I hope this is the right place to post this.
I was reading a post over at Rimfire central that got me to thinking. People were posting pictures of there rimfire rifles. Nothing wrong with that, however some had 10 or more of the same model rifle. Hey I’m not one to argue with what other people do, it’s just hard to get my head around, that many of the same rifle in the same caliber. I have several rifles in the same caliber, but different brands and most fill a specific niche. Am I the one who is missing something……anyone here have that many of one particular gun and if so what were your reasons?

There is no ryme nor reason for gun collecting. It is a love of that type of firearm no matter what it is. There also is no limit on the amount. That is determined by the collector. If i could afford it i would by every left handed model 70 winchester i could, even if i had 10 of every caliber. That is how much i love those rifles. Unfortunatly all i have is 3 and i want them all.

What's the point of owning M1 Garands if you don't have enough to use the stacking swivels?

the term "endless variations on a central theme..." comes to mind.

Hank Williams kid owns over 125 SAA's.

Rich

There's no such thing as too many guns or too much ammo.

One or two more, that's all. Does that mean I need to buy TWO more Garands? Damn the bad luck.

I know High Standard collectors that have one or more of every catalogue gun and several factory and gunsmith custom varients. The only limit is space and money.

I guess I am just a young pup at this gun collecting stuff.

I have never really seen any practical reason to over collect things such as mentioned. I suppose if I was a country music super star I could afford to be impractical but I am not. I do however, have a very functional collection of niche firearms but did just recently purchase an heirloom grade rifle in 30-06 that will probably never be hunted.

If you collect something you need at least one for every grandkid.

Beyond that, who cares, so long as it makes them happy, and they are spending their own money.

The question is answered by a different question.

How much room do you have for gun safes?

When you look at your collection, then look through periodicals, auction sites, shooting sites, local gunstores and gunshows, and you find nothing that interests you enough to add to your collection, then you have enough.
I honestly hope that I never get to that point!!!

I think a reasonable compromise is one per ten square feet of house and garage and shop you own.

Rich

The older you get the less becomes the number.

sometimes collecting begins to feed itself. I have a collection of world war 1 and 2 infantry rifles. This gives me a k98k and a GEW98. then I found a deal on a '91 Mauser. Now I'm looking for a '93, '95 and '96 to fill up my mauser collection which is an offshoot of my original collection. oh, and I need an M71 mauser also, to fit my Irish and mauser collections

This is AMERICA, and its nobodys frickin business.

How many is enough?.....I can't count that high!

Pre '64 Win. Mod. 1894. There are a lot of variations. I have a hard time passing them up.

Its never enough.

I am just one rifle away from being happy.
GWB

My wife once told me "Honey, you can't have too many guns". What a wonderful woman!

I'm on the 12-step gun addiction program...at step one. Just 11 more and I promise I'll quit, HONEST!

But if I fall off the wagon I'll call one of you, and I'm sure you'll put me back on the straight and narrow.....straight and narrow, like a rifle bore....

There is a guy in New England that is a contract Mauser collector (meaning he does not collect Nazi versions) 4 or 5 years ago was the last I had heard of him and he had over 300 then.

I have a customer that owns one of almost every variation of every colt product.

Pistols, rifles, and now he is working on machine guns.

I went over to his house one afternoon, he has over 10 safes. His one pistol safe has well over 200 Colt pistols, all are 98% or better in the original box.

He has 1911's from every manufacturer except Singer. He has almost every model NM 1911.

The list goes on. In an average month he transfers $4000 to $10,000 in firearms through me. If I could transfer NFA items that number would triple.

When is enough enough?

I am happy with one drilling, one custom mauser, and one custom 1911. I have a few military small arms from the 20th century. Will I have more? Someday.

But like 22WRF said, as you get older... that number goes down. My grandfather has a Winchester collection that just blows my mind. Now he goes to gun shows to see what his guns are worth. He has started selling the "extra" off.

It is all for fun. Some people just take it a little too serious

As I get older and am running a lean program, I want to shoot more than accumulate. I wish there was more to hunt or shoot with the guns I have.

My brother likes butter pecan ice cream and will eat it everyday. The amount he eats is totally relevent to how full his stomach is before he starts. Is this wrong? Not to me it isn't but then I kinda like butter pecan too. I see absolutely no difference in that and collecting guns except the cost factor. Almost everyone I know satisfies themselves to excess in some manner or another. Far be it from me to either understand or judge. I'm as guilty as the next.

Well, I have one collection I would call "complete", but it really isn't... I have one of each of the four original stainless Ruger Redhawk calibers in both barrel lengths, for a total of eight. I know they offered them in blue as well, but finding a blue 45 Colt 5-1/2" would be too costly, and too time consuming, assuming they made one... so I limited the collection.

As for the original question, I think only one (or two or three... or maybe four) would be enough.

The truth is, the "affliction" we have cannot be cured, but there is an incredible support group!

Best suuport group I've ever found is the AR Classifides.

I like tring out rifles shooting various cartridge . So I v ended up with 17,20 22,24, 25,26, 27, 28,30, 33 and 41 caliber rifles. Im not a collector but got to try out the new 17 Hornet and 5.7X28 MM when a rifle brand comes ouy that I like.

Just when I think I have enough something else comes along. . . . . .