Moral Dilemma! Should I shoot it?

[nwilliams]

Ok so I've had this gun for a while now and I still havn't decided whether or not to breaker her in. She's a Tula Russian with all matching numbers, never fired (or so I was told buy the person I bought it from), so clean it looks like it was shipped from the factory yesterday. The bore is like a mirror not a single scratch other than the rifling itself. Stock is in almost perfect condition with the excception of a couple tiny scratches.

Now I've seen a lot of Russian SKS's over the year but I have yet to find one as clean as this one, so it makes me wonder should I shoot or keep it that way? I figure if want to go shoot an SKS I'll go buy a cheap Yugo for $110 at J&G and not feel the least bit guilty. Value-wise I don't think I could hurt it by shooting it, or maybe I don't know. Maybe I'm just thinking its too perrtty to shoot!

 

[doubleg]

I wouldn't shoot it.

 

[cosine]

Very nice looking wood on that SKS.

I probably wouldn't shoot her either.

 

[JShirley]

Ultimately, it just depends on your ideas about why you collect firearms. Some people I know shoot everything they have. Totally up to you- just pick the decision you're happiest with.

John

 

[Ben Hate]

its a gun, its meant to be used. take care of it and im sure it will keep looking nice. why own a car and not drive it? its not like you will be putting corrosive ammo thru it.

 

[Eightball]

Sell it, make some profit, buy one you'll shoot.

Why own a gun if it's just going to be a nifty decoration, or a mechanically complex club? Unless it's unsafe to fire, I fire all of my guns. Period. I enjoy the liberty to do so while we can, before guns are regulated to being nothing more than mantlepieces by conspicuous laws.

That, and if I wanted to look at an amazingly pristine firearm...I could scroll through here for free.

Regards.

 

[LAK]

That one looks especially nice, and as cheap as yugos are I would not shoot it .... much. I would fish around for some type specific spares in case it is ever called into serious service and needs them at some point. I would baby it; shoot it to establish zero and reliable function. Then once in a blue moon as a sort of special occasion.

I am not a collector in any sense; regardless of any temptation I do not have the wallet. Budget allowing however, I like the idea of having two, three or more of an identical type arm, holding back the best, and shooting the daylights out of the lesser examples. When the latter become uneconomical to repair - get another. And so on.

-----------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org

 

[1 old 0311]

Firearms are designed to be fired. If you want something pretty buy a picture.

 

[jd46561]

Beautiful wood, buy the yugo and shoot that instead.

 

[Cosmoline]

Does that have the 90 degree gas vent or the sloped one? I can't quite tell. If it's early enough to have a 90 degree vent then I'd just set it aside and hang onto it. The earliest Russian SKS-45's are already going up in value, and one like yours may fetch over five bills or more if you wait a bit. As things stand now, too many buyers think SKS's are all cheapo fun guns.

Also, check for the square slash rearsenal mark.

 

[AH-1]

go shoot it.we are not talking a colt here.go have some fun with your rifle.
pete

 

[de]

If you don't, someone else eventually will.

 

[Geno]

Shoot it...

Last year I bought a NIB Colt WWI reproduction #1XXX of 4,000. I debated for 1 night should I shoot it or not. I shoot it. If I don't shoot it, my wife's next husband will.

Doc2005

 

[benEzra]

My wife has a nice 1952 Tula that she shoots. As long as you use noncorrosive ammo, it won't hurt the gun, and I don't see how a claim of "never fired" would add to the value of an imported milsurp, since there is no way to know if it was ever fired in the 50-odd years before it arrived in the United States. I'm sure it was at least function tested by the factory, possibly acceptance tested by the Russian military, and (who knows) could have even fired thousands of rounds and then been arsenal refinished before it was put into storage.

The rifle's value will continue to appreciate whether or not you shoot it. Just don't do anything to irreversibly alter it (i.e., don't refinish the stock, don't reblue anything, don't drill and tap for a scope, etc.), keep it cleaned and oiled, and handle it like you'd handle a nicely finished Ruger No. 1, and you won't hurt the value at all, IMO.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

If ya don't shoot it, it is just a piece of art or an investment.
Nothing wrong with just a piece of art. Nothing wrong with an investment.
It all depends on what you got it for.
If art is what you want, hang it on the wall and let all who come see it. Or even better, donate it a museum so that the masses may view it.
If it was purchased for investment, put it in the back of the safe swaddled in something soft and protective, and let it appreciate.
If it was purchased as a weapon, shoot the dang thing. You know ya want to.

 

[DMK]

That is a very pristine Russian. With the silver bolt, it doesn't even look like it's been re-arsenaled. Normally, I'm in the guns are tools and meant to be shot crowd, but I'd put that one aside as an investment.

However, I doubt very much it is unfired. It's a military gun. Really, what are the chances it never had a round through it? It's at least been test fired and sighted. Maybe after that it was put in storage and never issued.

 

[rangerruck]

do what you feel right to do . Personally, I dont think any sks , unless it was the first one ever made, of any particlular origion, will ever be worth anything. But you do what you wanna do.

 

[Selfdfenz]

That part of the movie Open Range where they buy the Switzerland chocolate comes back to me....

S-

 

[jerkface11]

No gun is too good to shoot. You have a very nice SKS but it's still an SKS get a bunch of wolf fmj and have fun not like you'll break it.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Guns will outlast us, so you are only the temporary custodian of them.

The question is, do you want to enjoy your guns during your short lifetime, or do you want to pass down pristine guns to relatives who will in many cases hock them the first chance they get.

 

[DMK]

Personally, I dont think any sks , unless it was the first one ever made, of any particlular origion, will ever be worth anything.

Try to buy a nice Albanian, or even better a N. Korean or E. German SKS.

 

[Glockfan.45]

Thats a tough one. I only have one gun I wont shoot (its an heirloom with family history and I would never forgive myself if I damaged it). I collect for many reasons and if it were me I wouldnt shoot it. I bought a brand new Yugo never fired still in the factory grease. I shot it and kinda regret it now. If I had a Russian I think I would be happy just to fondle and look at it. Your gun though do as you wish.

 

[Jackal]

Crazy Ivan would boot you in the head, if he knew that rifle wasn't being used.

 

[imprezagm4]

Shoot it, often. No reason not to in my opinion.

 

[Technosavant]

I'd shoot it. It's pretty, but it's still a SKS; it isn't as though they are rare, even the Russians. Sure, there won't be any more imported, but we're not talking a museum piece.

I only have one gun I won't shoot anymore; there is a S&W .44 Magnum (pre-model 39) that doesn't even have a turn line etched into the cylinder finish (it is new condition, in box), and the fact that I don't want to etch that line is why it's pretty well been retired from range work (it is also a sentimental piece, having been owned by my grandfather). But I'd have to look far and wide to find another gun I wouldn't shoot for value reasons.

Ultimately, though, it's your gun. Do what you will.