I recently acquired a Model 65-3 with a 3 inch barrel that came with box and papers. I paid "NIB" price. Doesn't appeared to have been fired much(if at all).
I bought it because it was one of my "holy grail" revolvers and rounds out my revolver collection (the others are a .357 pre-lock Mod 60 and a Model 38-3 which is my EDC).

Now I'm questioning whether or not I should shoot it or just leave it in its somewhat pristine condition as a safe queen.
I would like to see how she fires and how accurate I can be with it.

What would you do?

You just said it! You want to see how she fires and how accurate she is!

i shoot anything i get collectable or not, they are of no use if you can't use them, if you don't shoot them someome else will someday when you are gone.

I'd be shooting it, carrying it, and scuffing it up if it fell into my hands. I would get absolutely no pleasure out of owning such a revolver if I never shot it.

I have several commemratives I wont shoot. Not that I shoot everything else a lot, I have some I shoot far more than others. If you arent going to use them as a holster gun, you can take them to the range in the usual sheepskin zippered case and shoot them a lot without much visibal wear. Think about this as someone else said: When you croak the guns will someday be shot by some unworthys for sure!

My financial perspective on the colletibles I buy is that is I ever sell them, I want to get back what I paid for them --hopefully, with adjustment for inflation, but I don't buy them to retire on. I buy them to enjoy, and that means at least some shooting.

Now of course, this means I don't buy any commemoratives or super-valuable pieces. But I shoot and enjoy a lot of very nice guns, take good care of them, and if I ever sell them it will be as if I had all that fun for free.

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Pisgah

If you don't shoot the 65-3 you will be missing out on a real nice experience. It is hard to really abuse the stainless guns if all you are doing is taking them to the range, shooting a box or two of ammo (mostly 38spl with a few cylinders of 357mag) and going home and cleaning the gun.

These are durable tools that are begging to be shot. You know you want to shoot it. Enjoy.

What would you do?[/QUOTE]
The gun has not been made that is too good for you and your family to shoot.
IMO the 65 qualifies in a big way as a shtf choice or a what if I could only have one gun, gun. AND no
Rubbed Bluing..... the Horror.
I understand your desire to save this one for the museum, so if you want to just keep a picture of it for the wall, I will trade you an almost new Stigma with a holster and a bunch of mags and a reasonable amount of money. The guys on the Stigma thread love them and they will have you talking about shooting your new semi auto much better than you could ever talk about shooting that old 65.

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Idaho , Elmer and Milt

shot it - don't abuse it, won't hurt it one bit. If you haul it in the back of the truck with no case then leave it in the safe.

Shoot it! You say it already appears to have been shot, so it's not "new" anymore anyhow. Guns are meant to be enjoyed, otherwise you might as well spend the same money on precious metals and stick them in your safe. jmho

If the 3"er has been shot, shoot it.They are nice revolvers.

It has been said many times, "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." If you don't try it, how do you know whether it is worth keeping. If you shoot it and like it, you can enjoy it for the rest of your life with proper care and maintenance. Earlier in my gun collecting hobby, I sold a bunch of engraved and gold inlaid Browning rifles and shotguns without ever shooting them because of the stress level over worrying about a ding or speck of rust from occasionally showing them to friends. Some firearms are true works of art and belong in a museum. I am not a curator but a LE officer, hunter and shooter so they have to qualify as a tool of the trade for me to keep them.

A very nice but not super rare gun, so I would put a few rounds through it and enjoy. If that satisfies your curiosity, clean it up and store it; if not, keep shooting .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

That's pretty much my philosophy. I'm not in this to make money as much as I'm in it just for fun. As long as I'm not loosing money, I'm good. I look back on some of the guns I have sold, and yea I could have made a bit more-but the guys I sold them to will enjoy them as much as I have-and you guys on the board I have sold to know who you are. (Although I DO wish I had held on to that old Heavy Duty I sold Charlie years back-a few months later the heavy duty craze swept through and the prices went through the roof ) But hell, that's what it is all about swapping and having fun and meeting some really good people.
To answer the original question, Shoot it-that's what they are for.

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Forum consigliere

Well. Blade. Just so you know, you can probably shoot 1000 or so
standard pressure 38 specials through your model 65 and not show
any signs of use after cleaning.
The 357 magnum rounds tend to leave a lasting impression on
the recoil shield and firing pin bushing.
THE True beauty of the stainless Smith revolvers is the way
they clean up after use. A little Birchwood casey lead remover cloth
and your 65 will look like new.

Good luck
Allen

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NRA cert.instructor&R.S.O.

I could not have said it better, myself... Plus, you are questioning if it may have already been shot, so it probably has. As others have noted, stainless guns are very easy to keep in excellent condition, even with some use, so I'd enjoy it.

I've got a few LNIB guns that are pretty collectible, and I don't shoot them. So, I find one of their cousins that are in very nice condition, with some use, and use them for my shooter guns. Most of what I have, I shoot, that's what they are made for, and as Merril said, if you don't shoot it, someone else will eventually...

Again, I'd look at Murphydog's post, to me it really sums it up...

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NRA Life Member

Correct in every way.

I have zero safe queens and have no use for them! I shoot em all or off they go. If you don't abuse the revolver and perform good maintenance they'll look good and last forever.

There are better investments to be had over a firearm. If it's a pretty one don't carry it in a holster when you're at the range.

I do love to bring mine out of the safe for their monthly wipedown and oogling session, but love shooting them even more.

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V/R
Roger / SG

Every gun I own is a shooter. I have owned one gun it my life that I just thought was too nice to shoot and I ended up selling it to someone who could appreciate the "collectible" aspect more than I could. I say shoot it and enjoy it!

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"I'm your huckleberry."

Thanks for the input guys!! It's pretty unanimous. She'll be going to the range on Wednesday for her maiden voyage. I got the new Pachmayr Compac grips on her. Need to pick up some ammo tomorrow. Sorry, I have no idea how to post a picture. This was taken with a cell phone with the stock grips. Hope this works.

Attached Images

S&W 65.jpg (42.3 KB, 38 views)

Great! Please report your shooting impressions when you return.

If you purchased the revolver as a collector or to sell it later for a profit, maybe you shouldn't shoot it. It is my belief that these fine machines were made to be shot. I have several and shoot them all.

Buy mutual funds for investment.

Buy guns to shoot them.

Enjoy your new revolver.

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Mike
686 no dash

If it isn't so rare or of historical importance that it belongs in a museum, then shoot.

Shoot it....there is no bluing to wear off....if you don't drop it off the back of a truck doing 70 you will never show any wear

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A Snider squibbed n the Jungle

Shoot it, enjoy it. It's a gun, made to be shot, not looked at. Like owning a nice car and not driving it. Makes no sense not to use an an item as it was intended. Jmho

Wow, 5 1/2 year old thread necro!

With that said, I can kind of understand the OP's feelings. I have a 4" barrel 27-2 I bought a couple years ago off GB that looked to be unshot except for the factory proof shots every other charge hole. It is still that way today as I have resisted the urge to run some rounds through it so far. But I also have plenty of other 27's I can shoot too, so it's not calling me out to shoot it.