What eventually happens

[cadillo]

Probably just me, but unless the factory or individual smith makes a one of a kind or limited (really limited) quantity of a firearm, I'm pretty sure their intent is for them to be used.

I have a Jimmy Lile knife that was purchased about 30 years ago, never intending it to sit in a drawer, took it to Alaska, butchered 2 moose with it and hunted with it on my side for years. Collectors go nuts when they hear about it telling me that the value is just gone. Really? Gone? It has just as much value as the day I bought it. It holds an edge beyond all reasonable expectations, looks great and most improtantly it works just like it's supposed to.

For firearms, I believe it's the same. Collectors go nuts if they're shot but I guess for them not being used is more important than the intended use.

Kind of hard to rationalize, but engineers don't usually rationalize unless they consume a lot of alcohol.


:mrgreen:

I used to see and talk to Jimmy Lile at small gun shows in Slidell. LA back in the early 70's. Nice man! I still have two of his knives and a couple of Arkansas stones from him. His knives are really nice.

 

[contender]

GasGuzzler, I was not even considering your reply when I made my posts. I always try & present a open-minded response to such questions. I want folks to understand different viewpoints.
To go a bit further in this, I'll tell you how I graduated to a collector & shooter.

I used to only be able to afford shooters. And occasionally I got ahold of very desirable handguns, and used them. Well, two things caused a change in me. One, MANY years ago, I saw a small display of Rugers at a gun show in Tn. Bill Hamm was the person displaying some 10/22's called "Four of a kind!" Impressive to me. I realized collecting had a different side, and got interested. The next thing is called "seller remorse." I sold some guns to help pay a bill or whatever, and regretted doing so. I hate saying; "I used to own,,,,!" SO, I stopped selling guns I bought for myself. Plus, I found I truly enjoyed Rugers. When I heard about the RCA, I joined. Then I heard about a display show, and w/o ANY direction, I went & put out all my Ruger stuff at the time. NO theme, no title, nothing. But I was proud of what I had. That first show also featured Roger Dorsett's incredible display of ads & guns. It was stunning. The show organizer, Bob Nelson & a few others were kind enough to gently advise me of how displays were judged & assembled. I was learning.
I'm still learning,, and I truly enjoy collecting,, and still buying shooters.
So, what will happen to my stuff? Well, I hope whoever gets it after me is a person who appreciates the history of Sturm, Ruger & Co, and does as I have done. Collect some & shoot some!

 

[mr surveyor]

if I had the money, I might buy two of everything. One to shoot, and one to put back. I do have great respect for those of you that do manage to keep and preserve pristine examples of one of the greatest artforms every devised by man. Unfortunately, many (most?) of us can't. We do our part by "collecting" those firearms that exhibit that certain "patina" that shows they were trusted enough to be carried (and properly cared for), and keep them in the same, or better condition..... and shoot 'em.

 

[Rancher Will]

The comments on this post are all interesting to me and when I read them I keep remembering reading about this same subject in the Charlie Russell Biography. It is humrous if any of care to read it in total.

If you don't read it, here is the summary. Charlie goes into more detail.

Charlie, as a young Cowboy in Montana, had verly limited money. He did have an old, evidently very worn Colt Sixshooter that showed better times. But it still shot pretty good.

Another Cowboy friend of Charlie had traded another older Colt for a real, fine Colt, almost new looking, engraved, inlayed, with Pearl Grips, in otherwords a Sixshooter that would look proud with anyone. Over time Charlie just had to have it but he could not afford it.

Finally after months, with Charlie doing everything he could to help and ingratiate his Cowboy friend, he talked that friend into trading the fancy colt for Charlie's old Colt, with Charlie thowing in some "boot".

Before long Charlie learned that the fancy Colt spit lead every time it was fired, it was not accurate, and in general it was worthless as a using gun. He spent months trying to trade it off without too much luck until finally, in a Bar in Great Falls he traded it to a "City Feller" who had too much to drink and who had a "roll" to pay.

After Charlie got rid of it, his Cowboy friend finally told him that he had been Suckered into getting it in a trade too from its previous owner, and he was "sure happy that Charlie finally took it off at a profit to him".

Later Charley met the man that had traded Charlie a plain Colt for the Fancy gun. Charlie asked him how he liked the Fancy Colt. The man told Charlie, "I traded it off to another Sucker just like you did to me, you SOB".

 

[woodsy]

I don't understand the "never been shot" philosophy. Sort of like buying a vehicle with a keen eye towards what it will bring during trade-in time. I NEVER care what a vehicle may command as a trade-in value, because I purchase in order to use the heap, not sell it. Same goes for guns; I buy for the potential accuracy, durability, reliability, and fun of shooting the piece. I couldn't care less what it might fetch on the open market. And while I am ranting, I give zero weight to attractiveness, looks, prettiness, pristine appearance, etc., etc. Pretty grips, if otherwise equal in function to ugly ones, are a complete waste of time and money. I know how to make pretty wooden things, and have done so for decades. Form follows function, as the real engineer does say.
I would rather see, handle, shoot, and admire a "beater" revolver, which is otherwise a wonderful shooter, than look at a pristine never-been-fired handgun.

 

[Colonel Daddy]

What good is a gun that hasn't been shot. I don't get it. Might as well collect baseball cards.

Nix-nix! I have no intention of collecting pictures of guys!
In my safe are a few guns unfired except from the factory. I just haven't gotten around to shooting them yet. :lol:

 

[chet15]

A lot of people like to collect different things. For some, guns just happen to be their investment, as opposed to stocks and bonds by others. If you know what you are doing, gun collecting can be quite rewarding.
As an example in Ruger collecting, I estimate that only 10 to 15% of the rarest Rugers on average (ever made) currently reside in collections. That means the other 85-90% are still out there waiting to be found.
Read the books and do the studying...those rare Rugers are still out there!! And bet most can't say the same thing with Colt and Winchester.
Other investments? Well there are a lot of people who can't understand why somebody would pay over 5 cents for a nickle, but it hasn't been that long ago that a nickle sold for over 3 million dollars.
Chet15

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

One of the things that always gets me is to hear that a gun has never been fired. I have news for you alot of them were from the factory before they left even if it was only a couple of rounds. I have given up myself on ever owning mint or near mint older guns because they are no fun. I would rather save the money buy a shooter and pocket the difference for a nice holster or some brass to shoot out of the gun.

ditto.... I like proven shooters :)

I agree, I like proven shooters too. I can buy more if they cost less. Mostly I buy good deals and shoot them to decide if I like them or not.