Starting Over on your Gun Collection

When I look at the firearms, I’ve acquired over the years it’s a dog’s breakfast of makes and models, lever actions, bolt actions, pumps, semi-automatics, break actions, etc. and probably not a lot different than your gun safe or cabinet. In my youth, I remember fumbling with a multitude of safety mechanisms and trying to jack the forearm off my semi-auto after switching from a pump, during waterfowl season, until muscle memory kicked in. I was thinking of starting my Grandson’s firearm compilation with a more standardized approach.
Any thoughts on makes and models that standardize shooting mechanics in different calibers, starting with .22 caliber and moving on? Not withstanding the difference between rifles and shotguns, example, my Browning Cynergy’s and Browning A bolt’s have the same safety system.
Clean slate start over- where would you start the journey?

Ruger makes or used to a .22 77/22 that is a scaled down version of the 77 ceterfire. I know that there are bolt action shotguns out there but I don’t think I would want one.

These days I'd look at the ammo you can find in the store in bulk and go from there....

Not sure what I could kill for food with 8 shot but...

My collection runs the gamut but as far as regular use I've pretty much settled on semis for everything for one reason or another. Ruger 22s for nuisance work dispatch, small game and critters around the house and hobby farm that aren't welcome, semi for deer, semi for waterfowl. Mostly for practical reasons with having noisy shoulders with chronic discomfort at my stage.

I started with a Rem 1100 then got a Rem 742

that was about where having things be nearly the same ended

I wish there was a good combination of they all work the same but it varies so much


her goes a base idea for hunting guns

Savage MKII 22lr bolt action with a push forward thumb safety blade in trigger
Mossberg Patriot predator 308 rifle bolt action push forward safety blade in trigger
Mossberg 500 or 930 shotgun with push forward safety


that said I could see just as easily going
AR dedicated 22lr upper
AR-15 5.56
AR-10 308

but I am not sure exactly where that leaves me for a shotgun maybe a 930 or 940


keeping to the same controls is nice , but with a more training you can switch more easily.

I drive several vehicles but the first time I get in a new brand of car to me or model very different from others I have driven it takes me a little time to find everything

if there was a great argument for putting everything in the same place you would think a vehicle would be it

the main controls do tent to be in familiar locations steering wheel , brake , throttle and directional are usually there clutch if there is one that is about where things stop being similar

wipers , heater controls , radio , shift pattern , where the shift lever is , hazard lights , parking brake and the multitude of convenience features

get into a new rental car and yes it takes a few minutes to familiarize myself with where things are , really bad at night just have to turn on the dome lite and find what I need while still parked which usually means opening the door so I can even find the dome light switch

when I was a mechanic I saw and drove a lot of cars from 3 on the tree to push button transmissions

I can get into around a dozen cars and the controls are not foreign to me if you spend time with them before you get on the highway or in busy traffic it isn't too bad

I am also familiar with a lot of different guns and platforms any gun I am not I typically read the manual at least far enough to see operations and the assembly & disassembly so I understand how it all works once I understand how it works I can drive it better car or gun.

with so many good guns in so many different configurations , sure start with a trio that operate the same or similar but invest in some dummy rounds and have him spend time loading unloading , safety on off , 10 minutes of those reps a couple times before you take that gun out for a hunt and your muscle memory is built you can carry the muscle memory for a bunch of different guns and cars with you.

everyone is different and people like things for different reasons he will want to get something different at some point most likely , learning how to learn safely is more important than keeping things the same.

The only thing i care about being similar is a pistol. This may offend the 1911 guys, but a carry gun shouldnt have a safety, other than whats built into a trigger or grip.

The Savage 42 is my trapline gun- I love it

I would buy quality and I can't bring myself to buy guns made at the Tupperware factory.

Single shots, double barrels and semi-autos, if you want standardized. No bolts, pumps or levers to figure out. And I agree buy the best you can afford.

