Safe Queens
If you could have one Safe Queen, what would it be?
For me, probably a first year never fired NIB Colt Python 4" barrel in blue, of course, with all paperwork. |
A mint Howdah.
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Mine is my smokepole
Around 1990/1991 just before I graduated high school my grandfather gave this to me and while I didn't get the significance at the time i cleaned it up as best as I could and wrapped it in a blanket and kept it under my bed always intending to get it fixed up to shoot again. I later learned that he passed it on to me because I was the first born grandson to carry the family name (other older sons were born to his daughters so different last names) and it was somewhat of a tradition because it was passed on to him as the oldest. So fast forward 20 + years to last year right after Christmas my son started talking about wanting a bb gun so we assumed other 6 years olds in his class must have gotten one. We told him if he did good in school we would get him one at spring break. I found a Henry AR7 at this little gun store about the same time and made my first purchase (my other rifles where purchased by my father when I was a kid) and so our family now had another outdoor activity. I asked the little gun store if they could do muzzleloader repairs and they said they don't but have a gunsmith whom they take them to about once a month who flies to California and works on stuff for movies. So I pulled mine out and let my kids see it and told them the history I knew then we dropped it off at the gun shop and picked it up a couple months later. I then took it to our family reunion in August so everyone could see it and afterward received this picture I had posed for in e-mail from one of the distant family members. http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...c/DSCN1666.jpg My Cabelas safari shirt and outdoor pants fit the picture well. The powderhorn he gave me as well and I ordered the brass ends and string from Track of the Wolf and the shooters bag is from RMC Oxyolk. |
Will it even fit in a gun safe? Methinks not.
Nice pic ... awesome story ... thanks |
My safe queens are:
1. Colt M1911, WWI Re-issue 2. Colt M191A1 WW II Re-issue 3. Colt M1911 ANNIVERSARY III |
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Had a bunch, hard to pick one. Had to dispose of a collection of engraved SAA Colts when out of work. Good
thing they weren't lost in the tragic boating accident. |
A pristine C-96 Mauser in .30 Mauser. And I'd never shoot it, I swear. Never, never, never. Take my word for it.
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Raquel Welch or Jane Russell
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One of my pre 64 Winchester model 70's a featherweight 308 made in 1953. The gun appears absolutely new with no wear was sold to me as a 99% gun but I can't find the 1%.
Cosmolene in the bore leads me to believe it was never fired, though I could be wrong. |
Here are a couple of 26-1's:
http://www.joesherrill.com/images/26-1%201960.jpg http://www.joesherrill.com/images/26-11961.jpg My brother got one of them. |
This beautiful pair used to be my safe queens. Colt Boas, they were Trooper Lawman actions with modified Python barrels made for Lew Horton with Python Blue. Colt made 600 of each barrel lengths 4" and 6". Mine had consecutive serial numbers and presentation cases. Bought in the mid 80's and sold them about 6 years ago, got tired of just looking at them. Excuse the picture quality, its a scanned 35mm print. Didn't have a digital camera in the 80's
http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../404854793.jpg |
Re: Safe Queens
What's a safe queen?
ESC Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2 |
Mine aren't that exotic. I have a blue colt national match gold cup 80 series that the slide has never been slid back. I have a colt z40 that I have never shot. It is new. My son knows that I bought the gold cup for him. He is 13 now and has his own gun safe, which is filled.
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Pre war King Target Conversion.
I had one. Sold it :( Emory |
Here's one that is a for-real safe queen. Model 27-2, 5 inch, N1091XX, that I bought new in May, 1973. It's been with me ever since and it's in the same condition today, as the day I got it. I suppose it was fired at the factory but shows no sign of it. It has not been fired since I've had it.
teesur. http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/s...-25in002-1.jpg http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/s...27-25in001.jpg |
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Smith & Wesson has ever produced. Stu |
Two mint Borchardts, one by L Loewe, the other by DWM. (You shouldn't shoot them: the mainspring breaks easily and it's serial numbered to the gun).
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No handgun safe queens here. but a really nice Persian 98/29 in 8mm mauser and a 26" bbld 94 win Canadian centennial in 30-30. Gotta do something about that. Frank
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Don't have any 'collectors pieces', but I do have a nice 4" 610 and 4" 646 that I bought used, cleaned up, and haven't shot. Same with my 460V and 4" 500. Along with a factory new 5" 629 I got myself for my 60th birthday. Come to think of it, I've got a half dozen other S&W's that I've bought but have yet to shoot...
My other 'queen' is my Ruger mini-14 stainless steel factory folder. Needless to say the price on that has risen dramatically. Along with it's two brothers that sport Butler Creek folding stocks. |
The only Safe Queen I would own is a historical piece that was too old and too unsafe to fire. Other than that, I shoot every gun I own - it's just the way I like it and YMMV.
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Colt .38 Super Match
Here's my safe queen. It's the C-word. Quite rare on it's own, but also rare if you look at the history of these that went to Great Britain for the war effort.http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...v/IMG_0027.jpg
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http://www.joesherrill.com/images/38...20P220%201.jpg |
Scarlett Jo...
