Shooter or Safe Queen?

[MCMXIautomatic]

I've got a Colt SP-1, made circa 1977, and I've been wondering if this gun would be considered to be more of a safe queen or a shooter. I don't have any pictures, but the gun is all original and in very good shape for its age. It has some marks here and there, and it's not in brand new condition, but overall it's in good shape. It's a very nice gun, and I think I heard that SP-1s are starting to become rare, so if this is a safe queen, I might feel a bit guilty about shooting it too much.

So what do you think? Is it a shooter or a safe queen?

 

[docnyt]

That's entirely up to you. If its not in pristine shape, personally I would go ahead and shoot it to enjoy it. Then when it's time to sell, at least I would have enjoyed the heck out of it and still recuperate some of its original value.

 

[451 Detonics]

Would you buy own a 64 Mustang and never drive it? A Picasso and store it in a closet? Would you marry a beautiful woman and never make love to her?
Who would you rather be happy, you or some collector you don't know who buys the rifle after you are dead?
Shoot it for God's sake...safe queens are for non-shooting wimps who keep their Star Wars action figures in the original unopened boxes.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Shoot it for God's sake...safe queens are for non-shooting wimps who keep their Star Wars action figures in the original unopened boxes.

<<< I've been saving that for the perfect moment. THANKYOU

 

[JustinJ]

Shoot it for God's sake...safe queens are for non-shooting wimps who keep their Star Wars action figures in the original unopened boxes.

YEAH! Real men take actions figures out of their boxes and play with them!

 

[M1key]

Shoot it. They aren't that collectible, IMO. I have seen a number of them at gun shows that were still sitting there with big price tags.

Some guys are wanting parts to do retro-builds and I think some companies are now making copies for nostalgia's sake.



M

 

[stevekozak]

Shoot it! Guns, by definition, are made for SHOOTING!!

 

[mokin]

I had one for a long time. It was a great shooter. Definitely take it out and shoot it.

 

[Michael R.]

shoot it. if guns aren't shot they get sad and then they may commit gunicide.

 

[kb58]

These threads remind me of car forum threads like, "should I turbo my car", where the answer is always a resounding "Yes!" But think about why. The people saying it's a good idea have zero monetary involvement in the outcome - why wouldn't they want you to? If the gun gets damaged, it's of no consequence to anyone giving you the "just shoot it" advice.

Asking this sort of thing is like asking, "what color should I paint my house?", or, "Blond or brunette?", or "should I go skydiving? It's entirely up to you and only you know all the factors involved. Do what you want, keep it in the safe, shoot it, whatever makes you happy.

"Brunette", by the way!

 

[Bobson]

The people saying it's a good idea have zero monetary involvement in the outcome - why wouldn't they want you to? If the gun gets damaged, it's of no consequence to anyone giving you the "just shoot it" advice.

Props for nailing it on the head. On the other hand, I have to say this makes a lot of sense to me:

If its not in pristine shape, personally I would go ahead and shoot it to enjoy it.

-------------------
I don't know anything at all about the rifle in question, but what I would do is have the rifle appraised. If it's something that you can expect to grow to a respectable value, go ahead and keep it as a safe queen. On the other hand, if you could keep it in it's current condition for another 20-30 years, and it might still only be worth a few grand, to me that's not justification enough to let it sit in a safe unused.

Personally, for me to keep a gun as a safe queen, it would need to at least have a potential sale value of $10,000 or more - even if that was an estimated value for 20+ years down the road. If it's never (meaning never in my lifetime) gonna bring that much or more, I'd just enjoy shooting it - or just sell it off now, for that matter. I'm not much of a shoot-many-guns kinda guy. More of a shoot-the-same-two-guns-constantly type. As always though, YMMV.

 

[HDCamel]

If it were me, I'd shoot it.
I don't believe in safe queens.

 

[M1key]

I have a few safe queens. Only because over the years the book value of the firearm has risen to the point where the price tag chases potential buyers away.

So, they may just as well be shooters.

M

 

[ExAgoradzo]

Personally I'd say shoot it: I inherited a 'safe queen' from my FIL and I shoot it, my boys shoot it, and next time we're in the desert my wife will shoot it I'm sure.

With the investment advice, if you think you could get more, even if it is a couple years down line, well then you have to make that decision. Money's money...what's more important to you???

these guns are made for shootin'... and shoot'n's what I'll do...