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Question of the Day: Do You Own Any Safe Queens?

Robert Farago - comments No comments

I don’t own a single safe queen. OK, I’ve got a 1903 Colt Hammerless. In my defense, I take her to the range on a regular basis. I’d carry the thing if it was drop-safe. Cough Caracal Cough. Otherwise, all my guns are good to go. Don’t get me wrong: I understand the desire to acquire a special piece that spends most of its life just sitting there. Being. A firearm with quintessence (Smith & Wesson 686), perhaps. Or history (one of the lever guns above). Or sheer balls-out bravado (50-cal AR). There are plenty of owners who can’t resist the siren song of the safe queens. You one of ’em?

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Question of the Day: Do You Own Any Safe Queens?”

  1. Unless the gun has been deemed not safe to fire there’s no point in owning a gun that you never ever shoot. Guns that can still be shot have more collectible value than an identical gun that can’t be.

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  2. If I can’t shoot it, I don’t own it. I have recently acquired reloading equipment, so that opens up possibilities that I didn’t have before, but I won’t have something that I’d be afraid of shooting and reducing its value.

    With regard to utility, well, I see a use for everything I own.

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  3. Interesting that Fog Horn recently posted about “Crappy Guns,” which technically are safe queens.

    I’m with you on the utility side; I use my guns, for training and recreation, and they are ready to be used for defense. I don’t ever specifically look for a gun just to add it to a collection.

    I do however have a “Crappy Gun” type of safe queen; a .38spl revolver my father took with him to Vietnam, returned with it, was safely stored away by an uncle, and then given to me 5 years ago. Aside from inspecting it once in a while, I leave it wrapped in its oil cloth, sealed in a bag, and put away; I don’t even plan to clean it.

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  4. I would say that the shrillness of the editorial board is in inverse proportion to the success of their desires, but that’s just not true. Those people are shrill regardless of what they get.

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  5. I’d like to know the definition of a safe queen. Something that’s not fired weekly? Monthly? I run my handguns every range trip (3-4 times/month). But am finding that leave the AR and plinkster 22s in the safe more often than not.

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    • I’d say a safe queen is something that sees so little range time that you pick it up and can’t remember the last time you took it out.

      Unless you haven’t been shooting because of the ammo shortage.

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  6. More wishful thinking. I personally know of two this past year who’ve bought a gun. One I went to the LGS with. My own brother, who’s never owned a gun in his life is talking to me about it. A pseudo friend (his son is in my kid’s class and we sometimes go golfing), wanted to borrow a handgun when his neighborhood had a series of break ins (I said no, but offered to take him to the range so he could get some training and buy his own). Another statistic, a few LEO coworkers of mine do not own a gun, other than their duty issued weapon. Their rationale is one (the duty weapon) is enough. However, they’ve all said if they retire or quit, yes, they’d go out and buy another, or try to buy their duty weapon when they leave.

    Gun ownership is going up. Exponentially, and there’s no way to accurately track it. Except for registration, which is one of the antis goals.

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  7. I don’t have the spare cash to have something I’m not going to use. I shoot every gun I own (which isn’t hard since I own very few)

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  8. I have a Marlin .22 from the 50’s that was my grand fathers. It’s not worth anymore than 90 or so but I keep it oiled in the back of the safe for a few different reasons. Mainly I have a lot better shooting .22’s I can go to the range with – but also in another way that I don’t want anything to happen to it.

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  9. “This unfortunate and admitted truth may appeal to the most law abiding and peaceful gun owners, but a large majority of government employees and dependents such as fossilized mass media interests and corporations that wouldn’t exist without the last five years of printing press madness who are actually a small minority of the American people have rejected it. The Senate should do the same because they represent money, not people.”

    Fixed that for ya, elitist. This city is sick. Fun story, NYC was one of the few Allied ports in WW2 that adamantly refused to black out at night, because people need to go to Broadway! As a result, good men and women who were working to ship needed goods to the war effort were killed in nearly exponentially higher numbers in the waters off NYC than other Allied ports because they were backlit by the bright burning stupidity of all the draft dodging richy riches and ignorant tourists. These days the 200 year old brick and mortar pipes that suck half the northeast dry to supply this sewer are putting hundreds of people out of their life savings with water damage because this unsustainable nightmare hasn’t even gotten it’s water supply in order for over two centuries. This place would be better off if it slid into the ocean. The only place in the US more ignorant in my experience is the bay area on almost the exact opposite side of the country.

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  10. Huh. I hadn’t really considered going the milled route instead of stamping. This could work for any CNC machinist, but will make the most sense for less common or out-of-production firearms with expensive magazines.

