what % of your collection do you "use", shoot, or dirty?

[John Galt]

I'm at about 16% of my collection.  Do I need to be using my stuff more or am I in line with my fellow Files guys?

John Galt

[Power Surge]

I shoot everything I own. When I get some thing new, I like to take it to the range and sight it in and make sure it functions well. Then I usually take random different guns with me to the range.

The only exception would probably be if I had an Honor Guard.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Make this a poll....   10-100%

[running-man]

95% for me. All typical models get shot except for the times when I get something new and don't get to firing it before something else comes along.  The special ones in vg to ex condition woul be the only ones that might get held back. That's the case for the M8 Clayco I've got that's still NIB anyhow.  Might wind up firing that one anyhow

[MEBears]

I shoot all of mine. I guess I'm more of an "enthusiast" than a collector. If I got a true collectors piece I would probably sell or trade for something I could shoot.

[CARBINE]

If we are taking the poll on sks specifically, 13% I have shot (SAD, I KNOW).............. If we are talking all guns 40%, Still Sad

[Tank50]

If I buy it I shoot it.

[Loose}{Cannon]

If we are taking the poll on sks specifically, 13% I have shot (SAD, I KNOW).............. If we are talking all guns 40%, Still Sad

I'm in this boat with Carbine.

[Greasemonkey]

maybe 5%

I've gotten 2 Russians about 5 years ago, never fired them, 2 M59s in the last 2 years, never fired them. Why, guess I look at like, when I'm looking down the sights of a Chinese, what’s the difference between the two, or what’s the difference in looking down the sights of a Romanian, Yugoslavian, or Albanian vs. the Chinese.  Uh duh, none.   It's all the same sight picture. You don't know any difference until you look at it from the side. I just shoot the same 'ol Chinese, and play pretend.  All the rest stay nice, safe and clean, even my M59/66 I tried to wear out earlier in the last decade, now sits, and I just beat the snot out of that poor Chinese clunker.

I'll do the same with my Mausers, Lugers, Mosins, Mas rifles, Swiss, M1 carbines, M1 Garands, Tokarevs, and on and on. I find the least valuable, un-number matching, shooter grade, complete POS and plunk away, and keep a nice number matchy purdy one, two or four in the safe. Typically, purdy and matchy rifles might get one mag, then cleaned and tucked away, you gotta check function.     Commercial retail grade rifles, be dammed, I'll try and wear dat azz out, who cares, new ones are made everyday and most have warranty.

[bbush44]

All of mine have been shot, or will be once I get the cosmo cleaned out. I take each new to me firearm for an outing at least once or twice just because.
I do have my go to shooter which is a mismatched Chinese ghost that gets shot the most. Or it did until I bought my first VZ2008, now the VZ goes with me everywhere. 

[Shotz90s]

100% my small collection has at one time been fired. I do have one target rifle from my Grandmother and a shotgun from my Dad that only get taken out for special occasions, then cleaned and returned to the safe for next years use. Other than that its whatever strikes me that certain day. One of the 2 SKSs almost always goes along for the ride though. To me its like having a classic muscle car, it may not be a daily driver but its not any fun just sitting in the garage doing nothing.

[aschatzl]

I'd say 75% I have a few that are just to nice to take out. I mostly take out my miss matched Chinese sks the rest are tested and put away. I still have a 1925 hex mosin complete matching (even the bayo) I've never put a round through.

[scarymike23]

I usually have a few things that I'm sitting on for trade fodder and generally don't shoot those. Otherwise I shoot everything I own.

[Dannyboy53]

100%... bang, bang, bang  gunfighter1 BOOM  rat a tat tat.

I fire everything, it's my major source of amusement these days! But then, I don't have any "collectible" firearms.

[SKhiSm 59-66A1]

75% - 3 of 4

I don't get many opportunities to shoot and I'm hoping that will improve next year. If I shoot at all I will use the M59 and HRA 165 both guaranteed. The Mosin I mainly use for weather control and the Mitchell YSKS I haven't fired but I might run a mag or two down the pipe one day.

[Phosphorus32]

My intent is to shoot about 90% of what I own. I'm a little behind on trying a few, and there are 5 to 6 that I don't feel the need, or am hesitant, to shoot. Two cheap wall hangers, a duplicate HRA Garand, the Madsen that looks new. However, I definitely have my favorites that get shot more often.

[Stoned_Oli]

So far, the IC 55 Tula and my '27 and '29 Izhevsk Mosins (still in cosmo!) are the only firearms I have that I haven't shot... other than the Bajraktar K Tula SKS with the bulge in the barrel.
Everything else is fair game, although I hesitate to wave the AKs in this neighborhood.
Some of them move to the head of the line a lot, and some stay home more than others...

[Justin Hell]

I have 11 rounds through my Cherry's Yugo...one mag for fun....one round for my daughters 11th birthday.

Other than that...everything is game for some round poundin'....I don't even have a safe...if I end up needing one, it would be more like a shipping container with a nice lock....so I could display them..even only for myself.

so.... 95%?

[armedhippie]

I'm at about 16% of my collection.  Do I need to be using my stuff more or am I in line with my fellow Files guys?

John Galt

All that matters John is that you love and enjoy your collection. Like that saying..."Its mine...I can wash it for as long and however I want to" 

In my 20's I shot everyday. Even if it was just a few rds after getting off work. I put 1000's through my baby...a 1950 Russian refurb and when I got my 1st AK.... but now....Well eventualy things will slow down and I'll have my hillbilly 100 yd range completed and I'll go back to shooting often.

For now, what gets me going is finding something I don't know much about and researching it for hours untill I know its whole history and then taking it completely apart and cleaning it like I should have the door locked.    I'm guilty of taking 1 out just to shoot it for a function check, just to have 1 to clean.

For now, I'd have to guess around 15%-20%. Like GM was saying, when you have multiples, 1 wont be much different from the others. So for now, some get shot but most get fondled. 

[Carl in CT]

100% but then I don't have anything all that collectible except maybe my '52 as-issued SKS. That gets shot very rarely but it does get shot on special occasions (then cleaned and returned to gun sock and safe). I have my dad's old Winchester bolt action youth .22 short/long from about 1918. I guess that's somewhat collectible but it gets shot as it's far from pristine.