got to thinking today, bad thing to do. but lets say you managed to acquire a number of smith revolvers, new in the box, from early 70's as an example. And you know the likelyhood of your selling them is remote, do you shoot them or not? It is not like there isn't other stuff to use, but i keep balancing of leaving something untouched 45years or so old, or using for purpose intended.
curious to what others think.

That's a tough question? All depends on what they were and if I maght have duplicates. But probably not!

I agree with loknload. You say you have a number of them? If I were in your position, had no intention of selling them, and wanted to shoot them, I might pick one or two in calibers that I thought would get the most use, start with those, and see where it goes from there. Maybe you'll be content with shooting just those, or maybe you'll decide to start shooting all of them. Hope this helps!

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If I had 200 such guns, the aggregate collector's value would be significant enough to make a financial difference in my life. If it's 10 guns, the dollar difference is insignificant in the broad scheme of my finances.

That's easy for me. I'm not rich enough to buy something just to have. If I'm buying it will be used or not bought at all

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They were meant to be fired. If it's not gold engraved or something crazy like that I'd shoot it.

well if you don't shoot it somebody will one day. i have collectable s&w's that i got in new condition but i shoot everything i get. the money you would make off of the guns being unfired is insignificant compared to the enjoyment you would get from using them.

Shoot'em. Enjoy.

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Have Gun Will Carry

Unless you've started the Smith & Wesson Revolver Museum, go shoot them.

Easy choice for me, if I acquired your example of firearms
NIB and 45 years old, it would be as a caretaker. As they are pristine examples of firearms history that can not be duplicated.

When the time comes (and it will) you realize it's time to pass them on to another caretaker, you will undoubtedly realize some financial gain, and the knowledge you preserved a piece of firearm history, that will never be seen again.

I site one such example, a Winchester Model 94 SRC in 25-35.
Manufactured in 1904, as new, unmolested at 112 years old.

Had a serious Winchester collector comment on it years ago.

"This gun has never seen daylight!" My hope is that it one day it winds up in a museum for many to view and appreciate.

When I remove this firearm from the safe, I often reflect on how many caretakers it had prior to me, they had responsibility of preserving it to arrive at 112 years old and being "as new",
and a beautiful example of what Winchesters were back then.

This Winchester that I write about was 45 years old when my father acquired it, and has been in my possession for the last
28 years.

A finer example of a gun like this is rarely seen.

For me, the appreciation of fine examples of firearms that will never be seen again, is just as important as shooting.

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I understand the reason for your question but I'm more a shooter than a collector, so most will likely be shot.

I'm the wrong person to ask. My philosophy is that guns were made to be fired. I don't run a museum or an art gallery. When something in pristine condition falls into my hands that means I got it cheap because I won't pay a premium for unused guns that I plan to use.

Last year I went on a buying spree of Colt Single Action Army revolvers. Well, I bought three of them so maybe a mini spree? Anyway, two were unfired in the box when I got them. One from 1961 and the other from 1993. Year before that I bagged a new in box Model 29-2 from 1976.

They all shoot pretty good.

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No life story has happy end.

Unfortunately most here if passed onto them, would probably take it hunting.

Guns are like baseball cards, only a rare few will ever be worth any real money. Unless you have a Honus Wagner revolver I would shoot gently, you can still keep them in like new condition and enjoy.

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Back to back World War Champs.

If it's all I had, I might be inclined to shoot a few.

But stuff from the '70's & 80's.... Eehh, wouldn't bother me to let it sit unfired. Now, 50's , 60's, or 90's+...especially performance center models...I'd have to find out they'd shoot.

It's always a tough question and one only the owner can decide. I had a large S&W collection at one point that were mostly Model 29-2's and 27-2's. Probably half of them were unfired with presentations cases and all the other goodies. I didn't shoot them because I also had one shooter grade pistol of each type that were my range guns.

It's all up to the owner and what he decides.

