I'm torn about shooting my mint condition S&W 17-4, tell me it's ok!

If it's something you're looking to pass down, shoot it with your son and grandkids- build up memories of shooting it with them. Otherwise it's just going to be that lifeless tool that sits in the safe. Stuff doesn't last- the great stuff that good memories bring do.

I can't imagine buying a gun of any kind and not shooting it. But then I've never owned a truly expensive gun so I may some day amend that statement.

Guns were meant to be shot. If you don't shoot it, somebody somewhere will and they will get that first shot satisfaction.

Your gun may well be a nice one, but it not rare and as revolvers go not a really expensive one. Gunbroker.com has a similar gun for $739.99. Shoot it and enjoy it.

Howdy

I bought this Model 17-3 brand-spanky new in 1975. That's 40 years ago! I bought it to shoot, not to look at it, not to pass it on to somebody else. Yeah, it has a bit of a turn line. So what.




Shoot it!


Don't get me wrong. I do buy old guns that I have no intention of shooting. Because I am a collector and like to add them to my collection. But we are generally talking about antiques here over 100 years old. Any modern smith, or any modern gun, I buy them to shoot, not to look at.

I would shoot it but I would make a point to ALSO shoot it at least sometimes with your children AND the grandkids! Not always with all of them but quality time with individual ones as well as "group" times... it will be worth even more to them if you do... AND your dad will be smiling down upon you also!

... are you saving it for your wife's next husband? I own everything I shoot and shoot everything I own! Lock and Load .. .

I'm not a collector at all so I don't know values. If it is worth a lot of $ in its current condition vs. shot a lot more then that would be a consideration. Sounds like from the responses that is not the case so you might as well shoot it all you want especially with the kids and grandkids.

As others have said, I would shoot it as much as I wanted too but like all of my guns, take excellent care of it.

Uh-huh !

It's a nice S&W, but it's not a mint Colt Python either. I wouldn't use it for everyday carry nor run a trap line with it, but some careful trips to the range aren't going to hurt anything.

For cryan out loud - it's a K frame chambered in .22 lr! How many rounds will it take to wear out that revolver, 5,000 , 10,000 , half a million?

Teach your children and grandchildren responsible shooting skills with the Smith , care for it dearly , preserve the box well , and rest assured that your descendants will have good use of it after your watch has ended.

To heck with preserving "lnib" status or value. The way the market for these old revolvers is going , you can't lose by going to the range. Leave them a fine functioning firearm , not a piece of unused jewelry.

CajunBass said:

I used to worry over this myself. My wife finally to told me, "When you're dead either the kids will shoot it, or they'll sell it to someone else who's going to shoot it. Might as well be you."

Made sense to me.

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Pretty much been my experience as well. But I still have perfectly new unfired revolvers as well as a couple really nice Model 17's. It is hard to choose to shoot something that you really don't need to shoot when you have others that are just as good and have been shot. Your decision.

Its a fools errand to assume that your heirs at law will covet your material possessions for more than their cash-in value.

Shoot it. Safe queens are for collectors, not shooters. It does the gun justice to be used and enjoyed by as many rounds fired as possible. You'll never wear it out. Enjoy it while you can. Just take care of it and have fun.

I never understood saving it for the next guy. Go shoot it

If it were my gun I would take it out and shoot it every chance I got.

Shoot it! Use it to teach your dad's grandkids and great grandkids how to shoot. Make your daddy proud, he wouldn't want it to languish in a safe, now would he?

It's this-away...

Your model 17 has been fired, although it is in still in near mint condition. It is not particularly uncommon, but is scarce in it's present shape. Because of this it can command a relatively high price. If you continue to shoot it, especially a lot, that value will go down, and over time sharply so.

To shoot or not too - that is the question.

Of course those that don't have a dog in this fight will tell you to shoot it, but what ever you do they have nothing to lose. You might.

On many occasions I have picked up guns that I had no intention of shooting. This because for whatever reason they had a value above what a regular shooter in slightly less condition would have.

I then turned around and sold the higher valued gun for top bucks and used part of the return to purchase another one in similar mechanical condition, but more cosmetic wear. As a shooter it would do everything the former gun could. Then I used what might be called "my profit" to buy more toys.

