[10-Ring]

I know guys that save for along time for their dream gun & when they get it, never use it becuase they don't want to mess it up. Or, they send out a gun, get some new springs, new grips and nicely refinished and never shoot it becuase now it's too pretty to shoot or carry every day :what: ?
So, what's the deal??? When deos a gun become too nice to shoot?


Oh, by the way, I don't have a gun like this...I shoot'em all on a regular basis...from my P7M8, my semi custom 1911, to DW Classic...they all get used :D ;)

[BobMcG]

I don't have any guns like that either!

[Larry E]

It'd sure be nice to be able to afford guns that are just kept in the safe to increase in value or whatever, but I buy guns to shoot, and shoot all of mine.

[Crosshair]

That is why I buy the lower grade C&R guns. Not only are they less expencive. They arn't "too nice" to shoot.

[BullfrogKen]

I guess something historical, or truly unique and irreplaceable might fall into that category. "Dad's gun", a Colt of limited run (truly limited and an actual collector piece, rather than simply an assertion by a seller), or something too old to use safely and has earned a retirement might be examples.


All mine are tools. Even the really expensive ones. . .

[10-Ring]

I know a couple guys who have bought guns for show - and never understood why??? :confused:
I have more fun shooting than dust collecting :evil: I like getting dirty vs. taking care of the honey do's :neener:

[M2 Carbine]

I'm a shooter, not a collector but I do have a few guns I haven't shot (yet).

Recently I bought a EG Makarov that a dealer had refinished for a personal gun.
I'm not a big fan of chrome guns but the finish on this one is the best I've ever seen. I probably won't shoot this one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/Bell406_206B/Makchrome.jpg

[deadin]

Out of production for at least 30 o 40 years and 98% or better original condition.

Dean

[Geronimo45]

Too pretty to shoot? Well, if looks could kill... why not let 'em?

[Crosshair]

Yea, I think that is under "too nice to shoot" catagory M2 Carbine.

[DRMMR02]

If it has significant historical value, it should be in a case or something. But any modern production weapon should be used IMO. I'm not gonna buy a new weapon, put time and energy into, just to have it look pretty. Guns are tools used for jobs and for fun. The only gun I would never shoot is one that has historical value. I'm not a big fan of fancy guns. I like rugged non-chromed, poly framed workhorses. Guns with engravings or nice wood stock long guns just don't do anything for me.

[White_Wolf]

M2 Carbine, let me just say: That's a beautiful gun.

Well, even though I don't own a gun yet, I have come across this question in my mind. I think about how expensive a gun is, and then realize that using it will scratch it up, dropping it could really mess it up.

So logically I should opt for a cheap gun build tough and ugly. I can find cheap guns, I can find ugly guns, but I have no idea what makes a gun tough, other than an aesthetic appearance of thickness. But of course, those aesthetic appearances can easily be deceiving in a machine.

I am naturally drawn to things of beauty, and want my first gun to be my main gun for life, and I want it to be... dare I say it, pretty. :o

I've even been looking at grips and gun paint, all in an effort to create my perfect gun. Paint just doesn't look right on a gun. A gun IMO should look either like a sexy and sleek chrome sculpture, or a big chunk of heavy duty steal. You start painting them yellow and red and they look like squirt guns.

Speaking from a logical angle, a gun becomes too nice to use when it has a strong sentimental value, or is a limited edition gun that is guaranteed to increase in value, or if you happen to come across an historic peace. Aside from limitation and sentimental value, the only other excuse is that you haven't the money to replace such an expensive beast if this one was ruined. But, you should never buy a gun of that magnitude to begin with.

What I'm saying is; if after shooting your wife's boyfriend, you just don't think you could throw that gun in the lake and say good bye forever, than you shouldn't have bought the gun in the first place :neener:

[Standing Wolf]

I shoot them all. That's not to say I shoot them all all the time, but now and then.

[1911 guy]

After all, I've been over the age to not be trusted for several years now, and just added another wrinkle, I mean notch, to the belt on the 26th. Where's my liniment, Mabel?

I had a few rifles that I never shot much. They were range only guns, I think if I'd scratched them I wouod have contemplated a long walk off a short pier. Those days are gone. I still appreciate the artistry that goes into a fine firearm, but I view them more as tools. If they look good doing their job that's wonderful. But I'm not going to let looks get in the way of performance.

[Barr]

95% of my guns are workhorses and are used as such. I try to baby them as much as I can by avoiding scratches etc but in the end they are just tools.

This does not mean that I will take my semi-custom target 1911 hiking. I would carry my stainless steel Redhawk. Just use common sense and the guns will last a lifetime.

[BobMcG]

What I'm saying is; if after shooting your wife's boyfriend, you just don't think you could throw that gun in the lake and say good bye forever, than you shouldn't have bought the gun in the first place

Say what? Where'd that come from?

[kthomk]

Having a gun and not shooting it. HUH??? I am sure some people have a nice gun that they don't shoot. Not for me though. A new gun for me doesn't wait long to digest some ammo!

[cortez kid]

I admit that I have a few that I won't shoot. Oh well my stuff. But as a concelation, I usually buy another like it or close so I can fire. Tha'ts why I have 2 1917"s, the Colt is too nice, but the Smith is a killer. Yes I do have guns for my kid and yes they will shoot them. No they won't sell and even if they do, it won't be all of them. They appreciate what's comming to them.
kid

[M2 Carbine]

Some people just like to have guns but very seldom ever shoot.

A good friend is like that. You would not believe the number of unfired guns he has. Not your fancy collectors type guns but NIB 1911 Colts, Kimbers, etc. Recently he bought a new Bushmaster M4 and is looking for a nice scope for it but I doubt that he will ever fire it. Now he's looking to buy a M1A at the next gun show.

Not me.
It's very seldom that immediately when I get home I don't shoot my new gun purchase (backyard range).:)

[Vitamin G]

I wouldn't say "too nice", but perhaps "Potentially Valuable".

I recently was able to score a H&K p7 for about $750, LNIB. Very nice, no wear on the gun, anywhere. I had heard such crazy good things about them, that it stuck with me like a bug in my ear, and i just had to go and pick it up.
I took it to the local private range, that advertised that the indoor range was open to the public (I couldn't join at the time because I wouldn't be able to make the mandatory meetings, per the website, due to my schedule as a therapist for teens with D&A issues, but whatever), and was told "oh yeah, its open to the public, but only on thursdays from 5-7. huh???
Not wanting to wait, I drove an hour to the state gamelands range, and shot about 75 rounds through it. I wouldn't say its a bad gun, its actually a very nice gun, but I was far from needing the change of pants I had brought along with me, as so many people led me to believe that I would require immediately after shooting a mag through it.

Its currently sitting in my parent's safe, which is far more safe\hidden than mine in my apartment, waiting for it to appreciate. Its not that its too NICE, its just too potentially valuable. I see what they'll go for on gunbroker half the time.

Stocks and bonds are boring anyways, and I can't start my 401k until november.

[Blacklabman]

I once collected very nice O/U and SxS shotguns, that I hardly ever/never shot them.
Then one day it occured to me, that my not using them was silly. Firearms are made to be enjoyed.

[FrogClan]

So, what's the deal??? When deos a gun become too nice to shoot?

When it becomes irreplacable.

I shoot all of my guns. But there are some that get carefully carried to the range in fleece lined cases, laid on soft towels at the bench, and handled so as to minimize the risk of nicks, dings, and scratches. And then there are those that get thrown behind the seat of the truck, or which suffer the hoslter wear that goes with constant use.

I don't buy guns with the idea that they are collectibles and "too nice to shoot", or to treat roughly, but sometimes they get that way all on their own. Back in 1968 I paid $125 for a spanking new Gold Cup. Used it like it was meant to be used for years and then one day realized just how much they are worth nowadays. Ditto for the Browning High Power (FN P35) I bought back in 1978. They still get used, but not often and get careful handling when they do.

[Marshall]

I'm guilty.

I have some guns that I shoot very rarely, for that very reason. It doesn't bother me, I enjoy having some nice peices that are as NIB.

[ChopperKen]

My friend has a few guns that most would say are to nice to shoot.
I almost had a stroke when he handed me a old Seiko 6ppc in a presentation
grade stock( I knew he didn't even let anyone touch it) and told me to load it up to shoot pop cans at 450 yards.:eek:
And he told me to use his model 70(mid 50's)243 target rifle in perfect cond.
to hunt with one year cause he wanted it to harvest some meat:)
Having a friend like him is fun:D
I myself have no real pretty guns like that, Just working guns in good shape.:o

[bakert]

I might not shoot a true antique front stuffer but then I'll probably never own one. Any cartridge gun living in my house is gonna be fired. Them that can't be or shouldn't be will be gone shortly.

