sell it or shoot it?

Shoot it and treat it gently at the range. Clean it after each trip. It'll stay good looking and retain it's value pretty well.
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I agree with this, and all the others that note it already has a (albeit faint) turn line. It's not unfired. Shoot it, enjoy it, take care of it. Shooting a quality firearm does very little to hurt it, if you keep your head about it. Don't shoot a full diet of super hot +P ammo, and guard against rust. Limit holster draws to prevent bluing wear, and keep it clean. It will look virtually the same after 5 years and 5000 rounds as it does now, except the turn line may be a little more noticeable.

All that being said, shoot it!
 
I'm a little late to the party, but thought I'd post anyway, despite the fact that you already shot it. And congratulations to you for that! :D


If it was unfired, I would not have shot it. I'd keep it around as an investment, and buy any old used one to shoot instead


The best way that I know of to tell if a revolver is still in new condition is to look at the back of the frame, right behind the cylinder, where the firing pin comes through (the breech face). If that area is perfectly clean with no noticeable wear to the bluing other than from the cylinder being opened and closed, then it might actually be unfired. Even if there is a light turn line around the cylinder it may still be unfired, because obviously, you can dry fire and work the action over and over and that will cause a turn line to develop even if the gun has never been fired outside of factory testing.

If the gun has been fired, there should be circular marks on the frame where the firing pin comes through from where the fired case has slammed back against the frame during firing.

Also look for circles and or burn marks on the front face of the cylinder... If it looks perfectly clean with no discoloration or marks, that may also be an indication that the gun has not been fired.
 
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My safes hold some pretty rare and expensive firearms....nary a one has escaped my enjoyment firing them including some that survived “ unfired” for many, many years. Why save a pistol for another to gain the euphoria of the first shot? Shoot and enjoy .
 
Take great care of it and shoot it. Its not a good car gun or carry gun since its in such fine condition, make a great night stand gun though!
 
Yet one more SHOOT IT! Glad you seem to agree OP! Life is just to short for safe queens unless they are truly mint condition new in box never fired and RARE. Yours isn't.
 
Why save a pistol for another to gain the euphoria of the first shot? Shoot and enjoy.
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I'm with Ibemikey, Go ahead and enjoy it...but then, I'm a shooter not a collector, and that M15 is meant for shooting. I was issued one for my first tour in Vietnam...wish I had it now just for old times sake, but I'd shoot it if it were in my safe. Rod
 
Thanks to all of you, I'm enjoying shooting it but it, like all my gun's it won't look pristine for long, if I use a gun, I use it. My Browning 9mm I've had since 68 is on it's 5th refinish, 3rd set of springs and second replacement barrel, lol. I found my old service belt and speed loaders from the 70's, been having fun thinking about how nice it was when I wasn't an old geezer.
 
Hi, new guy here seeking opinions. I was a LEO in the 70's and carried a S&W model 15 sidearm. It went away many decades ago but I always missed it. Recently I heard of a guy with a model 15-2 for sale so I picked it up, wanting to do some shooting with it. Turns out it is a 15-2 made in 1966, still in the blue box with warranty card and unopened accessory packet, nearly flawless except for a light cylinder line.
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IMHO, nice gun but not collectible enough to make a safe queen. Keep it nice and you won't lose any value.
 
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