As good a subject as any other. The shovels you shouldn't have a problem with, the rocket launchers maybe not so much. Heh, don't let the dweeb in the elevator shoes give you any lip!
This rather beautifully captures a broader point about our hobbies: do the thing because you enjoy the thing and find it interesting. No one else's opinion matters. Thank you, Ian.
Yes. I actually thought this was poor. Buy what you want to in life. I have 4 East German motorcycles because a) I like MZ b) they were cheap and I could afford them.
Exactly how I like Cigars and Whiskey. Drink and or smoke what you like, how you like. If it's cheap Jack Daniels, and that's the whiskey you love. Drink it and enjoy!
Imagine your disappointment when you eventually find out that Colt skipped serial number 1911 because they didn't want a huge hype to build up around that particular gun (or did they?)
in currency collecting, collecting by serial number is actually very common. outside of "special" serial numbers(sequential, extremely low serial numbers, 2-4 number serial numbers etc}, collectors will collect something meaningful only to them. birthdays, dates, whatever. even outside of gun collecting, by serial, even if its arbitrary, is completely valid and widespread.
Tbh from an engineering perspective, collections like that are exceptionally valuable resources to anyone interested in mechanical design of firearms. What doesn’t work often tells you more than what does
@rob dabank Dang. I misspoke. I have an m1 carbine that takes an m4 bayonet and an m1 garand that takes an m5 (not an m3) bayonet. Always confusing off of memory considering the designations are hardly chronological.
Don’t sell yourself short on the contributions YOUVE made, Ian. I can’t imagine as many people would be interested in collections without your easily accessible information
I was going to say, my two biggest interests are anti-tank/material rifles (particularly 1918-1945) and improvised or handmade guns. I don't have the ability to collect either of these things, they being either illegal for personal ownership or prohibitively expensive where I am, but Ian has definitely scratched that itch for me.
Ian: Have a theme, focus Me: 50 BMG single shot, FAL, 12.5" AR-15, bolt .22, Model 8, 870, USP 9, Gewehr 98, AK-74N ...Uh, action types? Sure, let's go with that
Simple: the ones that you like, that you have always wanted as a kid, that you have a personal interest in (ie military history buff), etc... and lastly ones that you can afford.
I remember seeing a m1 garand collection, the guy had 100s of them, stacked them one muzzle up one muzzle down in a giant gun safe. He could pick one up, look at the serial and tell you when it was manufactured down to early/late part of the month.
@Tom Sherwood That is part of the "does the collection bring you joy"? That makes the choice of, can I shoot the guns in my collection, a valid one. The only theme my collection has is; do I want to use it. (in legal pursuits only of course) Though if I had the money there are guns that just in their design, looks, construction and embellishment are works of art. (part of my theory of "the amount of money you have increases the number of things you desire) But if you want to keep your collection small, collect the guns you can shoot well. Works for me, except when I see a gun and think, "maybe I can shoot that one better" and don't sell it when I can't shoot it better. There are many things, not just guns, that are collected now that may loose value as the age of the people to whom those things were relavent decreases and their number also decreases.
Saying a collection never is finished is something I live by. As a Vietcong weapon collector, I can collect till the day I die because they used do many different guns.. I never will be able to own all of them. Not only due to financial reasons, but also due to me not having the space for 1500 different guns and gun variants haha
From that what I own as of now, Type-56 (sks) as it is a genuine Vietnam war bringback But excluding the stories, Type-56-1 all the way. Hoping to get a K-50M at some point
@@Taistelukalkkuna litteraly a PPSh-41, but the lower is home-made in Vietnam and has a wirestock instead of a wooden stock. There is one for sale right now, for 1500 schmeckels which is 1500 schmeckels too much for me atm :c
I was thinking something along the lines of “rifles that went through American trials and failed” but then realized that I’d be scared to shoot them out of fear of breaking them and I’d never be able to get it fixed without ruining the originality of it
Excellent video, as always. It's great that you emphasized that the important thing is the collector's interest and curiosity. I first got into collecting the types of firearms I like out of economic necessity. Many years ago I couldn't afford a WWII Gew98k, but I could afford a different "version" of the same rifle - the VZ24. I couldn't afford a vintage 1911A1, but I could afford an Argentine M1927. This economic need to "settle" for a lesser known version of a famous firearm turned into an interest in those types of firearms that lasts to this day.
@@ryansharpe3564 Why I am starting to look for a M1 Garand for my first rifle as I wanted something California "safe" and a bit historic as my first rifle. Finally got enough saved up to be able to spend the cash while keeping my safety net.
Yup. "Pistols that were state of the art in 1912" There's an alternate reality version of me that collects fully automatic pistol caliber carbines with collapsing stocks.
I think “terrible guns that don’t work” would be my collection and the Zip 22 would be the start! Followed by that Terminator shotgun and the 333 thing that’s on InRange at the moment...
I once read that one could distinguish between 'collection' and 'accumulation': A collection followed a theme, whereas an accumulation is eclectic, just whatever catches the owner's interest. I would pretty much be an 'accumulater'
@@richardelliott9511 Not really. Just different approaches to buying and enjoying guns. The idea of multiple guns of the same type is boring to me; except for spares of 'working' guns, I like variety, so I consider my guns one of those 'accumulations' :)
@@petesheppard1709 "The idea of multiple guns of the same type is boring to me" If you are collecting variations on a theme it can be cool. Having several that are of the same issue doesn't appeal to me but if it showcased the different forms it would be interesting. When does an accumulation start to have some form? Right now my meager agglomeration of firearms is about having a variety of guns to shoot in different situations. Eventually I would like to buy some purely because they are interesting in some historical context and not because they have a different utility than what I currently own. I need to buy at least three more for utility before I can start collecting, though.
In NZ you actually have to decide on a theme for your collection to get a C Category exception to own prohibited items. Something like "American lever action rifles" "Italian-made firearms from WW2 and earlier" or "Firearms that have appeared in movies staring Arnie", something like that. It's part of getting to police to recognise you as a 'bona fide collector' for the exception.
There are other countries that follow this idea...but after that shooting in NZ, I guess a darker time has come for you kiwis. The gun control warriors won't stop until they can make the islands "safe", that is just 2 barrel shotguns for trap shooting and 5 round bolt action rifles for hunting those nice red deer of yours.
