Shooting with a antique gun???

[vegard_dino]

Hello and thank you all for the information and help.

There are some very nice old guns for sale, and the idea of getting one is getting stronger and stronger.
IF I do so, I will have it check out before I buy it, making sure it can be used.

Thank you all for helping me out.

 

[matt denison]

There are some "original" Pennsilvania/Kentucky rifles that are worth a fortune, five and six figures. I'd suggest that you leave them home to reduce the possibillity of damage, buy a repro. and shoot it. Then there are "original" guns and particularly Cival War guns that are way less rare and inexpensive that I see no reason not to take 'em out and shoot them. It wasn't all that long ago that they were the only game in town and everybody interested in muzzleloading shot them.

 

[Col. Batguano]

It all depends on how deep your pocketbook is. Anything built of metal and wood can, and will, eventually fail if stressed enough. Every time you shoot it you are stressing it. Do you want to risk it and resulting degradation in value is the issue. If you owned the Sultan of Turkey Colt Dragoon reportedly worth in excess of $2,500,000 would you shoot it? Isn't shooting a reproduction essentially the same once you get a sight picture and start squeezing the trigger.

Custom guns that are made today are actually made far BETTER than they were back in the vintage era, and, with better metal alloys, they are with a known history, and far safer. Sure you CAN shoot the vintage stuff, but for a fraction of the value, and risk, I don't see a really good reason TO shoot them.

 

[bpd303]

I don't think any of us are talking about shooting irreplaceable antique guns. Any gun in those price ranges are absolutely out of my reach.

However when I can take my fowling piece made in the mid 1800s that's in good shape and cost me under $500 which shoots better than my replicas, I don't see any reason not to shoot it. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/283028/post/1317300/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[vegard_dino]

Hello.

Oh no, not talking or dreaming about shooting a museum gun.
Not even dreaming about buying one.

The reason I am asking is that I find old guns very interesting. So to buy and use one, now and then, is a long dream.
Reading the replies here, I se I am not the only one.

Thank you all for tips and information.

 

[azmntman]

If I purchased the $2,500,000.00 Turkey gun I would shoot it that same day! After all if I could afford to buy it I could afford to shoot it??

Point well taken though. I would be real hesitant to shoot any gun from the 1800's but if I ever get a chance to have a shooter from said era I will be hunting it hard! Not much cooler than feeding the family with the same gun the ol folks did!

 

[mooman76]

I only paid $200 for mine a couple years ago. It needed a nipple and a bolt to hold the lock. Other than that quite shootable. Nothing fancy or collectable about it other than it is an old piece and I always wanted an old, original piece so now I have one. I also am of the school of thought of if you don't/can't shoot it, it's not a gun.

 

[buzz]

Yes been thinking to find a shootable fowler or shot gun but always shyed away when i resdy to buy as i dont want a wall hanger

 

[Many Klatch]

If the gun is sound and in good repair, it will actually be best if the gun is shot occasionally just so that it is kept in repair, cleaned and oiled. The worst thing that can happen to any gun is to hang over the fireplace. The lack of humidity and oil over time will damage the wood.

Buy good guns regardless of age and shoot them. If it is a 5 or 6 figure collectors item, then shoot it once and resell it.

 

[hanshi]

While going through this thread, the thought occurred to me that in this day and age a lot of people are shooting old "original" guns. In the modern gun world there are a lot of WW1 (ca.1914) rifles in use daily. When the NMLRA guys got together for their first shoot all they had were "originals".
Personally, I have trouble defining what is an "original" ml rifle. I know it is generally accepted as one that is very old.
And, this thought is going nowhere.
Bottom line is, if it is safe to shoot, enjoy.

I once had some lively discussions on another forum about what "original" meant. Point being that I was soundly lectured on what wasn't "original" but I could never get a sane answer as to what an "original" actually was.

It was somewhat akin to the idea of HC/PC and that it either was or wasn't. Never mind that the detailed replicas were not HC/PC - how many "originals" built were replicas, duh! The best I could figure was that an original had to be, of course, a muzzleloader, made by historically documented builders and then it had to be old, how old???

IMHO a longrifle built in 1932 is "original" and so is one built in 1832. And this begs the question, what's the cutoff date? It's easy to see how silly it can get. I mean an $1900 hand built replica can't be a custom; it's a bloody REPLICA! And what about a replica of a replica? It's enough to drive one to drink, not a bad idea, actually. :dead:

 

[azmntman]

for my interests in black powder (and MHO only) I would say like 1870 back?

My pop went to an estate auction for his uncle and I told him if any "good deals" to pick me up a gun. He was bidding against his cousin (they didn't even recognize each other) and came back with a ss .22 winchester 67 that both learned to shoot on back in the tobbaccy fields of KY. IMHO not an "original" at $275.00 :shocked2: Worth about $75, but hey it was pops first shoot so I am happy and when pop passed I gave to my son. ff

 

[bpd303]

I think a lot of confusion arises over, original VS antique. When does a firearm become an antique? Is my mid 1800s fowling piece an original or antique? I think both.

 

[fleener]

Ya know I have often wondered what "original" meant as well.

If I had Rigby make a muzzleloader today, would it be considered an original?

Fleener

 

[rickystl]

Wes said: ."hate to think how cheap some of those Besses were back then".

In 1965 I bought an original 3rd Model Brown Bess dated 1805 from Abercrombie & Fitch (yes, they sold guns back then) in downtown Chicago for $125.00. It was in great condition and I shot a lot of rounds through it. I was 15 years old then and had it in lay-away for 6 months before I could pay it off. :haha: That's another one I should have kept. :slap: Rick.

 

[BrownBear]

That's another one I should have kept.

Be interesting for a guy to keep a list of those all his life. I know my list would be longer than my leg. It's to the point now, I'm almost afraid to let any gun go, because sure enough, I'll regret it sooner or later. Have only let one muzzleloader go (my long-ago Pietta 12 ga SxS) and it took me a lot of years to get around to replacing it.

On the flip side, back in the day I had a fair collection of pre-64 versions of a renowned bolt rifle (including 9 that were NIB), but let them go to support myself through college and pay for a couple of babies. Sorry for them being gone, but a more than fair trade for the life that followed. :thumbsup:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Wes said: ."hate to think how cheap some of those Besses were back then".

In 1965 I bought an original 3rd Model Brown Bess dated 1805 from Abercrombie & Fitch (yes, they sold guns back then) in downtown Chicago for $125.00. It was in great condition and I shot a lot of rounds through it. I was 15 years old then and had it in lay-away for 6 months before I could pay it off. :haha: That's another one I should have kept. :slap: Rick.

Yep...A&F did and sold a lot of great things back then. :wink: Remember some of the Houston area gun shops had muzzleloading and some early breechloaders in armory crates sitting on the floor with "Your Choice" signs on them. Those were the days! Of course, a dollar was a dollar...or at least a half dollar! :haha: