I used to be very fond of saying: "Life is too short to not shoot your favorite guns." But recently I have ended up with several pairs that could be considered Safe Queens paired with the appropriate shooter. Do you have one or more sets of a Safe Queen and a Shooter:

These are my pairs:

Remington 17:
Very high condition



Shooter grade has oil staining at the neck and wear to the back of the stock



Winchester 21 and Ithaca NID
The Ithaca on the right is in almost unfired condition



5" Pre-27
The Safe Queen has original grips and a very fine finish


The Shooter does not have the original grips and lots of honest wear:



The WWII Ithaca M1911A1 (right) is a Safe Queen because the slide could crack with extensive use
The Sig P226 is a brute

__________________
Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Just one pair of 1911 A1; one is a 1943 Colt. The shooter is a pimped up 2014 Auto Ordnance (PKZSE)

I don't have the money or the room for dedicated safe queens. That said, I guess my Colt double action revolvers, (4" Police Positive, 3" Detective Special, both built in the 70's), could qualify. I shoot both, but carry neither. Should the worst happen, I'd hate to think one or the other would spend what's left of my life in a police evidence locker.

Most of what I buy is of the highest quality and best cosmetic condition that I can find, consistent with a poor old retired guy's fixed income budget. I don't typically go out of my way to buy a distressed condition gun just so I won't have to worry about a higher condition gun. To the contrary, I'm always looking for guns in even better condition than what I already own... and when successful, the lessor condition original gun becomes my shooter.

I can think of only one recent exception to that rule wherein I found a slightly lessor condition gun, but at an irresistible bargain price. I might normally try to justify the purchase to the good wife based on it being a good "parts gun", but that really didn't apply in this case. Yes, it was bought to be a shooter... ... and a damn good shooter it has turned out to be!

I have a couple of Texas DPS guns that I bought when the .357 revolvers we’re retired. One is a 1940 non registered Magnum that was issued to a Texas ranger, was on display in the Director’s office for several years, then issued to me. It was reworked by the factory in ‘47 (from memory), and is in fairly high condition. I have shot it, but no more.

My shooter is a S frame 28 that that was issued to me. I had enough rank that I was able to escape turning either in for the L frame version.

When .357revolvers were retired, I purchased both as surplus. The 28 was slicked up by my now deceased friend Reeves Jungkind, renowned for his work on Pythons. He wasn’t bad on S&Ws either.

Jack



Th

My shooting buddies always give me grief about my "do not shoot shelf." Having always proclaimed myself as a shooter rather than a collector, time has robbed me of that statement. Sometimes something just gets to where I think of its value when I grab it headed for the range. I hate that conflicted feeling.

So, that said, I have the Python/Trooper pair, shooting the Trooper and not the Python. The Sig P210-6 now sits while the Legend goes to the range. The HK P7 with the milled off unit markings, plum colored slide gets use, while the pristine specimen with Nill grips sits.

I am not particularly proud of this development, but the situation just kind of evolved.

I have quite a few such pairs

My late Father used to buy two of things. He referred to it as "One to Show and One to Go"

As I get older, more firearms get acquired and pairs develop over the decades

There are only a few instances when I consciously bought a pair.

Nowadays some firearms do not get fired because I just do not have enough time to shoot everything I own

I have never bought a pair, but the idea sounds fantastic. I have actually pondered that... and I keep landing on the number 3. Buy three of them! One to shoot like crazy, one to NEVER shoot. One to never shoot and sell when the market and demand for that one surges... which still leaves you with your shooter and your never ever shoot or sell! Hahaha...

As my collection has evolved, I currently have two different sets of shoot/Queen. One is the Hand Ejector M&P Fourth Change from 1917 that I bought so I could turn my Grandfather's one in to a safe queen. Grandpa's is in higher condition and from 1921, both are 6-inch and nickel. The 1917 is finish challenged, but still attractive and I enjoy shooting it.

I have a dead mint, NIB 952-2 that is simply gorgeous that I've never shot... but my shooter grade 952-1 goes to the range a LOT.

Currently I am working on a third such pair... I've got a 6-inch 16-4 that is NIB and unfired and I'm in the process of adding a another that I simply cannot wait to shoot.

The only safe queens I have are NIB blue S&Ws. I don't shoot
them they are trading stock for collectors and they don't eat
much sitting in the box. I got plenty of shooter in hi condition.
If it's been shot, I shoot it. I don't by guns that are in less than
good condition unless they are a give away.

I have a pristine 5" 27-2 in its presentation case.

I have a small group of model 28s and a couple 19s

I have a really nice 25-5 that isn't collectable because I cut the 8 3/8 barrel to 5" and replaced the cylinder with one reamed from a recessed model 29 for a pinned and recessed 5" 45 colt. I has its own 5" wood case.

I have another group of 45 colts.

I have a pristine pre model 38 air wieght.

I have a 640.

It’s been a while since I have carried any Blue Smiths.
Some, like my Blue 19 are pretty much retired.
You might see show up with a Blue Beretta, Walther, Kahr, etc.
But if it’s a Revolver, it’ll be a Stainless Smith.

