A 1st Generation Colt

[fishnbob]

is sitting in my safe, where it has been for 25 years. Over this time I have shot maybe 15 rounds through it before I was overcome with guilt and put it back safely away. It is a .38 Special caliber and in great shape. The question is, should I take it out and practice with it using reduced loads or should I keep hiding it away in the safe? I don't want to break a spring or cause undue wear on it but I am thinkin' I need to burn some powder and get some use out of it before I croak. What would ya'll do?:?

[Dale53]

Unless that 1st Generation had special memories connected with it, I'll tell you what I'd do with it. I'd sell it to a collector who is pining for one and get me something (or several somethings) to use. But that's just me.

Each of us has to decide what is important to us.

I have a NIB S&W Model 19 Texas Ranger outfit complete with bowie knife. I am getting absolutely NO use out of it and every time I look at it I shake my head. The problem is, it belonged to my step dad (a good man who treated my mother well) and he was SO proud of having it in pristine condition, that I cannot shoot it. So, it sits there taking up space. Heck, my heirs don't even want it...

Each of us goes through this particular thing from time to time and, realistically, no one else can help us with this decision...

Dale53

[mongo]

I have a Luger that was given to me by my Dad for a birthday present years back, She's mostly a safe queen but I take it out and shoot it once a year or so. I dont worry about wear as it will be passed down to my Grandchildren someday, They will probly sell it and buy a bunch of video games, LOL

[Thin Man]

MONGO had a keen observation. The gun shop where I work has regular visits from people who: (1) have firearms they plan to leave behind to offspring, grandchildren, or other relatives, and (2) a younger group who are looking to sell the firearms they have just inherited! With the first group we gently suggest the owner confirm that the intended recipient is a responsible person who has an interest in retaining the firearm(s) and will appreciate the gift. The second group gets a cash offer.

Knowing all the above, I am facing a challenge (nothing new, just add one more to the list). We have 3 daughters. The oldest (31) is married. The youngest (24) is engaged. The middle daughter (28) has the search party out! No grandchildren. Neither the husband nor the prospective husband have any interest in my "toys" except for the resale value. With that in mind, I have told my wife many times to contact a close friend (already named, no offers please) to list all these items, plus the reloading and casting goodies, on an internet auction site to get their current value. At least the wife will get the value from these goods rather than a younger crowd who have no interest in them. Food for thought.

Thin Man

[fishnbob]

My thoughts exactly Thin Man and thanks for sharing that! I had two daughters and they are married to two exactly opposite men. One has no interest whatsoever in any sporting activity, doesn't even like racing. The other loves guns but buys, sells and trades like crazy. I have seen him unload family collectibles, that bothers me. I have told my wife the same thing as you. I only have one grandson and he likes to shoot but my daughter and her non sport loving husband abhors the thought of guns, so he doesn't have much of a chance to enjoy it. I told my wife to have a sale of all my guns & reloading equipment or I would line up a guy who would sell it off for her and protect her interest. She is afraid of retribution from the other son in law and doesn't want to deal with it. I have beaten cancer once, it's been 6 yrs. but the scars of the fight have their own consequences.
Thanks for all the comments, you guys all have good advice and I appreciate it!

[Matthew 25]

Sell that sucker to someone that wants it and take the wife to Italy!
So, fishnbob...I have 3 daughters, all under 8 years old. What can I do to insure they don't marry a guy who doesn't like guns???

[mustanggt]

Matthew, when the girls reach dating age the suitors who would try to woo them should have to answer to you as you are cleaning one of your treasures and see which one of them gulps and sweats nervously or says, "Hey cool gun isn't that a Colt SAA?"

