Should I fire it?

[paul s]

Shoot it and tell fellow shooters at the range about your special friend.

 

[Irate45]

I vote with the shoot it crowd.

What better way to remember your friend.

2x paul s.

 

[mtnmike]

Thanks to all for your collective wisdom. I will be running a few cylinders through it on Father's Day.

To you retired PAs, I'm a puppy by your standards; 510, TCA/NGL, SPW.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

if you don't shoot and enjoy it. You're just a warehouse for the next owner.

 

[AlHunt]

Thanks to all for your collective wisdom. I will be running a few cylinders through it on Father's Day.

To you retired PAs, I'm a puppy by your standards; 510, TCA/NGL, SPW.

Good call, I think. It's not a half million dollar gun, it's a thousand dollar gun. Even if it was a no-turn-line, never fired gun, any value lost by carefully firing it amounts to a couple weeks worth of lunch money.

 

[ronbwolf]

My best friendy, and shooting partner for 35 years, left me 2 scout rifles when he passed. I take one of them, that he hunted with on several hunting trips together, out on the first day of deer season, every year, as a momento to hunting with him.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[GerSan69]

I would take it to the range and shoot a cylinder or 2 of some light loads, clean it up, and keep it in safe and maybe just take it out once or twice a year in his memory. Call it a safe queen that occasionally gets fired.

mtnmike, Congratulations on your Retirement!!!
nate-dogg here beat me to it. First thing I thought when I read your post was exactly what he wrote. Only thing I'll add is make a toast in his honor afterward with your favorite adult beverage.
Again, Congratulations.

 

[jcs266]

A special gun, enjoy it and remember your friend. My guns all get used or I don't keep them. Collecting just isn't my thing. Guns are meant to shoot, I don't look at them as a retirement plan.

 

[Indianation65]

Guitar players detest when a rich dude gets hold of a vintage guitar, then has a cabinet built and uses the guitar as a show-piece in his office.
Play the guitar, sweat on it, break the strings, if the axe gets scuffed and dented, it will live on. Guitars are meant to be played and scarred!

As for firearms, don't be just another rich dude. Load it, draw it, aim it and shoot it!

Addendum: It's your choice...all the best! IN65

...!!!

 

[oysterer]

you know your friend and I would venture to say he would have wanted you to shoot it. As much as you want.

As was said, it's not a collectable and much more meaningful for you and the memory of him when you take it out.

You really care if your decedents 1 day get 100 more or less for it. Likely they will also tell you: Shoot it, enjoy the memory it will bring.

 

[gfors]

I would take family and close friends to the range with it (if they are safe and can be trusted to treat the gun very carefully). Lay down a soft towel over the shooting bench at the range, so it doesn't get marred, when you set it down. Let each shoot a few or many rounds, clean it, and put it away. Rinse and repeat as special occasions, or nostalgia dictate.

 

[RangerRWB]

Yesterday, I was treated to a retirement party at my office, and was gifted this beautiful S&W 586, INS Centennial Edition. The previous owner was my good friend who had retired from the same station a few years back, but was lost to cancer shortly afterward. We both started our careers (Border Patrol) under INS, before Homeland Security existed, although he began 15 years before me.

I am torn as to how I should treat this beautiful revolver. On one hand, it is collectible, and thus valuable. On the other hand, I don't normally keep a safe queens, and I'd like to shoot it in memory of my friend.

As fellow caretakers of all things S&W, what do you think I should do? Take it to the range? Or store it?

The first photo is of the 586, the second is an old one of my late friend with a marijuana load he had seized, a LONG time ago.

If I were in your shoes, I would wax it down with Renaissance micro-crystalline wax, buff it to a mirror shine and take photos of both sides on a blue background. Then I'd have the photos framed alongside the picture of your friend and hang it somewhere that you can see it every day. I'd keep the revolver locked in the safe except for one day a year - your choice - when you take it out and put one round down range for each year you knew him. Then clean it, wax it and put it back until next year. Last but not least, since none of us are getting any younger, make sure you decide where it goes when you pass. Thank you for your service, sir.

 

[rvolvr]

I say don't shoot it. Why? Your friend clearly didn't if you say it's unfired, and it will never be as nice again if you do. I'm sure you have other guns to shoot.

I have a looks to be never fired 15-2 in the box with all the tools. I bought it right before Covid for $575. I haven't shot it yet. I doubt I ever will. I have other K frames to blast away with. It's not about investment, although I'd surely get more for the gun now than I did when I bought it. It's just that shooting it will mean it will never be as nice as it is now.

Then again, when I got it I of course checked out some YouTube videos. Came across one where a man in his 30's was shooting his Dad's never fired model 15-2 after his dad died. The poster commented on how special it was to fire his father's prized possession, but how it would have been more special if he had memories of them shooting it together, so my mind might change.

To KBM and the OP, I'll offer up a question which I ran into some time ago on another forum: Would you save your girlfriend for the next guy?

 

[Travis Montana]

I am in the shoot it corner. I would. Congratulations on retirement and thank you and your friend for your service on what can be a difficult job at times.

 

[Fishjager]

I think that 586's are not going down in value. I would shoot it every once in a while. Hard decision though.

 

[Birdhunter6]

It's obviously a lifetime keeper. It's YOURS. Shoot it, maintain it properly and it will not be worth any less when your heirs get it

 

[shawn mccarver]

As to your "shoot it or not" question, one way to honor your friend is to do what he did. If, for him, it was kept as a keepsake and not fired, perhaps he intends you to be its caretaker.

 

[Dave.357]

I still have a few that have not been fired since they left
The factory. But to really enjoy it you
will have to shoot it.
Just my $.02 worth.

 

[Joe Lovell]

Fire Away!

My guess is, this gun will be with you the rest of your life. Who cares if it get fired a few times or a few thousand? Your friend thought enough of you to leave it to you. Enjoy it!

 

[Tanners Owner]

I shoot all my guns. I have many " pedestrian " guns that are readily available, and others that are rare. None are so rare, unique that I keep just to look at and admire. ( if I did, I'd sell it for something I'd shoot).

IMO, guns are made to be shot.

That said, do what makes you happy.