So I was wondering - when it comes to the guns you have - did you find yourself consolidating calibers? Or do you like variety? Different guns for different missions / tasks, or are you the guy with one gun?

Just wondering. I have Glocks (30 years of working with them) Berettas (I know I was a child of the 80’s) Sigs (the only .40 I’ll touch these days) revolvers (because I’ve got to preserve my old fart image) and a 1911 (which needs no reason - it’s a 1911…).

9mm, .40, .380, 357/.38, .45…oh brother…,

I think my collecting over the years has gone terribly awry…

When you go to get ammo and they are out of the popular stuff...

As for me, I can find all of the 9x21, 7.65mm, 9mm Steyr, etc... I need.

Wouldn't mind finding a few 440s or some 41AE every now and then.

Handguns I have:

.22, .327 Fed, .38, .357, .380, 9mm, .40, .44 spl, .44 mag

But I need to start thinning them out just my heirs won't have to deal with them. None of them are gun people.
Need to thin out the long guns also.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: gjgalligan,

For many years I believed firmly in large bore and heavy bullets. Preferably .45ACP and 230-grain slugs.

Now over 70 years old, two wrist surgeries, elbow surgery, two shoulder surgeries, non-repairable rotator tear, severed bicep tendon. Hand and arm strength no longer allow me to comfortably use most semi-autos. Recoil tolerance is reduced. Pain is part of every movement every day.

My solution has been in the gun safe for 40 years. Smith & Wesson Model 64 stainless Military & Police .38 Special revolver, 2" barrel, round butt. Police department issue piece back in the days when I was young, handsome, athletic, and still knew everything. 6 rounds of +P SWC-HP. Easy to carry, easy to conceal, easy to use if necessary.

YMMV

My collection consists of four calibers. 22lr, 38/357, 9mm, and 45acp. I have more than a few semi-auto pistols, but I'm an avid revolver shooter. Most of the 45acp is fired from from five different revolvers using moonclips. If you've never fired a Colt or S&W 1917 revolver, it's a lot of fun, and it's very cool to shoot a piece of history.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
When you go to get ammo and they are out of the popular stuff...

As for me, I can find all of the 9x21, 7.65mm, 9mm Steyr, etc... I need.

Wouldn't mind finding a few 440s or some 41AE every now and then.

I'm probably the only other person that likes the .41AE
I have a Tanfoglio TZ75 with 9mm and .41AE barrels. Still have 4-5 boxes of .41AE ammo, too.

Back to the OP's question ...

I'm not adding any new calibers as I pretty much have everything, but I'm not consolidating either.
I like variety.

I used to have 10 different calibers and 20 different gun models. Slowly over a few years I've reduced and reduced gun models and calibers and now down to 12ga. 22lr. and 9mm that's it. And now have 5-Sig Sauers in 9mm, Rugers in 22lr and over and under in 12ga. Now that's a simple set up! And that's the way it's going to stay.

Four carry guns in 9mm and one in .327 Fed. Mag.
Keeps the reloading simple and streamlined.
May add in a 10mm or a .357 Mag. though.

I think it was Musashi who said that one should not have a favorite weapon. I have a primary that I have carried and shot most frequently, but I'd like to think that I could pick up anything laying on the ground and press home the fight.

I own a wide variety of firearms and calibers, just because I'd like to be proficient with anything.

quote:

Originally posted by bcjwriter:

9mm, .40, .380, 357/.38, .45…oh brother…,

I think my collecting over the years has gone terribly awry…

I have my buying/collecting kinda under control as of now.
I thinned out the carry guns and only have 4 now. Glock, CZ, Kahr and Springfield.
My problem is the rifles, shotguns and collector pistols.
.357, 38 special,.380, 44 magnum, 12 gauge, 22 LR, 30-30, 7mm-08, 30-06, 8mm magnum and more. I have a bit of ammunition for all of them but nothing substantial like my 9mm.

Every time I think about thinning the herd, I look on Gun Broker to kinda see what particular firearms are bringing. I usually see something I really want so that just doesn't work. My collection has been appraised so my wife knows what everything is worth, if I croak it won't be a problem selling everything she wants to. As long as I don't need the money why sell anything ?

