What kind of collector are you?

[Geezer]

Thinking about this a bit. It took me three decades to conclude that I wasn’t just a bloke who shot who occasionally bought guns he was interested in, and for the most part kept them, but was actually what is known as a collector.

I mostly bought guns to shoot. I also bought guns that I’d had when younger, or wanted but couldn’t afford or didn’t buy then. Or just for a laugh, like my small “collection” of “classic” Chinese springers. I have had marque preferences, for Webley and Diana, but not to the point of buying Webleys or Dianas that I don’t like or am not interested in (e.g. Webley Hawks, Diana Mod 2s or tinplates).

But I’m not a classic collector in that, for example, for many years I had no interest in owning, rather than reading about, things like BSA LJs or Webley Services. Only recently has that changed, when all the good ones have become very valuable and can no longer be got cheap following a random chat with some old boy in country pub.

Also, I like pistols. But I shoot them. If an air/CO2 pistol won’t put 9 or more of 10 pellets into the black of a 10M target card, I rapidly lose interest. They have to be fairly accurate. But while I do like older match pistols and have a few, I’m by no way purely a collector of match pistols.

My theory is that most collectors probably have multiple motivations, like me, but many have a principal motivation that is more powerful than others.

My suggestions are:

1. Accumulator. Just buys anything and everything he likes with no particular overarching theme or specialisation (probably me).
2. Antiquarian. Loves the stuff from before he, or his parents, were born.
3. Nostalgic. Mostly collects things from their youth.
4. Marque specialist. Primarily collects a particular maker or maker(s). Or a particular model from a particular maker.
5. Typologist. Collects a particular type, irrespective of makers. Eg pump-ups, 10m match rifles, 80s springer sporters.
6. Technologist. Fascinated by design and operating mechs. Has no interest in owning every variant of the Webley Service, but desperately wants the one known Cumbeledge-Smythe swing-barrel, butt lever cocking pistol.
7. Other. There’s always an other.

[Unframed Dave]

Nostalgia doesn't come into it for me, despite coming from a farming background and shooting all my life, my mother wouldn't let me have a gun of any kind. (Despite this, she was happy for me to bring a diving spear gun back from Spain on a plane in the late 70s, caused a bit of a delay but I still have it).

Originally I was drawn by the engineering aspect and my motivation was anything different and most priority given to the weird and the wonderful. More lately, I'm drawn to the antique side of things.

I run a bell target club more recently and love shooting anything pre war, just lately I've been shooting a Diana 58 mark 1 along with a mk 1 webley.

Tonight we had a selection of self contained target pistols out and I enjoyed that as much as anything.

I collect a lot of things and really don't understand why, but I enjoy it. Good enough for me.

Dave

[andrewM]

Certainly, for me it is a little of each of the first three but I also like to buy the best 'sporting' springer air rifles of the era, in terms of accuracy and power (in the range of, say, 9.5ft lb to 12ft/lb). This has narrowed my selection to German and British. I also try to use mine and have on them a variety of sights: open, peep and telescopic.

Rgds
A

[harvey_s]

I'm complicated, I know what I like and it's an eclectic mix.
I don't collect or want every model either - for example I own a Webley Mk1, Senior, Tempest, Typhoon (original one) and Nemesis...but I have no desire to aquire a Premier Mk1 or Mk2, nor a Hurricane or any straight grip model.

[Geezer]

I'm complicated, I know what I like and it's an eclectic mix...

That would be option 1, then?

[45flint]

I’m at heart a Antiquarian, but there are exceptions. Still my main focus is prewar. Not sure it’s the age that attracts me as much as the blued milled steel quality.

[johnbaz]

I really love old stuff best but in all honesty, I bought anything that took my fancy in the past with no theme - Even acquired butt ugly stuff too!!


John

[harvey_s]

That would be option 1, then?

Not really, as I have toes dipped in other categories too, just not fully immersed enough to tick a box.

[tomdavies9]

I’m a solid number 5, and it’s no surprise that it’s for Single Stroke Pneumatics haha! I always said I’d never have the biggest collection but I can try and have the best! Most single strokes are rare, so it presents its challenges, but that for me is all part of the fun

I try not to be an accumulator, and tend to sell one if I can find a better example (goes back to best not biggest). Pretty much there with the full power stuff now, just need a LAISAR12 really… I have one match rifle SSP, but they don’t really do it for me like the “full power” stuff, although maybe one day

But I also make sure I shoot them, I hate wall hangers (apart from the Genesis, that stays in the rack haha).