[P97]

I shoot everything I have. Shooting and cleaning them keeps them working. I have some made in the early 1900's.

[LkWinnipesaukee]

Being a kid.........when you bought it with your own hard earned money


(that is, your daddy bought it and you paid the electric bill for a few months:neener: )

[dragongoddess]

There is a Python at the gun shop that I wouldn't shoot. It's so perfect I wouldn't want to take the chance of damaging it. It would definatly be a safe queen.

[RH822]

A gun is an object that can be decorated like anything else, I know some people are master engravers and put a lot of time, skill and effort into decorating gun to a point where it becomes "art". But to me it still a gun first and I would shoot it.

RH

[Zundfolge]

I can't imagine owning a gun I'd never shoot, but I can think of quite a few guns I want to own that even though they would make good carry pieces I would NEVER consider carrying (an HK P7M10 comes to mind).

I've got a few guns that are somewhat collectable ... now I don't take them to the range every time and shoot them, but they get shot once in a while.


I guess the only reason I'd own a gun that I wouldn't shoot is if it was of some particular historical importance (like one of Patton's Colts or something).

[deadin]

I guess if some of the skeet/trap shooters can shoot their $15,000 - $20,000 Perazzi's and such, taking a chance of turning a $15,000 -$20,000 collectible Colt C&B into a pile of junk with a catastrophic failure isn't beyond reason.:neener: I wouldn't do it, but some do.

[Lone_Gunman]

If you are just going to look at them, an admission ticket to a gun museum is a whole lot cheaper.

Always remember, guns want to be shot.

[Old Fuff]

The Old Fuff has worked both sides of the street for fun and profit.

In evaluating a purchase I ask myself, “does it have any potential as a collectable, and if so, how much.” Having done my homework I look at what it is, what condition is it in, and do I have anything else where the sum of the two pieces would be more then their individual value. At the same time I’m thinking, “as a shooter, how good would it be?” In many cases to be collector grade the gun must be like new, and new-in-the-box is even better. If that is the case, and I choose to buy it, it will become a safe queen, and I will eventually sell it for more (sometimes much more) then I paid for it. Here the object is to make money – that can be turned around to buy more guns. Money may be evil, but it’s handy to have around. :evil:

On the other hand, if the gun has little or no collector’s value, and is unlikely to ever have, at least in my lifetime, then it will be evaluated as to its prospects as a shooter. I often look for guns that have problems that I can fix, but be purchased at a substantially reduced price. When it comes to being a tightwad nobody, and I mean nobody can beat out the Old Fuff. In this context new guns seldom interest me because they represent paying the most for the least. I can do much better buying like-new used ones, or damaged goods that I can repair.

Two examples: Recently I won at auction, a Colt Police Positive revolver chambered to use everybody’s favorite cartridge – the .38 S&W (not Special). Not exactly a hot collectable, and certainly not a likely shooter. Had the Old Fuff lost his mind? Well not quite...

The gun was to all appearances unfired, with at least 99% of its original finish. The serial number indicated it was one of a handful that were assembled in 1942 during World War Two. Given its condition and the story behind it I can probably double my investment.

About the same time I picked up an S&W K-38 Masterpiece for peanuts because it only had about 70% of the original finish, look doggy, and had aftermarket rubber grips. Shoots like a house afire though. Tight as a bank vault and a first class tack driver. The grips were quickly taken care of, and the missing finish doesn’t matter.

Like I said, the Old Fuff works both sides of the street... :D

[aspen1964]

...if I have no intention to sell, then I will shoot it...I will do my best to treat it carefull, preserving it's beauty, but it will get shot...I don't buy for investments...and since I cannot preserve ME, all material posessions get less conseideration....I have no relatives with guns to bequeath to me, so that doesn't matter...it would be a gun for me, so I buy guns fore me to enjoy and shoot...easy to understand isn't it?..I shower daily, so no aroma is coming from me...

