To shoot or not to shoot

[EIB0879]

Not animals. I have a Arkansas State Police 50th anniversary S&W 586 revolver manufactured in 1985. I inherited it from my father, a retired ASP Sgt in 1996 when he died of cancer. He had told me to hang on it and not shoot it because it might be worth a lot some day.

It has been in my safe for 22 years, unfired and in new condition. I don't intend to sell it and it will be passed down to my kids one of these days. Recently I have read that those commemoratives don't demand a premium price anyway.

I'm trying to decide whether to take it out and shoot it. I really haven't come up with a good reason not to. I rarely ask for other opinions, but I am now.

Thanks!

 

[ColtPythonElite]

You read correctly. Commemeratives do not demand a premium. I wouldn't pay more for one, but would actually pay less....Shoot it...No need to not to if you don't view it as an investment you plan to sell...Why save it for the next guy?

 

[RPZ]

Shoot it. Alittle, once in awhile. When you pass it down to your kids, it'll have that much more value to them.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I have a hand-me-down rifle from my grandfather. It's a babied Rem700 from back in the day with the nice wood and bluing. I didn't want to use it and talked to my dad about it.

He said, "Your grandfather was a practical man who didn't buy things unless they had a purpose. He'd want you to use it and not waste it. Just think of him when you shoot it". I can think of no better way to honor a loved one than an easy range day thinking of the good ole days.

Like ColtPythonElite said, don't save it for the next guy.

 

[bannockburn]

EIB0879

I'm with ColtPythonElite; since you're keeping it in the family there's really no reason to keep it unfired as a future collectible. Take it out, shoot it, and enjoy it; do so in memory of your father.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I’ll be the odd man out and say honor your dads wishes.

You’ve had it this long. Why shoot it now?

That said, it’s your gun and if you want to shoot it, then shoot it. Just know the pros and cons and decide logically not emotionally.

 

[Legionnaire]

Put me in the "shoot it" camp. It's a gun. It wants to be shot.

 

[EIB0879]

Thanks all for the input.

Hokie- my father said not to shoot it because he thought it might be worth a lot being a commemorative, I believe. Otherwise, I believe he would be in the shoot it camp. I'll be 60 on my next birthday and I have recently asked myself why I haven't done some things I wanted to. This is one of those.

 

[WestKentucky]

A mans word is worth so very little these days. You told him you would keep it, and would not shoot it, keep your word. Use it as a tool to which you can impress that quality among your kids, grandkids, etc, that you do as you say you will. It doesn’t matter if it’s worth as much as a gallon of gas or if it’s worth as much as car consuming the gas. Honor your dads wishes, make him proud.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Shoot it. The 586 is a great revolver and needs to fulfill its purpose.....

 

[rust collector]

Back in those days we thought we knew more than we did about gun values. And they're proof/function fired anyway, so enjoy that gun. It was designed to hold up better with hard use and heavy loads than the smaller-framed model 19 and 66.

 

[johnandersonoutdoors]

He had told me to hang on it and not shoot it because it might be worth a lot some day.

Maybe I am looking at this through a very narrow lense, but the way EIB0879 described it in the OP, I don't think it was his father's wish. It was a suggestion on the assumption that it could be worth a lot one day if left unfired. The fact that he was thinking that it could be very valuable one day, also leads me to believe that his Dad would be fine with him selling it (although I see EIB0879 doesn't intend to), because the gun having a high value does nothing for EIB0879 unless he were to sell it one day and realize that gain/value.

That said, it’s your gun and if you want to shoot it, then shoot it. Just know the pros and cons and decide logically not emotionally.

Maybe I am being a curmudgeon today, but I think this is backwards. Thinking about it emotially might lead a person to set the gun aside and do nothing with it. Thinking about it logically, now knowing it isn't extra valuable, then enjoy it by shooting it.

 

[jmorris]

Only reason I can think of not to shoot it would be because he asked you not to.

That said I have guns I never shot either, some I bought just to have or for looking at. Like works of art but neater looking and cheaper....

