The thing is, there are guns that are beautiful, and have ...delicate... finishing, and because they’re not made anymore, you really hate to use ‘em hard. Like a nice old Winchester 92 octagon barrel with deluxe pistol grip stock in .25-20, in 90% condition. It may not even be a truly “rare” gun, but it’s uncommon, certainly valuable, and you’d hate to drop it and scratch, much less chip or break, the stock. You’d feel guilty if the heavens opened up and this gun got a good soaking. Even if it’s just the perfect gun for shooting raccoons or possums in your barnyard. I’d like to think that even the guys who say “I shoot everything I own” (I number myself in that category) would bring this one out on a sunny day for a bit of light duty, rather than grabbing it from the hook over the back door in a driving rain. (For the record I was offered such a gun and passed on it, because I couldn’t justify spending north of 2k on a gun that, while extremely appealing, I knew I’d be really reluctant to let out of the safe much.)
On the other hand, a Remington Nylon could traipse through the woods all day long and probably not show a single blemish. It’s not the kind of gun you have to keep in a padded case or wipe down with an oily rag the moment you finish shooting. So even if they were expensive, there’s really no practical reason not to shoot them. Except for the fact that they’re just not that fantastic a firearm compared to other .22 options today, and were mainly purchased in their heyday for their durability and low price.