What gun have you not shot for a looong time that will you commit to shoot soon and report on it?

The first pistol I shot was my dad’s WWII .45 ACP 1911. I was 12 and the one shot I fired was for nostalgia reasons—his or mine I don’t know.

In the mid 90’s when I started carrying in Utah, the two pistols I owned were large, heavy and 9mm, which was out of favor with those who knew. I purchased a real man’s gun like my dad’s .45 1911, but I wanted capacity and a smaller size, so I got the fairly new ParaOrdnance P-12. It held 12+1 in a fairly short double stack grip. The frame was aluminum and it felt pretty good in the store.

The gun required a trip back to the factory when the second round jammed so hard going into the chamber that the gun was returned to P.O. by my dealer with the live round in the gun.

After that it shot OK. I added the obligatory aftermarket offerings, but I gave up carrying it rather quickly. Who knew that 13 230 grain cartridges would make it weigh more than my 9mm’s? I found smaller, lighter guns to carry concealed.

I shot it a few times in IDPA and some at the range. The aluminum frame cracked about 15 years ago at about 700 rounds. P.O. replaced it with a steel frame. It’s a compact brick. I put it away in a quick access gun safe in a remote part of the house with three mags of ammo with bullets that look like flying ash trays. And there it has sat. It’s the only .45 I own.

Well, yesterday I brought it out shooting and it was a hoot! I’ve shot 10’s of thousands of handgun rounds over the past 10 years, but no .45. The weight of the gun despite its compactness made it easy to shoot and the trigger was awesome. It was fun. The wide grip made reaching the slide stop impossible without a major shift. The short barrel/slide do not suit my fancy for the caliber. I’ll be selling it as I don’t need a .45, but it was an interesting “safe queen” experience I thought I’d share.

What’s your safe queen story?

As I have No Need No Want, I sold them all.

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Always Stay Strong!

i'm just getting started in this Smith "gathering " thing that i do. there are several that i haven't shot yet but all are shooters . some look close to new and some well worn finishes . so far i have been fortunate for them all to have good mechanics despite worn appearance . for the ones i haven't had to the range YET , i intend to do soon . the rest of the things that occupy my life seem to not want me to shoot them but i will win . kenny

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Too good

I don’t buy Safe Queens. They are a waste time and money. No offense meant to those who do buy Safe Queens, to each his own.

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I invest in Lead and Copper!

The only firearm, that I could classify as a “safe queen” is my Winchester Model 70 XTR in . 375 H&H. Starting somewhere around the 7th grade, I had fantasized about owning one. I bought it when I was 31 or 32 years old. I haven’t hunted with it since 1989, my first moose, and retired it in February of 1990.....with a lightweight, more weather resistant, .375 AI. The AI has been my “only” hunting rifle since that time.

I hope that one of my grandkids will learn to appreciate how much it is loved by me and appreciate it’s value as one of the finest hunting rifles/cartridges in existence!

For the last several years, we’ve been planning on using it in the Safari Rifle Challenge, held in Montana every year.....we just haven’t made it yet! Maybe next year! memtb

I looked for a CS9 for 3 years and finally found one. I was looking for a used one in great shape because I thought I'd never see a NIB one. I found a NIB one and it's still NIB. I guess I'm hoping to find that used one because I know I'd shoot it. I've had thoughts about shooting it many times but so far I haven't.

I have a pair of Uberti copies of the S&W No 3 in 44 Russian as made by Tula Arsenal. I'm looking foreword to shooting some steel plates in the near future (it's been about 9 years!)

I have 2 Para Ord. LDA 45's! The 3.25 (6+1 Stainless frame) and a 4.25 (12+1 double stack alloy frame) I've owned them since they first came out, and find them to be some of the most accurate 45's around. My first real outing with the 3.25 was not planned, but I ended up shooting a 20 ounce Coke bottle 17/17 times at 45 yards with Federal original Hydra-shoks 230 grain. A friend has a LDA Government Model that is also fantastic!