I do have other types of air rifle, springers mainly and CO2, but they are more for the stock builds than anything else, and so I can tinker

[DrGunn]

I think I fall mainly into the accumulator category and buy anything which happens to look interesting and take my fancy at the time. However there are definitely some types I’ve accumulated more of than others (I had to look quite hard for some of them so maybe not just accumulated them). I definitely have an appreciation of 10m match guns (rifles and pistols) and within this particularly like SSP match pistols and anything Giss.
I’ve just started developing an interest in vintage guns but haven’t accumulated many yet.
I also like things which are a bit unusual for whatever reason.
I think the only airgun I’ve brought for nostalgic reasons is a Gat - not many other reasons I can think of to buy one…
I shoot all of them occasionally but inevitably some get a lot more use than others.

[ptdunk]

Interesting question, made me have a look at what I’ve got.

Turns out my rifles are themed, mainly early match rifles and pre war rifles.
Generally only one example of each of the different types of Match rifle, and only the earliest version. So there’s a tyro 60 but not a 75, and a tyro 150 but not a 300 etc.

Pre war is generally one of each model I like, without variations. Unless it’s a version I’ve fitted with peep sights.

Above all they have to shoot well, I nearly got rid of my mk2 service as I didn’t like how it shot but persevered with fettling and now it’s one of the most accurate and pleasant to shoot.
Have a couple of nice gallery guns and would love to venture more into antique stuff. Pre-war is a bit of time travel.

Pistols is generally anything that I can shoot well, and find mechanically and historically interesting. Mainly springers.

So for match rifles I’m a no.5 Typologist
Pre-war I’m a no.2 Antiquarian
And pistols it’s 1/2/6. Accumulator/Antiquarian/Technologist

Cheers,
Matt

[Abasmajor]

To interest me any items must be at least sixty years old and preferably of Firearms' quality. I restricted myself to Webley spring air pistols at the start which fairly quickly widened to other early British spring air pistols. Next came selected foreign spring pistols and finally a selection of classic pumpers and CO2 pistols. My interest in vintage air rifles is less extensive and restricted to LJ /BSAs and a couple of early post-war BSA / Webley models.
All must be fully functional and capable of being used even if only on an occasional basis.

Brian

[WILBA]

80's&90 stuff for me. Few b&m bullpups. Few theoben rammers. Park rifle ect.

[Garvin]

Interesting poll. I put myself down as an antiquarian, although I am a reformed accumulator and I also recognise parts of myself, past and present, in other categories - and some not mentioned as well.

The range of responses pretty much proves the thesis that we have multiple motivations under the umbrella of 'collector of vintage airguns'.

On a related note, the subject of vintage airguns seems to be undergoing something of a revival, or perhaps a 'flowering', which is brilliant to see. Let a thousand flowers bloom, I say!

Interest seems to be growing. I was gobsmacked to see on logging in today that 267 people were currently visiting this section, more even than General Airgun.

Also, I visited the .co.uk airgun forum yesterday (AKA 'the other place') and was happy to see quite a number of new posters, making it pretty fast moving, like this place.

I suspect this could be part of the reason why so much interest is being stoked right now: Like the OP, Geezer, I re-read ccdjg's test of his Hill pistol and enjoyed it so much I went back ad re-read his building of the Hill pistol story in full. Imagine having the skills to build an air pistol from scratch using only a patent as a guide, test it, and write about it. Amazing! We are lucky to have John G visit here often and make such brilliant contributions.

[micky2]

I first started out on a nostalgia trip, when my son said that there was a gun shop in our town. l went along and bought a prewar BSA under lever that l always wanted as a kid. l had a new Diana mod 16 and a tatty Mk 1 or Mk2 Airsporter didn't know the difference then. but a friend had a prewar BSA under lever that l so liked and never got one. then things went from bad to worse with buying only guns that l really liked. bad mistake at the time as l misted out on some rare guns. which l only found out about when buying Dennis Hillier's books lol. and latter the airgun magazines. l had well over 400 guns at one time a lot of them have now found new homes.