Author Topic: Shooting a collectable? (Read 1623 times)

44 Man · « **on:** October 20, 2005, 05:28:39 AM »

Ok, here's the question. Should I shoot it? I have always wanted a nice engraved gun to carry and shoot. This caught my eye at Jay's quite some time ago. I looked at it, but I was not seriously thinking of buying it. Made the mistake of picking it up! The factory trigger is great! That hooked me. I will have it out of layaway next week. My intentions are to shoot it, why else would the trigger matter to me? I will put in a short trigger and take off the ambi safety and install a standard thumb safety. I have a Govt (series 80) hammer and grip safety I'm thinking about installing but it will depend if that changes that great trigger pull. If so, I will stick to the commander hammer and put in a Wilson grip safety(drop in, I won't permanately alter the gun and I will keep all the original parts in the box). I have many friends and aquaintances advising me not to shoot it. What do you think?

PS. By the way, one of my favorite things to do at a gun show is to ask a dealer when he has a fancy gun (usually with 2 or 3 zip ties on it so it cannot be cocked, rotated, or opened) how the gun shoots! Some of these guys almost have a heart attack when you do that! 44 Man[/img]

PeterF. · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2005, 08:29:04 AM »

Very pretty gun! The various changes you indicated you were thinking of making all seem aimed at making it more shootable (for you). If those are the things you want on the gun, then shoot it. If you want to have it as a collectable, don't change ANYthing ... just put it away (except for occasional careful carressing) ... or, I guess you could put on some "drop-in" items, keep the original bits, and put them back on later; but, as a "collectable", the less-used the better.

NONYA · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2005, 09:54:23 AM »

I wouldnt own a gun I wasnt going to shoot,who would own a car you didnt drive?Pointless,enjoy the gun shoot the hell out of it!!

1911crazy · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2005, 10:49:43 AM »

A "1 of 500" and a "premier edition" is not to be shot its worth more as a collectable in an unshot condition. Its too purdy to be taken out and shot anyhoo.

NONYA · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:12:08 PM »

a gun is a machine,if they stamped 1/500 on a d8 cat do you think people would buy it and never use it?If you buy a gun as an investment i can understand not shooting it,but if its not an investment why wouldnt you use it?

Paul S · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:32:47 PM »

When I first read your post I thought heck yes I would shoot the thing. After drooling over the photo for quite sometime I don't think I could risk scratching that one. I put a scratch on my Kimber just taking it apart once and that made me sick. I would mess myself to do that to yours.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2005, 11:03:25 PM »

hell Lewis you know how i feel. SHOOT THE SNOT OUT OF IT!! What good is a fancy barbeque gun like that if its hidden off in a safe! My thoughts on it are my grandkids will probably end up with my guns and if a guns only worth 500 instead of a 1000 thats still 500 more then they probably figured on getting. Chances are whoever gets it when your gone wont be into guns as much as you and will probably sell it to buy crack anyway!! Ive got the trunk for the bmw boxed up just got to get to the post office sometime soon. was going to get there this weekend but dad called and ive got to run to camp today so it may not be till next weekend pal.

Questor · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2005, 04:10:42 AM »

I like the idea of having a gun that's more or less just for show, but all of my guns are shooters. Maybe in time I'll have some pretty little thing that just gets fired once in a while between cleanings.

My concerns with these cosmetic beauties are:
1) A lot of them aren't more valuable than regular shooter guns
2) The cosmetics on some of them are fragile and wear out under use.
3) If the value of the gun is in the cosmetics and not in the quality of the functional components, then it's not much use as a shooter and may as well be sold to someone who won't shoot it.
4) Few people are willing to pay for truly fine cosmetic work, and a lot of these have cheap engraving and cosmetically inferior gold inlay. This may make it look nice at a distance, but knowing eyes will understand that it's just kitsch.

44 Man · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2005, 01:00:48 PM »

Questor, I guess that is part of my point. I'll only have $950 into this when I get it home. That's only about $50 to $100 more than a new Colt gvt sells for around here. I can shoot it a lot and still not devalue it much. I've always wanted a nice engraved gun and I certainly will never be able to buy one for less money than I will have into this one. So I plan to shoot it and enjoy it. If the gold wears off, which is my only concern, I'll reblue the slide. Anyway, I've decided that what I'm going to do. Like the man said, what good is a gun you can't shoot, a car you can't drive, or a wife you can't..........well, you get the picture. Now I just have to get it home! 44 Man

Questor · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2005, 05:53:49 PM »

In that case, blast away! Brownell's sells a gold inlay kit to repair the inlay if it ever becomes a problem. Considering the cost and any devaluation related to shooting, I don't see how you can lose. If you ever do need to re-blue it, get it done by a good bluing company that has a good metal polishing man. I have a 1911 with a beautiful blue job, the the polisher wore it down so bad that the stampings and serial number are barely visible.

Maybe I got hung up on the word "collectible". Some 1911s really are too valuable to shoot, but this looks more like a decent gun with some fancy work on it to enhance pride of ownership and eye appeal. My 1911s are target guns and they only get carried in a shooting box to the range and back. They look like new, except for a little wear in contact points, like where the slide release swings along the frame. Unless you're going to carry it in a holster, you can't really expect much wear.

