I need some advice from the S&W collectors. I have been in the market for a model 17 and picked a 17-8 Lew Horton heritage series with the case colored frame from the performance center, at a good price. This came with box, manual, and spent shell. Condition is 99% with just a light drag line. I do not have safe queens and was wondering if I should get a set of target grips for this and start shooting it, or try to make a few bucks and buy a shooter. From reading, it appears that the 17-8 is the least desirable series but this one has a steel 6 shot cylinder and people that have shot them say they are excellent shooters. Any and all opinions welcome.
Thanks

Shoot it.

Generally the newer S&W's with MIM internals are not appreciated by collectors. That doesn't mean they're bad guns, and they're not. So there's two ways to look at it...

1 - Absolutely that gun is going to be a real collectors piece one of these days. Prices are already heading north and they're unlikely to dip south ever again. So it can be a solid investment to make money on, provided you bought right, and that's what you want do do.

2 – It’s a cool gun, and you will always have the coolest revolver at the range when you pull that one out. It has all the old school looks, but it’s a completely modern revolver that will run like a scalded dog for at least a century. So you have a shooter that looks like a supermodel. That’s the route I’d go!!
And keep this in mind… That gun will always go up in price, so if you shoot the living crap out of it for the next decade, you can still sell it for as much or more than what you paid!!

If you are trying to make money, do it in something other than guns. Yes you can hold on to a 500 dollar gun and not shoot or enjoy it for 25 years which is pointless. Or you can take that 500 dollars and invest it in a stock, bond, etc, where it will accrue interest/compound interest. Compound interest is the interest on a loan or deposit that accrues on both the initial principal and the accumulated interest from previous periods. You will make far more money by investing wisely than buying safe queens.

Buy a gun because you want to shoot it.

Pure gold!

That's just crazy talk...where do you come up with this stuff

Thanks for all of the advice. Gungeek’s advice was exactly what I was looking for. I do not buy to make money, it was just that this looked so nice that I just needed a little coaxing to actually start using it. I normal like old guns with freckles and character marks. I now realize that this is not some pristine rare old collectable that some collector would cherish. It is just a beautiful modern distributor’s limited run. It will be shot and enjoyed.

Mackay Sagebrush: Consider this, as an opposing view of your "contention"!
I have many, many, many dozens of collectors guns - guns I bought as an investment and never intended to shoot.
In addition to the investment guns I now own, I have bought and sold a few hundred more over the last 6 decades and I do not recall losing money on any of those - some I shot some I just enjoyed the pride of ownership and then enjoyed the profit I made on those investment guns.
Consider those profits as untaxed if you will - try and do that with your "stocks and bonds", IF they appreciate at all - and try not to pay taxes on those that do appreciate (been there done that!)!
For instance one wonderful collector gun I bought years ago (a mint condition pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in caliber 22 Hornet) I recently turned down a cash offer that was just over 11 (eleven!) times what I paid for it.
I have owned that Rifle for decades and enjoyed every year of doing so.
Come July of next year though I will begin selling my collection (including that wonderful Hornet!) and my profits will be kept private - no taxation.
There are many reasons to buy guns - and take it from someone who knows, "shooting" them, is definitely NOT the only one!
Long live the Second Amendment.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Shooting 'em makes the memories.
Unless one will get their simple mental pleasure in their dotage only remembering the smell and feel of a well-oiled rag long after forgetting the safe combination.
I choose to have both.
The dollars of their future sale will only go to pay for the monthly rate at the care home.
Or, to those making the decisions. LOL

Good call, you won't regret it. Just shoot it until the barrel falls off. I gotta say, I absolutely LOVE the look of those; they're just so cool. They look like they came right out of Ed McGivern's sock drawer.

The 17-8 Heritage is the best of the recent 17’s IMO. It has a non rib barrel like the .22 Outdoorsman. They’re bringing big bucks but me, I’d shoot it.

My buddy had a Fox CH (unfired from the 30’s), he finally had it choked properly and used it for quail hunting for 20 years. He got far more enjoyment from shooting it than he ever would have sitting in a gun cabinet.

I am sick nearly to death of hearing about “collector guns” and “shooters.” My sentiments go with MacKay Sagebrush about the investment potential of guns, but I’d go further an suggest investing in art you can display and enjoy over guns whose cylinders will never be turned that stay locked away. I like to shoot nice guns in good condition and do so; most of the worn out “shooters” have no appeal to me.

Load ‘em up and let ‘em rip!

What GG said.

Varmint,

Consider this the opposing view of your "contention".