Now in this case they're is another complication, because the revolver was originally purchased by your Dad, and you need to give that some consideration.

But over the long run I have had many more "shooters" then I would have had otherwise because when I happened across a gun that had a higher-then-ordinary value I sold it, took my money, and ran. If someone else wants to degrade something simply because they "JUST HAVE TO SHOOT" whatever they have - well that's their business.

But I'm willing to bet I've had a lot more shooters' then they have, for the total amount of $$$$ spent.

Of course those that don't have a dog in this fight will tell you to shoot it, but what ever you do they have nothing to lose. You might.

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So it's more honorable to sell Dad's gun than to shoot it???

Why are shooters to be relegated to guns that are already halfway worn out? I don't get it.

You do this every single time. See that K-22 I posted a pic of? Same -4 as the OP. I paid the princely sum of $265 for it in the `90's. I could easily double or triple my money. Do I? No, the thought never enters my mind. Why? Because its value to me is far greater than the dollar value on the used gun market. I put my money where my mouth is, Fluffer.

Seems to me that some folks are more interested in horse trading than actually shooting.

No, I don't have a dog in this fight, but if it was mine, I would shoot it. If you intend to keep it, what does it matter what it will be worth if you don't?

Well, it depends. Are you saving it for your descendants as an investment, like an IRA, or as a memory-inducing functional firearm?

If the former, carefully place it in a dehumidified safe, and eventually the value difference from not shooting it will allow your grandkids to buy a house. Of course, it will be a Barbie house, and your great-great-grandkids can play with it.

If the latter, shoot it, use it to teach safe gun handling, bring more generations into the fold of liberty and self-reliance. keep it clean and oiled. Eventually, your great-great-grandkids can shoot it, hopefully with a story attached about you and your dad.

Having something and not using it is no fun. Enjoy it. You can't take it with you, and neither can your children, or your children's children, so enjoy it, and by example teach them how to enjoy it too.

"...has 100 rounds through it..." Means it's not "mint". Shoot it. Isn't a collector piece anyway.
"...pass down to them..." You can expect to do that with nearly any firearm in decent condition. Probably the only mass produced product you can expect to hand down. Except for a '50's vintage Frigidaire.

Shoot it WITH your grandkids! Like new, or "gem mint" as you call it isn't going to impress your grandsons much once you are gone. Be sure to repeatedly tell them about the time you and Great Grandpa bought it back in the 70s.
FWIW, I got a NIB Colt model P back in the spring, nickel .357 magnum. Is it "like new" now? Yes. Will I shoot it a few more times before retiring it to the safe or trading it? ABSOLUTELY... that's what Flitz paste is for

So it's more honorable to sell Dad's gun than to shoot it???

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What I really posted was:

Now in this case they're is another complication, because the revolver was originally purchased by your Dad, and you need to give that some consideration.

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Nowhere in that did I say or recommend that he sell the revolver.

Why are shooters to be relegated to guns that are already halfway worn out? I don't get it.

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What I described as a shooter was:

I then turned around and sold the higher valued gun for top bucks and used part of the return to purchase another one in similar mechanical condition, but more cosmetic wear. As a shooter it would do everything the former gun could.

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Some cosmetic blemishes have no affect on what kind of groups a gun will shoot, nor does some finish wear mean the gun is "already halfway wore out." In fact it may just be nicely broken in.

I put my money where my mouth is, Fluffer.

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So do I. But in the long run I get more bang's for the bucks. Incidentally I am not saving a horde of perfect guns for my great-grandchildren to enjoy, although it is a nice idea. Most of my most profitable deals take place in 5 years or less.

Seems to me that some folks are more interested in horse trading than actually shooting.

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Anyone who want's to review the some 23000 posts I've made on THR should suspect that I've done some shooting. In fact I suspect I've done a lot more then you have, simply because I've had a lot more time too do it. And I've done it with a far greater variety of guns then what I would have, if I hadn't done some skillful horse trading.

I don't give a hoot about what anyone else does with their guns, but I do contest the idea that all guns, without exception, absolutely must be taken out and fired! It's a moral imperative to do so, and a sin if you don't. In my book that's a decision that should be left to the gun owner. What I have been doing - and will continue to do - is explain another viable option.