You lose all of your guns in a fire or burglary and get a fat insurance check. Do you replace your current collection/accumulation, buy one or two really nice rigs, stick with your current prejudices or try something new?


Okie John

It would be a major effort just to stop crying. I think I would replace the 300WSM, 375 H&H, 12 Ga and .41Mag, and call it good.

okie

I'd give some serious consideration to buying a couple of well thought out custom rifles and a good quality shotgun. If I had money left I would put it toward hunting something I would not have otherwise been able to.

Regards,

Mark

Obviously I wouldn't replace those that I was ho-hum about, but would replace the ones I really liked...perhaps with a few 'upgrades'!

If I really only wanted 1-2 really fine rifles instead of a battery, I would sell them off, why wait for a loss?

I would be SOL as they don't make about 80-90% of my rifles any more.

Kimber of Oregon
Stainless left hand Model 70's
Left hand Model 700 BDL's - although there are lots of them on the used gun market

I've kind of had it with cubic dollar custom guns - my factory guns shoot just as well with new crowns and good bedding, but...

I'd be real, real tempted to call Serengeti and Montana and have them whip up about 3-5 left hand customs all stocked the same - nothing fancy, just solid reliable shooters. A couple of standard calibers, gotta have a .30-06 and/or a .270, and maybe a couple in calibers lefties rarely see - 7mm-08, for instance.

Have been burglarized before and lost all my handguns including some that could not be replaced, and it brought home a lesson. They're just things. Nice things, but still just things.

Attempting to replace my custom guns would be like having a photocopy of an oil painting and I wouldnt get that excited about the factory rifles I have, so it would be back to square one for me.

If my equipment was lost as well I would be truly distraught, if not I would probably choose a nice sharps or 1895 Winchester for fun, a shotgun, a 22, get a few Mauser actions and go to work on the Mausers.

If I continue to hunt what I am hunting now, I would come back with some of the identical chamberings, after years of shooting with them and accumulating all the reloading components necessary for each. Those years of hunting our West, Alaska, Canada and Africa, have taught me some valuable lessons of what will do the job. And you guessed it, I would have to throw in a new ringer just for good measure. "You can shoot any rifle you pick up, regardless of size, with practice".

Probably a mix of both. I have some guns that would be hard to find & replace, some I keep just because & some I would like to upgrade. What a bad thought you've put in my head.

What Mark said! Fred--don't give away your plan!

WHAT FIRE?

My insurance policy would not cover 1/10th of the cost of replacement. Even if the funds were available some of the items would never be found. You will propbably give me nightmares by just asking this question!!!

I think I would just get a few and use the remaining money on something else.

I was burglarized in the 70's, and all my guns were stolen except for an old Rem 243 ADL. I did not have replacement insurance, and learned a valuable lesson. Pre 64 Winchesters were depreciated as were Single Action Colts. Regular home owners insurance will not cover your loss without a rider for the value of the guns.

I bought one rifle and hunted with it for the next 20 or so years.

Winchester M70 in 6.5x06, Beretta or Browning O/U, Winchester M61 in .22 Mag.

Most cannot be replaced, so I'd say hi to a replacement SxS shotgun, a good .22RF, and three CF rifles, probably of custom origin. Then I'd go looking for the Rat Bastard that caused the delima.

I don't want anything to happen to what I have, but for me it would be fun. I have always thought that a major part of the fun of hunting and shooting is the getting ready for it. Its fun to shop for guns and to have the whole pile of money at once for me would be like a kid in a candy store.

My battery of hunting rifles is a small collection of custom jobs based on Model 70 actions. I have no desire to head in any other direction, I just want to hunt with what I've got.

If I were to lose the whole works, I'd cash the insurance check and write another one to the same fellow who built my current rifles. I'd have him build an identical second set.

Until they were complete, I'd purchase a couple of pre-64 Model 70s in .30-06 and .375 H&H and keep on hunting..........

AD

You guys that don't have adequate insurance should check out the NRA policy.

This is a distressing topic for me. The sentimental value of some of the guns I have is great as it must be for others.

I have taken precautions so I am not worried. That why I don't want to think about it again today.

I suppose the first gun I would get would be a pocket pistol for protection. On the other hand I always have it with me.

Be well.

At present, I have about 40 guns and many of these are factory stock "classics" that I almost never hunt with, but, do sometimes shoot, I have them because I wanted them as a kid in a gunless family.

If, the unspeakable happened and my guns were stolen/burned as much of my best mountain equipment was in Dec. 1999, I would be devastated. Fortunately, Woden and Axel, who are purebred Rottweiler males, sleep outside the door to my very modest gunroom....and they do not tolerate intruders, even people they know and like.........

I would not replace what I now have, it is too much hassle and stress. I would just buy a .338 in a "Legend" from Mr. Echols, a good .22 RF and a "Rambling Rifle" in a .280 from Patrick Smith of "Kifaru"; I would also get a defence handgun such as a .357 or .45. Actually, I oftimes wish that I had the self-discipline to do just this now, in order to simplify my life....but, I know I won't!

Custom rifles in 30-06, 9.3*62, 404 Jeff.

Shotgun with a four barrel set

Sig P239 (x2)

Kimber Pro Carry II

Edited to add - I wish I was smart enough to do this in the first place. Now I look in my gun collection and to many times ask - what was I thinking, until recently I had 6 AR15's and 3 AKs.