I like guns

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Captain Slapnuts

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Yes. I love guns, I have been acquiring more lately, way more than I need. It annoys me that I don't really have anywhere to shoot, I hate indoor ranges. More than a few of the recent acquisitions are Ruger revolvers, which is why I'm here.

It also annoys the crap out of me that some of these guns are near new or new, and I'm reluctant to shoot them. If you have a potential collectible, unfired, with box and papers, does it decrease the value if you shoot them?

I'm not even a revolver guy...
 
My problem is that none of the guns I have are super collectable, though I'm not 100% positive, and there are some guns that are potentially in the process of becoming collectible. Hard to tell where to draw the line on shoot/don't shoot. Particularly since I'm not well versed in collectible gun lore.
 
Captain Slapnuts said:
Yes. I love guns, I have been acquiring more lately, way more than I need. It annoys me that I don't really have anywhere to shoot, I hate indoor ranges. More than a few of the recent acquisitions are Ruger revolvers, which is why I'm here.

It also annoys the crap out of me that some of these guns are near new or new, and I'm reluctant to shoot them. If you have a potential collectible, unfired, with box and papers, does it decrease the value if you shoot them?

I'm not even a revolver guy...
Click to expand...

Yes, shooting them will decrease value. By how much depends on many other factors. Generally speaking even NIB guns will not retain the price you paid for them unless they are limited run, or something else 'special' about them. As an example, I sold a Winchester 9422M rifle made in '72, about 3 years ago for $1200. The model went out of production in 2006 IIRC, so it became somewhat of a rarity. I paid new around $200 in '72. Most of that 'profit' was due to inflation, so I really didn't make much on it. I should have kept it.

Snoop around on some of the gun auction sites for your models to get an idea of current value, such as https://www.gunsinternational.com/
 
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Welcome to the forum. Must be a wrestling fan with that forum name?

If it's bugging you that much, have them appraised by a reputable source to be sure and ease your mind a bit.
 
Welcome from Louisiana . If it’s a true collectible, then shooting it will affect his value. Not many of the guns that are considered modern new guns will be considered collectible in the future. I one have to be a rare very limited edition. If you don’t shoot them, you’re going to feel, miserable about it from now on. Just get out and do it.
 
Why do you feel that way? Just because they're not collectible now doesn't mean they never will be. The manufacturer may make 10s of thousands, but people will use them, damage them, loose the box and papers, alter them. Then if everyone decides they love that particular gun or decide that it's desirable, and it's discontinued, the remaining nice ones should increase in value. No reason that process shouldn't stop. And there could also be different versions of that scenario that could play out.

For instance, you think that an unfired example of a popular gun that once resided in Ruger's company archives and is marked as such holds zero value over another one that someone bought off the shelf?
 
Captain Slapnuts said:
Why do you feel that way? Just because they're not collectible now doesn't mean they never will be. The manufacturer may make 10s of thousands, but people will use them, damage them, loose the box and papers, alter them. Then if everyone decides they love that particular gun or decide that it's desirable, and it's discontinued, the remaining nice ones should increase in value. No reason that process shouldn't stop. And there could also be different versions of that scenario that could play out.

For instance, you think that an unfired example of a popular gun that once resided in Ruger's company archives and is marked as such holds zero value over another one that someone bought off the shelf?
Click to expand...

Sorry to butt in, but here's an example of what you're talking about. I have a S&W 60-10 .357 sans the internal safety (aka, Hillary hole), bought in 1998 for $430. Thousands of this particular model were made, and perhaps a million of the basic Model 60 since it first came out in the mid-60's. When I bought it, collectible was not a consideration. This was, and remains, a shooter, and home defense gun.

A new model 60 today will run nearly $900 msrp, while the older models, such as the one I have, will fetch around $1500 used, more if NIB. Again, inflation is a large part of that, but in the case of the Model '60's those produced prior to the internal safety (which has since been dropped for some models) carry a premium value in good condition, even if they are used, and without box/papers.

So, if you're patient, and with a little luck, you can probably expect to at least not lose money on it. It is a gamble, no matter how you cut the deck. :)

SW 60-10.jpg
 
Why did you even buy them in the first place? To shoot? Or to hang onto just in case they become valuable in the future? That may answer your question in the first place.
 