@@failer_ Once you are a licensed hunter or a sports shooter you're pretty much good to go. But guns and ammo do cost a lot of money and semi-auto is the only thing you'll get in terms of fun.
@@failer_ There are collector's licenses available in Germany. Either allowing to own guns of a "specific collection type" or in "some" cases of any type. So you may be right or not. I assume you can start with something like "9mm pistols from the 1940s to 1960s" and then expand as your collection becomes more and more comprehensive
The idea of what a collection is is interesting and made me realize I had a collection without making a conscious decision. It's pretty basic, but all the handguns I have, with the exception of an antique revolver have the same manual of arms, ranging from a 1911 to a modern polymer CCW pistol have the same controls. I do wonder what would have happened if I bought a Beretta 92 instead of the Browning Hi Power when I was young.
Love when you just sit and talk with us man. Great video to watch right as I got home to relax. People should collect whatever it is that interests them. To hell if someone else doesnt like it
Years ago, I read a article (with pictures) about a collector that had 30-06 Model 70's stocked with every hardwood grown in the USA. (those model 70's were mostly the type that you would find in about any store with a FFL) There are approximately 17 types of different types of Maple trees and about 18 types of Oak grown here in the USA, then there are all the other hardwood trees, it was / is a remarkable collection.
Since the prices have gone up on Elbonian surplus, thanks to their appearance in BF1, I’ve started looking for Kneebonian since they haven’t skyrocketed.
Hey man, found a gem here in Finland (knowing your interest in local weapon manifacturing). The company is called Winter Musket, and their focus is in recreating old blackpowder guns from 1200's to 1700's. Might be a cool thing to check.
Jokes and memes aside in all seriousness I would love to collect a set of Ruger's various 44 magnum rifles. The 44 carbine,deerfield,77/44,96/44, they're just neat
I really like rolling block actions, there's just something about the way that big lump of breech block goes down and comes back up that fascinates me, and always has.
With the milsurp market being what it is now if you can find what you like for a decent price be happy with what you have. The days of decent $90 Mosins or $150 Mausers or $200 SKS's are long gone along with dirt cheap surplus ammo. I really miss those days...
Within the first seconds of the answer I knew, why I love this channel: You feel that Ian has his heart at the right place, right away. The question should rather be why one collects than what (regardless of it being guns or stamps). If you know the why, the what gets much more obvious. For me, part of the value of a collection comes from all the work put into the details (and acquisition) by the collector. If there is no effort required in putting the collection together, it's pretty much worthless. A collection always is a display of both the items and the effort put into finding and acquiring them. That is the 'skill' of a collector.
I'm not much of a collector, but I like acquiring guns that I like and am willing to shoot. For instance, I bought a winchester 30-30 lever action rifle made in the 50's. I paid $250 for it because it was drilled for a scope mount. The wood is in great shape, blueing is decent. It's got a few minor scratches and dings but it's in otherwise great shape and a fantastic shooting rifle. If I would have gotten one without the reciever drilled for a scope mount, it would have cost me more than double what I paid.
My Mil Surp collection is only 12 rifles (6 Semi Auto, 6 Bolt Action) but used to be much bigger, I just focused on one rifle per country of origin and picked my favorite. (No. 5 Mk. 1 Enfield for example is my English rifle)
It's like a wine expert's advice I heard years ago - work out your max price, find what you like within your price and always write down the details on the label so you can buy more. He added ignore wine snobs and rules - if you like drinking claret from beer jugs do it.(Safe amounts). My journey was pistols (less storage space) 20th century to 1960 (as cheap and usually easy to find due to mass production) and Beretta (love at first sight).
It is possible to get guns listed as Historic on a certificate. Ian and C&Rsenal are very useful to get information from to prove provenace as Historic.
@@notforsaletoday1895 There are some nice vintage air guns about, though prices for me (Who is of more maturity) do seem ridculous compared to when I were Lad.
Fractal is such a good way of explaining collection. I don't collect guns although I am a musician and the same applies to guitars. I always tend to buy cheap and modify. So my collection is always unique and taylored to my interests or experiments at the time. Also I love your channel, as a gun/history enthusiast, its so interesting seeing every little niche that's developed to to push a boundary or fulfil a weird purpose. Thanks man! :)
Agreed! For retail sales “it’s not what you like, it’s what the consumer likes” but.... for a personal collection, it is all about what you like. I like examples of different operating systems: direct impingement, short stroke gas, long recoil, roller delay, and my unicorn the recoil operated semiautomatic revolver Webby Fosberry
From this channel i have developed an interest in late 19th and early 20th century bolt action rifles. I'm hoping to start my collection soom with a Swedish Mauser.
I've met my share of "collectors" who still to this day vehemently swear by the classic few "true collectable". Some of the most boring people i've talked to. On the other side I've had some of the most interesting conversation with people who collected obscure and overly specific stuff even I wasn't interested in (or even knew it existed)
Philosophy boils down to one fine point- find what works (what you like) for you and do that. Thank you for putting collections in this perspective as well! Thank you for all your entertaining and educational videos.
I would be quite happy with a "collection" consisting of one each of a Springfield '03, an M98 Mauser, an M1911 (mil-spec, any WWII manufacturer), a P08 Luger and a P38 Walther. Why? Because, even without a "theme", these are the guns that I find to be interesting.
If you want to collect something, stamps, guns, used potato peels, then work out what you like within that subject and go for it. Everyone is different. That's my way of looking at it. Edit: Yep Ian pretty much just said what I just typed, in the vid as I'm watching it.
Al;though I like firearms, it is still a bit rich for my blood. Instead I collect Olympus half frame SLR film cameras and lenses. One of the neat aspects is that (with the proper adapter) I can use the lenses on my modern Olympus digital cameras. Recently a few more folks have apparently become interested and prices have risen modestly. No collection is ever complete. If you know someone who has an 800 mm mirror lens for the Pen F film camera I would love to see it. Rumor has it that the total production run was less than a dozen lenses. List price in the 1960's was $ 1800.00 or around $ 12,750 in today's dollars.
