Gun Collection Vs. Collection Of Guns

posted on September 4, 2009
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ii2015_fs.jpg

My pile of firearms is more a collection of guns than a gun collection. Let me explain the difference. A gun collection is the result of a planned accumulation of a certain category, class, brand or model. My old friend Roy Jinks is the quintessential gun collector with an unparalleled collection of Smith & Wesson guns and memorabilia.

A collection of guns, on the other hand, is a eclectic assortment of whatever strikes the owner’s fancy. A hodge-podge of this and that, with no rhyme or reason other than a common denominator that each gun is interesting to its owner.

In this context, I think my pile is a (somewhat) typical collection of guns and (somewhat) indicative of how the gun business works.

As I consider the matter further, I realize that I buy most guns because of their functionality. For instance, the latest gun I bought, just this week, is a Benelli “Cordoba” 20 ga. It’s dove season and even though I have a perfectly good 12 ga. – another Benelli as a matter of fact – I wanted a lighter-recoiling 20.

Interestingly, I customized my ‘80’s vintage 12 ga. Benelli with virtually identical modifications to what are now standard on their Cordoba model. My buddy Ken Kelly at Mag-Na-Port performed a “Pro Porting” job on the 26-inch barrel and Claudio Salassa at Briley Mfg. lengthened the forcing cone and installed a set of extended Briley chokes. I removed the magazine plug myself to get four-plus-one capacity.

My new 20 ga. Cordoba has all that and more. It comes ported and the 28-inch barrel (even better than my upland-length 12 ga. tube) comes with a lengthened forcing cone and is back-bored, both of which help to reduce felt recoil. Additionally, the recoil pad is some sort of super-squishy sponge-like substance that Benelli’s wingshooting designers also put on the comb of the stock.

This is a brilliant touch and proves that the honchos at Benelli know what serious wingshooting is all about. They call it "ComforTech." I salute them for knowing that your cheek, not your shoulder, is what takes a pounding on heavy-volume dove shoots.

Which is what this gun is all about. It’s named after the famous dove shooting province in Argentina where hot barrel shooting is simply superb.

My only complaint with the new Cordoba is its futuristic look. I’m not a fan of Jetsonian gun design and, here of late, the “Killer B’s” of Italian gunmakers, Beretta and Benelli, have fallen for the Buck Rogers look big-time. Beretta’s Storm (both in pistol and carbine forms) is right out of the hands of Hans Solo while Benelli’s new Vinci looks like it belongs in an armory aboard the Battlestar Gallactica.

The Cordoba is a great gun – witness that I wrote a four-digit check for one. The Gucci-esque styling is nothing that a couple of cans of Krylon “camo” colors won’t fix. I’ll post my version of my hand-painted Insider De Vinci and how I will transform the svelte black Cordoba into a true dove gun inanotherpost.

In the meantime, consider whether you have a collection of guns – or a gun collection.

Latest

Gotw Heritage 92 Web
Gotw Heritage 92 Web

Gun Of The Week: Heritage Manufacturing 92

American Rifleman staff are on the range with one of the most iconic lever-actions ever created, except this one has a bit of a plot twist—it is a model made overseas and imported by Heritage Manufacturing.

The Armed Citizen® July 25, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Victory In The Air: One Smith & Wesson Victory Revolver's Story

A primary source investigation into the service history of a Smith & Wesson Victory revolver used by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Firearm Industry Responds To Aid Texas Flood Victims

Only a few days after the tragedy struck, two of the firearm industry’s foremost companies were raising funds for the victims and organizations dedicated to providing support through devastating floods in Texas.

I Have This Old Gun: Woodward .500 Express Double Rifle

Produced by J. Woodward & Sons at the end of the 19th century, this double rifle, chambered for the .500 Express cartridge, was tailor-made for dangerous-game hunting.

New For 2025: Springfield Armory Saint Victor Pistols In 5.56 NATO & 9 mm Luger

Springfield Armory added two new pistol variants to its popular Saint AR-15 lineup, and the new models are chambered for 5.56 NATO and 9 mm Luger, respectively.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.