Collectors want pristine guns. The closer to new the better. Then they will languish in a safe somewhere never to be fired again. I may devalue my guns but I take guns away from the collectors. Guns were made to be used, not to sit in a safe somewhere. If I had a pristine 1873 Colt with a single digit serial number with provenance it had never been fired I'd shoot the snot out of it.
I have said this before and I will say it again.
I am tired of guys who look down their noses at collectors.
What makes you guys think that all collectors want is pristine guns?
I am a collector. My collection has guns from all eras, the oldest being the little 22 Short S&W No 1 Tip Up 1st Issue, 5th Type at the top of this photo that was made in 1859. Have I ever shot it? No, and I do not intend to. Modern 22 shorts would probably damage it.
I bought this Savage North Navy Cap & Ball revolver a few years ago because I thought they are very cool, and this one was inexpensive enough that I could afford it. No, I have not shot it yet, but I have not ruled out the possibility.
S&W Model 1926? I've got you covered. This one shipped in 1929. It was carried by an officer through WWII, I even have the holster he carried it in. It was so worn that at some point somebody had it refinished (badly at that) and nickel plated. Have I shot it? You bet.
Triple Locks. For many years my Holy Grail gun was a Triple Lock. This one shipped in 1913, and it is a pristine target model. No, I am not going to shoot it.
This Triple Lock is a very early one, it shipped in 1907and the serial number is less than 200. The grips are so worn the checkering is almost gone and there is hardly any blue left on it at all. The high end collectors were not interested in it so I got it for a song. Have I shot it? You bet. I
A couple of favorites, a S&W New Model Number Three that shipped in 1882 and was refinished at the factory in 1965, and a Merwin Hulbert Pocket Army that was made sometime between 1881 and 1883. This pair gets taken to a CAS match usually once a year and yes they sure as shooting get fired.
These are just a few. So spare me your negative thoughts about collectors. I can tell you for a fact that I do not buy old guns as investments, unless you run into something incredibly rare you will do better investing in the stock market than buying old guns. I collect old guns because I am fascinated with them. If I don't want to shoot one because I know it will blow up with modern ammo, or because I want to keep it pristine, that is my business, nobody else's.
P.S. Regarding that Colt that Colt said was a 'collector's firearm': Colt was doing that to cover their butt against lawsuits. Colt was afraid somebody would load six rounds, then drop the thing and have it go off when the hammer hit the ground. So they included that note to cover their butts against lawsuits. Why do you think the Italian imported replicas of the Colt have to have a safety device of some sort while Colts do not? For the same reason. Colt has gotten away with keeping the mechanism the same as it was in 1873, and not having to include a safety device, by declaring the SAA is a 'collector's firearm'.
