Shoot or display antique guns?

[Glock_Man_21]

The other day I went shooting with a friend of mine and I brought along a couple of my antique Winchesters that my great grandfather passed on to me. I offered to let him try them out and he refused saying I was crazy for shooting them, and I should just hang them on the wall and display them and not take the chance of damaging them by shooting them. So I was wanting get others opinions on the subject, shoot or display?

 

[Bennettjh]

I would shoot it some. Just for the memories. YMMV.

 

[Jeepster48439]

I vote for shoot them. I've got one of my granddad's old self loaders. Once I get some ammunition (gotta load my own), I will be shooting it. If all goes well, it will go into my deer rifle collection.

 

[Hexlobular]

My opinion of antiques or "collector" items; whether it's guns or cars or whatnot- if it's just going to sit there, nobody is enjoying it. I'll trade you the Winchester for a rock, and you can look at it just the same. If you plan on selling it, sure; keep it as pristine as you can. If not, well, you're just looking at it.IMHO, it's about enjoying life. Do what you enjoy...

 

[nra4ever]

Shoot them and enjoy. If they have never been fired then I would not shoot them.

 

[Libertarian01]

To Glock_Man_21,

This is a rifle =

This is a rifle that isn't shot = (aka A CLUB.)

I refuse to allow a beautiful rifle to be turned into a club!

That said, I would study the year and model of the rifle. If it is REALLY olde it may have been designed to handle a powder pressure that is much lower than modern smokeless powder. Do your research before firing just to be safe. Just because I advocate for firing beautiful olde firearms doesn't mean I want someone hurt doing do.

Study. Be Safe. Fire away and ENJOY!

Regards,

Doug

PS - No animals were harmed in the making of this post. Any animals that were/are beaten are pro guncontrol and have no sense, ergo they cannot be harmed!

 

[Glock_Man_21]

Some of my earliest memories shooting were shooting these rifles and looking forward to the day I can takes my boys, or even my girls if they are up to it and momma approves, to shoot them.

 

[LionWeight]

Shoot them and enjoy. If they have never been fired then I would not shoot them.

What's wrong with shooting AND displaying them??? Having said that, I agree that if they have NEVER been shot I wouldn't either.

 

[tge45]

Shooting is part of the experience and enjoyment of having an antique gun. An antique in good condition and working properly that is SAFE to shoot occasionally, with the right ammo, will not lose any value.

 

[LarryC]

I would do some research to determine what load they were designed to shoot before proceeding. I would then do a very detailed inspection to insure there are no cracks or other flaws in the chamber, barrel, receiver and bolt. If I didn't feel compentent, I would have a reputable gunsmith inspect them. Then I would load up some ammo to the minimum charge of powder recommended for the guns (may be black powder). Then I would fire them. I would record the firing with a video camera and store the video with the gun(s). Actually if you follow these steps, you will increase the value of the rifles as one proven to fire is more valuable than one that is not tested. Besides, I would very much (and am sure you would) certainly enjoy the experience of firing an ancestors firearm.

 

[Leadeye]

For me that depends on the gun. Like cars there are some you can drive and show and others where getting it on the highway is going to cost you some of the value. I don't have any non shooters or non drivers myself, but can understand the other side.

 

[jwhitaker45]

I would shoot it depending on what it was. If it was an antique worth more unshot then leave it as is.

 

[LarryHoosier]

I have many antique firearms and my motto is, "if it's a gun shoot it!". You do run the risk of breaking a part which may or may not be difficult to replace. I try to exercise due caution in preparing loads and looking for problems prior to shooting these old dawgs but to me most of the value is in the shooting! My greatest thrills are when someone approaches me at the range to inquire about the "strange looking old gun" I am working with. Additionally, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I successfully fire a weapon for the first time in maybe 100 years or so. Weapons like my M1866 French Chassepot (which I must make paper cartridges for) seem to smile back at me when I fire them.

 

[Mark 1911]

Are you really going to display it? If yes, great. For me, a wall hangar might be nice but between the wife and the thought of it walking away in the unlikely event of a break-in, I only store my guns in a safe. If storing in a safe, then the only reason I keep them is that I might shoot them, even if infrequently. I recently sold a Navy Arms .45 cal muzzle loader, a replica of a KY long rifle. Not very practical. Couldn't hunt with it because I could not adjust the sights to the proper load (fixed sights), and it was difficult to clean so I never shot it very much. I bought it off someone hurting for money about 25 years ago for $75 - neither one of us realized what it was worth at the time. I did some research on it and found out it was actually worth some money, sold it for $500 a couple years back. Nice return on my investment. Unlike some other guns I have sold, I don't miss that one at all.