safe queen or shooter?

B

Backwoodsboy

New member
Recently inherited a Ruger Blackhawk convertible from my grandfather everybody. Running into the question of what I should do with it. After receiving, and cleaning it I promptly took to the range where she fired like a dream. After 50 Rds of 357 and 50 rds of 9mm in my extra cylinder I can honestly say I believe I love this revolver more than my wife. Shhhhh, nobody tell her she knows how to shoot too.:). Anywho I am looking for opinions on if I should make it a safe queen and only fire a couple times a year or if I should use freely. Any and all opinions are aappreciated. Here's a pic everybody...My new Love...........
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20130617_124455_572.jpg
    IMG_20130617_124455_572.jpg
    242.6 KB · Views: 197
What you have is probably the best iteration of the .357 cartridge extant. The 9mm cylinder is a bonus. It's obviously yours to do as you please with. I'd shoot it, carry it and enjoy it. Maybe slap some custom stocks on it.
 
As far as I am concerned, the only reason to keep a "safe queen" is if you plan on selling the firearm down the road.

Since I don't plan on ever selling any of my firearms, they all get to come out and play.
 
There are many ways to look at it, and I don't think the general topic "safe queens" can so easily be given an answer.
As far as I am concerned, the only reason to keep a "safe queen" is if you plan on selling the firearm down the road.
Click to expand...
Here's where I found a different angle...
The gun I got from my Grandfather is a 1921 S&W pre-Model 10 with a nickel plated finish. Shooting it on rare occasions (every few years and no more) is my "schedule" with it simply because the finish is pretty fragile and while shooting doesn't help it and doesn't specifically "attack it", cleaning seems to want to compromise the fragile, slightly-flaking nickel plating.

My thoughts are that this gun belongs to "me", but also belongs to my family. If anyone in my family wants to shoot it, they know they are welcome to do exactly that.

For my uses? I have three other K-frame Smith & Wessons with which I can launch .38's. Given that Model 10's and pre-Model 10's have been made in such ridiculous volume, I can even see me spending just a couple bucks and snagging a similar revolver if I want the "feel" of the old lockwork in an old K-frame.

Some guns can be keepers that you don't want to degrade...even if you -NEVER- wish to sell it.

Yours? Easy for me to say, "well, that's not as old as mine, so shoot it." On the flip side, yours is probably easier to chase down another example of -- to shoot it instead. Or, from another angle... yours is a -LOT- more durable than mine, and shooting it will probably degrade it's condition much less than mine.

I say it's a decision for you to make entirely. And not knowing the relationship you had with your Grandfather, or what his experience level or love for handguns was...it makes the choice even more difficult to make.

My Grandfather owned hardly -ANY- guns and was never much of a shooter of any kind whatsoever. If he'd left me a dozen guns, maybe one of them would be a little less "precious" than this one seems to be.

If I could write a letter on each one of my guns right now that I hope will be passed on to my heirs, some of them would say "shoot the heck out of this if you like this one!" and some would say, "You should sell this as it's is valuable and I never cared for it much - no sentimental value on this one." Maybe another would say, "this gun has almost no dollar value, but it brought me a heap of joy and you should shoot it until it falls apart, then hang it on your wall."
 
I say shoot it, and enjoy.
The only guns I have that are safe queens are antiques with all matching #'s
The rest get shot as often as I can find the time, and money, for ammo.
(nice pistol by the way)
 
Thanks everybody, I was kinda thinking along the same lines. My grandfather used it while he was a constable in the small town I grew up in and he also took a couple of whitetail with it. As to my relationship to him, well due to some unfortunate circumstances he and my grandmother were the main caregivers for my two brothers and I . I should say unfortunate for my parents because it definitely was what was best for all of us kids. I think I will carry it and thank you all for your input. One day I will pass it down to one of my sons and it will mean that much more to them. Thanks again
 
Some guns can be keepers that you don't want to degrade...even if you -NEVER- wish to sell it.
Click to expand...

That is what I would call a family heirloom or antique rather than a safe queen, and your point is well taken.
 
Shoot it and enjoy it. There is no reason to leave it sitting in a dark safe all of the time. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
 
One way to 'remember' your grandfather is to 'shoot it'. Every time you pick it up ... guess where your mind will go :) . I personally would shoot it. When it is your turn to pass it on, it will have two stories to tell! And so it goes.
 
There's a ATF reg that says it's illegal to make a Ruger into a safe queen.

There is!, It's a law! You could go to jail if you don't shoot it.
 
Every gun I buy, I consider whether my sons and grandchildren will enjoy owning and shooting them. I will come back and haunt my family if they don't take my guns out on a regular basis, just like I did.
 
Just remember to keep an empty chamber under the hammer of that one if you're going to carry it.
Click to expand...

That's very good advice! From the pic, your Blackhawk is what is called the "old model" or "3 screw". The action works just like the Colt single action, and it is NOT safe to carry with a live round under the hammer.

In 1973 Ruger redesigned the lockwork of their single actions, incorporating a transfer bar, and those guns (all Ruger SAs made since) ARE safe to carry loaded with all six.

Ruger redesigned the lockwork as a result of a lawsuit, and as part of the settlement, Ruger MUST convert any 3 screw gun they get. If you send the gun to Ruger for ANY reason, they will convert it the transfer bar system. In the old days they used to give you back the original parts, but I understand they are no longer doing that.

while I have never owned a converted old model, many folks have said that the converted guns triggers are inferior to the unconverted guns. The old models have good triggers, and so do the new models, but the converted old model's trigger suck, or at least that's the opinion I've heard many, many times.

Old model Rugers are sought after by collectors. While I do collect guns I don't collect guns that I have no intention of shooting. Use it, once in a while or as much as you can, its yours, and honest use and wear (even the occasional ding in the finish) doesn't hurt the value as a family heirloom, only the cash value if you plan to sell it to a stranger. And unless the gun gets abused, just shooting it doesn't hurt the cash value much. Fired 6 times or 6,000, its worth the same if its in good shape.
Used is used, and there's no penalty for lovingly well used. Now, beat up used is a whole nother story...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top