My best friend recently moved back to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a "gun afficianado" just like me. Well, on Monday he bought a Colt M4. It's labelled L.E./GOVT./Export use only. Obviously something we can't buy here. It's got the Flash hider, collapsible stock, everything. Canada limits mag capacity to 5 rounds (!) but other than that, it's the real deal.

Well, I am happy for him picking up such a sweet gun. But I couldn't stand it. He had just bought a new toy and I hadn't !!!
So, on the way home from work, I stopped into my favorite gun store and started looking. Didn't intend to buy a gun yesterday, mind you, just went looking. Well I ran across a Springfield Mil-Spec 1911-A1. Basic Gun, no frills, essentially what was originally issued in 1911. I know my friend in Canada has often said he wants a "classic" 1911. I decided I had to buy it and add it to my collection

Now you have to understand. I appreciate the 1911 for it's nostalgia, longevity and historical signifigance, but I'm not really what you would call a fan of 1911's. It was just cool and I wanted it, simply because my friend had just bought a new gun.


I swear to GOD, it's an addiction, and I think I'm gonna need a THIRD job to support this habit.

I feel your pain!  Guns are to me what crack is to a crack head.  I look at it as an investment (at least that's how I justify it to the better half). Hopefully your "buyer's remorse" wears off as quickly as mine does

Cloak-

I got it bad too. I need another gun like I need a hole in my head. I got guns coming out of my butt. Every time I buy another gun I lie to myself this is the last one. I don't even enjoy shooting them as much as I do collecting and molesting them. If I have my credit card on me and go into my local FFL store for a bore brush I will almost definitely walk out with a new firearm. I know I don't need a new gun and I have guns in the safe I never fired or probably never will. I have bought guns just to see what all the hype was and fire 10 rounds out of them that are collection dust now.
The real disease for me is not the gun purchases, it's the got’a have accessories that often cost as much if not more than the total guns purchase cost, not to mention the ammo for it.
I recently bought a 870 police magnum for no other reason than it looked like I needed it.
I saw Private Ryan for the 12th time last week and discovered I needed a M1 carbine. So I have a IBM M1 carbine coming to my home this week.
To me collecting is the fun, the shooting is second. One thing I can’t come to terms with is selling any of them, no matter if I know I will never shoot them again. There just too much like all little family members to me.

A member named "oldeschool" once said I was a 'gun junkie'...
He was right at the time.

Glad that's almost over with!

Fortunately my credit cards were cut up and paid off.  I guarantee that if I were to get another it would be maxed out at the gun shop in one weekend.  My favorite dealer does have layaway though.  I have three on layaway now.  Two will be picked up on Friday.  At which time I will put a couple more on.  Its not that I need more guns.  Its just that when I look in the safe some of the other guns in there look lonely.  You cant have lonely guns.  They need someone new in there to converse with.  I just wish they would start reproducing. :)  Guns are definately an addiction.  Sometimes I look in the safe to find one to watch tv with me.  My wife claims that I dont always have to pull one out and oil in but I think I do.

Yeah im in the right room, "HI" my name is Bluemax and im a gun Gunaholic..............
                    Bluemax

You aren't addicted, just competitive.  I have a buddy of mine I have known for over 25 years.  Continually, it's "Who has the most Browning-pattern .45s?"  "Who has the most pre-ban 5.56 rifles?"  "Who has the most WII-era weapons?"  And so on.  The sumbitch just bought a Steyr SSG, so I am gonna have to move to top that.

I VILL NOT LOOOOOOSE.[/Arnold]

Yeah, it can be a bad addiction.  Hell, I have six firearms in my safe that I have never even fired.  Luckily the wife is pretty understanding and I'm not going into debt over them.

Of course now I got this home theater bug up my butt so I already spent the gun budget for this year and I have yet to get my HDTV.  

Well, crap, I have to buy all the handguns I want this year (thank you California) so I'm gonna have to dig up money somewhere.

Now go out and shoot that 1911.  You will understand what all the fuss is about.

Quoted: Well, crap, I have to buy all the handguns I want this year (thank you California) so I'm gonna have to dig up money somewhere.

I'm in the same boat and plan to do the same.

Another 1911, USP and maybe a 686.

It IS an addiction, not a competition for me.  The only person that even knows everything I have is my son - because we go through safety drills with each and every one of them.  My collection isn't huge by the standards of some people on this board, but it is larger than my wallet allows.  I don't even know where I come up with the money sometimes.  I just find something I have to have, buy it, then scrape pennies to cover the check before it clears .  Haven't bounced one yet.

