Unfired rifles

I collect firearms that I use for hunting. If they can't serve that purpose, I'm not interested. But I do appreciate those few collectors who buy the nice guns that I want before I can afford them, or find them, and save them unused for later, because some time way off in the distant future, I buy and use them and appreciate them as they were intended to be used. I own very few firearms that I bought new. But I have many that were "almost new" condition and quite old. I like that! I also pay less than new price for a gun that is usually made better than the most modern offerings. I appreciate gun collectors who don't use their collections, and like how impractical they are. Good for me later.
The only peeve I have is with people who carelessly abuse nice guns, and assume that is a normal consequence of hunting with them. I have never broken a stock, allowed a firearm to get rusty, inflicted deep scratches or dents or gouges in a gun. But many I have seen that were almost new have been advertised and described on Gun Nutz as "has been hunted" as if that's an excuse to abuse a gun. Not me. I use them as intended, but take care of them too.
 
If all we did was hunt with our guns, all we’d own is a $800 .30-06, .22 and a 12 gauge. And if you travel a .375. At a certain point a higher level of intrigue with the tools comes, and eventually you don’t even need to kill with them all. I used to get sentimental, keeping and cherishing the guns I took certain animals with in Africa or BC etc. And with time I’ve mellowed and come to see them all as just stuff, which I only hang onto if they bring me joy. That means if I use them regularly, but more and more of them get used on the range than hunting.

I’m grateful the choice is mine. It took me twenty years to understand stuff and experiences are separate things, you don’t lose the experience when you sell or trade the stuff.

Do things rather than own things.
 
I own 6 brand new motorcycles I will never ride. I own rifles I will never fire. Called collecting. I have my bike I ride and firearms I will shoot.
I spent the last 4 days watching the Las Vegas motorcycle auction and never bought anything but did miss out on a pan head I wanted. Regrets there.
 
Once you have the ones you use regularly, there are some you just like. I had a pair of Werndals that were very interesting but I never shot. I have a couple more that I’ve not shot and quite a few I seldom shoot. I don’t think you need to shot them to enjoy them.
 
I much appreciate guys buying new guns and keeping them minty. I have champagne tastes on a beer budget and HATE paying sales tax and gst, rarely buy from a store.
 
Over roughly 5 decades of buying, trading and selling guns, I've owned many hundreds and have, with one lone exception, fired every single one of them. It's why I buy them, and I have no interest in owning a gun I can't or don't use. In fact, until I was probably 35 or so, I don't think I ever owned any that I didn't do at least some hunting with...although, with many of them, it was strictly varmints rather than the game for which they were actually designed. I've had .375's, .416's and .458's which never shot anything bigger than a coyote or crow...but they did shoot those!

I suppose that I understand the collector mindset, and I certainly respect anyone's desire to simply own stuff, but don't want to operate that way personally. I do get a little testy at times when a collector berates me for shooting, and thus devaluing, some firearm that I own. If you want to buy it, lock it in a safe and just rub it periodically while watching TV, that's certainly your right. Don't expect me to feel the same way; and if you think the gun that I am happily shooting should be treated that way, well...you should have bought the damn thing yourself!

The one unfired exception? That was a lovely Weatherby .340 Magnum; I had every intention of using it at some point, but had some difficulty finding ammo and brass at the time. Before I was able to get some, an acquaintance offered me much more than I had paid for it; I was in the process of selling off a number of guns to help pay for an expensive hunt, so I grudgingly let that one go, never having fired a shot out of it (it was not actually unfired, just unfired by me). The guy that bought it apparently fired it on one occasion, and then quickly sold it down the line, so the chance for me to shoot it never happened.

That occurred in 2009, and the fact that I never got to shoot it has sort of bugged me ever since. :)
 
Oh I try to shoot them all

but there are so many to choose from on range day

there are a few that have not been shot but that is only because I have yet to source ammo.

I even got a few 25RF to try out a little stevens favorite.

so far the shortage of ammo is for:

Greener Mk III 12/14 Police
280 Ross (I have one round of 280 Ross)
32RF
 
If it were not for the people that hardly ever or never shoot their guns, there would be no mint old classic guns that pop up for sale from time to time.
 
I have a few firearms I haven't shot...yet. Sometimes it takes a day or two to shoot (and/or hunt with), weeks or months...and for those I haven't shot yet, some have now been years...but definitely no decades! LOL

I buy rifles I want to own, oor gain experience with, whether it be for the rifle itself or the cartridge.
Have bought and sold many rifles just so I could play with the cartridge and/or caliber, as I enjoy the experience. In many instances, I have tried to hunt and shoot animals with them too. Been very few I was unable to succeed in this endeavour (221 Fireball and 223 comes immediately to mind;still want to succeed with the Fireball!) In other instances, with rifles I have not owned, at least I have had the opportunity to shoot some very interesting rifles and cartridges, and in a few instances got to handload for them and/or *shoot game with them (500/450 3/4", 375 H&H Improved, 458 Win 458 Lott, 510 Wells, *7.63x39, *6mm Rem and *244 Rem, *222 Rem, *22 Win Mag, 351 Win, 401 Win, 45 Auto Mag, 45 Colt, 45 Schofield, 38Special, 357 Rem Mag, 45 Cap & Ball, 38 Cap & Ball, 416 Rem Mag, 416 Rigby, 338 Lapua Mag, 300 H&H, 300 Wby, 300 and 338 RUM, 22-250, 225 Win, 7mm Wby, 7 x 64, 7mm WSM, 9.3x64, 8mm Rem Mag, 303 British, 325 WSM, 340 Wby, *35 Whelen, and a few more I do not recall at this moment).

