We seem to love pigeon holes, labels and catalogues. Even in this journal, the most popular section, I'm told, is the trading post. Whilst it is a symptom of certain mental disturbances that some people unnecessarily go through obsessive rituals or endlessly write lists, there remains a tendency among normal, well adjusted people to also do such things to some extent. We have created names for things within our environment, and we tend to collect and sort things, often for reasons we don't really understand. Some people collect used postage stamps, others collect surplus military vehicles, the shells of dead molluscs, empty beer cans or innumerable other sets or groups of items which bear some relationship to each other, and presumably, touch some emotional chord within the collector's psyche.
Firearms are obviously one such passion which can inspire collectors.
At first sight, one might think that this is a much more understandable pursuit, since one can actually use a firearm, yet, most collectable firearms are either too old or too valuable to shoot, if, indeed, the ammunition is still available. Some of the most valuable firearms in existence are so because they have never been fired. The process of collecting is a large part of the excitement. Whether one seeks a particular model of pistol, or species of game animal trophy, the drive is greatest when the object of the pursuit has not quite been achieved, yet is within reach. It is, in my opinion, entirely probable that this first stage of collecting results from the hunting instinct.