I love the Tupperware guns. You can buy 3 for the price of "quality" pretty safe queens. They shoot as well, even better for some, than the others. I do own both and when I remember what I paid for some of the fancy ones that don't shoot as good as a $300 axis, makes me shiver. Rubbermaid for me these days!

as much as if you told me we were going to hunt down the escaped pig be ready in 5 minutes I wouldn't think twice grabbing the Mossberg Patriot Predator with the Tupperware stock that rests next to the door with 15 rounds of 180gr 308 in the on stock storage bag.

coat boots , hat and gun ready to roll in 5

tupperware is great for work

I like to play with classic wood and steel also just more at my leisure.

If I could go back, I’d have bought every Hungarian and Chinese AK I could have gotten my hands on.

I could actually enjoy retirement quite nicely.

and SKS

who would have thought they would be selling for 350 now when you could get them by the crate at 79.99 in the early 90s

The classics man, the classics. Synthetic, plastic, stainless steel ugh...,

Remington nylon 66 in all its configurations

What I am now wondering about is having collected pre 64 Winchester's. Will there be anyone interested in them in the future? Right now there are still people that appreciate them for what they are. The coming generations only seem interested in black rifles.

I don't know what gun I would start with if I was starting over.

I know that I would buy less guns. I like my guns and I'm not getting rid of any but I have a lot of guns that have sat unfired for a long time. I have to ask my son once in a while "Do I have a...." because I just don't remember every one that's in the safe.

And, I wouldn't standardize actions, safeties, etc. I like knowing and being comfortable with a wide variety of firearms and I'm glad my kids are too. I have two CC permits from other states (not NJ of course) and can carry in most places (just not here). I'm very familiar with comfortable with my on-vacation carry gun. Owning a wide variety of types hasn't made me less effective with the one I choose to carry.

I started with a Thompson center Hot Shot. great guns they aren't made anymore

my son loves the old guns he keeps drooling over nice wood and blued steel especially if it has iron sights.

I like them but I like to shoot and my kids eat a nice rifle a month in groceries so I make do with decent rifles.

the black rifles have a lot going for them , you can be a parts replacer and work on them with a small sack of tools.

gun smiths are not as common as they were , many of the guys who really made parts and did very good work are dead or will be soon

young guys with families are and alwasy have been more likely to buy a good tool than a great work of art that functions as a tool.

price point is a lot

from another thread today I suspect the 1894 in 30-30 outpaced sales of other rifles because of price point in many cases they made some very plane versions of the 94 yet they put meat on the table and that is a lot of what mattered

Just sold all of my mixture of deer rifles last year and settled on a Remington 7600 Pump in 30-06. I am back to being a one rifle man.

If I had to standardize on one type action it would be a lever. Marlin 39A or M in .22, then a stainless/wood 336 in .30-30, but I would still have to have at least one Browning A5 LW in 20, 16 or 12, preferably all three!

Bolts by Browning And Savage

Specifically A-bolts ... these have the same safety position. Which as you know in a stressful situation matters.

But in a .22 Rifle you cannot beat the Rugers 1022 line.

I think you are overthinking it. There is a definate difference between a "collection" and a golf bag of hunting guns. I have both. I also have 3 sons who I have bought every gun they could ever need to hunt. Deer rifle, predator rifle, magnum rifle, AR15, 12 ga, 20 ga, 410. They all have at least one 1022 as well as at least one other 22 rifle. They all have a 22 pistol and the oldest owns 3 other handguns.


I have never cared about standardizing actions or sight systems and as a result I have sons that can shoot and safely operate any gun made with confidence. They also can reload shotgun, rifle or handgun rounds by themselves. My youngest is 12.

As far as collecting, I am a Ruger guy. Tang safety 77s, Blackhawks, number 1s, flat gate single sixes etc. I love stuff from the 80s and 70s.

standardized comes into play when you chase Dangerous Game