When is it "too nice" to carry?

[asbtg]

Gotta chime in. A friend owns a very nice, 99% blued (short of the idiot scratch he applied) 1976 Colt National Match 1911 with matching .22 LR slide/barrel that has been the subject of this very argument. It is taken out occasionally but the prevailing opinion is that a gun should be used and if it's not, trade for something that is. That said, it's a pretty cool piece of history and a very nice thing to see on his wall when I visit. Maybe it's just something to be appreciated like a Rembrandt rather than as a fancy hammer...

 

[sobo]

^^^ ^^^

 

[CRBMoA]

When is it "too nice" to carry?

For me, never! Guns are tools and as such, I use them for what they are intended. Will not own anything I can't shoot or be afraid to scratch.

I came to post thIs exactly!

Guitar players have this discussion quite a bit.

As for me, I am solidly with HA556 on this one.

Guitars and guns are tools. I refer to the guys with closet queen guitars as Beanie Baby Collectors.

Now, I get that a few of the tools in this thread are valuable because of their provenance, back story or cherry condition. But they seem to have been collected in love or gifted in the same. Those aren't 'tools' in my book.

Just my 0.02

 

[Flymph]

I'd have a few guns I shoot, I'd never shoot at that point. I have a few I don't shoot. Mostly because they were designed for BP loads and frankly I bought them for historical interest. I have a Smith and Wesson model 1 and a model 2 I don't shoot.

It's hard to get the time to reload or justify the cost for factory ammo with BP cartridge loads.
I've shot a lot of guns that were collectible, but I don't shoot them often. It's a nice treat shooting historical oddities.

 

[coop44]

Recently acquired a couple of "barely used" safe queens, nothing rare or unusually valuable. A sig 1911 XO model ( with tac pac ) and a ruger p94 9mm in stainless, both are in pristine condition. Can't wait to take them out and shoot the heck outa them, in fact the sig has been my edc for the last two months. My P229 is jealous, I'll have to give her some holster time soon. The ruger is going to get a 944 40 s&w DC slide very soon, and then get the piss shot outa it too!
I like finding those guns people buy and never use. I have had some real oddballs in the past that I never shot. I try not to do that any more, life is too short.

 

[Slagiatt]

Id like to shoot this old smokepole someday. Dont know how though.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Beautiful rifle there @Slagiatt .
Assuming the breech and stock are sound...no reason not to shoot it....
I wouldn't make it a every day shooter or one to use "Hot" loads with.

Looks to my eye as a later percussion rifle...circa 1850's-1870's.
Target sight are interesting.

What do you know about the rifle....
Andy

 

[Stomper]

After a few years of passive searching, I picked up a nice (and seemingly barely used) Model 36 last year from a fellow forumite. Thank you again, sir!

This particular piece is stamped "MOD 36" on the frame and, best I could tell, it had spent the last 30 years quietly snoozing in its box, maybe in a sock drawer or safe?
While I have no idea (I am told that I am the third owner), I believe it had *maybe* half a box of ammo through it in total when I got it; I personally formed the slight turn-line on the cylinder after a few boxes of ammo.

From some basic googling it appears to have been made in 1986/1987 by approximate serial number range.
I don't know a ton about older S&W's; this one came in a blue cardboard box with "Double Action Revolver" printed on the outside and the barrel is not pinned.
From what I can tell, those little points seem to support my approximate age estimation.

Anyhow, while I was doing some clean-up/maintenance on my carry rotation, I stopped to just admire this one (it was kind of a white whale for me), and while I bought it to carry, it almost seems "too nice" to carry. :/

I bought the piece to carry, and the gentleman who sold it to me encouraged me to shoot and carry it instead of tucking it away in a safe.

Is it silly to feel it is "too nice" to carry?
Does it just need its cherry popped?
Am I being silly?
Anyone else share this sentiment?
As it was purchased as a carry piece, it should serve as a carry piece. Right?

Hope all are happy and well.

Quick rule for gaging if a weapon is too nice to carry.

1.
Hold the UNLOADED weapon straight out in front of you at shoulder height..... and drop it on the floor.

2.
I you hesitate or "clench up" inside because it may get scuffed.... it's too nice to carry.





That is all, carry on.

 

[Slagiatt]

Beautiful rifle there @Slagiatt .
Assuming the breech and stock are sound...no reason not to shoot it....
I wouldn't make it a every day shooter or one to use "Hot" loads with.

Looks to my eye as a later percussion rifle...circa 1850's-1870's.
Target sight are interesting.

What do you know about the rifle....
Andy

What i know is pretty minimal. My dad knows a bit more than i do. Im going to give him a call this morning anyway, ill tell ya what he says. I do believe its older than that though. He had a powderhorn that came with it that he sold for several thousand dollars at an auction.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Id like to shoot this old smokepole someday. Dont know how though. View attachment 672938View attachment 672939View attachment 672940

What i know is pretty minimal. My dad knows a bit more than i do. Im going to give him a call this morning anyway, ill tell ya what he says. I do believe its older than that though. He had a powderhorn that came with it that he sold for several thousand dollars at an auction.

Looking forward to learning more...

As for my age date
The lock is a typical commercial lock of the 1850's onward....
as well as the trigger guard and nose cap....
All of those pieces are fairly common for a rifle of the 1850's -1870's.
Plus the overall styling of the rifle also puts it in that date range.
Could be 1840's....but not earlier.
Andy

 

[Slagiatt]

Looking forward to learning more...

