Safe queens ?? Never ever ever fired??

[SWFan27]

While I MAY have more than a couple of "factory-fired " S&W's in the herd, any of them will someday make the range.
The only one I will not fire is this early 29-2 6.5". This one is tagged for my Grandson.

I'll get my enjoyment watching him! And,,,, maybe he'll let the old guy try it next?

My dad has the same Model 29 in the box. His Dirty Harry revolver.

 

[Valmet]

This is appropriate to this thread- The Mansfield Find. 1886 production Winchester 86 that is literally NIB.

https://youtu.be/FvycXvFmoYU?si=A56hBJgaLKSueIG3

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I admit that I have safe queens. Almost all of my guns have been fired by me or someone at some point in time but some are safe queens because I have other guns that I prefer to shoot. Nevertheless, this particular pistol came to me unfired, I bought it SOLELY for its provenance, I don't need to shoot it because I have other .380s that are not NIB, and I just wanted this as a collectible. Will anyone else care? Probably not. But I only did the deal just "because".....

Secondarily, this next gun was a gift, it's for sure been fired, but I have no intention of shooting it, I just think it's gorgeous so I like it and that's the name of that tune.

Some others fit the description, too. I like them but they're not going to be shot by me.

I know that many folks here cringe at the idea of admitting that they own a lot of guns but I'm not worried about it and I admit it and lots of them are just relaxing in peace as far as I am concerned.

 

[USBP SW]

I have a few "safe queens", however, I did not buy anything with the intention of never firing it. I have been known to acquire more than one example of something I really like, one gets shot a lot, one resides in the safe, while I try to wear the shooter out. Someday maybe I'll actually wear one out. The shooters always seem to end up with the smoothest action, makes it very difficult to retire them.

 

[Hairtrigger]

I do not have the time to shoot most of my guns. I get a kick out of digging out a gun that has not seen the light of day in years and it takes me back to the joy of when I brought it home!
I have a handful of guns that have never ever been fired quite often. If I find something like that, I will buy an identical shooter grade to keep the one that I have on fired.

 

[MetalMan]

Can I get an AMEN for his last sentence??

AMEN from Central O-H-I-O!

 

[GypsmJim]

The bottom line is it's none of my bizness what you do. Personally I don't see the logic in having something you can't use. Shooting it has no monetary effect, so what's the point? I buy stocks and gold coins to make money, but if I intend to keep a gun it's for my pleasure, not an investment.

OTOH, I DO have guns I don't shoot. Like my WW1 Artillery Luger. I HAVE shot it, but it's a jamomatic, so why bother. I could sell it and make a bundle, but it's a collectible and I like it. I DO plan to shoot it eventually.

My problem is too many toys and not enough time.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

I've had one Ruger safe queen. Just traded it to my pal. All others get shot and carried

 

[kbm6893]

The bottom line is it's none of my bizness what you do. Personally I don't see the logic in having something you can't use. Shooting it has no monetary effect, so what's the point? I buy stocks and gold coins to make money, but if I intend to keep a gun it's for my pleasure, not an investment.

OTOH, I DO have guns I don't shoot. Like my WW1 Artillery Luger. I HAVE shot it, but it's a jamomatic, so why bother. I could sell it and make a bundle, but it's a collectible and I like it. I DO plan to shoot it eventually.

My problem is too many toys and not enough time.

I'd never not shot a Glock or any other plastic gun. Even classic hammer fired guns don't hold the same collector value. Go to the online auction sight and find a new in box 5906, Sig 226, or a CZ75. Even an early 1st gen semi auto with all the papers and unfired. They won't cost as much as a never fired, in the box with all papers and tools, S&W revolver. Worst case scenario, my kids will get to sell it for 3 times what I paid for it or I sell it if I change my mind. But being unfired and in perfect condition surely adds value to it.

For me, I get pleasure in owning a cherry piece. When I want to go punch holes in paper, I have many others to choose from. If the 15-2 was my only gun, that would be a different story.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

I'll answer your question with a question OP, why does it affect us? To be fair to you, I too don't find the idea of a gun behind glass to be appealing.

That said, if someone spends their money on a gun and wants it in a display case, that's their prerogative and none of my business.

 

[Hairtrigger]

What is not to like

 

[sigp220.45]

I shoot em all, and I have a bunch. The fact is - somebody is going to shoot them. It might as well be me. I appreciate the guys who keep their pristine guns unfired so when they get pawned I can break them in.

I bought this raggedy Remington .41 derringer a while ago because I've always wanted one. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to shoot it, but I convinced a buddy to sell me some of his small stash of Navy Arms .41 rimfire. It was fun to light the old boy up again!

I have two gun nut sons and a gun nut nephew who will get whatever guns I die with. I'll probably sell most before I croak though and waste the money on a cruise or nice trip with my bride.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Shooting Guns is just like catching fish.
How many do you want to clean?
When your gun selection (collection) passes the point that you have more than you want to clean, you start to have Safe Queens.
And some you just don't want to shoot.
Like my 1926 Target.
I own several 44 Specials , I can always shoot some of the them.
Lately I've been mostly shooting 22s , 9MM and a 380.
380? Afraid so.
But recently I did shoot my 1950s Sears 20 Ga.
It's tight as a tick and ready to go!

