Collecting: shooters or lookers?

[archer24]

I've 4 rifles and a dozen webley pistols, all shoot able but some are just not pleasant to shoot.
When I shoot I pick up a HW35/80 or my original webley premier E bought for Xmas back in 1974.....
Both the most fun to shoot.

[eyebull]

I'm slightly surprised, but glad to hear that most of you shoot your collection

[ptdunk]

I only own one spring rifle for HFT and a PCP for for when its pouring with rain on a competition.
I don't wan't to ruin my hold sensitivity for shooting the springer by owning and shooting various rifles so I'm keeping it at that (I'm considering maybe buying a FWB Sport 124 for classic HFT comps someday)

However I've got around 28 vintage air pistols and they all have to be shot.
I use a FWB 90 for Pistol hft, a FWB 100 for 10 meter, and all the others get taken to the club in rotation for general plinking. The variety of design and mechanism of these mainly spring powered air pistols is for me a source of continuing enjoyment.
I do get a bit nervous shooting with the Minters but I find the rule that they have to be shot helps keep the collection under control. Any reasonably common one's that I don't shoot regularly will get sold on.

I also find that shooting them encourages me to get them working to the best of their potential which can lead to some enjoyable research, servicing and restoration.

I feel that these things were made to be shot and that I'm doing them a service by keeping them 'alive.' but each to their own.

.....also pistols take up much less room.

Matt.

[jonnyone]

I definitely have some models that rarely get used for one reason or another but one thing that is clear in my mind is that ultimately all have been used by me in the past and are likely to get used again.
I guess it could be termed as owning practical classics...
Dave

[Rotherham Owl]

All mine are shot - some more regular than others.

I have 2 PCPs that are used regularly for comps plus a springer used infrequently for comps. I have another springer that is a project.

I then have a collection of 10 Air Arms PCP rifles & 1 Air Arms pistol. These are not shot very often but dry fired about once a month.

I love handling these and learning about the history. I'm also slowly learning about the inner workings.

It can be easy to desire every variation but I am trying to stick to an example of every mark of each model where the change in mark is not merely a change to the stock configuration, such as the EV2 Mk2, 3 & 4 - although this is difficult given that the range also offerd a choice of 3 colour schemes for the actions!

Next up for me is to start on the AA springers.

[Joncaddy]

I've got 45 rifles and pistols, most are old and would be considered classic/collectable.(But not antiques) Only a few are mint boxed, most are in good to very good condition. But they all get shot. Some not that often, some regularly. I've bought a few non shooters in the past and bought them up to shooting condition. The exception being a Record Champion pistol which I just gave up on�� But it's shooters only for me.