I don't think I'll have any specific theme to my gun collection as I like almost everything, but I was going to buy a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe from someone before it was stolen. Ever since then, I've had a growing desire to find another one of those, and even make a collection of 1976 Gibsons of all models, which may be weird to some people considering it's a somewhat undesirable era of Gibsons. But the idea makes me happy. I absolutely agree with you Ian, a collection is whatever you want it to be
I’m in the UK , so collecting guns is extremely difficult. I collect pocket knives, but follow a similar philosophy. I collect modern Sheffield knives. There aren’t many makers left, so it ought to be finite, but I’ve ended up with 24 knives by one individual maker. Each is different in some microscopic detail, but the more I collect, the finer the differentiations I find!
My advice: Collect "cheap" "Saturday night specials". Like the old Röhm Revolvers. Why? No one thinks today that they are worth collecting and sadly often end in the junk. In a few years, there will only few be left...
I took my father to the range last year, since he had some older guns he wanted to shoot. We got there, and he pulled this old shoe box out of his range bag (a backpack), and handed me a Raven Armory pistol. I asked if he had any ammo for it, and he said, "a couple rounds. Here's the mag." When I looked at two rounds of corroded .32acp that were probably older than I am, I handed it back and said, "I am NOT shooting these. Go out front and pick up a box of .32's." There were a couple more like that, but thankfully no more hundred year old ammo.
Don't be afraid to have multiple themes. I collect old milsurps but also strange 410 shotguns. One interests me because of history while the other is more giggle factor.
Smokeless powder bolt action military service rifles. Started with a Gewehr 1888 “commission rifle” and am up to 12 rifles, mostly Mausers and Enfields. Each has an interesting history and the quality of all is excellent, some, like a Swedish 1896 Mauser or a Swiss K-31, are crazy off the charts as far as machining and materials. I display them on the walls of my garage and I enjoy seeing them every time I walk by. Best thing though is pick one or two to bring in periodic recreational target shoots or hunting trips with friends, and I show the rifle, explain its history, and everybody fires a couple rounds at a steel target. My friends now ask on such trips, “what did you bring for us to shoot?” So of course I have to keep collecting more . . .
In a previous video on either this channel or InRangeTV someone mentioned that there is a Hi-Point collector local to you in Arizona. Fans of modern pistols mostly see Hi-Points as literal turds BUT this guy likes them and collects them so power to him.
Good advice, Ian. I had an odd personal goal, years ago when I tried focusing on a writing career (since stalled out, unfortunately), to collect what my characters used. Being mostly handguns it's something I can still accomplish and two of my sidearms fit the criteria. Outside that, I'm mostly just curious about modern guns, 20th century to now. And even then you can find some unique examples and rare pieces.
I collect Airsoft Guns. As a german, it is the only gun collection I can assemble without drowning in paperwork. As for the guns I collect: anything I like visually. Some of the guns I don't use, I just hang them on a wall and look at them. Thats my collection theme. 😂 At first I thought I'd only collect current military weapons, but I couldn't resist a nice looking lever action and so I branched out.
Thats an awesome way around the legal limits of firearms collceting and also you have a much much easier time getting alot of military style stuff thats very hard to get as an actual firearm. 👍
@@Soff1859 yeah, but honestly, I'm happy with only buying Airsoft guns. I don't shoot real guns very often and I don't feel the need to own any myself. I don't hunt, and I don't need a gun for self defense, and for competition shooting I don't have the abilities. So I don't need a real gun.
Personal story: I ended up starting collecting Spanish firearms(mainly pistols Star, Astara, Astar, Llama, Ruby, etc) just because one of my first handguns was a Star Firestar M43, and it was really cheap(like $400 in the mid-10s), and in great condition. A lot of guns out of Spain are still relatively inexpensive, but the quality seems pretty good, and they all use pretty common calibers. I also just have to appreciate the risks they took in making some pretty neat changes to other designs(like side mag releases) that did not otherwise have them. I hope one day I'll magically find a pre-ban/transferable or even semi-auto(if they ever made or converted any) Star Model Z84. Not holding my breath, but a man can dream. Also, thank you for doing the review(or maybe it was just a mention) of Gene Gangarosa Jr's "Spanish Handguns: The History of Spanish Pistols & Revolvers". It's proven to be an invaluable reference for me over the past couple years.
I’ve been assembling a list of, and researching, cavalry carbines and I’ve found that I’ve learned so much about them that starting my “collection” has really been a learning experience more than a collecting one
You can make some pretty cool collections out of reject guns. I met a guy who has a “Saturday Night Special” collection and while each individual pistol would probably be considered junk the entire collection is a unique time capsule of the street crime era from the 1960-1990’s. And the whole collection didn’t cost a lot. Another cool idea could be mechanically interesting guns that may have been commercial failures like the Zip22, Calico, etc. Some themes aren’t overly expensive where the sum of the collection is greater than the individual items in it.
My collection is based around guns used in sci-fi movies, tv shows, and video games. Some from my collection are: ps90, Styer AUG, G36K (tommybuilt t36k), chiappa rhino, m9, lee-enfield no. 5, AKM, and ar15.
For my, Mannlicher rifles, Drillings and combinations, Winchester lever actions, for handguns S&W mod. 29, Colt SAA, Bren ten 10 mm and Detonics CM. Thanks for your video!
In Australia this is a question which is asked of you when you get your license for collecting. I’m interested in the evolution of Semi-auto firearms and I hope the police will accept that as a legitimate reason.
Start collecting Elbonian army surplus; you can't go wrong.
It would be good to start with a T-shirt I think!
@John brenot worse than Albanian sand
More like : you can't go any more wrong
Already have my first Elbonian rifle.
Give this man a medal!
A small collection theme: guns not used in Ethiopia.
Paul Barthol I'm commenting in hopes that someone will generate that VERY short list
with another cabinet guns not ever in the armoury system of Nepal
-Pancor jackhammer
-G11
Done.
I think you wind up with a shelf.
Shit, according to Wikipedia the M4 Carbine isn't.
Fans: What should I collect?
Ian: Does this spark joy?
There's a reason why her book is called "The *Lifechanging* Art of Tidying Up"! You can apply the basic concepts to almost anything.
Konmarian
When I read this, somehow I had a mental image of someone who gets off shocking themselves with low voltage electricity 😳
Same with model trains
My theme: The armory from Archer.
how about the armory from The Matrix XD
Tec-9 akimbo practical accuracy when? More importantly who will be wearing a tube dress, Henry or Josh?
I also collect turtlenecks. Many shades of black.
