Does anyone else go through kicks?

[HuntingLikeABadHabit]

I have found that I buy guns on kicks. Last year was a handgun kick and I bought and dealt on handguns like it was going out of style. I even took my .44 blackhawk deer hunting in hopes that old smokey ghost mossy horns would step out (he didnt ). Lately I have hit a lever gun kick and instead of pulling the levers out for bear and bear only I have traded on a gorgeous little .44 carbine that is the perfect deer/bear combo and have looked at a few others. I have barely touched my bolt guns, semis or shotguns this year. Now I have a friend who may get rid of an older Marlin 45-70, a gun that I have always wanted for no reason other than its a 45-70. Do I need it? Prob not (but please help convince me that I do). Does anyone else go through these spurts?

[Wyosmith]

Yeah. I am 60 and my kick started when I was 8.

I expect it to stop about 1 second after I die.

Still, I have sold probably 90% of all the guns I ever had in my life. I have bought made or traded for guns that I shot for a while, and then they sat in the closet or safe for 4-6 years without being fired.

Now any gun (that is not a family heirloom) that is not fired in 5 years gets sold.

[aarondhgraham]

Mine was .22 military trainers.

I walked several miles of the Wanenmacher's gun show,,,
Just trying to find a Mauser KKW to purchase.

When that didn't materialize I later found a clean Polish WZ-48,,,
It doesn't have matching serial number on the bolt,,,
But man is this thing a sweet shooting rifle.

Right after that I stumbled on a Mauser ES340b,,,
It's the civilian version instead of the true military trainer,,,
But the style of the bolt and safety match my K98 close enough for me.

Those two rifles, along with my CZ 452 Special Military Trainer,,,
Satisfied my military rimfire kick nicely enough.

Aarond

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[Scorch]

Wait, you mean it's just a passing thing? My wife will be glad to hear that.

Anything Mauser, any odd caliber, any lever action rifle, any Winchester, any Colt . . . anyone spot a trend there?

And then there's my handgun kick. Anything 1911, any PPK, any Browning High Power . . .

And my Browning shotgun kick: any Superposed, any A-5, any Citori . . .

[HuntingLikeABadHabit]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I rarely sale or trade unless its just something I have picked up specifically as a trade gun. My wife used to think it was just a phase but then she found that my mauser phase would only give way to my shotgun phase and that gave to my 1911 phase and so on... she has given up at this point. She doesnt even hear me anymore when I say "oh yeah honey, I'll sell one of the ___'s to pay for that one".

[Doyle]

All the time. Many repeat themselves depending on the season. During the late summer, just about all I can think about is hunting. Then, this time of year, I get seriously into planning spring fishing.

As to buying guns, that holds true too. I went through a milspec auto pistol phase, then an Encore phase, then ... Well, you get the idea.

[Art Eatman]

Good thing for my billfold that it's not righteous to hunt with a full-auto.

But then, they DO have selector switches, don't they?

[Buzzcook]

The reason to buy a Marlin .45-70 is because you get a .45-70 and a Marlin at the same time. Seems like a good deal to me.

[Blindstitch]

Yep.
There are so many animals I hunt that deserve to be shot with different guns when really I only need 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,... Oh look Ruger has a new Mark 4.

[tahunua001]

I tend to buy in kicks and hunt in kicks but rarely in overlapping periods.

lately I've been buying handguns like crazy, mostly 9mms, and mostly budget brand or low pricetag items. before that I was buying military surplus rifles, I would usually have to sell one to allow enough funds to buy another, and before that it was semi auto rifles, and before that milsurps again... and on and on.

for hunting however this year I was trying to hunt with military surplus rifles primarily. the 2 years before that I did all of my hunting with an AR15. the year before that, all of my hunts used rifles that gave me a specific set of handicaps(deer with a 9mm, bear with a milsurp that was also open sights, etc etc)... not sure what next year will hold, but I bet it's fun.

[huntinaz]

Yep, variety is the spice of life.

[Boogershooter]

All my kicks come from experience's. I find a rifle that really fits me well I end up with 3 or 4 in different calibers. Then I get hooked on a certain caliber and end up with several rifles in that chambering.

