After about 40 years of buying, trading and selling guns I have come to a conclusion that the European approach of fewer but better is well thought out. I recently converted about 20 good rifles into 3 Johannsen rifles [375-416 Rigby and 500 Jeff.]. I'm going to do the same with my smaller caliber guns and shotguns as well. My fellow gun nuts here think I'm crazy. What do the AR members think is the best approach? I know it is fun to buy a new gun but it is also a rush to pick up a top quality gun. If you were starting over which direction would you choose?

LJS,
I think it's your money and you should do what will make you happy. You most certainly have chosen a line of rifles with a great reputation as well made.

Hi LJS!.

I have made up my mind several years ago....no mass produced guns anymore!. I`D rather go wait for a longer period of time for the one I REALLY want, than rush out and buy, by impuls for whatever I have in my pocket here and now!. My last gun was a 12000$ rifle with all a customrifle can bear without engraving!.
My next one will also be a custombuilt rifle with no compromises or shortcuts!.I know many people think I am crazy or snoppy(maybe) but as so far my experience is :during the time of ownership of a rifle, 99% of the time your are just looking at
it, only 1% of time or less, you are shooting with it!: So I want something that will satisfy my "eyes" aswell as having a good shotabillity!. I know many who have had guns for many years who bought a "new" cheap rifle, but over the months when their
new "hotshot" got bored, they bought a new thing!. After so many years their guns are just piles of cheap junk that couldn`t sell for the price of scrapmetal!. One can wrap a dogshit in fine giftwrapping, but it doesn`t change the quality, only another addition to the quantity!.

I think you're on the right trail.

Many guys have a safe full of mediocre rifles that they seldom use. I'd rather have just a few well-selected, high-quality rifles that I'll really use and hunt with than a whole collection of so-so stuff that's just sitting there taking up space.

I quit collecting guns quite some time ago and went this same route myself. I have fewer guns to take care of, fewer hassles, higher performance by far, greater familiarity, less ammo and components to inventory and procure, etc.

I'd rather put the hard money into hunting trips, not more guns...............

AD

I would rather have fewer better guns.

I like quantity & quality, and some that aren't such good quality.

I go along with those who want quality over quanity! However, I'm in a bind because my father was a collector, of run of the mill rifles, and shotguns, and since I'm the only son, guess who got them. These are in my collection, but are not my pride, and however they didn't cost me anything. The only thing is they take up a lot of space, that I'd rather have filled with something else, but I can't bring myself to sell them. I guess I could give them to my sons, and grandsons to clear out space in my vault. They don't interfere with my ability to go hunting. That is taken care of by retirement's fixed income!

I'd like to convert all the run of the mill to even one good double rifle to fill a gap in the chamberig range, but I can't!

Since you only hunt with one at a time anyway it might as well be something you can count on. If you can afford a safe full of guns of that quality my hat is off to you.

I would kind of like to have both. A few really good quality rifles for expensive hunts etc.

and then a few medicore of various design etc. for things like wild boar, deer in my own back 40 etc. just to play with mostly

QUALITY-QUALITY-QUALITY but real quality,not lots of engraving to hide poor design or poor file work.real quality classically done confers immortality to a gun. it will be a screamer in 100 yrs as now. when your estate has to sell it there will be a herd of buyers.for now you marvel over it every time you handle it

I agree with the approach and starting upgrading to fewer, better guns about 3-years ago.

When it's all said and done, you can only shoot one at a time, and to be honest with ourselves a good small, medium and large caliber rifle covers all the hunting you'll ever need.

Go quality over quantity.

I'd take quality of quantity, unfortunately I don't have enough trade stock to get one or two guns that would cover my needs.

I'm not in the league to afford custom rifles but I sure do subscribe to the small/simple battery of a few tried and tested quality rifles.

I would like to have a quantity of quality guns.

It would be interesting to find out what people think of as quality.

I bet one's mans diamond is another man's coal.

I agree that fewer and more quality is the go, but what do you do if you like to try new calibers.........I seem to want to try different calibers all the time and I enjoy doing that

I do have one custom .404 on the way which no expense has been spared, but I like to try new stuff and I can't have a custoim built everytime I want to sample some new chamberings.