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

I have a couple, the first is an exceptional baby chief with another a little later shooter.



A nearly unused 2" early M&P and a 64-2 shooter.



A very nice K22 combat masterpiece and a couple Model 18s to shoot.



Not really a safe queen, but nice and rarely shot 1950 Tula SKS and a $95.00 Yugo.

I have no "safe queens", all mine get shot. Although at this moment, I have two that I haven't shot yet.

My EDC is a Colt DS. It's a fourth issue (or 5th, depending on how much of a purist you are) and it's a great revolver, extremely accurate and rated for +P.

I also have a true 1st issue. It was made in 1933, and has the original square butt. It's two little dings from pristine, and I still haven't shot it. I have no problem with shooting it, I just haven't yet.

I also have a 39-2 that's somewhat cosmetically challenged. It's my shooter, as opposed to my 39 no-dash, which stays put away. It's in excellent condition, and I've shot it a bunch, but I see no good reason to now.

Then I have my Hi Powers. My shooter is a C series from 1969, it's in excellent condition, and it goes into my gear whenever I go on any kind of a trip. I also have a 245 series from 1977, which is my most pristine handgun, and it stays put away. I do take it out and shoot it now and then, though.

I have 2 K38's also, a pre-15 and a 15-3, both with 4" barrels, but even though the pre-15 is much nicer than the 15-3 (an old police revolver), I shoot them both a bunch.

All mine are shooters. That said, I just picked up a NIB early 60's 3" 31-1 Flat Latch that is begging me to put it's first round down range. I'm resisting, but beginning to falter.

I inherited my great-grandfather's Colt in .44-40 caliber, and I later ordered the same revolver from US Firearms before they went off the track and out of business.

My version has the same serial number as Grandfather's, but is in .44 Special so it would be cheaper to shoot. His resides in a safe deposit box, while I have a swell time with the modern version.




Great-grandfather and his Colt:


The modern SAA:

A pair of Ruger 357 maximums. The front one is designated the shooter even though I don't do much of that

__________________
-Matt

I started buying guns to shoot and guns to keep in the safe almost from the beginning.This goes for other brands as well.some years back I sold off 70% of my collection which had been all shooters and kept all of the safe queens.I don't regret one minute of keeping my favorites in new condition. I do regret selling a lot of my shooters giving the current day prices to replace them.

Kinda sort of, don’t have a “safe,” but have a room.

I got a Loveless S&W 41 Field Gun, (now documented,) that was done on a 1969 S&W 41. I found an unmolested 1969 41 to show what Bob actually did to achieve his Field Gun concept/vision. Both are in excellent condition.

Jim

Attached Images

FullSizeRender.jpg (73.7 KB, 31 views)

There is no such thing as an "unfired" S&W revolver. (They all get fired three times.)

Rationalization, or relevant fact, yours to decide.;-)

__________________
Certified Curmudgeon

I voted "no gun I have is considered a safe queen", but easily could have taken the middle- "I shoot my safe queens".

Nothing I own cost me enough to tuck away as an investment, and while I LIKE a pretty gun, I still want to shoot them.

So, I do have some guns that are pairs... but I shoot them both!

I shoot everything at least occasionally, but on reflection, I really don't ever take out one of my MTR-8s. It came with the numbered box and paperwork and everything, while my "shooter" copy didn't, and they're identical, so I don't see a reason to put it at any risk.

Only in one incidence....
Have a S&W M1917 .45 DA in as nice a shape as any I've seen. It lives in the safe.

Had a chance to get a parked Brazilian M1937 .45 DA for cheap. She's a great shooter and a fine stand-in for the '17.

Attached Images

	IMGP2152.jpg (112.1 KB, 8 views)
	M1937Brazilian2.jpg (203.4 KB, 8 views)

__________________
Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

I call these my "Ginger & Mary Ann" duo. Only 200 made and ended up with two. Mary Ann's trigger is...well...it's Mary Ann.

__________________
Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I did, I had two Springfield Professional 1911s, the FBI Bureau issued weapon. I used to shoot one and the other I just looked at it in all it's new glory. I just gave the new one to my son on his birthday last week. I don't regret it for a second.

95% KCPD Reg Mag “shooter” on the left; 99+% NonReg Mag “safe queen” on the right. Click on the picture for a closer look.

__________________
Terry Lester

My 1983 Model 36 which I shoot and my 1968 which I don’t.

Attached Images

	4F5193D1-A2CB-40A7-A6AB-52FABD6CF001.jpg (55.0 KB, 13 views)
	3379C8B0-F3D5-49E5-AD58-BD81D9B96DA9.jpg (76.3 KB, 12 views)
	F0400710-61CE-4794-AB3E-1ACFDD949034.jpg (71.9 KB, 11 views)

I could not not shoot the safequeen as well.
I might be wrong but to make my point,let me put it this way.
When single and going out with one of the twin sisters,I just had to know if they kissed the same!

I have two CZ 75Bs. One is a limited edition Cold War Commemorative and the other is a matt stainless which was bought to become the shooter CZ while I try to keep the Cold War pristine for as long as possible.