how has your C&R interest evolved ?

[Enfield47]

My collecting has been mostly centered on WWII era milsurps through the 50's and since I have my P14 and MkV, I'm thinking about extending my collection back to WWI. I'm mostly interested in British or American rifles, but I would like to pick up a nice French Lebel (and perhaps a Gras rifle too), a K98, and an SVT40. So far commercial guns haven't piqued my interest too much, but that could always change.

[ham]

there's something about a gun with a story behind it, with every little ding, nick and inperfection. You just don't seem to get with modern guns.

[NapalmCheese]

Earlyish shotguns, 16 gauge and American mostly.

[Rosereader]

I came for the history.

I stayed for the economy. I have begun to truly appreciate oddball turn of the century (or around there) designs, things that show an evolution of design mentality and then cheapness.

Cheapness! I can get old smokepole shotguns for next to nothing.

[phungn]

Mine just gets worst. It went from a select few to almost every one I handle... It's bad...

Even the ones I thought were ugly and didn't add to my list, after fondling, it gets added. How do I stop..

[Rosereader]

Mine just gets worst. It went from a select few to almost every one I handle... It's bad...

Even the ones I thought were ugly and didn't add to my list, after fondling, it gets added. How do I stop..

You don't. The condition is terminal I'm afraid.

[NOTABIKER]

Mine just gets worst. It went from a select few to almost every one I handle... It's bad...

Even the ones I thought were ugly and didn't add to my list, after fondling, it gets added. How do I stop..

if your wallet does not control you it will not stop.

[knucklehead0202]

My interests have varied widely with regard to what I'm looking for at any given time, but as far as shooting them goes, I always end up back in the same place, with the Russians. Not sure if it's just the cheap ammo, but there's something about them. I can shoot everything else but sometimes I get in a funk and can't hit anything. Then I pick up my SKS and get everything I point it at. And sometimes I just need to pick up the m44 and make some noise and fire, although I shoot it better than a lot of my other rifles as well. Go figure.

[NOTABIKER]

I think i like the first time inspection and cleaning the most. Uncovering the secrets of 75 years. you just do not get that with a new rifle. I enjoy minute cleaning. After i am satisfied it is in proper working order it is off to the range a few times. What separates me from collectors is i tire of most of them and sell them to fund the next project.
I do not reload and never will. so cost of ammo dictates what i shoot. I have never bought a C&R and just put it away. I would like mausers, K 31, British etc if they were cheap and ammo was cheap . but they are not. i am very excited to get my latest two T-53s out of dros and enjoy inspecting and cleaning something that probably has not been shot in 40 years.

[Paulie Lugnuts]

My son amd I started collecting 5 years ago with a $99 Big5 Mosin. The only common thread is they're all military arms. Our collection now ranges fom an 1863 Springfield to an M9 Berreta.
The hobby has changed some in that short time. Not being able to have guns sent directly to you has taken some of the fun out of wasting time on Gun Brokers. You can still get kits and 80% receivers sent directly to you, so we've gotten into building guns from kits. Owning a auto repair shop means that I had most of the tools to do this already. Its a lot of fun building a gun and firing it when you're done.
Shooting the guns is a big part of it for us and letting other people shoot them. Its cool to let somebody shoot a muzzle loader, an AK or a Garand for the first time. I think we've shot at least 90% of our guns.

[DennisCA]

I got started like Paulie, walked into a Big 5 a few years and rest was blur!
(Just kidding sort of)
It hasn't really evolved, just what has peaked my interest at the time.
I think the biggest factor on my collecting is my wallet....

[emcon5]

WW2 era, primarily, focusing on the nations involved. I have an example of all the major players rifles with the exception of Italy, simply because I shoot everything I collect, and feeding a Carcano would be a pain in the arse.

For the minor players, stuff I still want, but am not in a huge hurry:

Steyr-Mannlicher M95 (Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, others)
VZ-24, (Czechoslovakia, Romaina, Brazil)
A Finn Mosin,
Something French, probably a MAS36.

On Edit, a M95 may be my way of getting a rifle used by Italy without having to feed a Carcano. Hmm....

I am not worried about fakes of the German stuff, simply because I don't care about original matching rifles. Well, that is not entirely true, I would love an all matching vet bringback K98, but I am just not willing to pay what they are worth.

I do not reload and never will.

You really ought to rethink that.

[Syntax Error]

Started in collecting the usual stuff for beginner collectors - K98k, M1 Garand, etc, but eventually evolved more towards WW1 weaponry and pre-WW1 stuff is what I find most interesting. I generally gravitate towards WW1-era Imperial German weapons, and my collection does reflect that with having a Gewehr 98, C96, Artillery Luger, and I am always on the lookout for an acceptable Gewehr 88 (pre-1905 conversion), and eventually a nice M1871/84. I do have other stuff that would be WW2 era in my collection, but I would say my main collector interest is still WW1-era stuff. I may delve into French arms at some point with a Lebel Mle 1886 too.

[highpower]

I have been fortunate enough to acquire most (but not quite all) of the firearms that I have lusted after over the years. So much so that I just don't have the overriding urge to buy more.

I started out many years ago collecting US military firearms and my main interest still lies there. One divorce later, many of them were gone, and I got sidetracked with Smith and Wesson revolvers. Then I segued into Colt revolvers and somehow that lead me back around to US military stuff again.

After owning a Chinese AK47S and a SKS many years ago, which were subsequently sold. I got interested in AK rifles again and got a few of them and a few Russian SKS's too. Mosin's don't interest me and try as I might, I just can't bring myself to buy any.

I recently traded one of my M1A's for a Colt SP1 and that has swung me back to AR's again with an interest in retro AR's and I now have a half a dozen of them with two or three in progress including a Colt 607 SBR clone and a silencer for it.

I have a walk in closet that I really don't need for clothes and am giving serious thought to turning it into a walk in safe. I am kind of afraid that if I do that, I will start buying again and what I really need to do is save some money for my impending retirement.

[yj4x4]

Actually, at first, I got my 03 and COE as a way of giving the DOJ the bird.
But I am SO tired of black ugly guns with "tactical this" and "tactical that", in fact, tactical anything right now that I evolved to appreciate the feel and beauty of the wood, with every dent and ding part of a story if only that gun could talk. I have no set era or region of collecting interest. If it's C&R, and I like the lines and can afford it, I buy it.