To shoot or not to shoot

Elroy here, new member, first post.
Be kind but do not hold back. Seeking seasoned professional advise

Had the rare opportunity to purchase a 38 pre-model 10 that dates to about 1929.

Date determined by reviewing the treasure trove of information contained in these pages. Serial #563xxx

Blue 4" that is simply flawless!!! All numbers match but we have not removed the grips but we have no doubt they pencil match as well. Took this example to some of the better gun stores in town and they have graded it @ 98% only because we don't have the original box.

Pistol appears unfired but come on, surely it's had a few rounds in it at some point in the last 80+ years. The gentleman we purchased it from stated it was his Grandfathers weapon. He died in 1955 and claims it hasn't see the light day sense.

The question is: do we cycle it or do we put back in storage???

If you vote use it (like 6 or 12 rounds, I sure the hell am not going to pump a 50 round box through it) what kind of ammo would you recommend??

Copper jacket??

Lead wad cutter??

hollow points ???

What do you say??

We tried to snap some pictures but need some good light to really reveal the outstanding condition. Pictures to follow in the morning. Appropriate comments please

Value estimates would be appreciated as well and photos my solicit these response in time. Lets just say it wasn't cheap

If your revolver was mine I"d sure as heck shoot it. Standard 158 grain round nose bullets or wadcutters. No plus P's or any other whizbang loads. Frank

Welcome to the forum. Please post a picture of your gun.

I say shoot it. And I'm not talking 12 rounds here, I'd say a few thousand would make up for not being shot since 1955. A cast bullet handload would be my choice. It's sounds like a very nice gun and I'm sure you'd like to keep it in top shape, but who are you saving the gun for? Shoot it and enjoy it.

Dragon88 said:

Shoot it and enjoy it.

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That is exacxtly what I want to do but then again what's going to happen to the value.

Is there such thing as a 1929 virgin ??

The presence or absence of a box doesn't affect the quality of a finish. A near-new gun is a 99+% gun whether it has a box or not. (I don't believe in 100% guns; that's an unachievable advertising claim.) The box is gravy when it comes to pricing the package, but that's another matter.

Without a box and provenance all the way back to 1929 (or whenever), you cannot guarantee that a gun is unfired or new. I'd say you might as well shoot it a little, but clean it carefully and well after every range trip. And when you handle it, be mindful of its unscratched surface. Never lay it down on hard surfaces; there's a reason why soft gun rugs and silicone pads exist. And while you are cleaning it, don't inadvertently whack the barrel on the table edge as you spin it around to detail every nook and cranny. I know this is common-sense stuff, but I have seen guns that I know were shot that look as though they had not been fired since their test rounds at the factory. And I have seen guns that were not shot much, but look as though they were dragged to the range and back. If you are careful, your gun will reflect your attitude and preserve a high value.

I have a 98% (in my estimation) almost new 1927 M&P in its box. I shot it. I have other high condition guns from 70-90 years ago that I have not shot, but that's not policy; it's just a crowded schedule or lack of opportunity. I refrain from shooting only those guns that came to me as unfired and with good evidence supporting that claimed condition.

And technically, your gun is not a Pre-10. It is a .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 fourth change. These guns' descendants eventually became the Model 10, but most collectors reserve the phrase "Pre-10" for the short-action predecessors of the Model 10; those guns first appeared in 1948. Other collectors stretch the phrase to include all postwar K-frame .38 Specials with fixed sights, but I am not among them. All prewar fixed-sight K-frame .38 specials should be considered M&P revolvers.

And welcome to the forum. Apologies for the lecture, but you will find some very particular people around here. (At least their insistence on proper nomenclature is usually expressed in a cordial way.)

DCWilson said:

Apologies for the lecture, but you will find some very particular people around here.

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No apologies necessary

Your description of being an M&P makes perfect sense and we thank you for the clarification.

Excellent input

Hopefully my pictures will reveal a fine condition example and we would solicit your further comments

A few "flash" shots

Day light views pending

I believe Mr. Wilson has covered this topic thoroughly. Therefore, SHOOT IT!

Let me be the first to say

That IS Beautiful!!

Great find and very clear pictures.

You came to the right place.

