To pretty to shoot, do you have one?

I have an Illinois Sesquicentinial Winchester 94 that my grandpa bought new in 76, the year I was born. It has never even been loaded, and still has the paper tag hanging on string from the factory.

Too pretty...

I'm of 2 minds about this. On the one hand, these firearms were well-made for the purpose of being fired, and it's a shame to just have them sitting there in a display case or wherever. On the other hand, firing the very first shot degrades a piece from "unfired," and taking out a decorated piece could result in damage to its prettiness and thus to its value.

I guess, like the decision "to bubba or not to bubba" a milsurp, it's up to the owner of the piece to choose their course of action, and live with the consequences, regardless of what others may opine.

So: Willbozz 61: What are you gonna do?? I think Floorit 76's decision has already been made.

Last summer I bought a Colt Python from a little old lady in a LGS parking lot. It was new in box only thing missing was the registration papers. I doubt it has ever been shot, and I just dont have the heart to do so with a perfectly good diamondback that I shoot regularly at hand. New guns just dont compare.

I don't own one, but there are some fancy gold inlaid shotguns I'd never touch, nonetheless fire. But I'd rather leave those guns to someone else. Give me something that I can bump against a tree without crying. That's my gun.

I'm a shooter, not a collector.

If I don't shoot it within 3 months of buying it, I might as well sell it.

Concur, concur!!

Shawn C & Arkady--My feelings exactly!!!

I guess, like the decision "to bubba or not to bubba" a milsurp, it's up to the owner of the piece to choose their course of action, and live with the consequences, regardless of what others may opine.

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I agree 100%.
I don't personally own one that I won't shoot, but I'm not saying it will never happen. I'm a history buff and gun lover both, so I'm really wanting a 1st generation Colt SAA and I can guarantee you it will never get shot, even though it's probably ok to do so with a good one.

Indiana Jones said:

It belongs in a museum

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Pesonally I love shooting guns and I love shooting pieces of history, but some guns are too old to shoot safely or have been turned into works of art by master craftsman. I love looking at these guns in museums or famous collections and would never fire one because of the risk of damage to such unique pieces.

Would I own a gun like this? Not unless I had lots of $$ or other guns to shoot. My shooting budget is tight enough, I wont even touch my art budget.

But that doesn't mean there is not a place for guns that are never shot.

I've got a bunch of guns I have either never fired, or have only fired a few rounds through. That's not to say they have never been fired before, in most cases, I don't know if they have or not. They are shall we say in very nice condition.

Does that mean I won't fire them? I don't know. I might. I might not. For example, I just bought a 2" S&W, M&P from the mid 50's, in the box, with most of the papers and stuff. I have no idea if it's ever been fired or not, but it shows no evidence of having been. There are slight burn rings on three of the cylinders, the other three are clean. There is no mark on the recoil shield. There is a VERY slight turn ring. You get the picture.

I haven't fired it yet. I don't really need to. I've got other M&P/Model 10's to shoot, and I've got a couple other "snubbies" so I know basically how it would shoot. Why "mess it up?" I know realistically, since I can't document that it's never been fired, I can't really say it, and I know that shooting it a few rounds won't really hurt it in that case, but I don't think I will. I just don't rule it out.

I too am a shooter, not a collector. I have no use for a gun that "can't be fired"......

Hand me the famous pair of George Washington's cased dueling pistols - I would load and fire them!

If I found a NIB 1953 Colt revolver, or NIB '62 Hi-Power, or whatever, it would soon have several hundred rounds through it. Those $25,00 shotguns I have no use for.