My handgun calibers are .22, .380, 9mm, .38/357, .45. If I decided to consolidate the .45 would be the first to go, I only own one 1911 and never carry it. After that .380, then .38/.357, partly based on defensive considerations, partly based on the fact I have less ammo in those calibers than I do in the others. .

I don/t have a lot of long guns but if I were to consolidate calibers it would be down to .22 and .223/5.56. Shotgun would be 12 gauge, that's all I have anyway.

But I am not planning on consolidating away anything anytime soon.

I have no dog in either fight. Valid case either way.

I have/have had a number of handgun types and makes, as well as several calibers. Kinda happens when you've been carrying and shooting for 60 years. Revolvers, semi hammer and semi striker. Calibers: .22LR, .32ACP, .380, 9mm, .38Spl, .357Mag, .41Mag, .44 Spl, .45ACP. SA, DA, SA, DAO, DA/SA action types.

My thoughts:

1) If you have good fundamentals and practice time, you should be able to go to the range and perform well with ANY of the handguns you own. Even at age 79, I do it all the time.

2) If you have a handgun for SD, a lot if not most of your time should be with the gun(s) you carry or have on the bed stand. Especially so if you carry.

3) Ammunition. I've never subscribed to the concept that you should practice with what you carry. Bankruptcy is one problem with that. Joking aside, with good fundamentals there shouldn't be any difference between full power and hand loads. Several times (.357Mag, .45ACP) I have forgotten to remove carry ammo from my gun before starting practice drills. Made no difference in hits. Yes, I often wear my carry gun to the range to shoot.

As mentioned, fundamentals are the key. If someone has only limited range time available, for whatever reason, I would suggest limiting your choices and standardizing on something...anything.

Obviously, range time, cost and availability constraints apply. However, if you're able to, their is a lot of enjoyment to be had with owning/shooting various handguns. As the old saying goes "Variety is the spice of life."

I like variety but am tending to stick with only a few calibers now due to ammo costs. That and recoil of some of the higher/more powerful calibers start to hurt after a while as I am getting older.

Down to just two. 22LR and 9MM
Keeping it simple..

More is always more, less is always less.

Always expanding, always learning, always trying new things whenever possible.

I sold my 229's a few years ago, getting rid of 40 S&W and .357 Sig, and consolidated calibers.

I kept 45, 9mm, 22, .38, .357, 12 gauge, 7.62 x 39 and .223/.556. I won't buy a gun I want (PS90) because I don't want any more new calibers and also because even before the pandemic 5.7 x 28 was expensive.

Yep; used to have all flavor of calibers and weapons. But not much interest from my kids so its down to 9mm/22lr/12g and for now 5.56.

I know people who only have 2 calibers 9mm for handguns and 5.56 for rifles but for myself and many others having multiple calibers provides greater diversity and more interesting experiences with firearms. I have 7 handgun calibers: 3 for current self-defense (9mm, .32 H&R Mag., .22 WMR), 2 for future use self-defense (.380 Auto & 5.7X28mm), 1 for recreational use (.22LR) and 1 for collector/self-defense use (7.65mm). My firearm experiences are a lot more rewarding in my opinion with multiple calibers. During the ammo shortage when I was running low on 9mm I switched to other calibers to convserve my 9mm. Not everyone agrees but I think there are many of us who have multiple calibers. In case of a zombie apocalypse it is always best to have diversity of firearms and calibers.

Oh boy... 19 calibers.

.22, .223/5.56, .243, .25 Gibbs, .270, .308, 7.62x54R, .300 Mag, 7mm Jap, .303 Brit, 8mm Mauser, .35 Rem, 9mm, .357 Mag, .40, .44 mag, .45 ACP, 16 ga., 12 ga. Have dies for everything except .22.

I tend to stick with Sigs for defensive use, but in pistols I also own Ruger, Smith, Colt, Springfield, and Browning.

Given what I have accumulated, I'm not really in the market for much else. I'd like a Garand at some point, and would be opportunistic if I could find a .45-70 or .458 Mag at a price I couldn't pass up. I'm also seriously considering a Ruger 5.7 for home defense, but there's no rush on that as I have plenty of high capacity HD weapons at the moment, the best being a 9mm AR with 32 round stick mags.

So, while I'm not really "done" with calibers or makes, I'm not in any rush to add to the pile.