That poses another question. Its new in the box. I'm torn if I should shoot it or not. I want to but my collector buddies say I shouldn't
Most people don't use it, and just say "new in the box" but it isn't. It is, correctly "as new in the box". It's strange but once sold at retail, its no longer "new in the box' it is used, even if unfired or even unturned, its still used because you bought it.
A dealer can sell to another dealer and its still "new in the box" but the first time it is sold at retail (even if decades after it was made) it becomes used.
Now, there are different grades of "used" and that's probably what your collector friends are talking about. Used (owned) but unfired is considered "as new in the box" and is worth more to a collector than used, fired.
No idea how much difference in value there is, you'd need one of the collectors to tell you that, but a change in status can amount to a large change in value. How much is firing it worth to you?
would you shoot it if doing so changed it from a $3000 gun to a $2000 one?
OR if it "only" dropped the value $500? ask those collector friends how much value will change, so you have something to decide about.