Never mind, I see we're talking about guns. |
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I would be very tempted to shoot it ... but I wouldn't if it has never been fired. I would find another beater one and shoot it instead - one that is mechanically perfect but the finish is worn. |
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Being in Canada, does it have import marks on it? |
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Being in Canada, does it have import marks on it? |
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I was going to list the exact same thing as a wish for a safe queen; a pre war super match. Being in Canada, does it have import marks? |
My only safe queen is my department's Sesquicenntennial (sp?), a Springfield 1911 that is laser engraved and grip panels have my initials and badge number engraved as well.
The slide has never been racked. |
My safe Queen is a black powder frontloader made by a blacksmith
some time in the mid 1800. Well what about that i hear you say, many guns was made in that era.:o Yea.. but this was made by one of my ancetors, Danielsson/Gavelin :cool: |
Malpasowildlifer,
The Colt .38 Super Match was a WWII Canadian veteran take home piece. It was acquired in England by the Vet, traded by a civilian for food for his family. It doesn't have any import markings. |
Two words "Registered Magnum"...... someday.
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It's not beautiful :o But it's family :p http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps5df5b151.jpg |
If I could have any safe queen, it would be RM #1, I might settle for Patton's RM. But guess what? I don't think that firing either of those would decrease the astronomical value of them. So, I might as well just .......
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SAFE QUEENS:
1. Firearms made to use/shoot but spends their life in a Gun Safe 2. Hunting Dogs that are bred to track/hunt but spends their life inside a house or kennel 3. Beautiful Women for lovng but remain un-touched all their life 4. Classic Vehicles made for driving/riding but remain in a showroom or garage forever 5. Books that are printed for reading but remain un-read IS THIS A WASTE ? |
Yep Jimmy, it's a waste. I just plunked down my tax refund to buy a 1975 GCNM that is still in the factory grease. And I intend to shoot it. A lot. Actually, I'm really glad that some fool put it away like that for me. This makes my third rescue, and the other two are the sweetest shooters I've ever handled (except for my friend Allan's match target Woodsman - A rescued safe-queen as well).
Maybe when my eyes have really totally given up, and my hands shake like warm jell-o, maybe then I'll put the guns out on a rug and sit and admire them from my rocking chair... Nah, I'll give 'em away before I get that senile. Gotta go out and shoot my 3rd model SS now. |
Always extremely clean, but never "Minty."
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Not sure about guns...there may be a few that I would never shoot since I have plenty that I do...but I can definitely tell you that as for the beautiful woman safe queen thing....I would just HAVE to take it out and handle it occasionally! (oil it up and so forth)
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I will stick with the two I have and hopefully not acquire anymore....
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I can't find the picture, at the moment, but I have a NIB .38 S&W ctg, 4 inch Reg. Police revolver thaT David Carrol found for me. It is complete, unfired' with the box and all of the "goodies". It was shipped to Sullivan's Hardware in Anderson, SC, just 3 months before my birth in 1940. It is truly a "Birthday Gun" and will forever be a "safe queen". It is also interesting that my uncle worked for Sullivan's in Greenville, Sc, 30 miles away, at the time that this gun was shipped. Try as I might, I cannot find a S&W shipped on 05-07-1940!
medxam |
The only thing in my safe I haven't shot is a vet bringback, matching 1937 J.P. Sauer and Sohn K98 Mauser and it's day is coming. I've shot my matching, except for magazines, 1916 DWM Luger but not in 40 years and it's day is coming again too. Last I just bought a matching 1924 Carl Gustoff M96 Swedish Mauser and since only 2149 were made that year it too is reserved for the proper time. Of course I had to shoot it when I got it.
Guns were meant to be shot but some are reserved for special occasions. :) |
What's a gun safe?
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breakingbad; there weren't any 4" Pythons for the first 4-5 years of production! You'd have to settle for a 6" ;)
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That's OK
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My only safe queen is a Webley Mk.VI which had been cut to .45 ACP. The only way that I would shoot it, now, is to handload some .45 auto-rim cartridges down to a safe level for the gun. I haven't gotten around to it.
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I have a few I haven't shot yet, but that doesn't mean I won't. The closest I have is a 1932 Colt 1911a1 that hasn't been shot much.
A true safe queen I would never shoot? Original Colt Paterson. |
I have several safe queens, but the thread was "if you could have any" so I guess I would probably pick a Winchester yellow boy. Since it is If you could have, it would be an engraved presentation piece.
http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.co...fle-410(2).jpg |
Well, in the first place the mere concept of a "safe queen" is foreign to me. All of my guns, even my precious Lew Horton 24-3, have to work for a living. They ALL get range time. Some more than others but every body works around here.
But my best friend in life has a Colt Gold Cup in Stainless Steel from somewhere in the 80s. If I had that I might not be able to resist shooting it SOMETIMES but I'd sure try. It's the hands down, no doubt about it, without question, fo' sho' most accurate fire arm I've ever pulled a trigger on. I shoot it better than he does. One ragged hole with 20 rounds at 15 yards.....every time. I can't even begin to describe the grips on it except to say that they are made out of beautiful ash by a friend of his that is in the business. They are one of a kind and that is the most beautiful 1911 I've ever seen. He knows how badly I want this bun and he has told me that he has it in his will that I receive it if he dies before I do. I love him like a brother. We've been friends for over half a century and we have been through hell together...more than once. But even though I'd be devastated and miss him terribly if he does die first I hope I have time to find a dark closet before the smile breaks out on my face....... I love that gun!!!!! |
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