As for my age date
The lock is a typical commercial lock of the 1850's onward....
as well as the trigger guard and nose cap....
All of those pieces are fairly common for a rifle of the 1850's -1870's.
Plus the overall styling of the rifle also puts it in that date range.
Could be 1840's....but not earlier.
Andy

You were right and i was wrong (which doesnt surprise me in the least.)
The old man said hes had a couple people look at it, and they both called it 1840s. Apparently from the ohio valley or pennsylvania, though how they would determine that is beyond me, but i am completely ignorant of such things. Its a .36 cal, and supposedly the type of sight and barrel length is indicative of it being a "sniper rifle" of the time, for whatever war was being fought then. Meaning probably like a 100 yard gun

Anyway, i got it from my dad, who got it (and the now auctioned off powder horn) from a now deceased relative of his who owned a tavern. Some old man in his 80s, who got it from his grandparents or something, had piled up an atrocious bar tab and gave it to my dads relative as colateral until he could pay off his debt, then he died.

 

[Slagiatt]

Why did bar (tavern) get turned into bubblegum?

 

[Slagiatt]

Oh what the hell. So i didnt type bar, i typed a word that starts with a t that means drinking establishment, why would that need to be censored?

 

[revjen45]

Hold the UNLOADED weapon straight out in front of you at shoulder height..... and drop it on the floor.
I you hesitate or "clench up" inside because it may get scuffed.... it's too nice to carry.

In that case everything would be too nice to carry. I can't see deliberately abusing any firearm.
My EDC piece is nothing special - just a striker-fired plastic pistol. Not a "nice" gun.
I would not drop it on the floor just to see if it gives me heartburn.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

You were right and i was wrong (which doesnt surprise me in the least.)
The old man said hes had a couple people look at it, and they both called it 1840s. Apparently from the ohio valley or pennsylvania, though how they would determine that is beyond me, but i am completely ignorant of such things. Its a .36 cal, and supposedly the type of sight and barrel length is indicative of it being a "sniper rifle" of the time, for whatever war was being fought then. Meaning probably like a 100 yard gun

Anyway, i got it from my dad, who got it (and the now auctioned off powder horn) from a now deceased relative of his who owned a bubblegum. Some old man in his 80s, who got it from his grandparents or something, had piled up an atrocious bar tab and gave it to my dads relative as colateral until he could pay off his debt, then he died.

Neat rifle for sure...
The caliber and target sights , suggests to me , to be just that , a target / hunting rifle...not a sniper rifle.
100 yards would be very doable if one found a good load for this rifle.
Muzzleloading rifles are far more accurate than what many people believe...I have shot and won matches with my Hawken rifle copy at 200 yards....many rifled muskets have been used much further.....

I do agree that it is a Eastern or Mid-West rifle....One can tell this by the overall styling , sight, pieces used to make up the rifle and caliber among others things.

Again...
Assuming the breech is in good shape , the stock is sound ( one will need to take the barrel off to determine these factors ) , the bore decent... the lock works as it should ...and switch out the old nipple for a new one...
I'd shoot it....not as a everyday shooter nor with a "hot" load....

.36 Caliber rifle round ball can easily be found or made...
.350 , .360 or .375 round ball may work here....
A .10-.15 patch...
And around 40 grains of 2F black powder may be a good starting load.
Again....Assuming that the gun is in shooting shape....I would get someone knowledgeable about muzzleoaders to look at it , sure wish I was close to you , I'd be happy to check it out for you.
Andy

 

[Slagiatt]

Neat rifle for sure...
The caliber and target sights , suggests to me , to be just that , a target / hunting rifle...not a sniper rifle.
100 yards would be very doable if one found a good load for this rifle.
Muzzleloading rifles are far more accurate than what many people believe...I have shot and won matches with my Hawken rifle copy at 200 yards....many rifled muskets have been used much further.....

I do agree that it is a Eastern or Mid-West rifle....One can tell this by the overall styling , sight, pieces used to make up the rifle and caliber among others things.

Again...
Assuming the breech is in good shape , the stock is sound ( one will need to take the barrel off to determine these factors ) , the bore decent... the lock works as it should ...and switch out the old nipple for a new one...
I'd shoot it....not as a everyday shooter nor with a "hot" load....

.36 Caliber rifle round ball can easily be found or made...
.350 , .360 or .375 round ball may work here....
A .10-.15 patch...
And around 40 grains of 2F black powder may be a good starting load.
Again....Assuming that the gun is in shooting shape....I would get someone knowledgeable about muzzleoaders to look at it , sure wish I was close to you , I'd be happy to check it out for you.
Andy

I travel to the coast regularly. Maybe i could swing it by everson sometime after this whole flu thing blows over.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I travel to the coast regularly. Maybe i could swing it by everson sometime after this whole flu thing blows over.

That sounds like a excellent idea....
Always happy to see an old rifle and make a new friend.
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Slagiatt
One very important thing I did not mention... ( Sorry )
Check to make sure the rifle is empty before proceeding with anything I said.

First...Check to see if there is a cap on the nipple...if so , remove the cap...
Second take a cleaning rod and lightly drop it down the bore....if empty you will hear a metallic clink...
A soft thunk or thud may mean that the gun is loaded....
Andy

 

[Slagiatt]

Ill be bringing it your way before i consider shooting it. Im 100% ignorant about muzzleloaders.

 

[Mikej]

Well isn't this pretty danged cool!