It has helped me determine what firearms I like, or don't, as my personal taste is my own. And helped me acquire or build the forearms I own, and in the cartridges and calibers that meet my needs and desires. Again, just my own personal tastes. Being a lefty has added its challenges! LOL Liking less than the most popular cartridges has also added its own challenges! In the end, they work for me, and that is what counts to me. And they all put food on the table for me and my extended family. Except the pistols and revolvers as we cannot legally hunt with them :(

I enjoyed working in the lgs's, but did not want to be like to typical salesperson behind the counter that was just parroting what others have said or experienced. Wanted to be able to answer questions from first hand experience to lend credibility to the answer. Whether it be about the firearm, the cartridge, the ammunition, the scope, the reloading, etc.
Those who know immediately spot the BS and move on...those who do not, will quickly learn.
If I don't know first hand, I express that, but will find the answer to get back to a person with reliable information from credible, reliable sources. Has been my practice since my teenage years when I was taught this important lesson in first full time job (in sales and customer service). Have never forgotten it.

In the end, each to their own...and glad that we have the opportunity and the choice!
Enjoy! Whatever your case may be
 
Last edited:
As the owner, you have the right to do whatever you want with whatever you have as long as you are not injuring or threatening someone with it. See this lots with old cars where the old guy has a classic, or in the case of hoarders, a bunch of classics and some guy gets his knickers in a wad because the owner is not doing anything with them and won't sell...as if the potential buyer has any right to tell the owner what he/she should and should not do with their own legally obtained "treasures". The fact is that if that old hoarder did not start collecting that stuff back e[when it was worthless, they would have all been gone through the crusher decades ago. I have guns I have never shot, cars/trucks that I never drive. I did not INTEND for them to become dust collectors but just turned out that way so far. One is a Shiloh Sharps in 45-90 tat I have had for over 20 years and not fired a shot through it, even though it came with brass, dies, bullet moulds etc. Some day. I also have a 2nd gen Colt 3rd model Dragoon, never been fired. Have had it for over 30 years. Some day. Have a 1944 IH firetruck that I never drive as well as a 1935 Ford wrecker. Some day.
 
Lol, so true!

If you shoot 'em...you get a whole bunch of people upset with you for doing so. And, if you don't shoot 'em...you get a whole different bunch of people upset with for not doing so!

It's tough getting through life worrying about what they all think...but the solution is simple...:)
 
Licensed to kill said:
As the owner, you have the right to do whatever you want with whatever you have as long as you are not injuring or threatening someone with it. See this lots with old cars where the old guy has a classic, or in the case of hoarders, a bunch of classics and some guy gets his knickers in a wad because the owner is not doing anything with them and won't sell...as if the potential buyer has any right to tell the owner what he/she should and should not do with their own legally obtained "treasures". The fact is that if that old hoarder did not start collecting that stuff back e[when it was worthless, they would have all been gone through the crusher decades ago. I have guns I have never shot, cars/trucks that I never drive. I did not INTEND for them to become dust collectors but just turned out that way so far. One is a Shiloh Sharps in 45-90 tat I have had for over 20 years and not fired a shot through it, even though it came with brass, dies, bullet moulds etc. Some day. I also have a 2nd gen Colt 3rd model Dragoon, never been fired. Have had it for over 30 years. Some day. Have a 1944 IH firetruck that I never drive as well as a 1935 Ford wrecker. Some day.
Click to expand...

Id like to see a pic or two of your '44 firetruck. And, what the heck is a Ford wrecker?

On another note, I have long given up worrying about what others think! That mindset convinced me to part with a mint, unfired '46 Venezuelan Short Rifle (FN model 1930) to a "proper" collector. I regret that decision every time I peer into my locker. I should add this to "I'm a dumbass!" thread.
 
Last edited:
The Kurgan said:
Id like to see a pic or two of your '44 firetruck. And, what the heck is a Ford wrecker?

On another note, I have long given up worrying about what others think! That mindset convinced me to part with a mint, unfired '46 Venezuelan Short Rifle (FN model 1930) to a "proper" collector. I regret that decision every time I peer into my locker. I should add this to "I'm a dumbass!" thread.
Click to expand...
I don’t know how to post pics here (and they would be WAY off topic) but if you pm me an email I could send some. I don’t “care” what others think of my stuff but do get annoyed at unsolicited negative opinions. Just a week ago I got the chance to hit shoot some skeet with my brand new SXS. I got a few indignant comments about my new shotgun being straight grip, double triggers and non ejector, all three features that I specifically wanted. If I wanted single trigger, ejectors and a pistol grip, I would have bought a gun as such but, apparently for some, they feel I should be buying what THEY like rather than what I like. Baffling. BTW, wrecker AKA tow truck.
 
Give me, or purchase a $100,000 plus rifle or shotgun, its coming hunting with me. First, there will be practice time at the range with load development or shooting 500 clays, just to get warmed-up. Probably won't even take a photo with it beside the big game animal, I seldomly do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom