I was looking over some of my personal collection and some of my "shooters" today and it got me thinking about all of you here at the fire. I know there are a lot of collectors here and a lot of shooters, then there are some like me who partake in both.

I'm interested in hearing about some of your hunting rifles that you decided to keep "New In Box" and if you will ever get around to shooting them or if they will still be "New In Box" when you are "Dead In Box".

Pre 64 Model 70 in .375 H&H.

donsm70

I can't stand a hunting rifle that's never been shot. There's something just plain unnatural about it.

I use all of mine and I hunt as hard as my back will allow. That said the only ones that are not minty are the ones that I bought that way!

I have dozens of rifles that are NIB and hundreds of rifles that I've never shot. When I'm dead and in a box, I'll be beyond caring and my heirs will do with their inheritance whatever they want, at least up to the point of encountering any conditions are specifically allowed or disallowed.

When my Father passed away, I traded a good portion of his pre-'64 Winchester collection, including dozens of NIB Model 70s, for a section of irrigated farm ground.

I own some older Smith and Wesson revolvers that are NIB, but not many. I don't own a single NIB hunting rifle.

I would rather wear out a well made firearm, using it for hunting, target shooting, competition etc, creating memories with it, then hang it on a wall, versus having a NIB rifle that just collects dust.

Every firearm I own gets used. Some more than others. None as much as I would like. I admire the guys who have the time and money to "collect". Just not my cup-o-tea...

I buy'em to shoot'em

I don't ever see myself having a "NIB collector" type gun.

Ditto that. ^^^^^^^

I have no use whatsoever for a firearm I can't shoot, nor any room for them in the safes.

At least half my rifles were broken in by someone else anyway, years or decades before I got my hands on them.

There are currently five rifles in the safes that are virgins on the game field. One is a lefty Ruger Hawkeye .308W that belongs to Daughter #1, who will use it on her first elk hunt this fall. Another is a Ruger Hawkeye .30-06 that will be a wedding gift for her intended, who will use it on WY antelope and CO elk this fall. The other three are mine, a 1989 Marlin 336C .30-30 I acquired in 2005 and with which I've had no luck with when carrying it. Then there is a Ruger .308W Scout, which may hunt this fall, and a Ruger Hawkeye .280 Rem that that will definitely hunt this fall. With the exception of the .30-30, all were purchased NIB. Only the .30-06 remains unfired and that will soon change as I need to get it sighted in before giving it away.

NIB, no

UIB, yes.


Firearms purchsed at 40% to 60% of MSRP, allow me to finance my addiction.

Best,


GWB

I avoid 'collector guns' because NIB to me lasts just long enough to get to the range. I appreciate collectors and have enjoyed my friends boxed rifles but I just have to shoot mine.

Arent all guns shot with a proof load?How is that unfired?Kind of like saying that you married a virgin because she only had sex once before you meant her!

Not quite. Fired at the factory is one thing. Fired by end users is quite another. One is considered 'unfired', the other is not.

I don't look at them any different than a pile of screwdrivers.

I have two that have not been shot due to time issues. They will be losing their virginity asap....

I've got 2 NIB rifles - of course I just picked them up 2 days ago!

I shoot all of mine.. But most were not collectors items..
I do have two that have never been fired.. The first is my father-in-laws post 64 model 70 in .30-06.. I probably will shoot it sometime, but when the time comes for hunting I always have more interesting guns to hunt with.. The second is my dad's Colt .25 Auto.. I bought ammo for it and have intended to shoot it, but just never have.

+1; it may take a while to get them ready to shoot, but that's always their purpose.

I came across this Husqvarna "Swede" while looking for a 700 action for a new build. A friend of my father's had this in his collection that was new and unfired and I like these having owned three of these type rifles already. I spoke with forum member " sbhva " and he told me that they were very rare here in the states. Not that 1900's were rare, but having one in this stock configuration (straight comb w/cheek piece and Schnabel fore end)) made them rare. I bagged the custom rifle build idea and just decided to keep this one to collect dust. I was told by Husky collectors that fetching $1500 for this wouldn't be that hard of a task, maybe a little more in Canada where they are even more popular.

Sounds like a line from a Dr. Seuss book.

I don't keep it if I aint shooting it.

Sold an NIB Browning 1886 because it was too pretty to risk injury from even a controlled environment shooting session.

I also find it interesting when someone lists a gun for sale: "As NIB, less than 100 rounds." If it's been fired it's used whether it's in a box or not.

Never bought a rifle I didn't shoot.

If you got one of these, you don't need a donor. Nice rifles.

Is that the original buttplate?

That style of Husqvarna 1900 stock is very similar to the S&W "C".

It will leave my cold dead hands Bob. I have a full blown custom with a Hart barrel and a McMillan Mountain Rifle pattern stock that was stocked by McMillan. Finished all the metal in Black-T as well. Very smooth actions and nice triggers too.

As far as the recoil pad is concerned, it might have been replaced cause the guys over at Gun Boards stated they thought it came with a hard plastic pad from the factory. Guy I bought it from bought it brand new and never changed it himself. When I bought it there was a ton of packing grease in the action which I cleaned out.

I believe that it would have come with a molded plastic butt-plate with a Husqvarna "H" in a script-style font.

I had a fancy version in 30/06 with the rosewood grip cap and forend tip as well that had a hard plastic "recoil" pad that I sold here in the classified's. The (rubber) pad that's on this rifle is made by Pachmayr.