Guns you will never shoot, what % of your collection?

I have one model 12 factory fired only with correct box and papers that I haven't fired but never say never . . .
 
I have 3 black powder pistols that I don't shoot, specifically because I don't like cleaning them. They are wall decorations that could be pressed into service if need be, but for the time being, just a decoration.

All the rest, I shoot.

I can understand having a gun you don't shoot, if it was purchased with the idea it's an actual investment.

What I don't get, and maybe someone can explain the logic behind it, is having a gun you don't shoot, with the idea you'll never sell it.

The only possible explanation I can see is that it's something your wife or other loved ones can sell to offset some bills.

If someone has a beautiful old triple lock (just for example) that he's not shooting or selling, he'd better realize the fact that someday someone will enjoy shooting it.

We're just temporary custodians of our guns, after all. Life is too short to not have some fun with them.
 
My TLs are treasured works of art and never shot. For competition, 3" 66 and 3" 686. For carry,2 1/2" 19.

Chris
 
I have a number of guns that I probably won't shoot, but could because they aren't NIB. I figured 27% of my guns are for sure unfired, so I probably will leave them that way. I'm not including any of my S&Ws because I can't be certain that they weren't fired (I didn't buy any of them new). A number of them are supposed to be unfired.
 
I have one that is an heirloom given to me by a 96 year old friend just before he died in 2010. It is not safe to fire and there is no ammo available for it. It is a Rossi side by side double-barrel derringer in .32 Rossi caliber made around 1900. It has a long history. Every other gun I own gets shot.
 
Guns you will never shoot, what % of your collection?
Click to expand...

ZERO! I've never even owned a safe queen. If I find I haven't shot something in two years or so it always got traded on something I would shoot. Since I haven't been buying many guns lately the collection is gradually narrowing down to the shooters I really like.

Besides, I don't want my wife to be one of those widows I see in gun shops getting ripped off by some guy behind the counter with dollar signs in his eyes as he under values every gun her husband left her.

Dave
 
I am more of a collector than shooter, so would say probably 60% of the guns I have aren't destined to be shot (and value could plummet drastically if a part gets broken on a 1925 Simson Luger ;))
So have shooters and have collector pieces - when I was young I believed that every gun I owned should be a shooter or capable of it - still believe in the capable part, but don't 'have to' shoot it :)
 
I have Great Grandpa's damascus shotgun that should not be fired. The only reason I keep it is because its a family heirloom. If i had another gun that I could not shoot I would sell it. My "collection" is not an "investment". My unfired NIB Pre-27 has had the snot shot out of it. When my kids inherit it if they lose money because it was fired its not my problem. My joy is in shooting the darn things. I see no joy in having a virgin!
 
still believe in the capable part, but don't 'have to' shoot it
Click to expand...

Amen! I have "working" guns and I have "collecting" guns.
Example: I have a .22 target pistol. I also have around 13 or 14 other .22 pistols, none of which shoot anywhere near as accurate as the target gun, so why shoot them other than to test function? (and that only takes one trip to the range)
 
Shooting

After reading Mr Bergs post I feel so much better , here I thought I had a small collection .I am belly button lint in comparison . Thank you OldSeabee
 
I have only one I won't shoot many I don't due to lack of time, duplicates..I used to be more of a safe queen gut but kind of found out I like to shoot more than look at them. I put very little stock in "Never been shot" unless it's still in the wrapper so to speak. The one I won't shoot is a pre 37 with an alloy cylinder..not safe. Although I could change out the cylinder I guess! I sold all my true safe queens.
 
Interesting question.... I'm mostly a collector. I only collect firearms in about 8 or 9 calibers. For each caliber I have just one or two that I shoot and several I do not. That makes 12 or so I shoot and 60 or so I do not.

The "shooters" are generally my favorites and I very seldom part with. The "collection" is usually churning as interests come and go.
 
Good question, I have a collection of safe queens and I always try to get a shooter grade of the same gun. Sometimes they too become safe queens. I just love guns and I am happy with my choices . May the peace be with. You:-)
Mark
 
I am at about 60% that most likely are in the will not shoot category. Say you have a 40 year old N frame that has no turn line and most likely not fired since S&W. I would like to shoot some of them and the day may come? I wish I had a shooter and a keeper of my favorites. One day I may go to the range with all of them? As others have said it is part of my retirement plan. These are not going to go down in value. Good thread. Makes you think. Brian
 
I bought every piece with the idea of shooting it. I started out with milsurp mausers from south america. Then self loading milsurp rifles, US miltary rifles, S&W revolvers and autos, Colt revolvers and autos, Savage pistols, and whatever else caught my fancy. That was 20 years ago. I am now finding new homes for my collection and I realize I have not shot about 50%. This was not my intention but it is what I've done.
 
I have one I like to watch other people fire but don't like to fire much myself, a 500ES.


The only one I've never fired is an unfired 1950 Model Target 4th Model HE 44 spl. The one I don't fire any more is a Model No 3 New Model Target in 44S&WR.
 
I just sold the only gun out of my "collection" I never shot...a S&W M&P-15 in .223 caliber. I'd had it for well over a year, never pulled the trigger on the thing.

