Log In
November 7, 2015
Offline
I’ve been using a very feature-rich and overly complicated fireams records system from TMT Enterprises for the past 12 years or so and it’s developed some frustrating glitches in recent months. It’s also on an aging laptop with a license that won’t let me move it. I can probably build a basic spreadsheet but I see dozens of free downloads so probably won’t bother since many have features I probably haven’t thought of and may not be able to implement. In addition to the data called for in an ATF bound book I’d like to document acquisition cost, estimated value, barrel length, sights and other notes in an orderly and possibly searchable format. I’ll do an inventory at the first of the year so would like to make a fresh start and quit fighting my old records system. I know most of us use some sort of records system so I figured I’d solicit some input before tackling the data entry chore. I have less than 100 firearms and have an 03 FFL. I won’t be including photos.
Suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Mike
March 31, 2009
Offline
I have no idea what is called for in an ATF bound book? I just have a Firearms file that contains a Word Document on each gun. I also have a picture. If I sell a gun I modify the word document as needed.
April 15, 2005
Offline
Mike,
A basic MS Excel Spreadsheet will do everything you may want. That is what I use to document everything in my collection. I have separate worksheets within the workbook for the guns, the ammo boxes, the reloading tools, and the sights.
The columns in my firearms Excel worksheet look like this;
| Make | Model | Serial # | D.O.M. | Type | Caliber/Ga. | Comments | Purchase Date | Purchase Price | Current Value |
I can send you a copy of my basic Excel workbook if you want to try it.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
July 3, 2020
Offline
Hey Bert… Send Mike the spreadsheet… then send me the guns. I promise to take good care of them… I might even let you visit them occasionally. That would free you up to do what you love the most, monitor the forum 24/7! Just a thought on my side! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
March 31, 2009
Offline
Bert H. said
Mike,
A basic MS Excel Spreadsheet will do everything you may want. That is what I use to document everything in my collection. I have separate worksheets within the workbook for the guns, the ammo boxes, the reloading tools, and the sights.
The columns in my firearms Excel worksheet look like this;Make
Model
Serial #
D.O.M.
Type
Caliber/Ga.
Comments
Purchase Date
Purchase Price
Current ValueI can send you a copy of my basic Excel workbook if you want to try it.
Bert
I’ve always refused to count my guns or add up the total expenditure. But as I get older this could be of service for my heirs, eventually. I just don’t want my wife to know where it is any sooner than needed.
November 7, 2015
Offline
Bert H. said
Mike,
A basic MS Excel Spreadsheet will do everything you may want. That is what I use to document everything in my collection. I have separate worksheets within the workbook for the guns, the ammo boxes, the reloading tools, and the sights.
The columns in my firearms Excel worksheet look like this;Make
Model
Serial #
D.O.M.
Type
Caliber/Ga.
Comments
Purchase Date
Purchase Price
Current ValueI can send you a copy of my basic Excel workbook if you want to try it.
Bert
Bert-
I like that, I can use the “comments” column for sights, scopes, barrel length/type and other miscellaneous stuff. I like the DOM column, I found myself adding that to my old records.
Mike
July 17, 2012
Offline
Like my older brother Bert, I use a simple Excel spreadsheet. I have a few extra categories on mine but that is the beauty of Excel, you can add what you want to personalize it specifically for your needs. My Excel columns are as follows:
Inventory Status (in stock, loaned out or sold)
Action Type
Style (rifle, handgun, shotgun, etc.)
Make
Model
Serial Number
DoM
Caliber
Mfr. Catalog #
Condition
FFL (whether it is in my FFL Bound Book or not)
Comments (including barrel length, markings, sights, etc., etc.)
