I just acquired a Model 18 (no dash) that appears unfired. Box, grips are all original. My intention was to shoot the heck out of it, but now having second thoughts on how much the value of it would drop.

Assuming I shoot it and take 'excellent' care of it afterwards.... what % in value should I expect it drop from actually shooting it?

Thanks!

Attached Images

Model 18.jpg (92.8 KB, 327 views)

Very nice gun. If you take excellent care of it and don't develop a case of the "dropsies",keep it away from sharp objects and keep the box like it is,you probably won't see ANY loss in value.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

In my estimation, there is no way you can shoot a revolver and have it appear as if it hasn't been shot. Smith test fires them at the factory (or at least used to...) so there is a bit of a turn ring where the timing lock scrapes the cylinder.

That is typically the only marring on an un-fired revolver, and sometimes judicial polishing will take it out IF it hasn't been fired outside the factory. But shoot a couple cylinders full and that turn line is permanent, and the semi-circle in the top strap from gas cutting starts to form as well.

I wouldn't shoot it. Period. There are Model 18s out there, and the one you have is about as pretty as it gets. With a bit of judicially applied Flitz and some elbow grease, you might be surprised at just how pretty that revolver can get!

My estimation is that the price would drop about 20-25% if you shoot it. But I am proven wrong not all that infrequently...

Buy you a Ruger security six and shoot the heck out of it and play like it is your 18, CLEAN IT UP, PUT IT UP AND GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE !

Keep it real. Put it in the proper perspective. If you shoot it for five years and the value drops by $500 it would have cost you $100/yr. Not a big deal. That's a Big Mac and Fries once a month! $250 over five years is a cup of coffee. In five years these might all be Beanie Babies (and I never got to play with the ones I bought and now they're cheap chew toys for my dogs)

If you bought it to shoot, shoot it and enjoy it. I don't own a single gun that I have not fired, and most have been fired a lot. You'll probably keep the M18 until you die anyway, so you shouldn't care about keeping it in pristine unfired condition for your heirs. But don't abuse it - no holster, and keep it clean and waxed. Also, put some rubber grips on it for shooting, keeping the factory grips and box stored away somewhere safe.

I'm going to assume this is your first M18. Trust me, they are addictive.
If it was mine I would take ot out and enjoy shooting it. I love shooting mine.
That's what it was made for.
Jim

Agree with Jim 100%
You stated that it appeared to be unfired. So maybe it has and maybe it has'nt right ?
If you shoot it and take care of it, it will NOT lose much if any value as these are highly sought after guns.
Just be conscious of storing and handling and clean after you shoot it and before you put it away. These were not made to be paperweights but actual shooting revolvers.
Enjoy it.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

You stated that your intention was to shoot it. If you're in the same boat I am, I'm not a collector of safe queens but of shooters. That's not to say that they're not an investment. I don't own a gun that I wouldn't take out and run a box of ammo through and without any remorse. Life's too short. Enjoy that 18.

It's a complicated personal choice. There is a lot of value tucked away in that last 3% of a guns condition. We have all seen those outrageous gun broker prices lately. The internet sales sights, changes in manufacturing techniques, and this forum are working together to really raise demand for these older guns and high condition guns are the hot ticket. That being said, it's up to you.

Based upon the turn line I see I suspect it's either been shot or dry fired more than just a few times. The box is not perfect. I think you can shoot that particular model 18 without affecting the value.

On the other hand if it was absolutely perfect the short answer to your question would be: "It depends." What you would do with it depends on your finances, what you paid for it, what your goal is, etc. For example, if it was perfect, you paid top dollar, you bought it with the last of your savings, and you were on a meager income it would become a very expensive gun to shoot.

John
Scoundrel and Ne'er-Do-Well in Training

You bought the arm, so do as you wish. I'd shoot anything I purchased though I shoot even beaters very little. If you look for return on investment stay away from your hobbies.

I ponder arms I could've acquired had not I purchased ammunition. Yet, if mood strikes I've a round or two for discharge. Squeeze off a few or don't as it isn't an issue one way or the other.

Personally I'd shoot it and take good care of it and expect a 20-25% drop in value. Now if your intent is to sell it in the near future I'd not fire it and consider it an investment instead.
I used to have unfired safe queens but came to the conclusion I was more a shooter than collector and either sold them or shot them.
I do have some duplicates in certain models and have a shooter and one nice one I'll shoot on occasion and clean up best I can and put back up again.
You will love that 18 if you start shooting it though. I have a couple 17s that one will always go shooting with me. They are fun and still inexpensive to shoot. I'll still be at the range shooting one long after the more expensive ammo in other guns is shot up.

Life is too short for unfired guns and blended whisky!

If you bought it just to collect, then don't shoot it, although to me it looks to have been fired by a previous owner. If you bought it to shoot, then shoot it, but take good care of it. I have a couple of S&W revolvers (mine were purchased to shoot) that have increased in value to the point that I'm reluctant to shoot. That is a dilemma, i.e. should I sell them and buy something less valuable to shoot or shoot them? I think I'll just keep them; take good care of them and shoot them once in a while.

