Boy! You gentlemen certainly have a far more impressive collection than yours truly. :o
All I own are:
1. Colt M1911 - my personal sidearm that I carried with me through my three tours of Vietnam.
2. Remington 870 Express - a throwback from my Vietnam days. Few things really act as a "deterrent" than the sound of a shotgun being cocked in close range....
These are my two weapons I 'reserve' for formal 'duty' - personal and property protection. These are my "workhorses". [But I admit to shooting my Colt for fun sometimes
] I wish I'd brought back an M-14 ... but oh well, it's been too long now!
Now for my "prize"/"fun" weapons:
1. M1 Garand - my Father's rifle (survived Peleilu and Okinawa). I still think the Garand is one of the finest rifles ever produced by man.
2. Mauser Kar98k
3. Winchester 1894
These are mostly my "trophy" weapons. Well maintained and used strictly for entertainment/fun.
Prof: I taught my kids all about guns as they were growing up. Today, they'd rather not pick up a gun if they could. I understand and respect that. But my sole purpose in teaching them was so that they don't act like deer-in-the-lights when confronted with a weapon.
My children may not like fire arms but at least they'll know what to do if they found one. If all my years of patient teaching is to ensure that my children and their children do not accidentally shoot themselves or others, I consider my efforts worth it. If they actually end up using a weapon for a good cause, I'll consider myself specially lucky.
I commend you and your wife for taking the step to inform and familiarise yourselves with these tools.
cheers,