 

[FROGO207]

Why hold onto it hoping it will become valuable one day hoping your kids will do the same thing. If you shoot it with them then it will be a special family treasure to be handed down and used lovingly along with the story of how it came to the present owner. Not something to be sold when someone finally realizes it never will be all that valuable and worth keeping.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

It’s worth more unfired. Once you start shootings it the value will start to drop. Know, is it the only L fram 357 you have? And are you dying to shoot it?
Myself, I wouldn’t fire it because, I have other guns to shoot.

 

[red rick]

He asked you not to shoot it , so give it to one of your kids and let them shoot it if they will take care of it .

 

[readyeddy]

If my old man said don’t shoot it, then I wouldn’t shoot it.

 

[rskent]

I rarely ask for other opinions, but I am now.

I would talk it over with my kids and see how they thought about it. If they were cool with it, I would get together with them and shoot it together. Call it a celebration of Dad’s life or something.

 

[tark]

Why hold onto it hoping it will become valuable one day hoping your kids will do the same thing. If you shoot it with them then it will be a special family treasure to be handed down and used lovingly along with the story of how it came to the present owner. Not something to be sold when someone finally realizes it never will be all that valuable and worth keeping.

Amen to this. But it is a decision only YOU can make.

Sit down, take a few deep breaths, and make a pledge to yourself, that whatever you decide, you will not look back and second guess yourself. As I can see it, whatever you decide you can do no wrong.

 

[stringnut]

As it does not have the extra monetary value it becomes a question of the emotional and sentimental value it would have to shoot it. Only you can decide. I would shoot it. My dad is 89 and cannot see to shoot anymore. It makes him happy when I blast away with his old 10/22. Your dad thought it was something special. If using it enforces that idea in your mind then it is gaining extra value just in a different way.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Thanks all for the input.

Hokie- my father said not to shoot it because he thought it might be worth a lot being a commemorative, I believe. Otherwise, I believe he would be in the shoot it camp. I'll be 60 on my next birthday and I have recently asked myself why I haven't done some things I wanted to. This is one of those.

It’s great to reflect.

It’s also good to take your time and not make rash decisions.

If I had a few of the cars I looked at when I was in undergrad and passed on because they were too expensive pieces of junk, that are now selling for insane amounts I’d be insanely rich.

I’m not an expert on gun values. And I guess I’m not on cars either, although I guess I was looking at the right ones!

If I were you I’d weigh the pros and cons. Only you know what your dad meant and what works for you. Personally, I wouldn’t shoot it, to me the fact that you’ve had it this long and not shot it means it’s not been a priority. If the urge is really strong, I’d probably check with people who deal in rare and collectible guns. Get a few opinions from people who deal in that space then decide.

It’s easy for us to say do it or not. It’s harder when there are personal connections. So not to insult anyone else here, but you really need to do a little bit of homework and get good advice from people you can trust. Folks here are great, but they’re not trusted advisors nor experts. Well there may be a few experts, but unless you know them personally I’d look for a few folks I could feel were giving me good advise.

Again, it’s your decision and I hope whatever you do it makes you happy

 

[GAF]

You could leave your choice to chance. Flip a coin. Heads you win, tails you win.

 

[MedWheeler]

If your dad was flawless, never made a mistake, and always kept his word, then I'd honor that by not shooting it.

But, if he was like most of ours, he had made mistakes, owned up to them, and even gone back on his word from time to time when errors he'd made became known to him. If you knew him to be the type that would prefer logic over emotion (like mine certainly was) and would have shot the gun himself, or encouraged you to shoot it, had he known about commemoratives like we do now, then I'd honor him for his humanity and humility and do as you wish with the gun.

 

[chicharrones]

I would talk it over with my kids and see how they thought about it. If they were cool with it, I would get together with them and shoot it together. Call it a celebration of Dad’s life or something.

I like that.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Your standard 586 like new sales for around $700. A commemorative sales for $900 to $1300. Like others have said, they are not worth that much more, but they are worth more then the average bear.