ID # (my personal tracking/tag number, especially useful for firearms without a serial #)
Location (which safe it is in)
$ Paid
Current Value
$ Sold
Sold To
Sold Date
_________________________________________
Again, like Bert, I have additional workbook tabs for tracking my Bayonet collection, Flare Pistol collection, etc.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
April 15, 2005
Offline
Ben said
Hey Bert… Send Mike the spreadsheet… then send me the guns. I promise to take good care of them… I might even let you visit them occasionally. That would free you up to do what you love the most, monitor the forum 24/7! Just a thought on my side! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Send me a certified bank check with a lot of 000,000s in it and I will make the arrangements…
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
August 25, 2009
Offline
Bert H. said
Ben said
Hey Bert… Send Mike the spreadsheet… then send me the guns. I promise to take good care of them… I might even let you visit them occasionally. That would free you up to do what you love the most, monitor the forum 24/7! Just a thought on my side! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Send me a certified bank check with a lot of 000,000s in it and I will make the arrangements…
Easy there Bert…. I know of one 405 WCF that would look great in my spreadsheet.
Doug
April 15, 2005
Offline
DEEREHART said
Bert H. said
Ben said
Hey Bert… Send Mike the spreadsheet… then send me the guns. I promise to take good care of them… I might even let you visit them occasionally. That would free you up to do what you love the most, monitor the forum 24/7! Just a thought on my side! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Send me a certified bank check with a lot of 000,000s in it and I will make the arrangements…
Easy there Bert…. I know of one 405 WCF that would look great in my spreadsheet.
Doug
That is right… you are using a copy of my spreadsheet! I guess Ben will just have to get in line for that 405 WCF high-wall!
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
Offline
Thanks, Jeff. I was going to add an action type column since unlike my slightly younger but much wiser brother I have a few frontstuffers and even a few of those newfangled repeaters in addition to my Single Shots. 
Location is a good idea, a few are off site and the social equipment is not necessarily in a safe. The question is what functions to apply to the columns, I’m more than a bit rusty on that feature and not sure what I want at this point.
Mike
February 17, 2022
Offline
This is a good thread. I to have a small spread sheet with my particular criteria. I need to update it’ thanks for the reminder. I think it is important for a lot of reasons to maintain an up to date inventory of our guns. Me, it is for when i am gone my son will know what “should” be there , plus I like to search for consecutive serial numbers on 1886’s. A simple sheet helps a lot with that.
BTW way Mike those Old index cards aren’t so bad either. I used them for years in business, like you. Probably why this gonculator gizmo is so frustrating to me.
November 7, 2015
Offline
Tom-
As you may recall I inventoried the entire contents of the room where the magic happens on 3X5 cards when I moved them back in after the renovation. I will allow the first file card box was too small. I’m lucky to have inherited an old school stash of office supplies. I am also thinking of my heirs in the eventuality of my demise. A treasure hunt is somewhat easier with a map and it won’t hurt for them to know what they’re looking for.
Mike
February 17, 2022
Offline
TXGunNut said
Tom-
As you may recall I inventoried the entire contents of the room where the magic happens on 3X5 cards when I moved them back in after the renovation. I will allow the first file card box was too small. I’m lucky to have inherited an old school stash of office supplies. I am also thinking of my heirs in the eventuality of my demise. A treasure hunt is somewhat easier with a map and it won’t hurt for them to know what they’re looking for.
Mike
Yes I remember you telling us that. And you are correct that a treasure hunt is better with a map, BUT, let’s not make it too easy on them. LOL.
An old story here. When I left the USMC to come home and take over the business. my grand mother stayed on to help me with the books. She did them all by hand exactly as she had for over 50 years. She never missed a penny and knew everyone that owed me at the end of the month. She went to her grave as sharp as a tack and never missed a beat. I seriously think that writing stuff down on ye old index cards makes us retain more knowledge later in life as we had “to do it”.
BTW, Your demise is a long way off!!!!
