Revolvers I have ruined.

S

SaxonPig

New member
AS far as collectors are concerned.

Over the years I have acquired a number of revolvers that arrived in unfired condition. Some had remained pristine for decades before falling into my evil hands. I'm a shooter, not a collector. I never sought out NIB guns, but I never turned down a good deal on one, wither. But none remain unfired for long once I got my grubby mitts on them.

I bought this S&W 27-2 in 1987. Made around 1973 it was in new condition when I got it. That didn't last long.

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I picked up this 27-2 in 1989. Made in 1977, it was sold 12 years later as police surplus, and is stamp4ed for the agency, but was unfired when I got it. Must have been issued to a detective who never used it. I use it a lot. One of my favorites.

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About 3 years ago my friend offered me this 1976 29-2 he'd received from his late father in law's estate. New in box and unfired after 36 years. Not any more.

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Just bought this Colt. Dates to 1993 and I see no evidence of it ever being fired. By that time SAAs were being marketed as collectibles rather than working guns so maybe they weren't even test fired at the factory before shipping. As soon as the dies I ordered arrive and I can roll some 38-40 ammo this will become a working gun.

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There are others. I guess I should be ashamed of myself for ruining so many fine collector revolvers. But I am not a collector. I may buy a safe queen, but it doesn't remain one for long. My guns get shot.
 
I used to think that way, but have come to the conclusion that it's just as easy for me to leave the pristine, unfired ones for a real collector, and find another one for me to shoot.

It's ok with me if you want to shoot them, but I won't.
 
Over the years I have acquired a number of revolvers that arrived in unfired condition.
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I just can't wrap my mind around that "I bought it but never fired it" stuff. If I buy something, I will get around to shooting it, soonest possible.
 
" I will get around to shooting it, soonest possible."

And of course the more pristine it is, the sooner it must be fired. Preferably before sun up.:D
 
I agree they were made to shoot.If one were to temp me to make it a safe queen that Colt would be it. That is almost like a work of art.
 
I salute the OP for getting so much enjoyment out of these beautiful guns, but let me just say that as someone who has always wanted to get into collecting things, the idea of preserving a beautiful object in perfect near-perfect condition, so that its full grandeur can be appreciated by future generations, is quite exciting too.

It's not just about making money: for some people, the very act of preserving things is enjoyable. I've always dreamed of buying a crate of revolvers and just coating them in cosmoline to unseal thirty or forty years from now like some kind of time capsule.

Thanks for sharing the pics of these beautiful, much-loved guns.
 
I have tales from both sides of the coin. One is my Grandfathers 1921 Hand Ejector. Still unsure if it was new when he bought it or slightly used. He was 90 years old when he gave it to me and his best recollection was that he got it for $35 in 1923 and he bought it ~50 miles away from where a Roy Jinks letter confirmed that it was shipped when new.

It is definitely not in mint condition but considering the age, it looks terrific to all but staunch, mint collectors. And I have certainly shot it, as have others, and anyone in my family is aware that they may shoot it upon request.

However, cleaning it is a scary proposition to me as some of the nickel plating wants to flake at the very edges of the cylinder. So I simply do NOT shoot this revolver anymore as it is a genuine part of my own personal family history. In fact, I bought a very similar Hand Ejector built in 1917 that is not in as good condition and I bought it specifically to shoot, to mimic the experience of my Grandfather's revolver.

On the flip side, I came across a deal on a 1973 built Smith & Wesson Model 19-3, Texas Rangers Commemorative knife and revolver set. Whoever owned it had never shot it, but there was a solid turn-line on the cylinder and the left wooden stock had some of the laminate finish dinged off from what appears to be ejecting loaded rounds from the cylinder. So what we end up with is a Commemorative gun that is not in 100% mint condition, but as a shooter -- it's a stallion. So that is exactly what I do with it. And the big, ugly, gaudy, silly knife (with matching serial number to the revolver) sits in the neat wooden presentation box, stored with other old gun boxes, never to see the light of day.

Anyone need a big ugly Smith & Wesson Texas Rangers Commemorative knife?!
 
Bravo! If it can't be shot I won't have it
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I once passed up taking (as payment for something) a couple Colt 1903s, one of them first year of production. My thought was, antique enough that I probably wouldn't want to shoot them, and what's the point of that.
 
I can buy a replica for cheap if I just want to look at it. I can buy gold if I want true investment earnings. I hardly see it as ruining a gun by using it as it was designed.
 
Same here.

The way I figure a gun was a meant for a shootin' methinks.

Methinks there are enough in musueams for me to shoot.
 
Guns were made to shoot and if you shoot them, that's fine with me as long as you represent them honestly if you sell them. If you don't shoot them, that's fine with me too. As far as choosing to shoot them, you only need so many and I see no point in shooting a collector grade gun when I have others.
 
I won't own a gun that I can't shoot. I don't care what it is.

If it's a collector item that shouldn't be shot then I let it set for the collectors.
 
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