I thought it would be fun to have a gun owners chat room. I have always wondered how many fellow gun owners and fellow reloaders are on this forum. I’m a big gun owner. I like to collect them. I have 3 guns that I have never shot, one computer ran gun that costs $10 a round to shoot but you will never miss up to 1500 yards, 3 or 4 guns that may be shot once a year, multiple semi auto guns, and my pride and joy lever guns. i also have 3 shotguns. I have a few revolver pistols and a few semi auto pistols. My safe is pretty full. I absolutely love to collect guns. My next passion is reloading. It’s fun to see how accurate you can get with each gun. so how many more people on this forum enjoy guns as much as I?
You reload as well I assume. That’s good to hear another does that. What kind of reloader do you run?
All my stuff is RCBS. I haven't been reloading much of late because I haven't been shooting much of late. There are few ranges here in my part of Texas and all land is privately owned
You know the private land ownership argument is really the only debate I tend to disagree with republicans on. My state has the highest percentage of federally controlled land. I actually am 100% okay with it for the reasons you just mentioned. I wish they wouldn’t pave the dirt roads but that’s my only complaint. Well… a few more I suppose lol but I try not to complain too much. The RCBS rock chucker is an awesome reloader. I am not huge on their progressive though. I run the hornady progressive for fast rounds and the RCBS rock chucker for my longer range rounds.
While my eclectic collection pales in comparison to some friends I have, I still have more guns than I have room for. As far as reloading, I, too, have not shot the ammunition I reloaded years ago (.45 Colt, .44 Magnum etc) even though I have a target range behind our house and next to my blacksmith shop. The problem you and many people have of having nowhere to shoot is becoming more and more common with suburban sprawl polluting rural areas with cookie-cutter McMansions. Fortunately, the county where I live allows you to shoot on your own property as long as you have a safe backstop. On the down side, just such a McMansion has sprouted about 100 yards from my target range so even though I'm legally allowed to shoot, I don't want to deliberately aggravate my new neighbors even though they chose to knock down all the trees between my obvious, 25 year old target range & their McMansion. I tried to buy the land on which the McMansion sprouted and my wife's greedy aunt & uncle who owned the property even agreed to sell it to me but changed their mind and made some deal with a local sprawl baron to put up 5 McMansions on the same 10 acre lot. We were able to stop that but are still stuck with one ugly McMansion complete with floodlights where there used to be beautiful woodland and stars at night. Since I fully expect whining and complaints from the McMansion residents after they move in, I'll try to keep my shooting to a minimum but I'm not going to quit completely just because someone else decided to defoliate and build on land next to a 25 year old target range. Does that sound unreasonable?
I have one I've never shot before it's from the 60s and it was made in Belgium it uses a really bizarre caliber but I've taken it apart and cleaned it up because it was pretty grimy when I first got it and I'm impressed with how simple it all is.
I would say continue to shoot as long as it is safe. Before the land in front of our house was bought and settled...we shot...our neighbors shot.....True one neighbor further away came and complained and thus we did acquiesce...but you don't know til they complain. Heck, they might drag out their own guns and ask to use your shooting rang.
My guns are all government issue calibers. I figure that as long as there are Soldiers and cops, 5.56, 7.62 NATO, 12 ga, 40S&W, and 9mm will be available, even if other sizes dry up. I bought them mainly for protection with some fun and competition thrown in. Since protection is my goal, the marksmanship component is the easy part.The maneuvering while not getting shot is the hard part. I spent a large part of my military career training these skills to soldiers. Civilians seem to forget all but the marksmanship part and I cant find anywhere that really addresses the rest. That's ok. I have a good memory.
Thanks for a very thoughtful perspective on things. You're right, it's no point in worrying about what the reactions of the new neighbors may be until they move in. Since I usually shoot firearms in .308, .556, 44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45acp & 9mm calibers, there's quite a bit of noise generated so I might shoot while the new neighbor is doing something noisy too like cutting the grass, running a leaf blower etc. Usually when rational, considerate and good natured people approach a problem, they are able to arrive at a solution that is agreeable to both parties. Thanks again for your excellent and positive advice. Merry Christmas!
I have six. They are like potato chips......but I probably won't be getting another one any time soon.
First of all, thanks for starting this thread. I, too, hope that you never have to deal with a similar issue. You mentioned in your OP that you liked to collect guns so I didn't know if you had heard of the ATF's "C & R License"? A C & R Licence (C. & R. = Curio and Relic) allows you to buy guns through a dealer, have them shipped to your home and spend vast sums of money. The last time I checked it was about $30- for 5 years. I let my C & R License expire after I had an ample supply of Mosin-Nagant Rifles, Tokerev pistols, SKSs etc. So, just contact the ATF, get them to send you an application and you, too, can clutter your walls with old rifles and pistols. Merry Christmas!
Hmmm I never would have guessed. I didn’t take you for an anti gunner but I didnt take you for a gun owner either. You come off as the guy that sits back and listens. Use your wits before your mouth type. I know a few of that type that own guns but not many
I have been shooting since I was a boy and hunted in my teens. I have not hunted in decades, but I still shoot, and since I live in Florida I have guns for protection. Crime is a real issue down here. I also have concealed carry license, although I choose to not carry.
I have owned a couple of hunting rifles since I was a kid. Whitetail deer hunting is about all I've done. Bought myself a lever action 30-30 when I was about 12. Have had semi 30-06 for hunting for the last 20 yrs or so.
The chances of encountering a violent, predatory criminal in my current rural area are far less than when I lived in town (Richmond VA) so the main reason I carry now is to put a deer out of its misery in case I hit one with my car. Do you have a place where you can safely target shoot near where you live?
There are in-door places for hand-guns and a public park with rifle + skeet range. The rifle range is ran military style for safety reasons, but that means you can't do things at your own pace. When I retire I might buy cheap land in Central Florida and have a cabin with range there. Or Colorado maybe.
Here are some pics of my largest “range”. I shoot various reactive targets. Here are a couple common examples. I don’t reload but plan to at some point. I buy guns that I have a practical use for. That will probably evolve to more guns I don’t really “need” at some point.
~ Reloading is an interesting hobby. I once met someone who did this just to relax. He had a nice setup in his garage. He told me it was nice to concentrate mixing the powders and sometimes polishing the brass. Different type of slugs were everywhere for different "loads ".