The biggest problem with buying a new gun is the instantaneous need to buy another one.  How many of you, like me, purchase one and then have to stop on the way out of the store to look at something else?  Show of hands? .....  I thought so

Quoted: The biggest problem with buying a new gun is the instantaneous need to buy another one.  How many of you, like me, purchase one and then have to stop on the way out of the store to look at something else?  Show of hands? .....  I thought so

I cant take one of layaway without having at least one or two others waiting for payments.

Guys, its not our fault.  I blame "the gun lobby".  

Quoted: Well, crap, I have to buy all the handguns I want this year (thank you California)

What are you guys talking about?  Whats going on in California now?  Dont tell me they aren't going to allow any more guns to be sold in the state or something!?!

Quoted: It IS an addiction... The biggest problem with buying a new gun is the instantaneous need to buy another one.  How many of you, like me, purchase one and then have to stop on the way out of the store to look at something else?  Show of hands? .....  I thought so

You know, I have a love/hate relationship with guns.  I hate to admit it, but it IS an addiction.  Twice before I went through a stage where I sold every last one of my guns, and after a while started buying them again.

I am very thankful that I have a loving wife and a pile of financial obligations due to a family of five kids.  This puts severe restrictions on my purchases in general.  My wife is very reasonable and never nags me about this, and I run the family finances.  Being accountable to myself and God keeps my gun-lust in check.  Otherwise I'd own hundreds.

The other thing is, I can't keep a gun that I don't enjoy shooting.  I built an FAL once, $1300 later it came out beautiful, then realized I didn't have anywhere to shoot it... sold it.  Right now I own 2 pistols and 4 rifles, and that's about as big as my "collection" ever gets.  I don't usually buy a new gun unless an old one gets sold.

But the BIG THING IS... as soon as I buy a gun, my mind is IMMEDIATELY fixated on MY NEXT GUN.  I HATE THIS!!!  I can't seem to get happy with the LAST GUN I just bought!  I always think: "This one is SOOOO cool, I just know I'll be happy when I get it."  And as soon as I get it, I'm thinking about how I know I'll be happy when I get the NEXT GUN....

I MUST be crazy!

All that being said, of the 25 guns I have owned, the one that I feel most attached to and have the most satisfaction in owning is my Bushmaster A2 Shorty carbine.  Whenever I feel a wave of gun-lust fill me with unhappiness and greed, I take out my Bushy and goof around with it, and I feel better.  

I don't know if hanging around AR15.com is good for me or not...

Quoted: Quoted: Well, crap, I have to buy all the handguns I want this year (thank you California) What are you guys talking about?  Whats going on in California now?  Dont tell me they aren't going to allow any more guns to be sold in the state or something!?!

No, they aren't technically banning anything, they did that in 2000 with the gun safety test bill.  Oh yeah, before that they passed a one a month bill.  Now there is an "approved" lock requirement and in 2003 there will be a new liscensing (though they don't call it that) scheme to purchase a handgun.  Basically just higher fees, more intensive "safety" test requirements and you have to give a thumbprint. Mostly just a tax hike and a thing to make it even less convinient to purchase a handgun.

So, before the end of the year I'd like to get a .45 colt Vacquero, a .357 ???, A USP or Walther, and maybe a .22.  I went on a purchasing spree in 2000 so I already have most of what I want.  Of course they are going to release some new kickass gun in early 2003 just to screw me over.  Now I just gotta figure out where to get the cash.

It's nice to know I am not alone.  

Even my friends who hunt or shoot look in my safes and think I'm nuts.  I too have found ways to incorporate firearms into watching TV and even my workouts.  Maybe I'm in denial at some level, because I call my passion rather than addiction.  Every once in a while a read one of the "how many (guns, AR's, magazines) do you have?" posts and I find scary reassurance in knowing that there are others out there who've got it worse than me.

Bottom line, it's fun, I love it!

(As for all you folks in Kali, get'em while you can!)

It's nice to see that other people besides myself experience this phenomenon.

I bought the Mil-Spec 1911 because my friend wants one.

But do you know why I bought some of my other guns???

H&K USP45F -- I bought it the day I saw "Tomb Raider" just because I thought it was so cool.

Beretta 92FS - Because that's what the military uses.

Glock 22 -  Because that's what the police use.

Walther P22 - Because it looks cool and has an interchangeable barrel.

H&K USC - Because it's the Civvy version of the UMP, one of my favorite guns to use when playing "Counterstrike".

my AR-15 - well hell. I've wanted one of those since I was a kid. I couldn't not buy one of those.



Of course, these aren't the only reasons I bought said firearms, but I would be lying if I said that these reasons didn't factor into it........




It may be an addiction, but I sure have fun !!!!