January 7, 2017
Offline
Microsoft Access may be better than the Excel spreadsheet. You should look at some comparisons to determine which is best for you. You can always start with Excel and import the data into Access. It’s easier to query data and produce a report in Access, once you get the hang of it.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
WACA #10293
November 7, 2015
Offline
rwsem said
Microsoft Access may be better than the Excel spreadsheet. You should look at some comparisons to determine which is best for you. You can always start with Excel and import the data into Access. It’s easier to query data and produce a report in Access, once you get the hang of it.
Thanks, Ronald. Access is part of my Microsoft 365 software on this laptop but I’ve never used it. I saw an assets template that may be a good place to start. I’ll poke around a bit and see if I’m smart enough to make it work.
Mike
January 20, 2023
Offline
I haven’t used Access in some years but at one time (2000 to 2005, say) wrote some file control and time management systems with it. What I remember was that its underlying language was one Microsoft wanted to employ across its other Office applications, Word and Excel being ones of my concern. That language was not fully realized in Word or Excel. The degree of integration between Acess, Word, and Excel was very crude. If you wanted to employ or move data from application to another manually, using a series of keystrokes and pulling down various venues, you could do so although it was never easy or intuitive. However, if you wanted to perform the same tasks automatically under program control, it was impossible.
By comparison, doing such things by writing in Dbase III code and then compiling it, was easy and intuitive.
These days, I am a great believer in index cards. Sometimes I photograph or scan the cards and keep the records in the cloud so I access the information away from home, but it’s not a serious number of records.
Excel is my list maker and workpaper tool. Word is my serious composition tool. God bless TurboTax.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
May 14, 2025
Offline
Bert H. said
Ben said
Hey Bert… Send Mike the spreadsheet… then send me the guns. I promise to take good care of them… I might even let you visit them occasionally. That would free you up to do what you love the most, monitor the forum 24/7! Just a thought on my side! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Send me a certified bank check with a lot of 000,000s in it and I will make the arrangements…
Sorry Bert, your younger Brother JWA added that Inventory status column that you can use for ‘Loaned Out”. We understand Doug gets the 405 WCF and Ben is 2nd in line. Can I be 3rd or do we need to have a drawing at this point. Also, can we move this to the “Christmas has come early thread’” for the rest of us I will now lead us all in a rendition of he’s a jolly good fellow!
November 7, 2015
Offline
Thanks, all! As Bill pointed out the Excel software is as close to intuitive as I have seen. Access is a bit more than I need and would entail a steep learning curve. After the initial data entry I wouldn’t use it more than 8-10 times a year. I haven’t used Excel for nearly 25 years but much of the software I’ve used over the years has functions apparently borrowed from Excel. When I took over as treasurer of one of my “activities” I took a self guided crash course and did well enough. I’m not utilizing or even aware of all the features but I have a tool I can use as a check register and to compile reports for meetings. On a good day I can spell “IT” but I don’t enjoy working with it. When I was young we were told computers would save us time and paper. Nowadays I spend an hour or two working on my computer and must maintain a supply of paper and printer ink.
Mike
June 15, 2024
Offline
Excel is probably the easiest, flexible, least complex (your heirs don’t need to know Access or other tools), and sustainable (no worries of some third-party application not existing or running on a modern operating system when your heirs need it).
Don’t hate me for also suggesting an AI platform like Gemini or ChatGPT. You can start a thread for your inventory, tell it what you’re trying to accomplish, upload your spreadsheet, index cards, pictures, and have it catalog the collection for you. When you buy or sell, you just tell it to either prompt you for all the fields you store per gun or tell it how to handle disposition. You can have it run reports, export your data to Excel, Word, PDF, etc. When you’re looking at a gun and want to know if the serial number is sequential to one you already have, just ask it…”is serial number xxx sequential to any existing inventory?”
Gemini is free (for now) you just need a Google/Gmail account. ChatGPT is free but limited. Despite the recent headlines, I still find ChatGPT more capable than Gemini, but they are both good. They also both make mistakes and can conflate details, so don’t let it trick you 🙂
1 Guest(s)
