I'm sitting on:

.22lr
.223/5.56
.308/7.62
9mm
.45acp
.380acp
.300blk
.40s&w
.338LM
12 gauge
20 gauge
.357 magnum
7.62x39


Honestly would not have guessed I have that many...
The only one I ever got rid of was 5.7x28

To the basic question of limiting calibers, I've spread out over the years since I've lived through several ammo shortages and seen that there's usually limited availability of some more than others.

I'm still working on stocking up, but at least if 9mm becomes unavailable as it did last time, I could for example still find 40S&W in my area as well as .38 and .357mag.

So, no, I go for diversity.

I have .22, .357 Magnum, 9mm, .45ACP in handgun.
5.56, .300 AAC Blackout, 7.62, M2 in rifle.
And Federal Flite Control Low Recoil 8 pellet 00 for the 870.

.45 ACP EDC, 9mm is backup/secondary EDC.
.357 Magnum is "around the house".
Rifles is as rifle does. short or long, idiots decide...

870 is, well, when I'm down to an empty Vaseline jar, nekked, nothing but my dancing shoes and all I have left is an over-ripe banana...

Well… When you find yourself getting all fired up over a package of these arriving, I guess you are well passed worrying about calibers…



But yeah , for “social work” I try to keep it to a few basics, 5.56, 7.62, 9mm, .40, and JMB’s anointed choice .45ACP.

Bill R

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
If you don't shoot 'em, it doesn't matter. If you do shoot 'em, it does, in which case you need to limit your calibers, unless you're made of money.

It’s a good point. I guess it doesn’t hurt to have an outlier here and there. I don’t have to stack ammo or reload for all the guns.

I forgot one. I do have a Makarov, 9x18.

Once upon a time I thought it would be a good idea to consolidate. My collection was small, I was dependent upon commercial ammo, and I wanted to keep things simple. I sold off a couple of things and got my collection down to 9mm, .357/38, .223, 12ga, and .22LR. I even bought a 9m conversion barrel for my .40 P229, and got rid of a bunch of .44 Mag and .30-06 brass that I'd been hoarding but figured I'd never use now (that was a huge mistake).

Then I got into reloading and I began to realize just how easy and fun it could be to explore new platforms and calibers. Then I got my C&R and they just made things worse. I'm currently loading for:

.32ACP
.32 S&W Long
.380
9mm
.38 Special
.357 Mag
.40 S&W
.44 Mag
.45 ACP
.45 Schofield
.45 Colt

.223
6.5 Swede
7.5 Swiss
.30-40 Krag
.303 Brit
.30-30
.30-06
.45-70

Compared to some it's not that much or that exotic, but it's a far cry from where I started.

Like Para said, it doesn't matter if you don't shoot them. I shoot them all, but some not very much. I just load enough for occasional range fun with those, and save my serious stockpiling for the more practical calibers like 9mm, .357/.38, .223, and .22LR. Reloading also provides flexibility. I also cast, so as long as I have powder and primers I can whip up a batch of handgun ammo (and even some of the rifles) whenever I want. Lee dies and molds are cheap and work fine for my purposes, and the turret press is perfect for the volume I need for those calibers.

The only problem I can see with it is getting multiple guns and cartridges mismatched at the range. You should only put out one gun and caliber at a time, shoot only that one, then put them away before bringing out the next one. Yours are disparate enough that you shouldn't have such confusion, but mixing up and firing some combinations can be dangerous. I have .380 ACP and 9mm Luger. The former in the latter, if it managed to fire at all, could burst a case.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore, December 19, 2023 12:30 PM

I consolidated last year for various reasons.

I had .380, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 45 LC, .357 SIG, 9mm, and .223/5.56 and got rid of .357 SIG and .40 S&W. I wouldn't even have the 45s if it weren't for the ACP being a 1911 deployment pistol and the LC being a Henry Big Boy (it's such a nice rifle).

Even got rid of my Glocks and went with 1911 style pistols.

It depends on what the firearms are for and how often you plan on shooting them. I have many calibers in my collection that I keep on hand but aren’t for serious shooting. Although many could be used for self defense they are not what I choose as my primary defensive weapons. I primarily shoot and carry 9mm for pistols.

I primarily keep 9mm, 22lr, 5.56, and 12ga for personal HD and SHTF. By most standards I have a good amount of 7.62, 45acp, 357Sig, 380acp, and 30 carbine but in my mind that is more or less for recreation. I do have ammo for every caliber I own and believe it or not a few calibers I don’t.

