Again, these are some of the thoughts that I have compiled on how to start a collection. These are by no means the only way to look at your collection but may help those of you that have not yet begun yours. Good luck on building your own armory of history, my friend.
Manufacturer * * Model * * Caliber * * Action Type * * Country of Origin * * Period of History * * Uniqueness * * Personal Attraction & Cost (click on the above to go to a category; click on the to return here)
Some collectors tend to concentrate their collection on a particular manufacturer. Names like Colt, Winchester, and Remington leap to the forefront among collectors of non-military C&R manufacturers, but there are many well-known companies out there who have produced numerous models for military use. Some of these companies operated out of single factories while others had additional facilities working under their name. Examples of the former are companies such as: Springfield Armory (USA), Izhevsk (Russia), SAKO (Finland), and Ishapore (India). The latter includes such names as: Mauserwerke (Oberndorf and Berlin-Borsigwalde - Germany), and BSA (Birmingham, Englandd, but also responsible for the so-called 'Dispersal' rifles of WW2). This type of collection can be satisfying but unless you are searching for every possible combination or variation known, you may find yourself expanding the scope of your collection in order to fill your safe (Nothing wrong with that, is there? ;)For a little listing of what's out there, visit my Manufacturers page.
Other collectors select one model of firearm and pursue that as their primary interests. By collecting one from every manufacturer, they fill their collection and are happy. Some of these collectors even go so far as to get one of every variation from every producing factory for every single year (talking about needing money and storage space ;). Depending on what you are collecting and how in-depth you wish to step, this may be a good methodology. The basic M1 Garand collector may be happy to possess a Winchester, a WW2 Springfield Armory, a post-war Springfield Armory, an International Harvester, and a Harrington & Richardson; the advanced M1 Garand collector will also search for a 'Gas Trap', a M1C, a M1D, a National Match, etc. The Mosin-Nagant M91 Collector will search for Imperial Russian, Soviet, American, French and Finnish pieces for their collection while the German k98 Collector will just about go crazy with the numerous manufacturers and markings available. It just depends on how 'gung ho' you are about your collection as to how far you develop along this route. This is the method I am concentrating on in my pursuit of the complete M1895 Nagant collection.
Other collectors will pick a caliber and then pursue a collection from that point. Although you may be very limited in creating an extremely large collection based on the 8mm Nambu collection (of course that Type 100 SMG would be neat ;), you may run out of room when you go with the 7.62x54mm Russian family. How about 7.92x57mm (8mm Mauser) or .303 British? Maybe you go for a family group based on the '7.62mm' or .30 caliber family? Besides .30-06 (7.62x63mm) and .30 Carbine (7.62x33mm), now you have to get a .30-40 Krag, .30-03 (have fun ;), 7.5x54mm French, 7.5x55mm Swiss, 7.62x51mm, 7.62x54mm Russian, 7.62x45mm (vz52), 7.62x38mmR Nagant, .30 Tokarev, 7.62x39mm, .30 Luger, 7.63 Mauser and more in the group. Can you see what fun this can expand into (as well as how your ammo locker will have to grow to accomodate this diversity)? This type of collection is one that you can rapidly lose control over, so definitely think it out before you commit.
For a little listing of what's out there, visit my C&R Caliber Page.
Other collectors choose an action type to collect. This can be looked at in two ways: a specific model (ex. Mauser 98) or a generic category (ex. semiautomatic). Each of these can be challenging in several ways and can represent nice representative collections when completed.
The specific model collection can be controlled by how the collector approaches the subject. If they look at getting just a representative example on basic action changes, it may be very manageable. For example, they may want to collect receiver variants on the Mauser 98 design; this can be done by resorting to the reference books and then selecting a simple representative piece for the collection (like the basic small ring vs. large ring receiver or more in-depth like the Oberndorf 1903 Turkish with the high clip guide and the G33/40 with the lightened action). Of course, if it then begins to be based on every single type ever made with that particular action design, it could still grow out of control (or closet space or even funds ;).