My experience tells me that you only notice the weight of any gun, until you carry it enough that you forget it is there! (kind of obvious!!) But for me that is about 4 to 6 days! In those days, they bang into every doorway, and you think everyone is staring at your gun! Then suddenly it all vanishes!

Ivan

Not really safe queens, but I have a couple of 1911s that haven't been to the range in several years. Priority has always gone to my self defense guns (I don't use my 1911s for self defense) so the 1911s have been at the bottom of my priority list since dragging them out of storage a few years ago. But I do plan on getting them to the range soon.

Edit: Oops! What kind of thread would this be without pictures?

This is probably the closest thing I have to a "safe queen," a 70 Series Gold Cup...



My other 1911 is a 80 Series Government Model, but it definitely has seen some wear on its finish...

I only have one....the commemorative for our department's 100 year service anniversary, 1883-1983. Delivered in February 1985. A no dash 686. It's only been fired 6 times, when I test fired it after doing my first actual "M" refit. Sure didn't want to use someone else's gun on my first attempt at the process.

I may actually shoot it some now that I'm retired. Cost: $314.00

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I do have the 1955 that I got from my Buddy Quincy.
He just had to sell it to me!
He kept pouring whiskey and lowering the price until I bought it.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Somewhere around the off-site storage area are a new in the box 6" Model 66 and NIB Colt stainless 1911. IIRC, I got the 66 about 30 years ago and the 1911 about 25 years back. Might as well shoot them if I ever find them. Come to think of it, there's a gold 6" box Combat Masterpiece I haven't laid eyes on in several years...

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de minimus non curat lex

I've never owned a safe queen, and this is as close as I've gotten to it. I bought this about 5 or 6 years ago, and hadn't shot it until last month. All the little blemishes are from the powder. There's a tiny ding on the muzzle, and another on one of the stocks, but other than that, it's about as pristine as an 87 year-old gun can get. And it's a shooter! The larger group was at 10 yards.

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This remington R-1 is the closest thing that I have to a "safe queen".

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1955 Enfield No4 Mk2 still in the mummy wrap. Doesn't come much more safe from being shot than that.

I have other milsurps that will likely never be fired by me. One is a Mosin Nagant carbine with an irreplaceable wooden crossbolt type stock. Others are unlikely to be fired due to a lack of suitable ammo or the state of the bore. My Kar.88 is a good example of the latter.

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Release the Kraken

It's not a safe queen by any stretch, it's just a gun I don't shoot any more because I have others that are more fun. It's maybe the least expensive rifle I own, next to a .22 bolt action. It shoots really well, and I put a much nicer stock on it than it came with. the scope is sorta cheap, but holds a zero just fine. The rifle is a Marlin X7 in .308, the replacement stock is a Boyds Thumbhole.

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I have "range queens." They get shot but otherwise lead a pampered life.

I do have several that I simply haven't gotten to the range yet. Most of my guns I buy used anyway.

Ditto. I shoot everything I own, but some more than others. Only a few are "primarily carry" pieces.

Interestingly enough, the closest thing to a safe queen I own is my $150 re-nickeled M&P. Just doesn't get out much.

The back story is that I'd been out of shooting revolvers for years and sticking to SA's, but I saw this friendless, no value shiny guy at my LGS. My first S&W in 20 years.

The "Safe Queen":

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I have a fairly large number of guns I haven't fired, but not because I won't, just because I haven't gotten around to it.


About the only true "safe queen" I have (i.e. I won't fire) is the following:

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I sold all my "safe queens".

I never have and I may never shoot my M-520.
Its been fired 102 times and I'm not sure I'll add to that number.

I have a couple others that I have not yet fired but will some day.
Probably this summer.

I've never fired my NIB 60-14 .357 Lady Smith.
Not really interested in shooting it but I'm sure someday I will.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Howdy,
I wouldn't call mine safe queens, how about never got around to shooting them.
I bought because I could and never got to shooting them. One reason was restrictive range rules, NO Fun.
Now that we have some property, I guess they can come out and we can enjoy them like I want.
Gotta lot to Love about shooting in Texas.

