Revolver never fired, really?

[Rclark]

... I for one.

That's fine. Your choice which is how it should be. Just not for me and those in the circle of shooters I know ... I have my reasons, and you have yours. Anyway, off to cleaning up a ROA that I shot quite a bit this beautiful afternoon. Smokey fun today as there was no breeze to carry the smoke away.....

 

[Tom W]

Well, I bought a Colt Police Positive the other week or so ago. I learned it's a 1977 model. It sure looks unfired, with no flame cutting on the top strap, the forcing cone is unworn, and no drag line on the cylinder. I do know it's been fired 50 times now!

 

[conder0289]

Having a discussion of Facebook, OP claims to have a revolver which he personally bought new in 1962, other then the factory test firing, he claims it to be unfired since. How many people would actually believe this, since there is pretty much no way to prove or guarantee this. Your thoughts on this please..............

He seems to think his testimonial will be taken as fact, I personally would never fall for that

Do you personally know many collectors? I do, and if they tell me a gun is unfired, then it's unfired.

Although you would not believe me, I also have an assortment of unfired guns. And in many cases I have other shooter grade duplicates.

So yes, it has happened many times over many years, a gun purchased and socked away unfired.

And there might be different motives for this. Some guns are kept unfired, just because the purchaser purposely wanted to retain a museum quality condition for collecting or investment purposes only. Others, and this applies to me...buy a second identical gun to be given to a child when the time is right. But then, in my case, my kids were never interested in these guns, so they've never left their boxes, or the safe. And most of these are not particularly collectible or otherwise valuable. If they're 20 years old now, by the time I check out, they could be fifty years old, and still unfired. The oldest unfired gun I own right now is 40-years old. When this one is in an estate sale some day, it could also be 70 years old, and unfired. Then the new guys can then say, "there's no way this gun is unfired". :mrgreen:

WAYNO.

Yes I know many collectors, and I have been a collector and shooter for over 40 years, but my point is that I personally don't buy into the "it's unfired" hype, a large portion of guns made in the past fifty years aren't worth a fortune, some are of course, but they are usually not offered in any great quantity. A gun can be fired and cleaned to appear unfired for sure, I just don't care either way if I am buying it, no reason to pay much over the cost of a NIB Colt SAA or Ruger that's only 10 years old and unfired on some ones say so

 

[conder0289]

Quite a few posting here have said they had purchased and have unfired this and that, that's great, I too save all the things that come with a new gun, hang tags, ect, ect, but that's means little when it comes to convincing a potential buyer that it is truly unfired, what positive proof is needed to prove its fact, I don't know any personally

 

[Snake45]

In the '80s, I bought a Colt Diamondback that was sold to me as "never fired." It looks it.

It sure hasn't been fired since.

 

[mohavesam]

... I worked with a guy years ago who would buy two guns when he found one he liked. One he would shoot and the other went into a safe designated for the unfired units. He had a nice collection of unfired hand guns.

Exactly.

It is not hard to tell a lightly-used handgun from a never-used handgun, once you know what to look for...

 

[bogus bill]

I am 75 years old. I have been into guns for over 65 of them and my dad before me. In my early poor income years I couldn't afford to collect. I bought them to shoot and hunt with. As time went I bought more and read more. I have several I haven't shot, and many I only tried out a few times. I got to be a "Gun nut". I used to have tables at gun shows etc. I say, many years ago many if not most of us might buy NEW guns in gun stores and not even ask for the right box it came in! It wasn't considered NEAR as important to have the box's and PW as it has become now days. I have bought many guns that "looked" new and didn't appear to ever having been fired but were maybe 40 years old but with no box or PW.

 

[WAYNO]

Having a discussion of Facebook, OP claims to have a revolver which he personally bought new in 1962, other then the factory test firing, he claims it to be unfired since. How many people would actually believe this, since there is pretty much no way to prove or guarantee this. Your thoughts on this please..............

He seems to think his testimonial will be taken as fact, I personally would never fall for that

Do you personally know many collectors? I do, and if they tell me a gun is unfired, then it's unfired.

Although you would not believe me, I also have an assortment of unfired guns. And in many cases I have other shooter grade duplicates.

So yes, it has happened many times over many years, a gun purchased and socked away unfired.

And there might be different motives for this. Some guns are kept unfired, just because the purchaser purposely wanted to retain a museum quality condition for collecting or investment purposes only. Others, and this applies to me...buy a second identical gun to be given to a child when the time is right. But then, in my case, my kids were never interested in these guns, so they've never left their boxes, or the safe. And most of these are not particularly collectible or otherwise valuable. If they're 20 years old now, by the time I check out, they could be fifty years old, and still unfired. The oldest unfired gun I own right now is 40-years old. When this one is in an estate sale some day, it could also be 70 years old, and unfired. Then the new guys can then say, "there's no way this gun is unfired". :mrgreen:

WAYNO.

Yes I know many collectors, and I have been a collector and shooter for over 40 years, but my point is that I personally don't buy into the "it's unfired" hype, a large portion of guns made in the past fifty years aren't worth a fortune, some are of course, but they are usually not offered in any great quantity. A gun can be fired and cleaned to appear unfired for sure, I just don't care either way if I am buying it, no reason to pay much over the cost of a NIB Colt SAA or Ruger that's only 10 years old and unfired on some ones say so

You asked for an opinion that you did not want to hear, and still refuse to believe. And I respect that you can think anything you want.

So, since you'd never believe anybody in the first place, and unfired has zero value to you, then none of it really matters.

We all have criteria of what interests us for whatever reason. I understand most folks buy their guns to shoot, so most guns are immediately in used condition, just as a new car is a used car once it leaves the sales lot, and to many folks it doesn't matter.

So, buy what pleases you, and be happy, as I will continue to do so also.

WAYNO.

 

[lfpiii]

I have no problem believing it. I normally purchase one to shoot and a spare of every gun model I have. The spares are stored in a second safe and never get shot.

 

[bogus bill]

Double your pleasure
Double your fun
One to shoot
One for your son

Bring money

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I am embarrassed to say this, but I have a fair number of guns that I haven't fired. I know it shouldn't be the case, but time, and other excuses, just have kept me from breaking them in. Good news is I mostly buy pre-owned guns, so in a sense they have been fired. I just can't tell you which ones for the most part.

 

[gtxmonte]

Unfired means nothing to ME, because you can neither prove nor disprove the claim. Depending on the caliber and load fired through it, a revolver could have hundreds of rounds fired through it and show no visible signs after a proper cleaning. Not every load erodes the cone or flame cuts the strap..............plus lets throw this in the mix. Several guys are now SO good at refinishing........well you never know.

Now, do I own several unfired guns? Yes I do. Just sold a P-90 I bought 20 years ago and never fired it and have others that have never been fired. Why? because as someone says, life happens. You trade for or buy something, put it away and never get around to shooting it. I don't buy ANYTHING with the intention not to shoot it, as I am not a collector, but things happen. Do I ask more, or give more for supposedly unfired? NOPE, because you can't prove it. A 99% gun is a 99% gun with one or 100 rounds fired through it

 

[conder0289]

Well said gtxmonte and my point exactly, I would not call anyone a liar in saying their guns are unfired, I just have no way to prove it because there is no way to prove it

 

[CraigC]

I don't find it hard to believe at all. Or prove. Used guns don't tell lies.

There are scores of commemorative Colt's and Winchesters that have been languishing in safes for 50yrs, waiting for the day they are actually worth something. Most of them, actually.