Do You Actually Use Your Expensive Custom Guns or Keep Them as Safe Queens?

Guns was meant to be shot.

I think for some, it is a matter of perspective. I have had a number of folks express shock that I shot my Kibler (to them a safe queen) regularly...it is nice but certainly not regal or embellished. Some acquaintances had the extra money they could afford safe queens...and lots of them...Just as an art collector expands his painting collection, so they do their firearm collection. I get it. I do not have the financial means to do so, or the space. At one time I had many more arms, some safe queens, but sold them to pay for hunting trips and to help us down size. I actually think I am happier with my smaller collection.

I have no high end custom guns, have a couple lower end custom guns though that for me were a lot of money on a gun. I don't buy anything to sit and look at it, my philosophy is if I'm buying it, I'm gonna use it. Now how often is another thing, have a few so I have ta spread the love around alittle.

cannonball1 said:

I make all my and my children their guns and we use them regardless of the carvings and engravings. That being said, that gun is the exception. If it was mine, purchased from the gunmaker, I would not bang it around in the trees and brush. beautiful gun ---- hang it. Get another gun to hunt with.

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While I’ll likely not do any hunting with the Armstrong rifle due to its length (a hindrance in the heavily wooded forests of North Idaho), and the fact I’ve got other rifles better suited to that task, I still intend to shoot the snot out of it. Club shoots, woods walks, rendezvous… you name it. I think hanging it up and not using it deprives it of fulfilling its true role, and I can’t see the sense in having five grand tied up in a dust collector.

Use it, but don't abuse it.

I have used my Kibler smr in extra fancy maple. Purchased it for match shooting. Within a month of hitting my doorstep it had 100 rounds thru it. I am at 900 plus now two and a half years later.

I see folks posting about all their nice guns. Personally, I would never disclose what I have and own over the internet. No one knows how many potential thieves are lurking to make you a target for a break in. As a former Police officer, I'm just passing on helpful advice as I had seen burglaries and many firearms stolen from good people. If you ever put something up for sale online, the interested buyer, actually the thief, now has your name and address.

There is another aspect of me not buying high dollar guns; my son is 56, I raised him hunting but he moved up to an upper-level manager in the tech world after college, big house, lots of money and an anti-gun wife.

He came to visit without his wife in the spring, I have a rifle range next to the house and we shot our way through the contents of my gun safe, mostly modern stuff. When he left, he asked me not to mention our shooing sessions on line or to his wife, poor guy.

He could care less about my guns, perhaps I might have bought a high dollar gun to pass on to him if he had the interest but he doesn't. He has a sideline hobby of buying estate lots on-line and reselling specific collectable nick knacks, often for up to a hundred times the peanuts he paid for them, he said makes 50K a year doing this. His gun knowledge is "0" so I doubt if he could sell my collection.

Hopefully I will know about my demise in time to liquidate everything but that is unlikely. When I get to the point that I can't use my B/P stuff it would be in my best interest to get a table at the Al/KY Longrifle show and put everything up for sale at prices too good to pass up. Shipping my rifles is too big of a hassle for me to consider.

Ohio Rusty said:

I see folks posting about all their nice guns. Personally, I would never disclose what I have and own over the internet. No one knows how many potential thieves are lurking to make you a target for a break in. As a former Police officer, I'm just passing on helpful advice as I had seen burglaries and many firearms stolen from good people. If you ever put something up for sale online, the interested buyer, actually the thief, now has your name and address.

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Your experience as a former police officer is invaluable, and your advice to be cautious is certainly worth considering. However, it’s also important to recognize that not everyone who discusses their firearms online is exposing themselves to undue risk. When the right precautions are taken, one is perfectly safe.

Can you imagine how boring this forum would be if no one shared pictures or videos of their firearms?

That’s precisely why we use pseudonyms and don’t give out our personal information.

Eric Krewson said:

There is another aspect of me not buying high dollar guns…

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I suppose the question I’d pose to you is this: how much do you suppose all your guns are worth collectively? That’s a rhetorical question, mind you— I don’t expect you to answer it here.

What are the merits of owning a dozen $500 guns (or a half-dozen $1,000 guns) versus one $6,000 one?

I didn’t create this thread to try and sway anyone over to my way of thinking. I think you know where I stand, but everyone ultimately has to come to their own decision on the matter.

As for me… I didn’t acquire my Armstrong rifle—or any of my firearms—with the thought that they would one day enrich my family after I’m gone. Instead, I purchased them to savor the time I have on this earth, finding joy in their craftsmanship and use.

