting other guns a bit more.

But sell them? Well, not right now. I have parted with too many guns in my past for too many dumb reasons. Way too many guns and way dumb reasons. I have three grandsons that may or may not get one or more of them someday but I will keep what I have for now. They all get taken out of the safe and fondled every now and then. They get fondled a lot more than I do but hey- unlike me they do not get abused!
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If you know for sure they will not be missed, OK fine. May as well let someone else enjoy them.
 
I've thinned my herd down to a hand full that I'll never part with. Don't really have family that would want or use them so I have a trusted friend that will see to it that they go to a few other friends that I know will appreciate them. In the mean time, instead of buying more, I plan to see if I can wear a few of the ones I have left out while I'm still around. A couple of hand guns in particular because the last few months I've been he11 bent to finally learn myself how to actually hit something with a handgun by getting off my butt and shooting 30-40 rnds every day. It's working.
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An aside: we were discussing this topic on another site I visit recently, you wouldn't believe the shock and dismay of a lot of guys when I told em I was down to one shotgun. LOL

 
I'd like to offer up my services to any of you that feel you need to thin your herds. Anything you give me will be loved and appreciated the same as if they were mine. I never show favorites and you have my word they will never be abused. Send me a PM and I'll get you the address of the FFL I use.
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I think about doing the thinning then in out afternoon phone call I tell Ritch to build me another upper.I've been trying to take an extra rifle to the desert occasionally. When I get to shoot PDs I take four so everyone has some fun.

Handguns are getting shot more over the past year. My wife goes to a sewing group and the husband of the hostess and I go to the indoor range. I know it had been many years since some of them made it out but my afinity for them came back fast. Heck I might set down and reload 500 rounds of. 380 this month.

Greg
 
I got rid of most of mine quite awhile ago. Bought a camera outfit that got way more use than the guns were, took the wife and kids on a nice trip that they all still talk about.

Still have a couple of full custom colony varmint rigs I really ought to get rid of too. Neither one has been used in 10 years. One of them is the most accurate rifle I've ever owned though. Still, really ought to get rid of them. One of them at least
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- DAA
 
I actually did this over the last couple years. I love rifles. And I had a lot in my safe that didn't get used. Mostly deer rifles, and a couple expensive ones. So, I let one go, just to see how bad it hurt. Then another, and then a few more. Suddenly I had some cash on hand and ended up with a custom .221 Fireball that I'd been wanting!

My herd is thinner these days, but I really like the ones I've kept, and they get used. There are a couple that have some history that don't get used, and won't get sold. But if they don't have sentimental value and aren't getting used, I'm ok with letting them go now.
 
I have a couple safes with very dusty doors. I have another safe which I rarely ever lock because I'm in it every day... It's all relative, some of those firearms I own for the sake of owning them, some I own to shoot.

What does NOT make it into the dusty safes is something which is readily replaceable, no collectors value, no sentimental value, no real reason to own them. Some I might keep around because I'll use them again in the future or MIGHT use in the future (like 2 sets of race ready CAS/SASS firearms), but overall, I really don't keep firearms which I won't shoot regularly.

A good example - I had a pair of Bushmaster Varminter Special AR's, I hadn't shot either in several years, so I sold one of them off, and I'm looking to sell the second as well. Alternatively, I have a couple Marlin 60's which I've not fired, and don't intend to shoot, but I do intend to have them on hand when my kids and my sister's kids get old enough to have them.
 
Originally Posted By: tripod3Anything you don't use within a year can go, including wives, except for guns n tools.

I am of this school of thought, I hate selling guns there will come a day when you regret it, i can think back over the years and re capturing lost love is harder and more expensive than maintaining it in the first place, guns do not need exercise they dont eat or need cleaning out or bedding down on a night so if you dont need the money are not at destitutions door then.. WHY!
You only come this way once i want everything all the time.
 
My thoughts are...the ex, even though we are still very close, has no interest in firearms at all. My son..... well, there is a pretty good chance they would end up in the pawn shop sooner or later. No relatives that deserve them or would even use them. Little brother is a musician and kind of an anti gunner, so he's out. Selling off a few and using the money for a custom/semi custom or just spending in on what ever seems the best choice if that's the way I decided to go. It would also cut back on reloading supplies which would save a few bucks too. Just thinking about it right now.
 
I have given it some thought... But then I think of guns I have sold in the past and really wanted back.

Problem is that I have sold/traded enough guns and ammo that twenty or thirty years later I wish I had back.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodog I really don't have family to leave them to


You could adopt me
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I'd take really good care of them.
 
I was dealing with this one awhile back had 3 gun cabinets full. And then I let the kids pick out 2 each what they wanted then I kept 5 that there was no way I would ever sell that was my dad's and grandfather's the rest went. Bought the wife a new bedroom suite and a big TV set and had a good down payment on a new car. Then cz came out with the 6.5 Grendel bought one so I now have 7 guns. And I still don't have time to shoot them all and everyone is happy with what they have too
 
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