Safe Queen (collectibles)

Offhand, are you sure you have enough guns? I think you need more .... you're really .... not prepared or equipped enough .....

Offfhand said:

this Pre-WWII Super Grade, which has never been fired.

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Wow is right

What is that rifle chambered for?

This story is over the top. I was present when a pilgrim brought in one of the original Confederate made facsimiles of a Colt 1851 Navy. We did business with a gunsmith who could competently repair this revolver. The gun, overall, was in good condition to the point that it was shootable. The handgun was fixed and returned to the owner. He brought along the original holster on the second visit. It had been in the family since he Civil War. He continued this his ancestor had been an officer and allowed to bring home his sidearm. Nice story. The he added that he also had the sword. He was going to handgun and sword chrome plated. Tried to explain that plating would ruin the value. He quickly replied he had no plans to sell either. I had no chance to explain not only monetary value but historical value. By such thinking we see so many collectable firearms devastated by Bubba.

Back in the 80's I was working for a computer outfit.....I was sent to this lawyers house...or perhaps a Dr....I really don't remember now, but lets just say this guy has money.

He had a racks and racks like the photo above with the 70's but with lever winchesters.....He had some displayed in his den....he also had some in his study....they are in dark wood cases built into the wall....really thick glass, and some kind of magnetic lock....remember this is early 80's. Everything from original henry rifles up to current things....and everything in between....long, short, military...you name it.....then in the basement he had more. This was the first house I saw that had a network built into the house (coax back then).

He said his friends all "invested" in stocks, guberment bonds....that kind of things. He went to lever winchesters. And he had hundreds of them.

He shot a few of them, and as I remember he said he was working on a way to duplicate the rim fire ammo for the early guns.....he was a very cool guy, not stuck up at all....should have kept in touch with him.

I don’t think I’ve fired anything in this crate in a few years.
I love the smell when I open this crate.

Bill Raby said:

If I owned that Garand I ABSOLUTELY would shoot it. That is what guns are for. That is exactly what I have done with guns that some would consider rather collectible. And I would not give a second thought to the value. I would NOT sell it. Then I WOULD go out and buy more guns that would lose value if I shot them, then go shoot them, and not care about the value all over again. If I want a certain gun, I go buy it and not really care how much it costs either. If I like it, I don't care if I overpaid a bit. A gun that sits in the safe and never gets fired has about as much value as a gun that sits on the bottom of a lake.

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I've been discussing a related problem with my niece, who has a PhD in Urban Studies (whatever the heck that is): the concept of a house as a home vs. an investment. As with anything expensive -- and for most of us, what could be more expensive than a house -- you have to think about value. That said, I treat my house as a place to enjoy living in my own way. I guess if I moved every other year it would be a different matter, but I don't much care what the resale value of my house is after I croak, if that means I cannot use and adapt it to enjoy in my own way. That goes double for firearms -- if there is so much historical and collector value to a piece that I couldn't shoot it even once, I wouldn't keep it if you gave it to me. Some guns deserve to be kept behind glass, just not mine.

Safe queens nope, I would called them in preservation mode for future generations, in the mean time just a beautiful admiration of how technology and ingenuity evolve.

GunnyUSMC
When I told the wifey about getting a crate of K-98 Mauser rifles she said to me unless you want to sleep on the patio.
Beautiful picture some straight and bent bolt action there.

P5 Guy said:

All get regular exercise. Garands, Mausers, Walther, Luger, & M1903A3

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A perfect framed picture.
No better combination, just a Colt is missing.

Dave DeLaurant said:

That said, I treat my house as a place to enjoy living in my own way. I guess if I moved every other year it would be a different matter, but I don't much care what the resale value of my house is after I croak, if that means I cannot use and adapt it to enjoy in my own way. That goes double for firearms -- if there is so much historical and collector value to a piece that I couldn't shoot it even once, I wouldn't keep it if you gave it to me. Some guns deserve to be kept behind glass, just not mine.

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I have moved around fifty times. My little $26k place is expendable. If I inherited a mansion I would sell it.
Likewise, if I wound up with the firearm equivalent of a mansion I would sell it to someone that valued it and buy something that I could enjoy.

I enjoy watching paints at museums as well, if I have the money I will buy them too.
Since I am a technology inclined person metals and machinery bring the evolution to my hand for joy.

Dave DeLaurant said:

I've been discussing a related problem with my niece, who has a PhD in Urban Studies (whatever the heck that is): the concept of a house as a home vs. an investment. As with anything expensive -- and for most of us, what could be more expensive than a house -- you have to think about value. That said, I treat my house as a place to enjoy living in my own way. I guess if I moved every other year it would be a different matter, but I don't much care what the resale value of my house is after I croak, if that means I cannot use and adapt it to enjoy in my own way. That goes double for firearms -- if there is so much historical and collector value to a piece that I couldn't shoot it even once, I wouldn't keep it if you gave it to me. Some guns deserve to be kept behind glass, just not mine.