According to my Mom I inherited my Dads Winchester 94 commemoritive that he never fired. In fact it still has the "zip tie" around the action. Its a commemoritve rifle celebrating our county's centennial anniversary. Trouble is it is from the county I was born and raised in western Nebraska. I have lived in 4 other states since leaving for the Marines in 85 and do not plan on moving back. However, no matter where I live it will hang on the wall because it was my dad's. On a better and more practical note he also gave me his M1. That I have no issue shooting. (for those of you not able to see my face I am grinning ear to ear when I typed that last sentence. Kinda like a slit watermelon)

I recently saw a LNIB S&W Model 14 no dash at my LGS. It looked to be unfired without even a trace of a turnline on the cylinder. The word "pristine" came to mind with this gun and it was priced accordingly. I thought about it for a while as I had been looking for one for some time now (along with an equally nice Model 17 to go with it). I could have put it on layaway, but when it came right down to it, I thought it was too "minty" to ever consider shooting it. So I passed on it and it was gone when I went back later that same day.

Bottom line for me is that I'm more of a shooter than a collector, so while a vintage LNIB gun may be desirable and nice to look at, I have to be able to shoot it for me to truly enjoy the gun.

I have a few antique guns that I have no intention of ever firing.

No......if I wanted a gun just to look at I'd buy a picture or a non-firing replica. To me, guns are like bird dogs. It ain't how pretty they look, it's how well they get the job done. I have some guns that belonged to my Grandpa and Dad, that don't get shot outta respect for their age and fragility, but they are pretty ugly guns.

All sorts of possibilities here: commemoratives, historics, antiques too fragile to shoot, collectibles that lose value if you turn the cylinder... As has been said: some buy these types of guns, some don't.

I happened upon a 1950s-vintage Winchester 94 .30-30 some years ago. Common gun, but pristine, unfired, good price--nobody is making new 1950s' guns! So far, I've found no reason to shoot it, but plenty of reason to get it out and show people.

Maybe I'll shoot it someday. I won't own it forever--maybe the next owner will shoot it. But so far, it's been FUN not to shoot it. YMMV.

This is one of the prettiest guns we own - part of a matched set of AyAs. They've hunted in South America. Twice. But you wouldn't know it because contrary to popular belief it is actually possible to take a gun into the field, shoot lots of game, and still have it looking like it never saw anything but a few shells at the range.

Take care of it - don't do things that might mar the finish like lean it against things where it might fall or get kicked over, or place it on metal things like the hood of a truck. Treat it nicely. It'll be fine.

Now, I do have some guns that I'm not going to shoot - but it's not necessarily a function of too pretty to shoot. Some guns deserve to be retired. Some deserve to never enter service. Some deserve to be shot heavily and some deserve only limited shooting. It's a case by case thing. If you don't want to shoot it, that's up to you. Just remember, shooting it won't cause it to look raggedy. That's more a function of how you treat it when you do take it out.

In my case, I have no "need" to shoot it, the space to store it, and could never sell it. So it will sit, until I have a reason to need it. It's not like everybody hasn't already shot a 94 30-30.

I shoot it anyway........

the only guns we own that we dont shoot are antiques which are unsafe to fire. we are fortuante to have many beautiful guns including a matched pair of winchester model 21s and we shoot all of them, with care, as often as possible

I've sold a couple still NIB that I couldn't bring myself to put the first round through. The prettiest that comes to mind was a Browning BAR Mark II Safari grade with B.O.S.S. in 30.06. I literally didn't want to handle it without gloves on. The new owner was very happy to get it and I freed up room in the toybox for ones I will shoot. Now do I shoot, sell, or leave my NDM 86 NIB ?

Still haven't decided on that one.

I have a Browning White Gold Medallion A-bolt, stainless octagon barrel in 325wsm. I had my last name engraved on the bolt by Browning after purchase and it is a great looking piece. The wood is a work of art. I bought it about 4 yrs ago and I have shot it. It is a blast to shoot and have it sighted in at 200yds. I don't carry as my everyday hunter, but if I ever get to go on a big guided whitetail hunt, it will be there. I don't abuse my stuff at all, but I will not own anything that I can't shoot. I have a friend that is a notch above that. He says that he won't own a gun that he can't paddle a boat with. I believe in taking care of my guns but at least have fun with them.

kenken

I have a couple that are now too valuable to shoot. So, I shoot what is left......chris3

Nope.
If I don't carry it or shoot it regularly, I sell it and buy something I will use.