Many times you have admonished people not to carry blued guns in leather holsters because it will damage the fine finish.

I simply don't care. When I sell them, or I am dead, the other guy can worry about it.

Here is what was once a pristine 8 & 3/8ths" 29-2:



I had that fine old gun's barrel chopped back to 5"s, ruining any collector value, because I wanted a 5" Model 29-2.



Here is an example of what once was a new in the box 4" 29-2. It has been covered in snow and blood so many times, I cannot recall:





Carried in leather holsters too.



It is probably eating away at the bluing as we speak!

To each their own. I think it is a little pointless to own a bunch of guns that never get shot and worry about getting a turn line on..

Personally I doing my best to wear a couple out.



Completely wearing a good revolver out to the point that it cannot be repaired are the makings of a whole bunch of great memories, fantastic hunts, etc.


Whatever works for you.

I will continue to shoot the hell out of mine.

I have a 17-9, and it is extremely accurate with Norma Tac-22 and Wolf. Single and double action is very smooth, and it balances well.

Take yours out and enjoy it.

Manny

There is no right or wrong answer to shooting or preserving. I’d have to believe nearly all gun collectors are also shooters. It was likely hunting or some other target sport that sparked their interest.

I like to collect guns and round out collections the same way others collect coins or exotic cars that see no use if coins or limited careful use if an exotic car. Ownership and collecting is fun in its own right. Next to the market or real estate firearms are one of the better investment to spend your money on. Unlike real estate with tenants the guns are hassle free and unlike the market a gun collection is something tangible and enjoyable to own.

Twenty or so guns at any one time would be enough to cover any hunting or range need that I have pretty easily. Most of us here probably have a whole lot more than that. The big collectors will have several versions of the same gun and chambering to round out finishes, barrel lengths ect. At some point how many of them do you need or have time shoot frequently if at all? That’s what favorite hunting/carry/range guns are for and are a small overall percentage of a collection unless you stop buying when all of your bases are well covered. The rest are owned for other reasons than need and might get shot or might be left NIB. There’s only so many action types and same or similar chamberings to shoot before it all becomes about the same without much pressing need to take it out to range often. I’d just as soon leave some of those as new or fairly close to it to my kids to sell some day. Having said that my favorite guns are all well taken care of guns that I use the most.

I like keeping my gear in as close to new condition as feasible be it a truck, ATV, or gun. I think we all maintain are guns as well or better than most but some guys like to see the bluing or case hardening wear off as a reminder of good times and others except it as part of use and good times but try to minimize it to the extent possible. Nothing wrong with either.

Nice guns and very nice landscape! Is that the Pahsimeroi Valley in Idaho?

Treat all guns like a hot woman.

Hide them because she's probably crazy???

Try to wear them out.

Funny thing about collecting is that oftentimes the worth of an object barely keeps up with inflation, unless the object is deemed to be rare or particularly collectible, and sometimes that's hard to judge ahead of time. Take for instance this example (I pulled the original price off the web, so take it with a grain of salt):

A 1963 Pre-64 Featherweight '06 sold in the store when new for $135. Run through an inflation calculator that's $1,220.25 in today's dollars. In other words, just about what that rifle will sell for today. So it's not really making any money. Of course, a person could've bought one, squirreled it away and not shot it for 58 years and made some money on a perfectly mint specimen....but those profits made from the sale might also be used up on fuel while driving around to gunshows for six months trying to hawk the rifle.

How many other things do we spend our dollars on that you can use for decades pass down from one generation to the next and with basic minimal care have it actually keep pace with inflation?

Mackay sagebrush: Don't confuse yourself anymore than you already have - I have many, many dozens of pistols, Rifles and shotguns that I currently shoot!
And I have been shooting firearms for 68 full years now (started at age 6).
I have shot pistols, Rifles, pellet guns and shotguns, already, so far this month.
I am 3 guns behind in cleaning right now.
I AM a shooter - professionally trained in some disciplines in fact.
I dare say I go through 5,000 (five thousand!) to 8,000 (eight thousand!) rounds of rimfire, centerfire and shotshell ammunition per year!
I shoot guns A LOT!
But pointing out your simplistic and uninformed contention that EVERY firearm must be shot to be "enjoyed" is simply incorrect, and it is to the point of being stupid!
I AM a collector, as well, and have been doing so profitably, I might add, for a very long time.
Trying to besmirch anyone for collecting guns is puzzling, snobbish and frankly stupid!
Calling my learned experience and disdain of leather holsters and my commenting against their use, when better options are available, an "admonishment" - well that is just a stretch.
I have not worn, used or stored a pistol in a leather holster for decades now - I have about 40+ of them in my gun vault room on a long shelf should you be interested in buying any.
Carrying and or storing a blued pistol (and stainless pistols to a lesser extent) will diminish a pistols value, eventually.
Leather holsters look good but they are NOT for me, any longer (after using them personally and professionally for over 40 years).
You've been "admonished" (again?).
And again this - there are many reasons to own firearms - shooting is just ONE of them!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I agree that guns are one of the few technologies that hold their value and function over the generations, but my point was more that oftentimes they're not the best investment, like Mackay mentioned. For instance, if a guy had taken that same $135 in 1963 and put it in the stock market, then reinvested the interest, using a historical investment calculator following the Dow (and not counting dividends, because the calculator I used isn't that advanced), that $135 would be worth $5,416 in 2020. Even factoring in taxes that's a nice return. Of course a person could've blown all that money on a company that went under, but then again someone could steal the gun or a house could burn down with the gun inside over the course of all those years.

prairie goat: Don't want to go to a gunshow or a gunshop - well then just sit on your ass in your big chair and complain - that is up to you.
I greatly enjoy doing gunshows, gunshops and travelling to view estate sales with guns included!
I have been doing so for well over half a century now - with NO signs of let-up.
These are very enjoyable and rewarding (profitable also!) hobbies to me (collecting, Hunting & shooting) and the views to the contrary by myopic cranky folks won't dissuade ME from doing so - in any way shape or form.
I did a gunshow east of me this past weekend and I'll be doing another gunshow, east of me this coming weekend.
Enjoy your big chair.
Sad.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

If gun shows are how you like to spend your time, more power to you. It's just that fuel, time, wear and tear on vehicles, and additional storage ought to be factored into any profits, which I rarely see factored in when the boys are bragging about their collectible gun sales. Kind of like how trappers will talk about how much they made off their pelts, but neglect to mention all the fuel and broken axles it took to get those hides out of the hills and in to the fur buyer.

Anyone who considers gunshows and estate sales their social life... Of course, what would I know, as I'm only 62 (sixty-two) years old.

Shoot it or sell it to someone to avoid 50%+/- reduction in value do to range use. With few exceptions guns are not good investment do to regulations governing purchase and sale. Example of exception would be John Rigby SxS external hammer gun chambered for .450-400 NE or similar cartridge in very good original condition. This is something uncommon (not many made as manufacturer focused on magazine rifles or some hammerless SxS but fewer external hammer guns) that a well connected fella would buy from outside of USA. Most guns are not worth the bother. Magazine rifle is name used for very expensive made to order bolt action rifle.
When it comes to handguns one must focus on something prized everywhere guns are owned and sold. One example would be Swiss made P210, although I happen to think those made in Germany were better. S&W Model 17 is simply not one of such guns.

Unless they're unfired I shoot everything I own, I too like 5" S & W's. I have made several, always keeping the original barrel intact and shortening a correct vintage donor barrel. Skeeter Skelton knew what he was talking about when he championed the 5" barreled S & W ! I shoot the "Skeeter Load" of 7.5gr. Unique more than any other load in both .44 Special and .44 Magnum.

Only on the Campfire.... several different points of view, all sides are completely right, but it's got to be a pissing match because .....

A. I can see and appreciate collecting....look at specialized gun collections with every variation of a particular manufacturer or model....it's impressive to me, just to see it. To consider the time, resources, research and dedication that go into it is admirable.

B I can appreciate accumulating (the difference between collectors and accumulators being accumulators don't go to the meetings.) I'm an accumulator, I get some guns "just because" but there's no rhyme or reason behind what I get.

C. There are the traders. They love to wheel and deal. I have a brother like that with antiques. So many times I've seen him after an auction and he shows me some great score, something interesting, with a history. He knows all about it. Next time I'm at his house it's gone down the road because he was able to triple his money. Some guys do this with guns and if their only interest is how much they can make on a deal, more power to them. Not for me to say it's a waste of his time and money....it's his time and money.

D. Some are hard-core users. They just want to shoot. They want a gun to work for them and don't care what it looks like or what it takes to get there, they just want it to work and work well.

E. Some are mechanical hobbyists. They love to tinker, to machine, to make, build, modify, improve.

Most of us have overlaps, portions of two or more of the above in us. I would say I'm about equal parts B, D, and E.

The key is to buy something in excellent mechanical order, but with some outside carry type wear. Avoid stuff little used or unused stuff in shipping box with papers and tags. That way you can use the gun and not as they say "loose value by driving off the lot".