I only reload for a few pistol and rifle calibers


and once did the consolidation thing,


then slowly feel off that wagon,

22 (Short, LR, and Mag)
25acp
32acp
9mm
45acp
38/357
44 spl,
wife has an old revolver I gave her (she liked it, it's in a display) in 32 S&W


rifles,

556
308
3006
7.62x54r
303
45/70
38/56
25-20
and the shotguns, 12/20/410


maybe forgetting oone


got a few rounds of each, and some quite a few rounds off,


and some collectable ammo too

Lemme add this up

Pistols:
.22LR
.380 ACP
9mm
.357 Magnum
.38 Special
.40 S&W
.45 ACP

And rifles in:
.22LR
.223
5.7x28
.30 Carbine
.308
.30-06
.30-30
12ga
20ga

I've thought about paring it down a few times, but the outliers in the collection were inherited or are just simply not going to go away. The only reason I keep any .45, .30 Carbine or .30-06 is for the WWII stuff in the collection - those stay. My carry caliber is generally 9mm, but .380 for the Glock 42 in summer or pocket carry isn't going away, and I bought a .40 S&W specifically because it's the last ammo to dry up in a panic and I inherited several thousand rounds of defensive stuff for it. Really, the only oddball in my collection is 5.7x28, the rest of it is pretty standard stuff and should be common enough to find in regular times. I had a .221 Fireball, but that sucker got walked.

I limit to the big three to stock in large qty's.
9mm, 5.56, and .22lr
I have a lot of others but aren't shot enough to have more than a few boxes of ammo each.

I was pretty much a shotgun guy before Sigforum.
Sigforum has cost me a lot of money...

you don't have an ammo problem, you have a gun problem, based on the information I would recommend you get a 9mm and 22lr for you, and a 357Sig and 10MM for your wife.

To really balance it your wife needs an AR in 5.56 and a nice 7.62....

At that point all the ammo is useable by both and you don't have excess calibers ...

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
you don't have an ammo problem, you have a gun problem, based on the information I would recommend you get a 9mm and 22lr for you, and a 357Sig and 10MM for your wife.

To really balance it your wife needs an AR in 5.56 and a nice 7.62....

At that point all the ammo is useable by both and you don't have excess calibers ...

That's kind of what I was thinking. Take the ammo redundancy to a whole other level. You never know when the only thing on the shelf is .56-50 Spencer.

I have large quantities of 22lr, 9mm. 5.56/223, 7.62X/51/308, 357SIG, 45acp, and 12 ga.

A moderate quantity of 380acp and 38sp/357mag.

Less than 400 rounds each of 218 Bee, 45/70, 270 Win, and 410.

I have done away with (over the last fie years) 40 S&W, 30-06, 22-250, 7.62X39, 45 lc, and 20 ga.

Like others say it depends on your situation.
My brother downsized to just 2 essential calibers.

I have the essentials, then a few others for weapons that are just for fun.
Ammo not stacked deep on those.

I’ve done both at the same time.

Defense geared weapons pretty much come in 2 sizes.

Then come recreational guns. A .22 is not a .257 wby is not a .300 WM is not a .327 fed, which certainly is not a 45/70. They each have a hunting role, they each are range toys as well.

Used to spend my fun time and money on photography. That’s become rifle hunting and shooting.

quote:

Is it better to limit the calibers in your collection?

It is certainly a consideration.
More calibers could mean duplicate models of weapons, not that is entirely bad. I have multiple P229's, P226's.

It means more ammo to buy, more mags, more holsters....

Adding a new caliber is especially painful to reloaders.
New dies, new brass, bullets, powder, primers, tools.

I only ditched .380 a while back when I got rid of a PPKS.
Was going to get a Kriss 10MM but tabled it because of what a new caliber demands.
Recently added 6.5 Creedmoor and that was a costly proposition especially with ramping up on reloading supplies.

Currently have:
Rifle: 22LR, 556/223, 308, 6.5cm, 6.8spcII, 7.62x39, 30-30
Pistol: 22LR, 9, 40sw, 357sig, 45acp, 38sp, 357mag
Shotgun: 12ga (not a big shotgunner anymore but still have a few)

Rounds I may lose: 7.69x39, 40sw
Rounds I may add: 7mm PRC (dream rounds are 338 Lapua and 50bmg > unlikely though)

It's a problem .... but a good problem.

I have some .40 and .357 sig, but I am not planning on buying anymore. Just shooting what I have.

I have been buying

9mm
5.56/223
and 12 GA