The Kiblers are for shootin'.

"Custom" means different things to different people. To me a Browning Grade VII or a Colt with Grade D engraving is not a "custom" gun. They're production guns that have fancy wood, and fancy, factory engraving. Even a factory gun that you then send to an aftermarket gunsmith, like Turnbull, to restock, regrip, or engrave isn't a "custom" gun. It's a "production" gun you "customized".

To me a "custom" gun is one where you choose an action, barrel, trigger, stock/chassis, rings, etc. and actually build the rifle/pistol from different parts manufacturers. Advanced CNC has pretty much ended the need for a gunsmith to hand fit and stone/file the parts together. Everything is indexed and machined so it screws right together. In the last ten years you don't even need an action wrench. Generally a custom gun will cost a little more than 50% of what you can buy a factory gun of similar precision even with a gunsmith assembling it for you.

I have quite a few 100-150 year old family guns that stay in the safe, but they sit because I'm just no longer interested in shooting them rather than I'm afraid to put more rounds on them. Lots of Colt pistols and Winchester rifles. Pretty much it's either unturned/unfired, or it's been shot (not counting test targets). Once it's been shot all that value is gone, and as long as you treat it like a range piece and don't scuff it up there is no change whatsoever to it's value. Shoot away. I have a washing machine sized box that is full of all the boxes and paperwork for the Colts. Keeping that stuff adds about two to three hundred bucks per gun. If it hasn't been fired I won't fire it. It's really just a gold coin.

My custom guns are all built for competition, and not only do they get shot, before covid I went through about three barrels per year on the rifles. Last year I built a .22 on a Vudoo that cost more than my car for NRL22. The best thing about .22s is that they last forever and generate almost no heat with the pixie dust in the case.

There are many different worlds in guns. Trad ML/flintlock is one. Collecting historic firearms (where unfired LNIB is the maxim) is another. Competition is a whole different thing altogether where the guns are more tools than art. Most of my "custom" guns are not pleasing to the eye with blued steel and figured wood. They look more like they should be shooting lasers or plasma. That said, they allow for a level of shooting that just isn't possible with yesterday's technology and manufacturing methods.

TrailWalker said:

I suppose the question I’d pose to you is this: how much do you suppose all your guns are worth collectively? That’s a rhetorical question— you don’t have to answer it here.

What are the merits of owning a dozen $500 guns (or a half-dozen $1,000 guns) versus one $6,000 one?

I didn’t create this thread to try and sway anyone over to my way of thinking. I think you know where I stand, but everyone ultimately has to come to their own decision on the matter.

As for me… I didn’t acquire my Armstrong rifle—or any of my firearms—with the thought that they would one day enrich my family after I’m gone. Instead, I purchased them to savor the time I have on this earth, finding joy in their craftsmanship and use.

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However, even if your descendants aren't interested in enjoying them for their intended purpose they are an appreciating asset, and I can't say that for the vast majority of "stuff" I own. I have only sold a couple of guns in my lifetime, and despite the size of my family's collection, I will leave it to my kids twice as large as the previous four generations.

Hopefully they will enjoy them as much as I do, and if not they can sell them. Why would I care if I'm dead?

TrailWalker said:

I’ve noticed a divide among gun enthusiasts when it comes to high-end, custom firearms. Some people take pride in using their expensive pieces regularly, while others prefer to keep them pristine as safe queens or wall hangers.

I’m curious—what’s your approach? If you own a high-dollar custom firearm, do you take it out to the range, hunt with it, or use it in the field? Or do you reserve it as a display piece, appreciating its craftsmanship from a distance?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on why you choose to use or not use your custom guns. Does it come down to the potential wear and tear, the value, or perhaps the sentimental aspect? And for those who do use them, how do you balance enjoying your investment with maintaining its condition?

I just acquired this Armstrong rifle below and I’ve already had people treat me like I’m nuts for wanting to use it in the manner I described.

Looking forward to hearing your perspectives!

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Nice rifle !!!
The only high end guns I don't shoot are originals in mint to near mint condition, those get sold to collectors who just display their collection.

If it's a nice custom gun like your rifle, it gets well used but never abused.
I've hunted & competed with some of my rifles & pistols for over 40 years & they remain in excellent shape.
If I take a fall the gun always falls on me

TrailWalker said:

I suppose the question I’d pose to you is this: how much do you suppose all your guns are worth collectively? That’s a rhetorical question, mind you— I don’t expect you to answer it here.