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My home is also a place where I live the way I like. I do know the resale value of it, but have no plans to sell it. I’ll most likely give it to my daughter. I’m the same way with my guns. Most are worth more then I’ve paid for them, but I have no plans to sell them yet. I’ll most likely give a few of them away to some friends.
There’s nothing wrong with the guy that want a gun just to look at. Just as there’s nothing wrong with the guy that buys them just to shoot them.
The main thing is that we all enjoy owning guns. Maybe not in the same was, but we still enjoy them.

czhen said:

GunnyUSMC
When I told the wifey about getting a crate of K-98 Mauser rifles she said to me unless you want to sleep on the patio.
Beautiful picture some straight and bent bolt action there.

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I wish that crate was full of K98s. But there are a few odd ones in it.
The crate holds 15 rifles. The bad part is that I have over 60 different Mausers. I might just have to build some copies of the crate.

Same concept here, sometimes I don't shoot them, sometimes I do, sometimes just build them made me happy, clean them and maintain them too.
My vision got deteriorated to compete, but enough to shoot some, enjoy them and visiting war museums wherever the chief in command (wife) drive me.

theotherwaldo said:

I have moved around fifty times. My little $26k place is expendable. If I inherited a mansion I would sell it.
Likewise, if I wound up with the firearm equivalent of a mansion I would sell it to someone that valued it and buy something that I could enjoy.

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You'd make a great Buddhist -- and that's meant as a compliment! I can see the advantages of your lifestyle. It's probably not so healthy to get so hung up on some possessions as I am, since life is transitory and entropy always wins, but with some things I can't help it.

I currently live in the house my father built ten years before I was born, and while I moved around between rentals while my folks were still living, it's hard for me to think of any other place as home. Even the street I live on is called Home Avenue.



Every time I enter the private mancave I built in the backyard after I retired, I get a genuine taste of that died-and-gone-to-Heaven feeling:



I feel the same way about my house as I do about the first rifle dad gave me when I turned 16, and maybe a handful of other possessions ( I made a list once). If I was given a mansion, I'd probably also sell it, stay where I am, and buy more neat firearms that I can enjoy shooting. I'm glad some guys collect arms, I'm just not one of them.

Dave DeLaurant said:

You'd make a great Buddhist -- and that's meant as a compliment! I can see the advantages of your lifestyle. It's probably not so healthy to get so hung up on some possessions as I am, since life is transitory and entropy always wins, but with some things I can't help it.

I currently live in the house my father built ten years before I was born, and while I moved around between rentals while my folks were still living, it's hard for me to think of any other place as home. Even the street I live on is called Home Avenue.

View attachment 839671

Every time I enter the private mancave I built in the backyard after I retired, I get a genuine taste of that died-and-gone-to-Heaven feeling:

View attachment 839669 View attachment 839670

I feel the same way about my house as I do about the first rifle dad gave me when I turned 16, and maybe a handful of other possessions ( I made a list once). If I was given a mansion, I'd probably also sell it, stay where I am, and buy more neat firearms that I can enjoy shooting. I'm glad some guys collect arms, I'm just not one of them.

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I was going to poke fun at you for the kitten calendar in your man cave, but decided not to. I have a cat sitting in my recliner with me right now.

lionking said:

One on top looks like a Spanish 1916, some others look like VZ24, which if they are finding in very good to excellent condition with lion crest intact is hard to find.

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You are correct. That is a 1916 Spanish Mauser. It is chambered in 7.62x51 and has a Civil Guard crest.


The others are a Russian captured K98 and three VZ24’s. One of the VZ’s has a Lion crest, one has a scrubbed lion crest and the other is a INSTRUCTIE rifle with a 1938 crest.

Now THIS is a safe queen...... O3 serial # 1. Still trying to get the boss to open the cabinet and let me drool on it.

tark said:

Now THIS is a safe queen...... O3 serial # 1. Still trying to get the boss to open the cabinet and let me drool on it.

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That is cool, Dave. Thanks for the post! I was aware of the story of Springfield Armory # 1 and it is a miracle that that gun ever found its way home.

lionking said:

One on top looks like a Spanish 1916, some others look like VZ24, which if they are finding in very good to excellent condition with lion crest intact is hard to find.

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Here’s a post I did on the INSTRUCTIE VZ24 rifle. It’s been a safe queen since I got it.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/romania-instructie-rifle.822750/

Just another Safe Queen..

I just don’t have any adjectives left other than words that don’t work on The High Road

Bill Raby said:

If I owned that Garand I ABSOLUTELY would shoot it. That is what guns are for. That is exactly what I have done with guns that some would consider rather collectible. And I would not give a second thought to the value. I would NOT sell it. Then I WOULD go out and buy more guns that would lose value if I shot them, then go shoot them, and not care about the value all over again. If I want a certain gun, I go buy it and not really care how much it costs either. If I like it, I don't care if I overpaid a bit. A gun that sits in the safe and never gets fired has about as much value as a gun that sits on the bottom of a lake.

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Bill, I think you and Billie Pyle must be twins that were separated at birth. Billie Pyle own's Model Shop Garand, serial #5 , that was John Garand's personal rifle. It was the first M-1 assembled into a working rifle. That gun would bring way up into six figures if it ever came up for auction.

And he shoots it.once a year a bunch of collectors that own gas trap M-1s get together and put a few rounds through their incredibly valuable guns. They agree with you.