Since you are asking the question, you should shoot it.

A few cylinders-full of 158 gr RNL, as the factory intended. Handle and clean carefully as David suggested, then try to resist the temptation to fire more .

Most here would shoot it, I would not. That gun, that mint(hardly even has a turn line!) doesn't come along that often around here and there are plenty of well used ones on the market for cheap prices. Get one of those, shoot the heck out of it, and put it to work around the house.

My herd of S&W has both shooters and safe queens. That's what I chose to do and I don't apologize for either type. You should do what pleases you and what others think doesn't really matter as they're your guns aren't they.

Bob

SWo That's What They Look Like New!

I cannot comment on shoot or not shoot, I'm not a collector.
That sure is pretty though! You sure introduced yourself well.
Your pics are excellent, too. TACC1

I might shot, I might not. But life is short, so run some rounds thru it and enjoy it, it is a very pretty gun and I hope you enjoy it.

Or, put it in the safe and buy a beat to death M&P and blast the heck out of it!

Sir, that is one beautiful 1905, 4th change that really does appear to be unfired. I am a shooter-collector, therefore I usually try for the 90 to 98% guns that have been shot. Knowing the gun isn't virgin means I don't have to agonize over shooting the piece as long as I am careful not to damage the finish. Some guns get shot a lot, some very little.

I would carefully wax your gun with either Renaissance Wax or Johnson's Paste wax, then take some 158 gr. LRN rounds and go to the range at least once. You'll make the artisans of old who built her proud.

Just a thought, but there were tens of thousands of M&P's produced and most have not stood the test of time as yours did. With that said, you can purshase a good shooter grade gun for a little of nothing and keep your mint gun the way it is. You CAN have the best of both worlds.

Chad

Wow! That's a fine gun! Lots of good points made by both sides of the question.
It is rare to come across such an old piece that is almost pristine.
I guess if I was in your enviable position, I would ask myself a few questions.

How valuable is the gun in its' current state?

How much value will it lose if you shoot it?

Do I expect it to be put in a museum that only accepts the best examples?

Do I expect to keep the gun the rest of my life, and if so, what happens to it when I'm gone?

If the answers to the first and second questions add up to maybe a couple of hundred bucks and you plan on keeping the gun, is it worth having a beautiful gun and not shooting it just to keep a couple of hundred bucks?

I think my answers to these questions would lead me to putting a smile on my face by blasting away.

Besides, if you take good care of it, it should remain looking almost as good as it does now.

if your a collector, shoot for function, place in safe and think fondly about it every so often. if your a realist, shoot it, enjoy it, and think about its history. this is an awesome pistol and you should be proud to own it. i am very jealous!

Very nice. It was made to shoot, so I'd shoot it. And, I would shoot it a lot. There are probably exceptions to the shoot it rule, but I'm not sure what they would be. I don't buy guns as financial investments. I'm going to enjoy them while I can. I'll let my kids worry about what they are worth when I'm gone.

I have an 1892 Winchester 25-20 my grandfather bought new in 1917. It's not pristine by any measure, but I shoot it when I can find ammo for it.

It is a delima only you can work out.
Now----IMO/IN MY CIRCUMSTANCES/JUST ME---and I am not yelling just emphasizing----I don't own a non-shooter.
You can:
Sell it and get a shooter and pocket the difference.
Just get a shooter and put that one away.
The best option--again, IMO--just shoot the snot out of it and enjoy it.
I rarely sell or trade guns---just me---I can't get what I know they are worth, too me, and I already have them paid for.
I shoot all of mine and look for others I like so I can shoot them also. When I die my wife and kids will get them and what they do with them is their business--I will have no idea what happens.
You do it the way you want and say to heck with us if we frown.
Blessings

What is a gun for? Shoot and enjoy it.

The only thing "rare" about this gun is the condition. bump the stocks on a door frame or someone next to you on the range ejects a 30-06 casing your way, and then its just a nice old M&P.

I wouldn't shoot it. If it was my only hand gun, maybe a dozen down the tube. Buy yourself a duplicate with wear on it and take it to the range. It's nice to have an old shooter around you don't have to be so particular about. I collect some guns and shoot some guns, but I know the difference. This is a collector.


Charlie