As good a subject as any other. The shovels you shouldn't have a problem with, the rocket launchers maybe not so much. Heh, don't let the dweeb in the elevator shoes give you any lip!
I wholeheartedly agree. I was thinking a cross between Miami Vice and the gun stash from Commando. Also the arsenal from Omega Man 😁
This rather beautifully captures a broader point about our hobbies: do the thing because you enjoy the thing and find it interesting. No one else's opinion matters. Thank you, Ian.
Yes. I actually thought this was poor. Buy what you want to in life. I have 4 East German motorcycles because a) I like MZ b) they were cheap and I could afford them.
So, if you mind, both Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Cultist have Kind of same approach in beeing interessted in the specific technic of the items, right?
What you say is exactly what I think too, Michael Jenkins. Also, collecting as an "investment" is a bad idea, IMO.
Exactly how I like Cigars and Whiskey. Drink and or smoke what you like, how you like. If it's cheap Jack Daniels, and that's the whiskey you love. Drink it and enjoy!
With any hobby it should be about what *you* like. Buy, build, collect what interests you. Don't do it to impress others. Do it to impress yourself.
I have 3 gun safe's full of gun's, BUT I'm NOT a gun collector!*
*I AM going to be purchasing a 4th safe, SO I GUESS I'm a "gun safe collector"
I think you have enough firearms to take over france.
@@Pyrochemik007 Well Leslie does own at least one pistol so....
Pyrochemik007 maybe Luxembourg or Andorra the French really like their army
A gun safe collector, and gun safes just don't look right without some decoration.
@@Pyrochemik007 lol
I've always wondered about collecting by serial number. I'd always assumed someone out there was just perpetually stoked to have Colt's 1,911th 1911.
That would be worth a mint. :)
I know the guy that has serial number 4570 of a sharps and it is chambered in 45-70 which is pretty cool.
Imagine your disappointment when you eventually find out that Colt skipped serial number 1911 because they didn't want a huge hype to build up around that particular gun (or did they?)
@@beavisbutt-headson3223 Looked it up on the Colt website MODEL 1911 MILITARY: (made) 1912.
in currency collecting, collecting by serial number is actually very common. outside of "special" serial numbers(sequential, extremely low serial numbers, 2-4 number serial numbers etc}, collectors will collect something meaningful only to them. birthdays, dates, whatever. even outside of gun collecting, by serial, even if its arbitrary, is completely valid and widespread.
My collection focus is “Guns that I can afford”
That's most people's collections, the true collectors risk financial ruin to get that one that got away.
I feel it.
My problem is “guns I can barely afford”
Every gun in the WWII. Not one of each type, every single gun.
Serious Ron Swanson "all the bacon and eggs you have" energy.
Good luck
Boomers be like
Dan Spragens underrated comment folks⬆️
@Paulo Mendes especially Japanese!!
“There’s nothing wrong with collecting guns that nobody is interested in” and that’s why I will add a Zip22 to my collection
Would be fun to see the world largest collection of guns that no one wanted :D
Lol yeah I actually want one just because it's garbage. And after watching Karl's review of the S333 Thunderstruck I now want one of those.
Tbh from an engineering perspective, collections like that are exceptionally valuable resources to anyone interested in mechanical design of firearms. What doesn’t work often tells you more than what does
Rae Tiran lol I’m a mechanical engineer
"My collection is of guns that drove the manufacturers out of business"
Underrated gun collection theme: guns that made their manufacturer go bankrupt.
Extremely expensive suggestion but I like it
Zip22 is first on the list I presume
The entire Remington line?
@ethan newland The Lemat made it's company go bankrupt? I thought people lkked that gun.
So, so, so many colts
Phased plasma rifle in a 40 watt range.
You forgot to add the warning that collecting can become both an obsessive and addictive behavior.
If you're lucky.😁
It is a sickness, but it is a very sweet sickness to have.
So ? I tried normality once, didn't like it.
That is the point, particularly if you are writing someone to ask what you should collect.
@@vidard9863 I call my stuff Collections, other less enlightened individuals call it 'What the hell have you dragged in now?'
What guns should I collect?
Ian: yes
Get all the GSOs. Gun Shaped Objects.
Or *Ian: Specifically yes.
A theme? You mean restrict my collecting habits? What kind of sorcery is this???
Themes are for displays, not collections.
@@Gadget293 My collections are for display though.
Collecting without a theme is just hoarding stuff. So congrats to that, Smaug.
A collection of American Small arms of WW2:
"Here I have the m1, and over on this shelf is an m1. Right over there I've got an m1, m1a1, and an m1a2."
And here I have a picture of a soldier carrying an m3 in the back of an m3
@@anthonyhayes1267 behind him is an m3 tank and an m3 cannon
We have an m4 attatched to the front of this m1, m3 on this totally different m1 both of which in the back of this m3
@rob dabank Dang. I misspoke.
I have an m1 carbine that takes an m4 bayonet and an m1 garand that takes an m5 (not an m3) bayonet.
Always confusing off of memory considering the designations are hardly chronological.
Don’t sell yourself short on the contributions YOUVE made, Ian. I can’t imagine as many people would be interested in collections without your easily accessible information
I was going to say, my two biggest interests are anti-tank/material rifles (particularly 1918-1945) and improvised or handmade guns. I don't have the ability to collect either of these things, they being either illegal for personal ownership or prohibitively expensive where I am, but Ian has definitely scratched that itch for me.
I certainly wouldn't be into French firearms if it weren't for Ian
He's doing GODs' work.
I believe Ian once said that for collectors, for every gun you buy you should add one book to your gun library.
Ian: Have a theme, focus
Me: 50 BMG single shot, FAL, 12.5" AR-15, bolt .22, Model 8, 870, USP 9, Gewehr 98, AK-74N
...Uh, action types? Sure, let's go with that
That list of yours sounds like a totally viable collection. If those are the guns that get your balls tingling then have at it.
"We'll call this theme... 'guns'."
Theme: cool
That's my theme too... OMG I'm not the only one. :)
Sojnds like a call of duty collection
What guns should I collect?
Any you want
Do you want to see my Hi-Point collections?
@@titaniumwo1f390 yeah let me take a look
Titaniumwo1f 🤢🤮
@@titaniumwo1f390 plural?
@@Spike-13
_do you n o t have seventeen Hi-Point collections?_
People: "What guns should I collect?"