Well, that's up to you. I would probably not shoot (the heck out of) it. But keeping it in the safe the majority of the time and shoot it only on special occasions sounds good too.

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Jorge

I think you should keep it and not shoot that one - or sell it to me and buy a shooter. I have been looking a long time for an 18 that nice and they are very hard to find.

I'm in the "Don't Shoot It" camp. It's easy for me to give this opinion because I have numerous .22 revolvers and semis and a Md 18, ca. 1959 that I do shoot occasionally. It's probably in about 95% condition. But if I had yours in ANIB condition I'd put it away. Md 18s in this condition are becoming difficult to find. Plus you have the original box. As stated above, get yourself a S&W .22 shooter to have fun with and keep this one as is. You will thank yourself in the not too distant future.

EXACTLY!!!!!

The title says it all. Model 18 - unfired???? What's wrong with this picture?

Guns were meant for one thing - shooting.

Why buy a gun if it is not going to be shot the way they were intended. Model 18's are a fine shooting piece. With proper care they will last you a life time and you survivors their life time as well. Twenty years down the road a worn model 18 will still be worth good $$.

Guns are like wine, leave a fine wine in the bottle too long and it turns to s*$t. Who got to enjoy it? No one. Have a gun that doesn't get shot - who gets to enjoy it - no one.

Why'd ya buy it if you're not gonna shoot it?

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S&W Accumulator

You are aware that the Factory test-fired it, right?

Don't be one of those guys who puts a bra on his Porsche, saving the finish for the next guy, who deserves it more than him.

You can bet that someone, someday, will shoot the damn thing. Why not you?

These are fun guns and a blast to fire.

Just my opinion, of course. I do have several guns that I haven't shot, but I will!

I am sorry, but that is telling a WHOLE LOT from a single photograph, and I don't buy it for a minute. Those marks (that I cannot see...) could have come from Smith ejecting the fired cases...

lt used to be agony for me.."Shoot or Dont Shoot''...Problem solved...Now l only buy 'Used Guns'......

Are you going to keep it or is it a safe queen investment gun? If the latter, sell now and invest your money elsewhere and you will come out ahead. Too many guns out there for guns to be considered a good investment unless something is very special and then your market of buyers is very limited due to what it would take to buy it. Looking at your very nice model 18, my opinion is that it has been fired post factory... But that is an example of how nice you can maintain a shooter!

If you found a 65 year old woman that had never been with a man, I'm trying really hard not to get thrown off this site, would you?

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Don Mundell

I wouldnt Im 38!

Howdy all. Just joined. Can someone please show me a chart on mod 18 and all the dash numbers? Whats the difference? Thanks

Agree with the comment on the cylinder stop drag marks - they would tend to indicate the gun has been shot more than the factory test firing.

If you want maximize your value(money). Don't spend it.

Otherwise enjoy what life has to offer. You'll never see a Brinks Truck in a funeral prosession.

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S&W Accumulator

As I always say,"Did you buy it for yourself,or the next guy,one that's going to be compelled to chisel you on the price,no matter how nice it is?"
Shoot it,take care of it.When it's all said and done,you're probably just talking the cost of a good dinner for two, between fired and unfired-you're not going to retire on the difference.
My fired guns are all mint,still very desirable.I do have a few unfired guns,like them as such,but none are Smiths.

And you are as full of **** as a Christmas turkey! I have an absolutely NIB 657-4 Light Hunter from the Smith Performance center, and it came from the factory with a timing lock mark.

In short, you don't know what you are talking about. Some do, some don't, but an absolute statement like yours is unsupportable.

I probably wouldn't shoot it but I have other .22's. If that was it, I'd shoot it. Depends on circumstances. That one is nicer than mine. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

To save you an ulcer, sell it to me and I will SHOOT THE HECK out of it. But I will take real good care of it.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

I'll disagree with that.Cylinder lines can be present.I also have fired guns where the ejector rod wouldn't suggest that it's been fired.
Add to that plenty of unfired guns have been cycled by shop employees and the assorted owners over the years.I've cycled (not dry firing)my own unfired guns from time to time,just to experience the action,or to make sure that it hadn't gummed up.

If you were to die tomorrow, how long would it be before someone else shot your beloved model 18 ?

Enjoy it while you can, life is SHORT.

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JIM
NRA Pistol Instr

My model 18-4 is my favorite Smith. It gets shot a lot, yet looks "unfired". The very thought of not experiencing the satisfaction of shooting a truly superior Smith is beyond comprehension. I'd shoot it, keep it spotless, and not worry about loss of value. It will not lose value - it will, however, increase in value due to just reputation alone. Your choice, but you should be the one to enjoy it, rather than someone else.

Sell it to me! I promise not to shoot it!

Hi:
DO NOT FIRE IT !! keep it "Virgin" for the next owner who will shoot the snot out it.