I had one true safe queen that I never shot,but it was a beauty and a great investment (68 Python). I currently have two safe queens (4 screw 44 magnum,65 colt gm) but that’s just because I haven’t had a chance to shoot them in the last 4-5 yrs

My safe queens are my Punxsutawney, PA commemoratives from Smith & Wesson and Winchester.

This little Llama in .22 LR (with 3 mags) was gifted to me years ago. I haven't fired it as of yet. I picked up some standard velocity ammo to give it a go.

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No good deed goes unpunished.

This is as close as it gets for me, a K22 from 1952. Proud to say that I was the first to shoot it after acquiring a few months ago from the original owner’s daughter. Will continue to be shot sparingly, cleaned, and admired!

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Pass it on.
Mark

This one does get shot pretty regularly but is babied more than the others here, a present from another forum and mainly Wendy's gun.



Henry in .357 Magnum.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Fortunate to own some nice guns, but only one Safe Queen.
This side by 12 gauge side-by-side from 1927 is possibly one of the best examples available anywhere of an Ithaca NID field gun.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

I only have 1 safe queen, it’s a 70 year old Winchester 94 that my father gave me and I just gave to my son, it looks the same as it left the factory, only shot it once.

My 1938 PO8 doesn't get shot much. On the other hand my P5 Walther gets a regular workout as do my BHPs.

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Guess you could call this one a safe queen. Browning High Grade model 71 .348 Winchester lever action. Bought by me new when they first came out. Fired twice. One round to verify the sights, and one round to shoot a whitetail, so as to be able to say it got used for its intended purpose.

Eventually sold it to a collector who really wanted it ($$), along with the box of special run Winchester .348 ammo, minus the two fired rounds.

Larry

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I have shot this and carried it, but I bought an S&W 638 for daily use instead. I sweat like a pig (I know pigs can't sweat. That's just an expression.) so that's the reason I don't want to daily carry a nice, old, blued gun like this:

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That’s a very nice example.

I’ve got a model XA that’s virtually the same except that it’s in .32ACP, and I’ve fired thousands of rounds through it since buying it NIB circa 1964 for, IIRC, $48.00.

It was my daily carry gun for quite a few years and loaded with the original Winchester Silver Tips which were “the hotness” back then but later proved to be very poor performers regarding terminal ballistics.

The pistol remains ultra reliable, but due to the scarcity of parts I don’t shoot it much anymore, although I pull it out of the safe a couple of times a year and run a box of 50 rounds through it.





PS.....be careful with your grip or hammer bite is going to get the web of your hand.

I've got a couple I haven't fired...a 19-1, and a Colt MK III Trooper, but it's just because I haven't been able to get to the range since buying them. Oh, and a 2020 4.2" Python. Gotta get that one to the range too.

I do however have a S&W AR-15 that I've never fired, and probably never will. I got it "just because"and don't really have much interest in it, or any other rifle. I don't even have a picture of it, but if you've ever seen one S&W AR-15, you've pretty much seen them all.

Just yesterday, I put this one on layaway. A 1966 Colt Trooper, in 38 Special, with the box, some of the papers, and a factory target with five neat little 38 wadcutter holes in an area I could cover with my thumb. On the target it said 15 yards, 12/27/66. S/N verified, 1966 as the date.

Just a picture I snapped before it went off to layaway purgatory. I don't think it's been fired since those five factory rounds, but there's no way to prove that. Still, I doubt I'll shoot it. No need to. I've got plenty of other 38/357's to shoot.

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John 3:16 .

Not really Safe Queens (because they sit in shadow boxes on my desk), but Safe queens because they are scarce and don't ever get shot.
Model 1 1/2's both RF and CF and a short set of #1's, 1st, 2nd & 3rd model.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

This Colt Lawman. NIB unfired except at the factory.

I have several safe queens but this 19-3 ANIB is my latest it's never been fired outside of the factory and I'll probably keep it that way.

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SWHF #595

That is the cleanest NID I have ever seen. Very nice fowling piece