Me, a red blooded American: "All of 'em."
I like the triskellion in avatar. Guns go well with whips, as all saw with Indy Jones :)
well said brother.
Q: What guns should I collect? A: Yes!
This sounds like the first meeting with your thesis advisor in your senior year. The same question, the same response.
Followed by an existential crisis: "do I even like anything in life?"
Simple: the ones that you like, that you have always wanted as a kid, that you have a personal interest in (ie military history buff), etc... and lastly ones that you can afford.
WW1 Airplane Pilot pistols back when they didn’t have turrets so they just dueled in the air
I thought that pistol was to kill themselves in case the crash didn't do the job.
Anyone: "How many guns do you really need?"
Collector "Just one more." (always, just one more)
If you saw my Gun Broker watch list... definitely not only one more, just one at a time.
The algebraic equasion is always N +1.
"i can quit whenever i want"
"More" is the only answer.
Well said lol
The best point in collecting when you hit the magic number where your wife or girlfriend doesn't know the number you have.
I prefer stopping at the number where I don’t know what I have. 😉
Works for computer and fishing gears also :-)
I got to the point where my wife didn't know how many gun safes I had. 😄
@@retrogunroom I salute you sir! 😉
I just hope when I die my kids keep my guns an my wife doesn't sell them for what I told her I paid for them.
This went from legitimate guide to motivational speech and I loved it
I remember seeing a m1 garand collection, the guy had 100s of them, stacked them one muzzle up one muzzle down in a giant gun safe. He could pick one up, look at the serial and tell you when it was manufactured down to early/late part of the month.
That’s goals!
My dad told me about this guy he knew on some gun forum who was like that
"What guns should I collect?"
"Yes."
"But that doesn't-"
"Yes."
A collector friend always gives the following advice: Ask yourself, "Does my collection bring me joy ?"
@Tom Sherwood That is part of the "does the collection bring you joy"? That makes the choice of, can I shoot the guns in my collection, a valid one.
The only theme my collection has is; do I want to use it. (in legal pursuits only of course)
Though if I had the money there are guns that just in their design, looks, construction and embellishment are works of art. (part of my theory of "the amount of money you have increases the number of things you desire)
But if you want to keep your collection small, collect the guns you can shoot well. Works for me, except when I see a gun and think, "maybe I can shoot that one better" and don't sell it when I can't shoot it better.
There are many things, not just guns, that are collected now that may loose value as the age of the people to whom those things were relavent decreases and their number also decreases.
I think this is excellent advice, and ultimately is the best collecting criteria 👍
Theme idea: Worst issued firearms of natinal armies between 1900 and 1950.
I think that's another one of those "fractal" themes he was talking about. Lol
So French guns, like Ian lol
Which guns would you add to that?
Do I see a Ross rifle in your near future
Saying a collection never is finished is something I live by.
As a Vietcong weapon collector, I can collect till the day I die because they used do many different guns.. I never will be able to own all of them.
Not only due to financial reasons, but also due to me not having the space for 1500 different guns and gun variants haha
Dude, with the mishmash of weapons the VC used that'd be one hell of an extensive collection like you said they used many different ones.
What’s your favorite?
From that what I own as of now, Type-56 (sks) as it is a genuine Vietnam war bringback
But excluding the stories, Type-56-1 all the way.
Hoping to get a K-50M at some point
@@JustaGuy1250 Oooo? Isn´t K-50M that PPS-43 based smg?
@@Taistelukalkkuna litteraly a PPSh-41, but the lower is home-made in Vietnam and has a wirestock instead of a wooden stock.
There is one for sale right now, for 1500 schmeckels which is 1500 schmeckels too much for me atm :c
I collect failed handgun designs: colt 2000, remington r51, ... I also collect adopted us army handguns from the very beginning thru present.
I was thinking something along the lines of “rifles that went through American trials and failed” but then realized that I’d be scared to shoot them out of fear of breaking them and I’d never be able to get it fixed without ruining the originality of it
Excellent video, as always.
It's great that you emphasized that the important thing is the collector's interest and curiosity.
I first got into collecting the types of firearms I like out of economic necessity. Many years ago I couldn't afford a WWII Gew98k, but I could afford a different "version" of the same rifle - the VZ24. I couldn't afford a vintage 1911A1, but I could afford an Argentine M1927.
This economic need to "settle" for a lesser known version of a famous firearm turned into an interest in those types of firearms that lasts to this day.
Thinks: I'd like to be a gun collector. What should I collect for.
Lives in California: I guess I'm collecting "Firearms of Elbonia"
taccovert4 I feel this on a spiritual level. LA resident here
@@ryansharpe3564 Why I am starting to look for a M1 Garand for my first rifle as I wanted something California "safe" and a bit historic as my first rifle. Finally got enough saved up to be able to spend the cash while keeping my safety net.
Yup. "Pistols that were state of the art in 1912" There's an alternate reality version of me that collects fully automatic pistol caliber carbines with collapsing stocks.
Imaginary Guns. Invisible Guns. Toy Guns. Pretend Guns.
the best gun you can get in California is a lever action.
Currently my criteria is "oh that looks pretty"
Also, "I don't have one of those."
You must be a woman lol
@@MrDmitriRavenoff Sadly that one's is the easiest to fulfil.
I went with cool instead of pretty, but that's how my collecting started. I found eventually you find an area you want to focus on.
@@MrDmitriRavenoff Oh yea, that's totally a big part of it
Gun Jesus says, "Collect what interests you." This is the way, the truth, the life.
Be like water
To quote Kylo Ren:
“I want every gun”
Naturally followed by: *"MORE!!!"*
Huh, I thought that was Biden.
If not already that Kylo ren clip needs to be a popular gun meme
ugh, Kylo ren or anything of those movioes are so of putting that that association just ruins anything.
@ Go away . Nobody wants to read your lies.
ian: your collection can never be complete
that one guy that owns the pancor jackhammer: my pancor jackhammer collection looks pretty complete
collect a hundred USFA zip 22's and find one that doesn't jam
Hey the bad guns are the most interesting
I think “terrible guns that don’t work” would be my collection and the Zip 22 would be the start! Followed by that Terminator shotgun and the 333 thing that’s on InRange at the moment...
