How to Start a Weapons Collection
Weapons collecting can be a fun and profitable hobby. Antique pistols and rifles used in the Old West, guns and bayonets carried by soldiers in any historic war (especially World War II) and foreign made models are as popular and often valuable as ever. Significance combined with good craftsmanship can make a weapon collection worth a great deal in both historic and monetary terms
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Instructions
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Examine various types of weapons on a website such as the National Firearms Museum or at a local shop or historical society (see Resources below). There are dozens of types of weapons and an organized collection typically hones in on one or two varieties of weapons.
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Talk to collectors in your area. They can tell you what kinds of arms are readily obtainable and practical to collect in your situation. For example, if you live in a two bedroom house, it would be unwise to start collecting medieval battle axes.
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Study local laws. All firearms must be registered, whether you plan to shoot them or not. Even if you disagree with the rules, you still need to obey them. You may need a Curio and Relics license from the federal government if you want buy or trade weapons by mail.
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Start learning the ropes. Use websites such as Books for Arms Collectors and The REME Museum of Technology to find out what the criteria are for evaluating types of arms (see Resources below). These include how they work, how to clean them, their place in history, what alterations are acceptable or not and others.
Start Your Weapons Collection
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Attend a gun or weapons show. Here you will find not only all kinds of weapons to buy, but also plenty of experts to ask for advice. Collectors are proud of their knowledge and are happy to share it. Find a show at Gun Show Calendar (see Resources below).
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Keep an eye out for estate sales. Individual pieces and even whole collections can be had at estate auctions, often for lower than market prices.
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Maintain your collection. Keep the weapons cleaned and oiled, even if you never use them.
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Tips & Warnings
Types of weapons to collect are numerous and widely varied in price and degree of care needed. Choose a period in history, a single weapon (rifle, musket, etc.) a country (Germany, Morocco), a culture (Chinese, Native American) etc.
Remember, not all weapons are firearms. Swords, daggers, knives, spears, arrows and more are all valid to collect.
Follow safety rules. Keep your collection in locked cases out of the reach of children. Do not take chances or assume you know exactly who will have access to your collection at any time. You may wish to take a gun safety course from the NRA or accompany an older child to the course.