All my other revolvers and pistols...Smiths, Rugers, and an old Remington Rand .45 from 1943...get shot on a fairly regular basis.

That goes for my old Winchester Model 12 factory riot guns as well.

It's fun to shoot the old guns. And if it ain't fun, why bother?
 
Peter M. Eick said:
I am currently laid up for a bit with medical issues so I started doing some cleaning around the house and the safe. I was running out of room in my primary safe so I decided to move my "guns I would never shoot" from normal cases to bore-stores. What I found was that quickly I hand moved about 80% of my collection into bore-stores because I would never shoot them again. It surprised me how many guns I had that were essentially just dead steel and will never be sold (in my lifetime) and never fired either. Most were parked for reasons like they are too nice a finish to take to the range. Or they are too rare (4" 38/44 HBH's) too unique (5" McGivern 38/44 Clone) or I just have too many of the same model (38/44 post war Outdoorsman's). Or even some NIB guns like my 44 Automag md 180.

I was surprised when I looked at it and saw that 80% of my collection falls in this category and of my primary shooters there is really only about a dozen guns I shoot routinely and maybe another dozen that are say once every 4 to 5 years.

So do you all have a similar situation or setup and how does your mix of shooters vs. never to be shot guns run?
Click to expand...

A very small %
One model 48, one model 57.... Maybe.

I'm hoping to trade them to someone for another 38/44 Heavy Duty. :)
 
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Only have a few real safe queens; but I have too many that haven't been fired in 5, 10, or even 20 years. However much I wanted them at the time, in practice I eventually lost interest in them for one reason or another.. They're still in there somewhere.

I also had a habit of closely duplicating guns that I did like and use; those became "spares" that don't get shot. A few are sentimental keepers.

Pretty much all good stuff, but 10% of the guns get 90% of the actual use. If I could bring myself to do it, I could justify selling off those that I haven't used in the past year.

Lots of memories there, though.
 
I'm a collector / shooter / investor

I seem to be one of those that buys LNIB 50+ year old Smith's and parks them in the safe for future retirement funding. Then there are those that get used a very little, and very carefully, because they are also old guns that are 95% condition. The newer ones I have, and a select few of the older wheel guns get shot, carried, torn apart, "adjusted", and such.

About 50% of mine I will never have the pleasure of shooting. And I suspect the next owner in about 20 years won't want to shoot it either.

30% of them get a light workout on special occasions. :)

20% get worn on trips to the hills, resting in the door pocket of my car, going to the range to try new ammo, in the drawer next to my bed, in the garage in a holster in the tool box. I think I have five different semi's and wheel guns in strategic locations on my property. Three of those are 50+ year old S&W wheel gun shooters that I would bet my life on.

Looking forward to filling medium size safe #4 here pretty soon. That Marathon diesel pusher is gonna be fun to drive all over this country. :D
 
I am on here a lot but truth is I seldom shoot! Years ago I shot and reloaded more. I liked buying and talking guns, hit the gun show circuit, had a few custom guns built. I was a armed guard 35 years. Any novelty of packing wore off long ago. I have a nice collection but the majority of it I acquired back in the 70s and 80s. I have a couple commemortives and antiques that I wont shoot. All the rest are open to being shot anytime. There are quite a few I havent shot in a lot of years. I have a couple other interesting things to me that take up my time. Truth is I am lazy and cheap. This site is my main entertainment. The biggest other thing I do is riding the trails here in SW utah a average of two or three days a week in good weather. Now I do always take a gun along and may pop a rock or can once in awhile and many times its a gun I havent shot in a long time. I always was a slow leisurely shooter and never did shoot a lot of rounds every time out. I will sight in a gun, load for it, carry it but only shoot a few rounds after that and then on to another from the back of the safe. I have various ammo that I loaded up 40 years ago! I never was a great shot but never had to be ashamed either. I never was competitive at anything, I am happy to just plink and poke along on the trails.
 
About 10% of my collection is non-shooters that I inherited from my father. As for my personal collection, a few years ago I went through it and all the safe queens were sold off. I've been a much happier collector since.
 
0 %. I shoot every one I own. what's the use of not enjoying them while you can. I have been told " you can't take them with you", I'm going to try but while here I will enjoy.
I also have a 1968 Chevelle that I drive every day. Locking it up in a garage is no fun at all, cruising down the road is.
Gary
 
SDH said:
Whenever I hear, "I shoot every gun I own".
My response is, "You must not own very many guns".
Click to expand...

I will add, "I shoot every gun I own over the course of each calendar year."

I make every attempt to get on the range weekly, even in winter (last winter, not so much ;) ).

So, my answer to the thread query is zero (0).

I am enjoying my role as *caretaker of history*
...of course, just *owning* is enjoyable for some caretakers :)
 
SDH said:
Whenever I hear, "I shoot every gun I own".
My response is, "You must not own very many guns".
Click to expand...

Why would you say that? My guns are sort of on a range rotation schedule. I always take at least two at a time, sometimes three.

But I guess it all depends on your definition of "many". My meager little "collection" probably doesn't qualify as many under your rules. I'm more of a shooter than a collector, anyway.
 
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