Then I get in a box stand and that 26" barrel isn't easy to maneuver so I get a couple short barrel rifles. Pistols are the same way. When I find one I really like I buy several in different calibers. Some end up getting sold or traded but the collection still keeps growing.

[Olympus]

I absolutely get on kicks. Been on so many different ones I can't keep up.

My current kick is 243 rifles or bolt action deer rifles in general. I just bought my very own land this fall, so I'm big on hunting right now. Could care less about pistols at the moment.

[rickyrick]

Not just guns, other hobbies too.

[lefteye]

Are all of you sitting in a circle with a counselor encouraging you to tell everyone about your behavior?



Sorry - couldn't help it.

[Boogershooter]

Only people that know they aren't going to quit go to meetings. That way they can say they tried. I don't have a gun problem; I have a saving money problem!

[Jimmy10mm]

Brings to mind the old rock song from the '60s, Kicks Just Keep Getting Harder To Find, and all your kicks ain't bringing you piece of mind ............ Been there and done that for the past 60 + years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP8G4clUJBY

[jackstrawIII]

I'm the same way. Was a handgun guy almost exclusively for about 5 years... but all the sudden I discovered the joy of rifle shooting and have bought too many this year.

[lockedcj7]

I usually obsess about one gun at a time. I tend to latch onto the idea that I must have a particular gun and I research the variations to see which one would be best for me. Then I search obsessively for the best price on exactly what I want. I've reached the stage in my life where I don't want to settle and can afford not to. Sometimes the obsession passes only to rear its ugly head again later, sometimes I give in and buy it.

[Model12Win]

Those two rifles, along with my CZ 452 Special Military Trainer,,,
Satisfied my military rimfire kick nicely enough.

The CZ 452 was NEVER used by any military as a trainer. The name comes from the fact that it has military-style tangent iron sights on it. But, no country anywhere in the world ever actually used them to train soldiers.

[aarondhgraham]

My other kick was/is still matching pairs of rimfire/centerfire fiery-arms,,,
I really enjoy owning things like a S&W Model 18 in .22 LR,,,
And an identical S&W Model 15 in .38 Special.

The rationalization is that it's cheap practice with thee rimfire,,,
To make you more proficient with the centerfire,,,
And it's a valid rationale as it does work.

But in reality,,,
I simply like owning them.

It's easier with handguns,,,
I now own eleven matching pairs,,,
Or at least eleven pairs that match very closely.

For example my S&W 15/18 pair is perfect,,,
But the sights are different for my S&W 36/34 pairs.

Barrel lengths are often difficult to match up exactly,,,
My Blue 34/36 pair are both snubbies so they match very nicely,,,
But for my nickel 34/36 pair the .22 is 4" while the .38 has a 3" barrel.

Rifles are a lot more difficult to get exact matches,,,
I have an H&R Sportster in .22 LR and a Handi-Rifle in .357,,,
They aren't exact clones of each other but they are close enough for me.

It seems that the best results in rifles are found in military trainers,,,
I own an 8mm K98 that has a near perfect match in a .22 LR KKW trainer.

Since I couldn't find a KKW in decent condition that I could afford,,,
I "settled" for a nice es340b civilian Mauser in .22 LR,,,
The bolt/safety have the same look so I'm happy.

Some day I'll buy a M-44 polish Nagant,,,
It will be the match for my WZ-48 Trainer in .22 LR,,,
There is considerable difference in the looks but the one was made to train for the other.

There is another venue where having a rimfire/centerfire pair works very well,,,
That's when you are taking a nervous newbie out for their first shoot.

My CZ-75B Kadet in .22 LR has eased many a newbie who were afraid of the 9mm,,,
They shoot several mags of .22 to learn that a gun isn't a hand destroyer,,,
Then they try the 9mm with more personal confidence.

But again, while these rationales are valid points,,,
The real reason for owning them is I like to own them.

Aarond

.

[SJCbklyn]

I went on a bender last few months. 4 guns in 4 months.....1 trade in