 

[Rudi]

To quote Group Capt. Mandrake, "Shoot, with the gun, that's what the bullets are for!"

 

[RKmesa]

All of my guns WILL shoot. Many of them have been shot. Some of them have been shot a lot, and some of them have been shot very little. I do not need to shoot each of them to enjoy them thoroughly. The shooters, I enjoy for their history and function. The engraved ones, I enjoy for their artistry and beauty. The safe queens, I enjoy for the craftsmanship of a time gone by and the smile that they put on my face as I un-box them, and think of the excitement felt by the many owners of the same model opening a similar box (decades ago) for the first time and smiling at the functional beauty that is Smith & Wesson. I LOVE THEM ALL!!! Once again, I feel no compelling NEED to shoot each of them in order to enjoy them for what they are.

Shooters:




Engraved:





Safe Queen:





My $0.02,

 

[boykinlp]

What is not to like

Hairtrigger, that's an AWESOME display you have there! Do I spy a bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon in your selection?
Larry

 

[mauser9]

Sometimes depends what it is. Only closet queen I got is a 98k brought back from father. Never fired myself. Hate to risk cracking the stock on a matching example. Have seen what they sell for these days in good shape. Kinda shocked me.

 

[AJ]

Won't own a safe queen. If I can't/don't shoot it then I won't have it.

 

[TheHobbyist]

If you are doing this for a while, you will likely develop very specific tastes. Perhaps Lew Horton interests you, 5 screws, rare or uncommon variants; something, after seeing a million model 15's, model 14's, 29's, etc., again, something will stand out and be of specific interest to you.

When this happens, you may wish to buy multiples of the same variant, regardless of cost (ouch!) or the time it takes to find them--as a collector and shooter.

My current school of thought on the NIB: I will keep them this way until I retire....then shoot them and enjoy them. I'll want a LNIB or NIB variant and won't be able to find it. No worries, I got a new one and could care less if it goes down in value a bit as a result.

 

[lkabug]

I have some I shoot, some I don't and most likely never will.
As many here have noted to others, it my gun, my money. I'll do it my way.
C'est la vie.

 

[Oldsalt66]

Since none of them are historical pieces, I enjoy shooting each and every one of my firearms regardless of their rarity, cost, or collectable status.

I don't consider them to be financial investments, they're only investments for my shooting pleasure.

 

[madmikeb]

I've got a bunch of guns in my safe that haven't been fired, so I guess they would be considered safe queens. But it isn't because they won't be fired, I just haven't gotten around to it. Most of my shooting these days is in various action pistol competitions, I shoot several different guns for matches so those guns get shot a lot. I haven't hunted for years so my hunting guns are never shot anymore. The rest I'll get around to someday.

If you want to talk about guns that have only been to the range once, that's a whole 'nother story. There are more of those than any of the rest!

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Won't own a safe queen. If I can't/don't shoot it then I won't have it.

Yeah, no, there are guns that I own that I would never shoot but I like them because they're cool, like the two above, and here's two more:

I've shot derringers. Unpleasant little things.

But they're fun to show people.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

My problem is too many toys and not enough time.

There is that!!!!

But none of them are "safe queens," because I never felt the need to buy a safe.

If I didn't have a safe (1) I'd be tripping all over guns all around my house and (2) I would have lost dozens of guns in my 2018 fire but the safe protected them.

YMMV, as always.

 

[notsofast]

I have a small S&W collection, they all came to me used some "tens" some not. I enjoy shooting them all.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Who are they being saved for?
It's be a shame for them to rust away in 300 years having never been fired.

The Dalai Lama has the best answer since we are taking the S&W Forum into an area of Philosophy.

Each one of us has the correct answer and we all have to respect that.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

But none of them are "safe queens," because I never felt the need to buy a safe.

My cop opinion is you need a safe.

One night we caught a car thief and that bad guy also burglarize homes and was packing a $3000 1911 pistol. The other firearms he stole was never found but was likely used in others crimes nd tossed in the ocean.

Children and grandchildren are still killed or wounded with their parents and grandparents unsecured firearms.

 

[welldoya]

I've got several guns that I've never shot mostly because I've got similar guns that I shoot often. But I believe they were shot by previous owners.
I've got two NIB guns that I never got around to shooting.
First one is a Browning A5 magnum simply because I only bought it because it was a good deal and I don't hunt anything that requires a magnum.
The 2nd is a Browning High Power from the '80s, the last year they were were made (and assembled) in Belgium.
I've never fired it because I bought two and fire the other one.

 

[Model29-26.5]

I get it from both perspectives.
I realized, it's not that they'll necessarily never be shot, but just not while they're in your custody.

 

[raljr1]

I bought this years ago because it has my home county history engraved on it. I have never even opened the action on it. I may never. Everything else I own may get shot from time to time. If I remember to do so.