| Colt RECENT | PYTHON | .357 Magnum | 7xxx | $2499.95 | 6 INCH BARREL, BLUED, ORIG BOX |
He asked how long I thought it would last, and if I would pay that much for one. That's a tough call - the answer right now is no, simply because I don't have that kinda money kicking around. If I hit the lottery, though, and had millions of dollars in disposable income lying around, though... I suspect I could find one cheaper if I really were to look hard for one. A local gun board has a nickel model for $1700, that's more reasonable for what I'd pay.
The other one was MeatAxe, who posts about a recent acquisition that he's curious about the price/value. In a nutshell, he's got a vintage Colt Woodsman in perfect shape with all the goodies with which it shipped from Hartford so many years ago. A quick look around the various firearms auction/sales sites shows that Woodsmans sell for anywhere from $400 to $4,000 depending on condition and extras - this example is somewhere in the middle.
For MeatAxe, or anyone that's not a diehard Colt collector/aficionado/accumulator, having a gun that's worth well over a grand just sitting in the safe is hard to justify. The kind of money that this gun would fetch from a Colt collector could be used to patch numerous holes in ones armory, easily. Even if you were missing a .22LR autoloader, a good Ruger Mk III will be just as accurate as the Woodsman at a fraction of the cost - and have parts readily available should it need repair.
We could get into a philosophical debate over what value truly is, or what an object's worth might be to one person versus another, but I can't move beyond the shiny Python or that gorgeous Woodsman. I only wish I had the money for both; I'd give each one a special place in the armory and take them out frequently for loving range attention. Heck, I might even divest of one of my .357 Magnums to make room for the Colt... .22LR semi-autos, though, I'm surprisingly lacking in - right now there are a very tenuous three - the S&W 422, the [currently] defunct Hi-Standard H-D Military, and the SIG SAUER Mosquito. I could use another vintage .22LR bottom feeder...
When it comes to firearms and what they're worth, the answer is starkly simple: They are worth whatever someone will pay for them. If someone pays the $2,500 for the Python, then it's worth it to someone. A good S&W Performance Center 686 will run less than half of that and shoot just as well; not to mention being a lot less rare and therefore more likely to see hard use without fear of something breaking. As I mentioned, a Ruger Mark III will shoot just as well as the Woodsman and have magazines available all day long at $20 a pop. But it's not the same as a piece of history designed by John Moses Browning (Peace Be Upon Him) himself...
What's a good gun worth to you?
That is all.
4 comments:
A gun is worth whatever someone will pay for it, no more, no less. That said, when you are dealing with rare and/or collectible firearms, they almost NEVER depreciate in value. So, if you can afford a high dollar safe queen that you will never shoot, go for it. Consider it an investment. We have one, I should probably dig it out and send you some pics. Probably make a nice Friday Gun Pr0n addition.
I look at Firearms a little differently. I place them into 5 categories: Family/Heirloom, Self-Defense, Tools, Fun, and Investment. I try to make sure all my weapons cover at least 2 of the Categories.
Family/Heirloom Guns: Your Families' Colt 1911 from the Great War is that, it's Priceless, and gets passed down to the Next Generation. But you could defend yourself with it if you have to, and it's fun to shoot, and is probably worth a lot. So it covers 4 categories.
Self-Defense: self explanatory, but you go for reliability first, rather than cost, but it can't be too expensive to shoot, because one needs to practice, practice, practice.
Tools: That's my Shotguns and the .22's. Used for Hunting/Varmint Control mostly But they can also be used for Self-Defense and/or training. Those are the one's you can get most anywhere, so I'll look for sales at the Wally World.
Fun: Well, that's where you can end up Broke. Do I really need that Lake Full Auto .22? Maybe for a Zombie Outbreak, but until then... That's where you have enough cash to fly off to Vegas with the Boys whenever you feel like it. But since I'm broke, any Fun Guns I own tend to be toward Backing up the Backup.
Investment: If you have the cash to be putting Guns into the Safe and letting them sit for 30 years, well, you spend what you want, but I ain't in your class. But go for it if you have the Bucks that isn't going to Taxes, Mortgages,Food, Insurance....
Having said all that, just be grateful we live in a country that realizes the RKBA is not just words on a paper.
Well put, Jay. The Woodsman is a beaut, but I'd rather have a gun I could shoot without feeling guilty...
One of my first acquisitions after getting my C&R FFL was a Colt Woodsman in lovely shape, a 1956. I see absolutely no point in leaving it in the safe permanently and refuse to do so. It was meant to be shot and used and I have been shooting it from time to time, in fact I qualified for my concealed permit using it (just because).
It's not that I object to any gun any where being just a safe queen, but jeez, these are guns and guns are meant to shoot. If I go out next year and buy a '67 GTO it ain't sitting in the garage all the time either.
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