With all the "UNfired / Unused Smith and Wesson Revolvers I see on this Forum, I wonder if any S&W Revolvers ever lived anywhere but in a "Sock Drawer" ? Also how did the Ammo Companies stay in business if all S&W Revolvers were never fired/used ? I guess Colts, Rugers, and others were fired/used.

Hah! Only trouble with this is that one would be stuck with shooting a Ruger though he possessed the best double action .22 revolver for shooting purposes.

Motoman,
Not sure what you're basing your opinion on regarding that revolver, but based on the wear on the ejector rod and the width of the turn line, I'd say it's been shot a bit.

I found my own mod 18 with virtually zero turn line, zero wear on the ejector rod, and zero marking on the underside of the top strap. Zero. That didn't keep me from firing it! I'm enjoying the heck out of it, too.

I'm not a museum curator, I'm a shooter! I take good care of my guns, but if they lose a tiny bit of value for every shot I take, that's simply one of the (many) costs of shooting, as far as I'm concerned. Just like buying ammo!

Shoot it and enjoy the heck out of it!

Lou

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

To shoot,or not to shoot. Which is better Pepsi or Coke,Ford or Chevy,lock or no lock? Please send a SASE to me at the end of this thread and I will send you one of these.



f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I say enjoy it in whatever way you want. If you want to put some downrange I say go for it. If you wanna just protect it until you pass it on , that is fine too. It is an object for your enjoyment. enjoy it however you see fit. Proper care before and after shooting and that gun wont change value much.

Twig.

Folks - thanks for all the insights & opinions. I have never bought a gun with the intention of NOT shooting it... I'm a shooter not a collector. That said, I have a bunch of guns I haven't got around to shooting either. I have 'plenty' to shoot including other 22 revolvers - including 17s & rugers. My dilemma here is that this gun really looks 'unfired' (I know they are test fired in the factory) When I picked it up, it didn't even have the turn line.... that's from me putting snap caps in it and dry firing some to test the trigger pull.... maybe more than I needed to... so I guess I already marred it. I'm well into the triple digits on firearms, so I do know something about what to look for. Anyway, just considering if I should degrade (more than I already have) something that I haven't seen too often, or say, 'heck with it', and blast away. Thanks for the giving me something to chew on.

Its not a colt walker or a gun that was owned by president Lincoln. I once owned a colt new frontier and after shooting it a couple times found out Audie Murphy had bought it new! I made it a safe queen and never shot it again. Then my ex "liberated" it and many more to run off with her new boy friend. (A married man who also ran off on a dieing wife). Now I wish I had shot the snot out of it.
I have always wanted a model 18 as I thought it would about be my idea of the perfect .22 revolver and barrel length for me. I want one like it to shoot. Now I DO have a few I wont shoot, like a silver plated Uberti fully engraved replica commemrative of General George Pattons .45 colt saa. But I also own a 3rd generation colt saa in .45 colt that I will shoot when I want to. Believe me on deals like this many guns end up safe queens and when people croak the new boy friend gets to shoot them, they are sold for a small fraction of what you would have got and sometimes they might be stolen and traded or pawned for a couple bucks worth of dope. Its happened to me.

Shoot that gun and take very good care of it. It is not a unfired 99%+ example. So shooting it without abusing it will not devalue it. It is very hard to find a 99% LNIB condition revolver in any caliber... From the turn line and box condition based on 1 photo, a collector will tell you it's not a 99% gun.
It is beautiful and an excellent shooter... on occasion!!..but keep it clean and oiled and it will appreciate. IMO

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Chuckle. Sure is some difference of opinion, here. To illustrate my opinion, I offer the following tale:

I bought 3 Model 24s back in the 80's. A 3", 4" and a 6 1/2" I remember thinking at the time I could keep them unfired and have some Real Collectors Items at some time in the future. That thought didn't last for long, as I couldn't wait to get out and shoot them. Now, 30 or so years later, I'm still shooting and enjoying them. I wouldn't trade that 30 years of fun for anything; especially three safe queens that my heirs would simply sell to someone else who would shoot them. No regrets here, folks!

Wow. Quite the thread!
I have only one thing to say about this Model 18:
It sure has nice case colors on the hammer!

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I say shoot it if you can find some ammo to feed it.

I purchased a beautiful 18-4 off of the for sale section of this site a while back. It barely has a turn line and had no perceptible wear on the ejector rod. The factory stocks are perfect and it has the hard to find factory target hammer and trigger. I paid $650 for it, which was a stretch for me at the time.

Now the turn line is a little deeper, and there are some very faint scratches on the ejector rod as well as the burn marks from firing on the face of the cylinder as I clean it but I don't want to scrub too hard and damage the blue underneath - it will be fired more anyway.

Shooting it may have lowered some of the actual value, but the look of pure joy on my 12 year old daughter's face when she sent that can flying for the first time with the Model 18 increased its value to both her and I from $650 to priceless.

All three of my children and I love shooting the 18. They know how special it is and handle it very carefully. One day one of their children will get it from me, and my hope is that the cans keep flying.........