Ok, so how many firearms does an average "gunny" own? [View All]

[Hoopla Phil]

I've seen the contention here in the guns forum recently, that if a person owns a "large number" of firearms that (s)he is somehow stockpiling, or in need of psychological help. I've seen it bandied about that "gunnies" don't have a legitimate use for all those firearms they have. 2A aside, I'm not so sure about that, and would like the opportunity to shed some light on the issue of firearms ownership.

I firmly believe in the 2A and all it's implications. To that end, I have my militia weapons and what I call my "sporting" firearms. Some may also recognize that the two classifications I mention, sometimes overlap.

My militia weapons:

*AR-15 in .223 caliber (This can also be used for various competitions such as 3 gun)
Bayonet for the above (a bayonet has a multitude of uses).
*12 gauge pump action shotgun with full length tube (to hold more ammo)
*9mm sidearm.

My "militia" equipment also includes a lot of other items such as magazines, (full capacity) ammo, and items needed to carry everything.


My Hunting guns:

*.308 bolt action rifle w/scope. I've heard some politicians call such a rifle a "sniper rifle". Be that as it may, I use it for hunting game over 50 pounds.
*.22 rifle for hunting small game. I have a turn bolt, lever, and semi-auto version of this depending on the type of small game, and the type of hunting.
*300 Whisper/AAC BLK for night time hunting of hogs.
*12 gauge shotgun for dove (long range)
*12 gauge shotgun for quail (short range)
*12 gauge shotgun for turkey or duck (magnum classification)
*there are also "big game" calibers for game that I personally do not hunt.


My "sporting" guns: (oddly enough the ATF may, in their capricious judgment, not consider these "sporting")

*.45 caliber handgun for IPSC limited class (I have a "B" card)
*.38 super caliber hand gun for IPSC unlimited class (I have a "C" card)
* AR-15 in .223 Caliber. This is the same rifle that is in my militia list.
* AR-15 in .300 Whisper/AAC BLK. This is the same rifle listed in my "hunting" firearms. I'm still doing load development to try and get "major" classification with a soft recoiling caliber.
*12 gauge semi-auto shotgun with magazine extensions for 3-gun competition.
.22 for rim fire silhouette
.221 for center fire silhouette.

There is also a third tier of firearms that I had not mentioned. In some ways it overlaps with the militia weapons, but not always. I speak of course, of self defense weapons. If you consider the complete definition of "militia" as being defense of self, community, state, and country then they really do overlap. But for the sake of simplicity I'm going to call this classification self defense firearms:

*compact .45 to keep on one's person
*12 gauge pump shotgun to keep in one's home or car for quick access
.223 (or 308, or 7.62X39) rifle to keep in one's home or car for quick access.

This post is intended to educate those that are not familiar with firearms and/or the "shooting sports" as I'm familiar with. My intention is to convey a better understanding of what can be expected from an avid "gunner" and where that person's perspective may be coming from.

For those that may be involved in shooting disciplines that I'm not aware of, please post your sport/discipline here, along with the common firearm used in it.

Thank you,

Phil