Good advice, get a shooter mate for the new ones to see what it like shooting them without ruining somebodies great find 30 yrs from now.

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Well done > well said

+1. Enjoy having a few safe queens...they only get more attractive with age.

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50 Years of DSOTM

My father-in-law kept a Colt snubbie in it's original box for 30 plus years. Finally, in his old age he decided to see what it felt like to shoot it. The trigger didn't work. That gun was built to be a safe queen.

Ive only owned one safe queen.It tripled in value over 7-8 years.It was a nice feeling when I sold it

Then what, they get to shoot it first?

I can't think of anything that I worry about less!

And 30 years from now we'll be less concerned with collectables than we will be about just having a gun.

I love that statement and completely agree.

I don't have enough money to buy nice guns that sit in a dark safe untouched and unused. If I own it, I pretty much have to have a need and use for it.

Don't get me wrong, I have some expensive firearms, but they ALL get used, some on a daily basis. I paid good money for them, and to me, I can only get my money's worth out of something through using it.

My daily conceal carry piece is the silhouette in my avatar picture. Some would call me crazy. I just call it using what I enjoy.

There are many fine firearms out there, and in my opinion they can only be truly enjoyed by using them for the designed purpose. That is where the true quality comes out.

As old Smokey The Bear might say, only you can put out this fire! I like to think I shoot em all but I do have one. A new in presentation box 8 3/8th inch blued 57. I always sorta meant to shoot it but I have another in six inch and a nice Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Mag as well to shoot. I will tell you what I tell myself now and again, shoot em all.

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Stay safe people!

As for me, I'd shoot them!

I typically have duplicates in my collection. One pristine example for admiring, and one excellent example for shooting. For heavy use I have moved to the modern guns whose parts are current production.

Only if they had no turn line at all would I consider not firing them. I am more a accumulator than a collector.

If I had several identical guns I suppose I would leave one unfired. However, if I had that multitude I'd keep the shooters and sell the unfired examples to those who would appreciate them more. I buy guns to shoot them. Not trash or abuse them, but shoot them. All of my menagerie are well cared for, but they do get used. That's why I prefer buying guns that look used but well cared for, no concern about depreciation.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I would have a tough time pulling the trigger on a pretty old blue gun without a turn line, but the chance of me buying that gun is so far fetched I don't need to consider it. Other than the turn lines I pride myself in keeping my guns looking better than the day I bought them (a few had some wear before I got them).

There are lots of used guns in museums; they each have a story to tell. A NIB 100-year-old gun tells no story. Worse to me, though, are the museum pieces that have been redone to look like new -- they've lost their histories.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Wow! Lots of valuable opinions. Each pretty much giving you (and me too) something to ponder. I too have a few older revolvers that haven't been shot and I am trying to decide whether or not to fire them. I really don't have anything so valuable that shooting it would devalue it substantially but I don't really care to sell them. One is a first year production (pre-19) Combat Magnum. Bought it with no box, papers, tools..... Same with a Model 58. Both have been fired but not very much and are pretty close to new. What to do? Can't see buying another model of each just for shooting..... Not enough money and so much else to acquire!!!! I guess the majority says that "they're made for shooting, so go shooting!" So, in order to make sure that my "investment is sound and worthy"..... I am going to shoot them but with a lot of restraint. Nothing hot and nothing else that will make me (or perhaps another owner some day) unhappy. So, I guess I'm with the "shoot 'em" bunch!

I've bought a couple of really nice guns over the years that I suspected had never been fired. But since the sellers couldn't say that for sure, I couldn't say it. And the fact that I didn't "THINK" they'd ever been fired didn't mean squat. They were just a really nice gun.

So I shot them. I might not have shot them a lot, but I shot every one of them. I ended up selling them for one reason or another. The ones I've kept, I have no worries about.

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John 3:16 .

First have a gunsmith make sure that they could be fired. Then for goodness sake fire them. I repeat fire them.