For as long as I can remember I have been a firearms enthusiast. Some of my earliest memories are of shooting and to this day it's something I greatly enjoy. So it should come as no surprise that I'm a collector. Or rather, would like to be. Right now I've a number of guns but it's not like the Smithsonian is going to be asking for my collection.

But my collection grows with some regularity and with improving finances and a recently aquaired FFL 03 (C&R) I expect the collection to grow faster in the days to come (Got something I might be interested in? Drop me a line!).

In any event, here's my current collection...

The Handguns

From top to bottom, left to right:

• Makarov (Russian) chambered in .380 ACP. For a brief period Maks were easy to come by in the US, but after some trade agreement or another the Russians agreed to stop importing them. Result? They're much harder to find these days - even harder to find in .380 ACP. I consider myself to be lucky to have one.
• Ruger Single Six chambered in .22 LR. I'm not a big fan of the Single Six, but my mother loved this gun and left it to me in her will. Obviously some sentimental value there.
• Smith and Wesson Model 41 (.22 LR). A match grade target pistol. Quite simply the finest handgun I've ever fired. Is it any wonder why there are specific exemptions for it in California state handgun law?
• Ruger Mk II w/ 5" BBL (.22 LR). The first handgun I ever owned. Just a plinker.
• Davis P32 (.32 ACP). A decent gun for what it is - a cheap pocket auto that sends lead downrange with every trigger pull.
• German Luger (9 mm Luger). This is the flagship of my handgun collection. Made by Mauser in 1936 this one no doubt saw a lot of interesting places during World War II... If only it could talk the stories it could tell would no doubt be fascinating.
• Beretta Tomcat (.32 ACP). My wife's gun, actually. It's a nice reliable pocket auto. What more need I say?
• (Not shown: Ruger Blackhawk. Need to get pics updated!)

The Long Arms

From top to bottom:

• Lanber 12 ga. semi-auto. My bird gun. Nothing fancy, just a solid shooter for chasing birds. The only point of interest is it's manufacturer is Spanish (don't see too many Spanish guns in the US!).
• Stevens/Savage Model 258B. An old gun from my childhood. As a 20 ga. bolt action, it's somewhat unique and it's for that reason I keep it. How old is it? I'm not sure, but they stopped making this gun in 1965.
• Hopkins and Allen Model G. Just a cool old single shot 12 ga. I picked up. The company only existed from 1904-1914 so as of this writing the gun is 95-105 years old.
• Ithica Model 500. This gun is a work of art. Although it doesn't show up in the photo the engraving on it is magnificent. This was the gun I learned to shoot shotguns with, but I no longer shoot it. (It's a 20 ga., by the way.)
• Revlation Model 22a (aka, Mossberg Model 800) chambered in .308 Win. Most people think of shotguns when they think of Mossberg. Well, here's proof that Mossberg did venture into more than just scatterguns. This was also the first rifle I ever owned. Sweet shooter!
• Winchester Model 70 (.270). A jeweled bolt. Super light weight. A beautiful gun for medium game.
• Mauser Model 1895 (Chileno). My mother bought this gun for some unknown reason. I always thought it was very cool and my father gave it to me when she died. According to the markings it somehow made it's way to South Africa and was a participant in the Boer War. Based on it's overall condition (used hard), I'd lay money it actually saw combat.
• SKS, Romanian (7.62x39 mm). The SKS was the predecessor to the AK-47. A solid shooter with lots of accessories available today. The only reason they're legal in California is the lack of a detachable magazine (but with stripper clips, who cares??).
• SKS, Yugoslavian (7.62x39 mm). Another SKS. But this one has a grenade launcher. How can you go wrong with a grenade launcher? You can't. That's why I bought it. Some soldier even carved his name in the stock; gives the gun some serious character.
• Daewoo AR-110C (5.56 NATO). The flagship of my long arm collection. Illegal to buy and sell in California since 1989 I can not put a price on this "evil assult rifle" as it is irreplacible. But even when it could be replaced it was still a rare beast. The Koreans took the action of the AK-47 and married it to the trigger assembly of the M-16. The result is a gun with the AK's reliability but with full M-16 compatibility for ammo and magazines. A very slick design, it can be field stripped in under 5 seconds with no tools. 'Tis also a VERY straight shooter. Not only my flagship; she's my pride and joy. Damn the assult weapon ban!
• Marlin Model 60. Your basic tubular magazine .22 LR. Great little plinker.
• Ruger 10/22 (.22 LR). Not much to say. Just a nice little plinker.
• Charter Arms AR-7 (.22 LR). Very cute little gun that's surprizingly accurate. Breaks down and all pieces store inside the stock. When all is stored, the gun is water tight and floats. Great gun to just throw in the back of the truck on camping trips and such.
• Mossberg Model 464. Chambered in .30-30, can you think of a better candidate for a brush gun for medium game? Neither can I, that's why I bought it.

And that's it, ladies and gents. Not a great collection, but not bad either. Some of you may have noticed that I've a soft spot for foreign made military firearms. I do! So if you've got something I'd be interested in you know where to find me (I'm looking for a WWII-era P-38, by the way!).