I am in this boat, somewhat. As I have posted before...When I lived in the Phoenix metropolitan area there were lots of places to shoot just outside of the city. Then I retired to the forest where we have shooting restrictions during the summer followed by rain, snow, mud and cold the rest of the year. Not exactly the shooters paradise I thought it would be. Thus I have a plethora of revolvers and rifles that have yet to be fired.

I did find a pit where others go to shoot but after several ricochets I have abandoned that place. There are two ranges each about an hour away. I have never shot at a range and thought doesn't appeal to me. So I feel for the captain.
 
XUSNORDIE said:
Why did you even buy them in the first place? To shoot? Or to hang onto just in case they become valuable in the future? That may answer your question in the first place.
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Well, I pretty much bought them, 'cause I could. LOL, see the title of this thread.

GunnyGene said:
Sorry to butt in, but here's an example of what you're talking about. I have a S&W 60-10 .357 sans the internal safety (aka, Hillary hole), bought in 1998 for $430. Thousands of this particular model were made, and perhaps a million of the basic Model 60 since it first came out in the mid-60's. When I bought it, collectible was not a consideration. This was, and remains, a shooter, and home defense gun.

A new model 60 today will run nearly $900 msrp, while the older models, such as the one I have, will fetch around $1500 used, more if NIB. Again, inflation is a large part of that, but in the case of the Model '60's those produced prior to the internal safety (which has since been dropped for some models) carry a premium value in good condition, even if they are used, and without box/papers.

So, if you're patient, and with a little luck, you can probably expect to at least not lose money on it. It is a gamble, no matter how you cut the deck. :)

View attachment 59201
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I just sold one of these. It was a hammerless model, with a shorter barrel. It also had the Hillary hole. I only found out what that was when I sold it a few days after buying it. Didn't like it at all. Even more so when I found out it had a stupid feature called a Hillary hole. Shame on S&W for entertaining that BS. I got $425 for it.
 
The way I look at it is, if I buy a new car the minute I drive it off the lot, it loses value, but I bought it to drive it, so that’s what I do.

Value of a gun depends on various things, from how popular they were to begin with, how many were produced, condition you keep it in, how long you keep it, etc. I seldom buy a gun as an investment, I buy it to shoot. Inflation begins to play a role at some point.
 
Captain Slapnuts said:
Well, I pretty much bought them, 'cause I could. LOL, see the title of this thread.


I just sold one of these. It was a hammerless model, with a shorter barrel. It also had the Hillary hole. I only found out what that was when I sold it a few days after buying it. Didn't like it at all. Even more so when I found out it had a stupid feature called a Hillary hole. Shame on S&W for entertaining that BS. I got $425 for it.
Click to expand...

There's local gun dealer near me who only deals in collectibles & antiques and by appointment only. He has one identical to mine, except a couple years older, listed on Guns International.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...-60-10-target-357-magnum.cfm?gun_id=102777896
https://stevebarnettfineguns.com/
 
About 25 years ago I came into possession of a new in the box, unfired (outside of the factory), Colt Gold Cup. Even had the signed envelope with the fired shell and target. Paid all of $200 for it. Back then I inquired about value and was advised it was worth $2400. Or the guy would have traded any 2 of the new Gold Cups in the case. I asked what it would be worth fired. He told me about $1200. We got into a discussion about the values- and the last thing he said was "some guys just like to be able to say they're the first one to fire a gun that is 30 years old. To know what that feels like."

I swear I shed a tear when I pulled the trigger the first time. That was one sweet shooter. After about 10 years I ended up selling it for $1500. I was too paranoid to scratch it that I hardly ever used it.

Anyways- if it's never been fired, and you're just in it for the money- then don't shoot it. But other than that- not shooting it is just saving it for the next guy…
 
I am 82 and have never been a box person. I bought a Ruger flat top 357 when I was 19 and the first thing I did was throw the box away. Well now the box is worth about a thousand dollars. I still have the first ruger I ever bought when I was 16. So keep dthe boxes if money is what you are after.
 
I have purchased a lot of guns, mostly new or near new. In every case, I take the gun home and take it apart, clean it, oil it, and put it back together, then off to the armory to shoot a few rounds. That way I know that everything works as it should, before adding it to my collection. I don't care if a gun has been shot before I buy it, I just want it to work properly, so when I take it out of my safe I will know it will work.
 
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