44 Man · « **Reply #10 on:** October 22, 2005, 03:31:34 AM »

Most of my 'woods walking' is with a single action handgun. This will probably be my main 'house gun', but she will get lots of range time and will get carried. In fact I plan to carry it with me deer hunting this season (Nov 15th). Every new gun gets to go deer hunting at least once. That was my concern for the gold inlay; possibly wearing from sliding in and out of a holster. I don't plan any IDPA with it although I may take it to a couple of matches. So I'm shopping for a good holster probably with a nice lining. At the moment, I'm watching e-bay for something a little nicer, hopefully carved or basketweave and lined. We'll just have to see what turns up. 44 Man

BamBams · « **Reply #11 on:** October 22, 2005, 08:02:19 AM »

To me, it would be like having a beautiful wife and sleeping in separate beds.

jebsr · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2005, 08:46:26 AM »

If you always wanted one to carry and shoot, and now have it **SHOOT IT** no one knows what tomorrow may bring

Fireball 57 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2005, 05:40:27 PM »

44Man; Skeeter Shelton, bless his soul, shot his engraved and gold laden 45 AutoColt and so should you! Life is too short to worry if you can't partake of forbidden fruit once in a lifetime. :biggun:

williamlayton · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2005, 11:10:22 PM »

There are very few "truly collectable" weapons that will appreciate into a value worth not shooting it. there are just as many whose value has not depreciated by it being shot but well taken care of.
I have seen weapons whose sentimental value, to the owner, would keep it from being shot-I have on of those-because of fear of damage to the weapon.
I would suggest an evaluation of the weapon be made it the context of real life value and then, to quote one other, "shoot the snot out of it."
Blessings

Mikey · « **Reply #15 on:** November 06, 2005, 10:50:26 AM »

44 Man - Fireball 57 is right. Many the old timers owned engraved, plated handguns that were very fancy, and they shot (that was one of the criteria for owning one). Often these fine handguns were worn in more formal settings, like barbeques (lol), in deference to the daily duty pieces they most often wore.

She sure is a beauty, but I would make sure she shoots the way you want it too and carry it whenever you want. Just understand that you will be the envy of the handgunning company you keep, at least in mine you would. Just my thought. Mikey.

1911crazy · « **Reply #16 on:** November 07, 2005, 11:05:03 AM »

Sometimes i think if we don't shoot it the next guy who owns it will. I have a brand new Springfield Armory Series 90 45acp still in the box new. I take it to the range shoot it, clean it and away it goes again. It still looks new. It was made at the turn of the last century.

brasskeeper · « **Reply #17 on:** January 02, 2006, 06:44:03 AM »

Shoot it and enjoy it. Thats what it was made for. :wink:

44 Man · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2006, 08:04:13 AM »

Well, she is home now. I haven't made it to the range yet, but here she is in her 'working' clothes. Soft grips, short Colt SS trigger, Wilson Grip safety, Pachmayer mainspring housing, and I removed the full length guide rod and replaced it with a stock 'plug' setup for the recoil spring. Time to go shooting!

44 Man

Mikey · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2006, 11:06:50 AM »

Now you're talkin'! Mikey.

Questor · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2006, 01:13:13 PM »

How long are your fingers, 44man? I like a "long trigger" because it makes the 1911 more pleasant for me to shoot with my long hands. Just a thought.

Nice gun.

44 Man · « **Reply #21 on:** February 01, 2006, 05:40:31 AM »

Well Questor, if I grip the gun as I should with the bore in line with my forearm, I can put the first pad of my trigger finger on a short trigger. I can barely get a purchase on a long trigger and I have to 'flip' the gun up in my hand to trip the mag release. Again, with a correct grip, I cannot guarntee triping the trigger bar on a Glock which is why I don't own any. I love my 1911's but I have several short triggers in the parts box to swap into any I buy then put the long triggers back in when if I sell them. No 'N' or 'L' frame S&W either. Tried them all, even with thin grips (which I want to try on a 1911 sometime). Thank the Lord fingers are the ONLY short thing He gave me! 44 Man

S.S. · « **Reply #22 on:** April 03, 2006, 09:28:38 AM »

If I were not going to shoot it, I would sell it and Buy a Couple of shooters
with my newly aquired funds.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #23 on:** April 03, 2006, 12:57:07 PM »

I feel bad as I got long fingers and a short something else!!!!!!

Quote from: 44 Man

Well Questor, if I grip the gun as I should with the bore in line with my forearm, I can put the first pad of my trigger finger on a short trigger. I can barely get a purchase on a long trigger and I have to 'flip' the gun up in my hand to trip the mag release. Again, with a correct grip, I cannot guarntee triping the trigger bar on a Glock which is why I don't own any. I love my 1911's but I have several short triggers in the parts box to swap into any I buy then put the long triggers back in when if I sell them. No 'N' or 'L' frame S&W either. Tried them all, even with thin grips (which I want to try on a 1911 sometime). Thank the Lord fingers are the ONLY short thing He gave me! 44 Man

K.K · « **Reply #24 on:** April 03, 2006, 01:25:37 PM »

I think that any gun in sound working order and safe condition should be shot at least once in a while. Personally I shoot all of mine, I just baby a few more than the others. I'm betting that you'd do the same. Fine lookin' shootin' iron!

S.S. · « **Reply #25 on:** April 06, 2006, 05:45:48 AM »

Man Lloyd,
I just don't know if I would have shared that.
My wife says the only thing I am short on is brains!
I took that as a compiment :twisted:

daddywpb · « **Reply #26 on:** April 22, 2006, 12:12:51 AM »

Beautiful gun - take it to the range and enjoy it.