Safe Guns--What's The Point?

[raven818]

I am constantly seeing posts where someone(s) dragging out a weapon that has been in their safe for eleventy-eleven years and proudly saying " it's never been fired ".

I just don't get it. Ever firearm I've owned has been fired at the very first opportunity.

Why are they in safes ( barring antiques )? Just to take them out and show them off at holidays when the Kin and buddies are there? For investment purposes? To trade-up for another Safe Gun?

What?

 

[pace40]

On average, collectible firearms double in value about every ten years. Some do better some a little less. Find me a bank paying 10%/year and I'll put my money there. When I see ANIB model 60's selling for $700+, I'm pretty comfortable with some of my "safe queens".

 

[loknload]

Some guns are for shooting and some for collecting!
I have some of both, in fact a few have not been touched by human hands since they left the factory!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I have fired all my handguns to ensure functioning or to find out what they need in the way repairs or spares, but most of mine are safe queens. None are real "working" guns, many are collectibles pure and simple-my Ortgies .25 ACP, my CZ-27, Mauser M1914, Enfield No 2 Mk I, S&W and Colt M1917s, etc. are strictly collectibles. No different than collecting coins or stamps-or tools. (I know a woman who collects sewing machines.)

 

[feralmerril]

In my case I bought a lot of fine "like new" but used guns back in the 60s to say about 88. When I bought them I did shoot them and took care of them. Fast forward to now, 35-40 years later. Lets use this 1950 target as a example. I think I paid $200s for it around 1970. It didnt look fired at all, it had the original grips which I changed out and lost long ago. I did shoot it several times after I bought it. Then the price climbed. By that time I had other .44 specials, now I have 7 nice ones. I really have no talents, and am not real good at anything, save one. That one thing is it seems that just about every gun, car, motorcycle that I liked and bought became a classic among all the similar run of the mill like compareable guns or whatever. It seemed that if I liked something it soon was the more sought after item.
Seldom did I buy new, whether gun, car, truck or motorcycle. I bought old but excellent used shape items. 90% of the gun brands I bought were either winchesters, colts and S&W`s. I never bought taurus, charter arms, marlins, H&Rs, plastic etc. The very guns I bought ran away in price amoung others. Thats how many of mine got to be safe queens.

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

Maybe it because I have to many, or same models of one gun, that I don't want to shoor, don't have the time to shoot, or have the means to shoot them.

In my safe I have a 1006, 1076, a 60, 2 66's, a Browning HiPower that have never been fired, plus a bunch of others that have probably been fired but not by me.

I have certain ones that I do shoot, and do when I have the opportunity I shoot them.

 

[sureshotbob]

WHY to love ,hold and charish till death do us part !!!!
My main collection is military guns {I love the history} from the Spanish American war on up. But also have some hunting gun's and S&W Revolvers and some Colts.
p/s I have a lot of safe queens that i've just not got around to shooting yet but plan to sooner or later

 

[sipowicz]

Some people like guns but don't like the noise.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Some people collect elvis plates and put them on the wall and never eat off of them.

If I purchase something, its up to ME what I want to do with it, not what someone 'thinks' I should do with it.

 

[gunnut44]

We take them out and show them off because we can, this forum is combined with collectors and shooters some are both so if you want to show off your unfired guns or your shooters good for you.

 

[handejector]

I tell my stamp collector buddies the same thing- lick that sucker and stick it on a letter.
Coin collectors? Don't get me started.......all that good beer money languishing in a safe when there are thirsty people everywhere!

 

[rburg]

I tell my stamp collector buddies the same thing- lick that sucker and stick it on a letter.
Coin collectors? Don't get me started.......all that good beer money languishing in a safe when there are thirsty people everywhere!

Maybe I shouldn't say this on a public forum...But you're starting to make good sense.

 

[Ironhand]

I don't own a single "collector-grade" firearm.


Mine are the exact opposite, orphan shooter-grade guns that show wear, age, and that look like they've lived interesting lives. This is partly because I could not resist taking a NIB gun out and running some rounds through it, but also because my orphans were cheap. My refinished 28-2 was $375, and I probably could have gotten it for less if I was any good at haggling. Same with my Beretta 92F and Israeli light-barrel FAL. Heck, even my .22s were either found at yard sales or given to me by a friend who had kept the little bolt-action .22 in his closet so long he couldn't remember where he had gotten it.


To each their own, I guess...

 

[Andy Griffith]

What?

Because.

 

[sourdough44]

I have a fair amount I've never fired, some NIB. I see no sense in sighting in 10 deer rifles. I have my favorite one or 2 & use them. I also like to get used to the function/trigger of whatever I'm using. I've been known to use my 'shooter grades' & leave the pretty ones sit a bit.

The same thing with handguns. Why drag my close to NIB early 90's 686 out when my shooter Security-Six gets the job done.

 

[oldman45]

In 1957, a local man bought a new T-Bird. It was properly stored until 2007 when it was serviced and placed for sale with 12 miles on it. Now he paid $2100 for it and sold it for $129K to a person who also but it in storage. I wish I could have done that years ago.

My unfired guns will not do that well but I have a Model 36 snubbie I paid $127 for in 1972 and I bet I could get a lot more than that today due to being unfired. Of course, I also have a 36 that gets shot about twice a year. Then I have a 25-5 that I have a love-hate relationship with. I love the gun but the barrel is the wrong length and I hate that length. But I love the increase in value over the $175 I paid for it many years ago.

Each of us will have a favorite handgun, rifle and shotgun. Those are the guns that will be shot. Occasionally we may shoot other guns but there are some that is for investments.

 

[feralmerril]

I have several colt single actions that I bought new 30+ years ago. While I have carried them to the range in a padded case and fired them a few times I cant bare to put them in a rough leather holster and take them on a dusty trail on the ATV. Usualy a rebuilt HD converted to 44 special or a old but nice M&P tags along. Lately I bought a ruger flat top 44 special to take. Still, I am tempted to start takeing a colt.

 

[Stevie]

because when I'm broke..and cannot afford another gun..I can go to the safe..and dig out a cool rifle or handgun I have not seen in a longtime..and play with that.

I do this periodicaly..'cause I'm broke quite frequently.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I feel like the same line of logic being used here is why so many great muscle cars went into early graves. It's pretty rare to see a nice old '70 Cuda rolling down the road these days. How long will it be before it gets rare to see anyone shooting 27's and 29's at the range? Besides, if I ever do mess up and end up with a crumb snatcher of my own, it would be nice to pass along a 19 to him or her some day.

 

[oldman45]

..'cause I'm broke quite frequently.

I used to think I was broke frequently myself. Then one day an economist from Centenary College told me that broke was temporary and poor was permanant. I took a fresh look at my financial situation and learned I was not broke but rather poor.