[deadin]

Do I detect a slight stench of hypocrisy here?:what:
Great Aunt Matilda gives you a verifiable unfired WW1 Luger.
I will offer you $5,000.00 for it. However, if you fire it, I will only pay $1,000.00
Are you going to stand behind your words and take it out and shoot it, or sell it to me?
If you are wealthy enough that you can blow off $4000.00 just to fire it, we can always raise the stakes and make it an early Colt SAA, say $20,000 Vs $5,000 or something even more pricey.
My point being that there are guns that are just too nice or too valuable as collector pieces to shoot. You would be better off selling them and buying lesser gun for shooting. But that goes against the philosophy of “Guns are made to shoot, so I will shoot them”:D :evil:

Dean

[browningguy]

Here's one I've never shot, I've also got a plain blued model that I shoot all the time. Renaissance grade Browning 1910/71

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/jcm9371/Pistols/1971Browning.jpg

[Jamie C.]

Being the crazy type ( and having a mean streak ) I'd fire the Luger.
Hell, I've never fired a four thousand dollar bullet before... and seeing the look on Deadin's face would probably be worth it all by it's self.

For me, there's no such thing as a gun that's too nice to shoot, a car that's too expensive to drive, or a woman that's too pretty to.... Well, you get the idea. ;)



J.C.

[deadin]

and seeing the look on Deadin's face would probably be worth it all by it's self.

It probably would be.:D (But it might not be the one you expect:eek: )

How about the $15,000 loss on the Colt? Or seeing as how that's very unlikely to happen, it's easy to say you would.:evil:

Dean

[Jamie C.]

Dean, given the ungodly amount of money people are known to spend doing all sorts of silly things, I think I'd quite easily "blow" even 15 or 20 grand if it were a case of me not having to actually cough up the money myself.

Now, if I were going to have to pay that much to shoot it, well, that's another matter.

Besides, unless I've got intentions of reselling the gun, it has no real value at all except for what I assign to it. And given that I don't own guns for the purpose of resale... *shrug*



J.C.

[Old Fuff]

Jamie C.:

Looking at it from my perspective, folks like you are very useful. Every time someone takes a mint collectable and degrades it by shooting, the remaining ones (including mine) become worth more to some big-spending collector. Since collectables are usually, if not always, discontinued models the number in collectable condition is limited and as the number goes down the remainder become worth more.

So shoot away... :evil: :D

[Heavy Metal Hero]

I'll take a reliable, ragged beater gun that can save my life to a $5000 queen safe. Beauty is in use and function, not looks.

[Old Fuff]

Ah... Hero....

The profit I've made selling collectables has more then paid for my beater shootables. I've gotten a whole lot of free guns that way, and some of them aren't beaters.... :scrutiny: :D

Ya' don't like free guns... :evil:

[danang]

I'd hate to have a high grade 1911 that I was using for self defense confiscated by the constabulary because I had to use it, and have them keep it for years until the case came to trial...maybe get it back as new and maybe trusty-rusty beat up in the holding cage. Probably want a reliable beater for that duty.

[jeepmor]

I think of them as tools, and all my tools get used. That's why I buy them. However, if I was fortunate enough to find a Bren Ten in any shape, it would be difficult for me to just "plink it" as I'd worry about ruining the value.

But then again, what value is it to me hidden away in a safe. For this reason, I don't buy these guns as of yet. I have been considering getting some rare finds for the longterm investment since I see 10mm prices rising and I've only been watching them for a year or so.

Other guns, I doubt it, I've got too many other hobbies and better things to invest my money in like my home that will provide a better long term return.

Because if I don't feel comfortable shooting it, it will reside in a safe place and simply appreciate as my investments do.

jeepmor

[Richard Simmons]

I used to shoot everything but now that I've acquired some older stuff, mostly S&W that is NIB or LNIB I tend to admire them and shoot my other stuff. I mean why shoot a 40 year old S&W J frame that hasn't been fired since it left the factory when you've got something just about like it that has some honest wear already? Different ways to enjoy different things

[GEM]

When you take it apart and then you can't get it back together! :uhoh:

[beardxxxd]

Sounds similar to a mid aged man buying a vette and never taking it over 3k on the tach.

Shoot it like you stole it, or so the saying goes.

[Nooge]

If it's an oddball gun, check around before you shoot it.

I picked up a very cool Remington 51 pistol (kinda sorta looks like a PPK) which has a separate breechblock which is known to be fragile. At about 100 rounds, sure enough, it cracked. Replacements, *IF* you can find them, fetch around $100. So now I have a safe *er* parts queen.

Afterwards I read that while they are nice to look at, DON'T shoot them, for that very reason.