The category collector may simply want a specific style. If they only want semiautomatic rifles, they can look for representative examples of the SVTs, M1 Garands, G43s, MAS 49/56s, AG42Bs, vz52s, Hakims, Rashid, etc. to fill their collection. This may be manageable when kept basic but then once the 'detail factor' gets turned on ('OK, I got the Izhevsk and Tula SVT40s; now I need a Kokrov, a carbine and a Finn rebuild'), it may cause you to either fill your safe rapidly, empty your wallet faster or both of the above ;)
Some collectors choose a country and then build their collection on it. Some collectors have roots in Germany, Britain, etc. and from these ties, they began their collections based on this. Sites such as Mosin Man's have led many to collect Finnish rifles, while others such as the Carcano site have led them to the Italian stuff. This type of collecting can be fun but challenging as many collectors seem to concentrate this way and thereby the market has a demand going for what you are searching for (Murphy's law all the way: Whatever you are looking for, so is everybody else).
For a little listing of what's out there, visit my Countries page.
Other collectors look to define their collection by period of history. Needless to say there are very many periods to choose from (ex. American Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and II, Finnish-Russian Winter War, etc.) and most can present a collector with an immense collection of desireable firearms if the research is done properly. This can be reduced in size by concentrating only on particular countries or alliances if so desired (ex. Confederate Forces of the American Civil War, Allied nations of World War II) or even histories outside of defined wars (ex. the growth of Finland following its declared independence from Russia in 1918).
Some firearms hold appeal to the collector due to their uniqueness. It could be something as simple as collecting military carbines with barrels less than 21 inches long to more specialized areas concerning individual designs. The Steyr M95 series and Schmidt-Rubin rifles are very unique with their straight-pull actions. The M1895 Nagant revolvers are amazing in the way that the cylinder moves forward to seal the cartridge every time the action is cocked (one of the very few revolver designs that supports the effective use of a suppressor). What about rifles with permanently-attached bayonets? (Russian, Hungarian, Polish & Romanian M44 Mosin-Nagants and their Type 53 Chinese brethren; Italian Carcano carbines; Czech vz52 and vz52/57s; Japanese Type 44s; Soviet, Romanian and Chinese SKS carbines) Ever operated a Ljungman or Hakim action? These all can make for a very interesting collection and one that can provide hours of amusement for curious friends (I had 4 people trying to open the bolt of my M95/34 Steyr for 10 minutes; after sitting there and scratching their heads, they all laughed when I showed them how simple it really was ;)
One of the easiest types of collection to begin with is one based on those weapons that simply appeal to you. It can be guided by 'love at first glance' or just by some good deal that you walked in to. How many times have you just picked up a magazine or book and said 'That's what I want!'? Or just walked into a shop or show and said the same thing? This makes for a varied collection and one that will require you to widely research each acquisition in order to know its history (if you are so inclined). Is there anything wrong with this? It can make for an extremely large collection, one which may cause you to run out of room in the gun safe quickly, but if that is what draws you to collecting these fine works of art (and your wallet can support it), that is absolutely fine to do. Just make sure you leave some for me ;) This was actually how I began my C&R Collection journey once upon a time and the remnants of this method can be seen on my Miscellaneous Collection page.
Another easy type of collecting to begin with is one based on those weapons that are simply affordable. The appeal of 4 $50 Mosin Nagants can sometimes outweigh that of one $200 k98 Mauser rifle. When a person is on a restricted budget or is driven by the challenge of acquiring bargains and restoring them to their original condition, this strategy is a manageable introduction to the hobby. Depending on the budget level you set, it can produce some interesting collections, to say the least. If your budget is high enough, you can rapidly fill your safe if you are so inclined; if not, you will then become a master at the art of bargaining and will scour every shop within 500 miles in search of more trophies. This is a unique strategy but if you are so inclined, make sure you leave at least a few around for your fellow collectors to gloat over one day ;)
I have had additional input from other collectors on their strategies. Give their strategies a look-see at this page and use their thoughts to help guide you in your collecting. We C&R collectors are all one big happy family and want to welcome you to our hobby with any assistance and guidance we can give.
As you look to perfect your collection, one thing to keep in the back of your mind is Condition. You should always strive to obtain the best example for your collection that you can afford and in order to ensure that your thoughts on condition are the same as that of the seller or buyer, you need to openly discuss your idea on grading with that person (or at least read the fine print in their advertising). While new production firearms more easily meet the standard NRA Ratings, military surplus firearms are better rated on a different scale (due to the hard use that 99% of them have seen). This scale generally varies among collectors but to assist you, here are the definitions I use.
Which way did I decide to go with my collection?
Well, after carefully reviewing my current collection of firearms and evaluating what I had, what I wanted and what I needed, I had to carefully weigh my thoughts and choose a course of action. In the end, I personally decided to.........