@@FunkyNige
_you dare desecrate the name of the M1887?_
@@capt.raptor4650 I believe they're referring to the Cobray Terminator, shown here th-cam.com/video/sYf1SXBY_E4/w-d-xo.html
Make a gun that fires them 🤣
When you see a gun to consider for your collection, ask yourself: "Does This Spark Joy?"
What caliber of spark ?
@@lubossoltes321 That's the second question, if you have to choose between multiple guns.
Draco AKs, ZIPs, Cobray Terminators and S333s etc
A great, terrible gun collection
Cheap too.
Gun freak show
that's loosely a theme of this channel I suppose. Forgotten quite often means terrible, (but not always)
Terrible Gun Collection:
Kel-Tec, Taurus, sport-a-rised mil-surp bolt-actions, and Bubba-Touched SKS's
@@BlackPhillip666 you know a buba-rized collection could get remarkably interesting.
I got a good one: "All guns showcased on Forgotten Weapons", good luck with that.
I once read that one could distinguish between 'collection' and 'accumulation': A collection followed a theme, whereas an accumulation is eclectic, just whatever catches the owner's interest. I would pretty much be an 'accumulater'
Sounds like a definition made up by those gun collecter snobs with a high end traditional collection looking down their noses at the rest of us.
Collection theme: whatever interests me. Which evidently is anything weird, odd, or with a an interesting mechanism.
Hi my name is me3333 and I am a Accumulator... Wait is this the right group???
@@richardelliott9511 Not really. Just different approaches to buying and enjoying guns. The idea of multiple guns of the same type is boring to me; except for spares of 'working' guns, I like variety, so I consider my guns one of those 'accumulations' :)
@@petesheppard1709 "The idea of multiple guns of the same type is boring to me"
If you are collecting variations on a theme it can be cool. Having several that are of the same issue doesn't appeal to me but if it showcased the different forms it would be interesting.
When does an accumulation start to have some form? Right now my meager agglomeration of firearms is about having a variety of guns to shoot in different situations. Eventually I would like to buy some purely because they are interesting in some historical context and not because they have a different utility than what I currently own. I need to buy at least three more for utility before I can start collecting, though.
In NZ you actually have to decide on a theme for your collection to get a C Category exception to own prohibited items. Something like "American lever action rifles" "Italian-made firearms from WW2 and earlier" or "Firearms that have appeared in movies staring Arnie", something like that. It's part of getting to police to recognise you as a 'bona fide collector' for the exception.
There are other countries that follow this idea...but after that shooting in NZ, I guess a darker time has come for you kiwis. The gun control warriors won't stop until they can make the islands "safe", that is just 2 barrel shotguns for trap shooting and 5 round bolt action rifles for hunting those nice red deer of yours.
As a german i'll start collecting NEIN-Millimeter guns. -.-
Don't forget to get ze Flammenwerfer auch.
serial number NEIN NEIN NEIN!
Fun fact: your laws probably don't allow such a broad collection
@@failer_ Once you are a licensed hunter or a sports shooter you're pretty much good to go. But guns and ammo do cost a lot of money and semi-auto is the only thing you'll get in terms of fun.
@@failer_ There are collector's licenses available in Germany. Either allowing to own guns of a "specific collection type" or in "some" cases of any type.
So you may be right or not. I assume you can start with something like "9mm pistols from the 1940s to 1960s" and then expand as your collection becomes more and more comprehensive
It's so refreshing to hear plain, down to earth, sensible advice. It can be applied to ones whole way of life. Kudos to you Ian.
I saw the title of this and I have the answer: collect the ones you need first, then the ones you like.
The idea of what a collection is is interesting and made me realize I had a collection without making a conscious decision. It's pretty basic, but all the handguns I have, with the exception of an antique revolver have the same manual of arms, ranging from a 1911 to a modern polymer CCW pistol have the same controls. I do wonder what would have happened if I bought a Beretta 92 instead of the Browning Hi Power when I was young.
Love when you just sit and talk with us man. Great video to watch right as I got home to relax. People should collect whatever it is that interests them. To hell if someone else doesnt like it
Years ago, I read a article (with pictures) about a collector that had 30-06 Model 70's stocked with every hardwood grown in the USA. (those model 70's were mostly the type that you would find in about any store with a FFL) There are approximately 17 types of different types of Maple trees and about 18 types of Oak grown here in the USA, then there are all the other hardwood trees, it was / is a remarkable collection.
Ian man, who the hell can afford 1920's Elbonian firearms ?
Nice trick, we all know that Elbonia was founded 1940ish.
@@AGS363 Revolution began in the '20s.
@@AGS363 Sounds like PFE (Peoples Front of Elbonia) propaganda to me !!!
@@cabinfever7262 Nah! Those are renegades. It was the Elbonian People's Front, obviously, who first built some rebel weapons.
Since the prices have gone up on Elbonian surplus, thanks to their appearance in BF1, I’ve started looking for Kneebonian since they haven’t skyrocketed.
Hey man, found a gem here in Finland (knowing your interest in local weapon manifacturing).
The company is called Winter Musket, and their focus is in recreating old blackpowder guns from 1200's to 1700's. Might be a cool thing to check.
Jokes and memes aside in all seriousness I would love to collect a set of Ruger's various 44 magnum rifles. The 44 carbine,deerfield,77/44,96/44, they're just neat
I really like rolling block actions, there's just something about the way that big lump of breech block goes down and comes back up that fascinates me, and always has.
With the milsurp market being what it is now if you can find what you like for a decent price be happy with what you have. The days of decent $90 Mosins or $150 Mausers or $200 SKS's are long gone along with dirt cheap surplus ammo. I really miss those days...
Yeah, but back then very few people would've considered them valuable collectibles.
Within the first seconds of the answer I knew, why I love this channel: You feel that Ian has his heart at the right place, right away.
The question should rather be why one collects than what (regardless of it being guns or stamps).
If you know the why, the what gets much more obvious. For me, part of the value of a collection comes from all the work put into the details (and acquisition) by the collector. If there is no effort required in putting the collection together, it's pretty much worthless.
A collection always is a display of both the items and the effort put into finding and acquiring them. That is the 'skill' of a collector.