What are the merits of owning a dozen $500 guns (or a half-dozen $1,000 guns) versus one $6,000 one?

I didn’t create this thread to try and sway anyone over to my way of thinking. I think you know where I stand, but everyone ultimately has to come to their own decision on the matter.

As for me… I didn’t acquire my Armstrong rifle—or any of my firearms—with the thought that they would one day enrich my family after I’m gone. Instead, I purchased them to savor the time I have on this earth, finding joy in their craftsmanship and use.

Click to expand...

TrailWalker said:

While I’ll likely not do any hunting with the Armstrong rifle due to its length (a hindrance in the heavily wooded forests of North Idaho), and the fact I’ve got other rifles better suited to that task, I still intend to shoot the snot out of it. Club shoots, woods walks, rendezvous… you name it. I think hanging it up and not using it deprives it of fulfilling its true role, and I can’t see the sense in having five grand tied up in a dust collector.

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TrailWalker I also live & hunted in Idaho's steep mountains.
My short light weight big bore Jeager with a flip-up rear sight for longer shots
made hunting much more enjoyable !

use.

I absolutely take my nice guns out and shoot/hunt with them. If someone wants to just look at them, I get it because I like looking at mine. I just am not against using them as well. Someone pointed out what we all spend on things like cars that cost more and have a shorter useful life. I have yet to wear out a gun from using it.

Eric Krewson said:

There is another aspect of me not buying high dollar guns; my son is 56, I raised him hunting but he moved up to an upper-level manager in the tech world after college, big house, lots of money and an anti-gun wife.

He came to visit without his wife in the spring, I have a rifle range next to the house and we shot our way through the contents of my gun safe, mostly modern stuff. When he left, he asked me not to mention our shooing sessions on line or to his wife, poor guy.

He could care less about my guns, perhaps I might have bought a high dollar gun to pass on to him if he had the interest but he doesn't. He has a sideline hobby of buying estate lots on-line and reselling specific collectable nick knacks, often for up to a hundred times the peanuts he paid for them, he said makes 50K a year doing this. His gun knowledge is "0" so I doubt if he could sell my collection.

Hopefully I will know about my demise in time to liquidate everything but that is unlikely. When I get to the point that I can't use my B/P stuff it would be in my best interest to get a table at the Al/KY Longrifle show and put everything up for sale at prices too good to pass up. Shipping my rifles is too big of a hassle for me to consider.

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That made me sad...... BUT maybe you will a grandson someday. I have one that loves the woods more than anything else

TrailWalker said:

I’ve noticed a divide among gun enthusiasts when it comes to high-end, custom firearms. Some people take pride in using their expensive pieces regularly, while others prefer to keep them pristine as safe queens or wall hangers.

I’m curious—what’s your approach? If you own a high-dollar custom firearm, do you take it out to the range, hunt with it, or use it in the field? Or do you reserve it as a display piece, appreciating its craftsmanship from a distance?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on why you choose to use or not use your custom guns. Does it come down to the potential wear and tear, the value, or perhaps the sentimental aspect? And for those who do use them, how do you balance enjoying your investment with maintaining its condition?

I just acquired this Armstrong rifle below and I’ve already had people treat me like I’m nuts for wanting to use it in the manner I described.

Looking forward to hearing your perspectives!

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As you said, there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s a matter of perspective. If you see them as art, using them will obscure the finishes put on them to make them look like they do. On the other hand, what’s the point in having them if you can’t enjoy their use? I have a friend who has a world class collection of originals but he only buys guns that are in pristine condition. He does that so he can shoot them and hunt with them. I can’t afford guns of that caliber but I respect him for what he’s doing. The custom guns I do have are of significant quality and I shoot every one of them and enjoy taking care of them and cleaning them.

Relic shooter said:

If it's a nice custom gun like your rifle, it gets well used but never abused.

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I think that’s an important distinction. Using these guns doesn’t mean thrashing them. You wouldn’t take a Jaguar XKE mud bogging or rock climbing, would you?

I knew a guy that once threw his expensive camera on the ground in an attempt to illustrate that it was “only a tool”. Personally, I wouldn’t treat any of my guns like that— from the most expensive to the least.

Alas, my son and my two stepdaughters are past their mid 50s and done reproducing, I treasure my granddaughters but a grandson is not in the realm of possibility.