[Frank46]

You know I think firearms have done better than the stock market. A lot of what I have cost more now to replace than what I paid for them. As far as your colt is concerned its like money in the bank. Find either a good dealer or auction house and Ka-ching $$. Look at the prices for the older S&W's from the 80's and the lew horton N frames in 44 special. They sell as fast as they can be found. 624's, 24-3 4" and 24-3 3" bbls. I know I'm not alone in having a fondness for the 44 special cartridge. One dealer told me if he had 10 357's in the N frame and 10 44 specials also N frames. The 44 specials would be long gone before the 357's sold out. As far as what to do with my toys when I'm gone, the wife said she'd lock the door to my toy room and do some serious research before any of them were sold. I have the receipts from just about every purchase. Frank

[fishnbob]

I have mine listed on the computer, type, model, what I paid for it and what the current value is. Trouble is my wife can't cut the computer on! I like your answer mustanggt to Mathew 25's comment. It was the first thing that popped into my mind.

[1644]

late arrival, but have an answer. Have to young grandsons, 18 & 15. Have them shooting past 7 or 8 years (22 cal) but now they are into rifle, 223, 8mm and 30.06. Pistols 22, 380, 38, 45, 9mm. My guns will be going to them as they appreciate and shoot them. Have couple 1st gen Colt SAA, black powder which the boys have no interest. So believe I will sell off the BP SAA as an answer to the SAA.

[osteodoc08]

I understand the issue at hand. Currently I have 3 boys aged 6 months, 4 and 7. The 4 and 7 year old are with my ex. She poo poos on guns and think theyre dangerous. My sons find an interest in them, but its still to early to tell what they will end up wanting to do. I also have a 7yo daughter with my current wife from her previous relationship where she was widowed. She takes an interest, but we will see how things go. I have several heirlooms including an original 1886 half octagon in 45-90. It ws to go to my first born son, but before dad passed, he told me to give it to whomever would not sell it or pawn it. We shall see how things go. If none have interest, hopefully a friend, grandson (or daughter) will be a suitable recipient.

I currently have an old Remington 41 Targetmaster in 22 S,L,LR that will always stay in the family. It was given to me by a neighbor who had 2 kids that had nothign to do with guns. I told him I would keep it and protect it and pass it on. I intend on keeping my word.

[Love Life]

When I'm dead, they can turn them into a police buy back for all I care...which I wont because I will be dead.

[junkbug]

It has collector value, but was almost certainly made after 1900. Unless it is scary pristine and shows no wear at all I would just shoot it. Maybe not a lot, and like you suggested, with mild loads. Even for an old Peacemaker, the .38 Special is a mild cartridge. You bought it because you like it, right? Three or four boxes of wadcutter level ammunition a year will hardly wear that gun out. Hopefully you will live long enough to hand it personally to that grandson when he is old enough, so might as well be able to tell him how great it shoots when you do so.

[Uncle Jimbo]

is sitting in my safe, where it has been for 25 years. Over this time I have shot maybe 15 rounds through it before I was overcome with guilt and put it back safely away. It is a .38 Special caliber and in great shape. The question is, should I take it out and practice with it using reduced loads or should I keep hiding it away in the safe? I don't want to break a spring or cause undue wear on it but I am thinkin' I need to burn some powder and get some use out of it before I croak. What would ya'll do?:?

Oh Hell, shoot it to death and have the family throw it into the coffin with you and bury the both of you.
:Fire:

[tygar]

is sitting in my safe, where it has been for 25 years. What would ya'll do?:?

I previously collected lots of different guns & had many commemoratives, unfired collectibles, including lots of SAAs.

I had the same problem, sitting in safes, can't shoot them or they loose value etc. Finally I said hel with it & sold almost all of them, only keeping a few that I planned on shooting despite their value.

I also agree with the guy who said sell it & go to Italy (or whatever). I bought some cars, guns, plus lots of other toys. Now I don't have to look at guns I can't even turn the cylinders on or cost myself a bunch of money.

[Tim357]

Heck, an SAA in .38SP? That's a match made in heaven for .38/44 loads!

[jumbeaux]

I am a lucky man in many ways...have one son, a grandson, a granddaughter and a daughter in law that are all hunters, plinkers and shooters...they already have most of my firearms...my Colt SAA, 1911A1 and S&W Model 17 stay with me until they pitch dirt on me...I would shoot that Colt with some fun loads and enjoy it !!!

rick

[300savage]

i aint even going to read all these dam responses that are concerned about the collector value...
buy gold if you want to save something..

way i see it is like this.

the bible was made for readin.
whiskey was made for drinkin.
women were made for lovin.
pistols were made for shootin.

[Lloyd Smale]

Would i shoot it? heck no. Would I keep it? heck no. I like a cool gun as much as the next guy but i dont have room in my life for decorations. If it were my grandpas gun that he killed some bad guy with i might hold on to it but that gun you have would finance the purchase of many guns i could enjoy or a toy of some sort that i would get much more enjoyment out of then picking it out of the safe and looking at it.

[Love Life]

i aint even going to read all these dam responses that are concerned about the collector value...
buy gold if you want to save something..

way i see it is like this.

the bible was made for readin.
whiskey was made for drinkin.
women were made for lovin.
pistols were made for shootin.

That has got to best nugget of advice I have read in a LONG time.

[DougGuy]

I had a 4 3/4 x .45 first gen once, it had nicks on the bottom of the barrel and ejector housing from knocking out a window shooting at cattle rustlers in Wyoming, in 1910. It was carried by a member of the Posse who brought the men to justice. It had no finish, just patina, with the tiniest bit of color case in the protected depths of the frame, and man let me tell you it was tight as a drum!

I regret letting that one get away, more than the other 1st gens I owned over the years. I don't think the romance is there when they sit in the safe. There is just something magical about live firing these grand old dames that nothing on this planet satisfies except shooting one. Maybe it's the cocking, maybe it's the gunsmoke, I don't know. When you shoot them, they somehow become bigger than life for just a moment in time.

I would shoot it some, with standard loads.

[enfieldphile]

I used to be into military surplus rifles in a big way.

They were not unfired cherries. They were not rusted junk either. Each one had honest use but not abuse.

Last year I sold off almost all of them. My wife was shocked when she saw the profit I realized! BTW, as I paid for them originally, I got the $$, not her.

I bought more of what I am currently into (bolt action match rifles and some rare wheel guns like a .45 Colt caliber Anaconda, S&W .44 Special 624 4" etc.

Sell the SSA, take an obscene profit. W/ part of the $$ buy a used S&W K-38 or Ruger and shoot the dickens out of it w/ mild or mid-range cast boolit loads.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
If it is shootable , I shoot them.
Last time up I finally received the last two springs ( trigger and frizzen) for a 1823 made Hall Model 1919 Flintlock caliber .54 breech loader. There are not many of these left in origonal flint configuration. Several days later it was at the range with me and fired many times to figure out the most accurate load to use deer hunting. Later that year the only shot I had at a doe, I was looking the other way at a group of yellow canaries. When I got back looking over to my left there was the doe staring right at me at 20 yards. I plan on trying again this year if we get up there.
But I am of the mind .. If I cannot shoot it, I do not want it.
Mike in Peru

[smkummer]

A Colt SAA factory chambered in 38 special does not have to be treated with lights loads if you don't want to. They also chambered it in .357. It shoots standard 38 special loads in comfort and is a pleasure to shoot with them or even plus P. I would treat it with respect by shooting it and cleaning it when done.

[MtGun44]

"You know I think firearms have done better than the stock market"

LOL!

If this is true for you, you need a new financial advisor.

Bill

[smokeywolf]

Dad used to say, "I won't own a gun I won't shoot". As reluctant as I am to sound like my father, I feel the same way. Obviously I would take every precaution, but I would shoot it whenever I felt like it.

smokeywolf

[DLCTEX]

I have no safe queens. It shoots or it goes. I have 5 sons and currently two d-i-l plus one grandson that shoots plus one that is 4 but is definitely interested, two great grandsons with one on the way.Plus my wife shoots. My guns will have no problem being accepted.

[.22-10-45]

Treat e'm like eggs..nice and clean and oiled..then when you die..the wife sells it to some yahoo...for probably what you told her you paid for it! who stuffs it under his pickup seat! Shoot e'm! I have a 1903 Colt Bisley 7 1/2" in .32 WCF. & a 1905 Colt Bisley 7 1/2" in .38 Colt...decided I needed a "newer" Colt..1913 Colt Officers Model Target. They all get to talk again as we enjoy each others company at the range!