I'm not much of a collector, but I like acquiring guns that I like and am willing to shoot. For instance, I bought a winchester 30-30 lever action rifle made in the 50's. I paid $250 for it because it was drilled for a scope mount. The wood is in great shape, blueing is decent. It's got a few minor scratches and dings but it's in otherwise great shape and a fantastic shooting rifle. If I would have gotten one without the reciever drilled for a scope mount, it would have cost me more than double what I paid.
My Mil Surp collection is only 12 rifles (6 Semi Auto, 6 Bolt Action) but used to be much bigger, I just focused on one rifle per country of origin and picked my favorite. (No. 5 Mk. 1 Enfield for example is my English rifle)
It's like asking "what tattoo should I get"?
If you're asking, then the answer is "none".
It's like a wine expert's advice I heard years ago - work out your max price, find what you like within your price and always write down the details on the label so you can buy more. He added ignore wine snobs and rules - if you like drinking claret from beer jugs do it.(Safe amounts). My journey was pistols (less storage space) 20th century to 1960 (as cheap and usually easy to find due to mass production) and Beretta (love at first sight).
If only, Ian. You about as close as I can get to a gun collection, the UK is pretty stringent. Keep up the good work
There are a fair number of gun collectors in the UK, join a club or perhaps consider the Historical Breachloading Smallarms Association among others.
Plus, air rifles under 12 foot pounds, air pistols under 6 foot pounds. Not much restriction as long as purchased by an adult.
Maybe you wouldn't be able to shoot them, but one-to-one replicas always look nice on shelves
It is possible to get guns listed as Historic on a certificate. Ian and C&Rsenal are very useful to get information from to prove provenace as Historic.
@@notforsaletoday1895 There are some nice vintage air guns about, though prices for me (Who is of more maturity) do seem ridculous compared to when I were Lad.
Fractal is such a good way of explaining collection.
I don't collect guns although I am a musician and the same applies to guitars. I always tend to buy cheap and modify. So my collection is always unique and taylored to my interests or experiments at the time.
Also I love your channel, as a gun/history enthusiast, its so interesting seeing every little niche that's developed to to push a boundary or fulfil a weird purpose. Thanks man! :)
The Colt and Winchester guys in particular have priced most other people out of making a significant collection of them these days.
Agreed! For retail sales “it’s not what you like, it’s what the consumer likes” but.... for a personal collection, it is all about what you like. I like examples of different operating systems: direct impingement, short stroke gas, long recoil, roller delay, and my unicorn the recoil operated semiautomatic revolver Webby Fosberry
From this channel i have developed an interest in late 19th and early 20th century bolt action rifles. I'm hoping to start my collection soom with a Swedish Mauser.
They’re sweet guns. I love mine.
I would highly recommend you pick up an 1891 or 1889 Mauser, they're interesting and the craftsmanship is incredible.
Excellent choice, can't go wrong with a Swedish Mauser.
Best would be one that has been sitting in surplus since the 19th century.
Just listened to your podcast for History Unloaded with Ashley from the Cody Firearms Museum. This video feels so on point.
I've met my share of "collectors" who still to this day vehemently swear by the classic few "true collectable". Some of the most boring people i've talked to. On the other side I've had some of the most interesting conversation with people who collected obscure and overly specific stuff even I wasn't interested in (or even knew it existed)
Philosophy boils down to one fine point- find what works (what you like) for you and do that. Thank you for putting collections in this perspective as well! Thank you for all your entertaining and educational videos.
I would be quite happy with a "collection" consisting of one each of a Springfield '03, an M98 Mauser, an M1911 (mil-spec, any WWII manufacturer), a P08 Luger and a P38 Walther. Why? Because, even without a "theme", these are the guns that I find to be interesting.
I'm collecting good TH-cam channels and this one is always on the top. Thank you Yan!
If you want to collect something, stamps, guns, used potato peels, then work out what you like within that subject and go for it. Everyone is different. That's my way of looking at it. Edit: Yep Ian pretty much just said what I just typed, in the vid as I'm watching it.
Al;though I like firearms, it is still a bit rich for my blood. Instead I collect Olympus half frame SLR film cameras and lenses. One of the neat aspects is that (with the proper adapter) I can use the lenses on my modern Olympus digital cameras. Recently a few more folks have apparently become interested and prices have risen modestly.
No collection is ever complete. If you know someone who has an 800 mm mirror lens for the Pen F film camera I would love to see it. Rumor has it that the total production run was less than a dozen lenses. List price in the 1960's was $ 1800.00 or around $ 12,750 in today's dollars.
I don't think I'll have any specific theme to my gun collection as I like almost everything, but I was going to buy a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe from someone before it was stolen. Ever since then, I've had a growing desire to find another one of those, and even make a collection of 1976 Gibsons of all models, which may be weird to some people considering it's a somewhat undesirable era of Gibsons. But the idea makes me happy. I absolutely agree with you Ian, a collection is whatever you want it to be
Other teens: AKs, ARs, and ScArS
Me: FAL, G3, Galil
DUDE SAME FAL IS MY FAVORITE
Not a huge fan of the scar, fal or hk g3 but the galil, ak, and ar are good, and yes I know what all that is
I have always enjoyed a good battle rifle.
When I was a young one my first rifles were the M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine and M1903A3
You have good taste!
I’m in the UK , so collecting guns is extremely difficult. I collect pocket knives, but follow a similar philosophy. I collect modern Sheffield knives. There aren’t many makers left, so it ought to be finite, but I’ve ended up with 24 knives by one individual maker. Each is different in some microscopic detail, but the more I collect, the finer the differentiations I find!
Look into obsolete calibre rifles :) you’d be surprised what you can get to start scratching that itch
My advice: Collect "cheap" "Saturday night specials". Like the old Röhm Revolvers.
Why? No one thinks today that they are worth collecting and sadly often end in the junk. In a few years, there will only few be left...
I took my father to the range last year, since he had some older guns he wanted to shoot.
We got there, and he pulled this old shoe box out of his range bag (a backpack), and handed me a Raven Armory pistol. I asked if he had any ammo for it, and he said, "a couple rounds. Here's the mag."
When I looked at two rounds of corroded .32acp that were probably older than I am, I handed it back and said, "I am NOT shooting these. Go out front and pick up a box of .32's."
There were a couple more like that, but thankfully no more hundred year old ammo.
Ian, I've been watching your channel for awhile now. You inspired me to start my own collection. My "theme" Commblock firearms.
Theme? Whoops, I just collect random guns that grab my interest. Looks like I have to start over! lol
Or maybe randomness is the theme.
That's called an accumulation. :)
@@ForgottenWeapons One might even call it a 'Gaggle of bang'.
Does it go bang? Me want!!
Theme....."entropy happens"...
Don't be afraid to have multiple themes. I collect old milsurps but also strange 410 shotguns. One interests me because of history while the other is more giggle factor.
"It's fractal" brilliant analogy. "Es fractal" Brillante analogía-
Theme: All light arms from WWI (US, French, British, Canadian, Australian, German, Austrian, Italian, et.al.)
Thanks Ian, definitely one of your best videos. It perfectly encapsulates everything about collecting, guns, or otherwise.
I was in Elbonia in the early eightys and shit was rough. I was 13 it was crazy. I killed a lot of elbows. I'm still not really ok.
Viva la revolución! Yeah, it was bad back then.
Smokeless powder bolt action military service rifles. Started with a Gewehr 1888 “commission rifle” and am up to 12 rifles, mostly Mausers and Enfields. Each has an interesting history and the quality of all is excellent, some, like a Swedish 1896 Mauser or a Swiss K-31, are crazy off the charts as far as machining and materials. I display them on the walls of my garage and I enjoy seeing them every time I walk by. Best thing though is pick one or two to bring in periodic recreational target shoots or hunting trips with friends, and I show the rifle, explain its history, and everybody fires a couple rounds at a steel target. My friends now ask on such trips, “what did you bring for us to shoot?” So of course I have to keep collecting more . . .
The answer: yes.
😂😂😂
The only true answer.
Fact
In a previous video on either this channel or InRangeTV someone mentioned that there is a Hi-Point collector local to you in Arizona. Fans of modern pistols mostly see Hi-Points as literal turds BUT this guy likes them and collects them so power to him.
I collect guns that aren't like ones that I already have.
Maybe I'm just a hoarder?
Good advice, Ian. I had an odd personal goal, years ago when I tried focusing on a writing career (since stalled out, unfortunately), to collect what my characters used. Being mostly handguns it's something I can still accomplish and two of my sidearms fit the criteria. Outside that, I'm mostly just curious about modern guns, 20th century to now. And even then you can find some unique examples and rare pieces.
I collect Airsoft Guns. As a german, it is the only gun collection I can assemble without drowning in paperwork. As for the guns I collect: anything I like visually. Some of the guns I don't use, I just hang them on a wall and look at them. Thats my collection theme. 😂
At first I thought I'd only collect current military weapons, but I couldn't resist a nice looking lever action and so I branched out.
Switzerland and Czechia aren't that far ;)
Definitely an underrated take. Appreciating gun aesthetics without any legal hassle and broadly a lot cheaper.
Thats an awesome way around the legal limits of firearms collceting and also you have a much much easier time getting alot of military style stuff thats very hard to get as an actual firearm. 👍
@@Soff1859 yeah, but honestly, I'm happy with only buying Airsoft guns. I don't shoot real guns very often and I don't feel the need to own any myself. I don't hunt, and I don't need a gun for self defense, and for competition shooting I don't have the abilities. So I don't need a real gun.
How much does it take to get an EWB?
Personal story: I ended up starting collecting Spanish firearms(mainly pistols Star, Astara, Astar, Llama, Ruby, etc) just because one of my first handguns was a Star Firestar M43, and it was really cheap(like $400 in the mid-10s), and in great condition. A lot of guns out of Spain are still relatively inexpensive, but the quality seems pretty good, and they all use pretty common calibers.
I also just have to appreciate the risks they took in making some pretty neat changes to other designs(like side mag releases) that did not otherwise have them.
I hope one day I'll magically find a pre-ban/transferable or even semi-auto(if they ever made or converted any) Star Model Z84.
Not holding my breath, but a man can dream.
Also, thank you for doing the review(or maybe it was just a mention) of Gene Gangarosa Jr's "Spanish Handguns: The History of Spanish Pistols & Revolvers".
It's proven to be an invaluable reference for me over the past couple years.
Forgotten Weapons Drinking Game: Every time Ian says Elbonian or Elbonia.
I’ve been assembling a list of, and researching, cavalry carbines and I’ve found that I’ve learned so much about them that starting my “collection” has really been a learning experience more than a collecting one
I doubt anybody would collect the zip .22
Well, you'd be surprised. If someone like that exists it'd be neat if Forgotten Weapons made a video on it...
Someone would. They would then Show it off as this obscure gun from 25 years ago that's so shit it made the news or something.😂
A collection based on the worst recommendations by a specific You tube personality.
Zip22, Cobray Ladies Home Companion would be a start.
@@stevenkenneyjr7799 he did make a video on the zip, it jammed alot
@@oldpetyt2289 But it jammed less when he is firing on it! Nine rounds of continuous fire before any malfunctions, or so I remembered.
I appreciate your channel more and more everyday Ian, thank you.
Well he said it was okay to collect junk
I’m going to start collecting zip 22s
Junk collectors are the majority, and I'm a proud member!
A true Zip Operator
You can make some pretty cool collections out of reject guns. I met a guy who has a “Saturday Night Special” collection and while each individual pistol would probably be considered junk the entire collection is a unique time capsule of the street crime era from the 1960-1990’s. And the whole collection didn’t cost a lot. Another cool idea could be mechanically interesting guns that may have been commercial failures like the Zip22, Calico, etc. Some themes aren’t overly expensive where the sum of the collection is greater than the individual items in it.
Probably one of thr best explanations, and bits of advice for starting the addiction.
Lee Enfields are definitely the rabbit hole I’ve allowed myself to go down and get lost in. 🤣😂🤣😂
My collection is based around guns used in sci-fi movies, tv shows, and video games. Some from my collection are: ps90, Styer AUG, G36K (tommybuilt t36k), chiappa rhino, m9, lee-enfield no. 5, AKM, and ar15.
I needed this kind of positivity in my life today. Thank you Gun Jesus.
For my, Mannlicher rifles, Drillings and combinations, Winchester lever actions, for handguns S&W mod. 29, Colt SAA, Bren ten 10 mm and Detonics CM. Thanks for your video!
In Australia this is a question which is asked of you when you get your license for collecting. I’m interested in the evolution of Semi-auto firearms and I hope the police will accept that as a legitimate reason.