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  11. I have two safe queens. A Marlin 336 centennial with no more than 25 rounds through it since its early manufacture in 1969 and a bolt action 16 gauge shotgun made by J.C. Higgins. Both were my grandpa’s until he gave them to me for my 18th birthday as a right of passage into manhood. The shotgun was his very first firearm which he bought from a family friend at age 16. He biked the three miles home with that gun slung over his back and a bag of shells in the basket without so much as a batted eyelash from anyone. This was in suburban Connecticut in the 50’s. Sometimes I wish I were born 70 years ago.

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  12. Any medic will tell you that a wound never heals if you keep picking at it. All these people are doing is keeping the families of these victims from being able to work through the stages of grief and come to terms with what happened.

    If these children had been killed in a school bus accident caused by a drunk drive, would they and their parents keep being paraded before us by the media while they screamed for a ban on alcohol? Of course not. So I’m telling the AWB proponents what I tell the rednecks around here every time one wants to start wanting to waving a Confederate flag: “Your side lost. Get over it.”

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  13. I think some people here are misreading the quote.

    “This dangerous fiction may appeal to the most extreme gun owners, but a large majority of the public has rejected it. The Senate should do the same.” is not a quote from Sen. Grassley but the author quoting him. Grassley has always been a strong supporter of the second amendment. The author finds Grassley’s sentiment to be that of “the most extreme gun owners”.

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  14. here’s the thing with prohibition-it doesn’t work. Proven time and again. Alcohol prohibition gave us Al Capone-that really turned out well didn’t it? The war on drugs was brought to us in the time when people were getting high but violence was not an issue-today people are still getting high, but we have seen a HUGE spike in drug-related violence. Banning firearms as well creates a situation where criminals are better positioned to victimize society. “If we can save just one child”………..Really…………Chicago and Washington serve as shining examples of what can be expected from a weapons ban……..

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    • Well, Al Capone, in a way, gave us the 1934 NFA legislation, didn’t he? So one prohibition is slowly leading to another one.

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  15. Is this Ammo OK for my M1A?

    308 Win (7.62x51mm) NATO 149gr FMJBT Federal XM80 120 Rds Load out Packs

    Lake City NATO Stamped Brass, Non-Corrosive, Boxer primed reloadable brass case, Bulk Packed in Load out Pack/120rds. The XM80 is a 2012 contract product. 120 Rounds of new .308 ammo, This ammo is the Good Stuff, BRASS CASE/BOXER PRIMED, Fully Reloadable Ammunition.

    SPECIFICATIONS:
    •NATO XM80 FMJBT Ball Ammunition 149gr,
    •NON-CORROSIVE. BRASS CASE/BOXER PRIMED
    •Brand new US Military GI surplus ammo. 120 RD packed with date 2012 headstamps.

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  16. Beretta Steel I.

    Wish I had one!!
    If I did I think it would be a safe queen. I would take it out a lot but just to show it off 😉

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  17. They need a 50Cal for all the Big Gulp Bandits running around NYC it’s an Assualt Cup, Using a high capacity magazine filled with 44oz of sugar…

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    • Nah that would be copyright infringement!! Now if it could shoot room clearing wads of green plasma then you could call it the BFG9000!!!
      Such a fun game!!!
      Give the NYPD the chainsaws and see how they do with them first.

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      • ‘Best Doom mod I ever saw replaced the sound effect of the BFG firing with a file of Sam Kinison screaming. The computer went “Oh-OOOOOOOH!!! and everything in front of you died.

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  18. First and foremost do not accept for a second that the fight is over-Congress is on break. Come April the usual suspects will be back with the same rhetoric as before, likely more emboldened thanks to the coming media blitz financed by Mr Bloomberg. Just because the leader of the Senate did not allow a stand alone vote does not mean much, as the AWB can and likely will be added as a rider to a “must pass” bill. We must all remember that a bill when written is like a christmas tree fresh out of the box, just waiting for adornments before being plugged in. Do not give up the fight. MOLON LABE

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  19. The gun grabbers can’t make up their minds. Not long ago they said the 2nd Amendment only pertains to muskets. Now they want to require biometric guns? I wonder what non logical argument they will use next.

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  20. The Holocaust, the killing fields, Rwanda, Bosnia, Armenia etc………..

    The American Indian Wars, The Indian Removal Act, Greenwood Massacre, etc………………

    Pointing to other lands reinforces the “can’t happen here” mantra. Believing that is much more dangerous than any gun.

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  21. My only safe queens are the first I ever owned; a .22lr marlin, and a gift from my grandfather; a turn of the last century shotgun that simply doesn’t need to be shot since I have others. The .22 no longer cycles but I don’t need it repaired and cant bear to part with it. I suppose there are others that aren’t getting much attention. . . in the safe that is seldom opened, but they are all shooters just waiting for their day.

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  22. Unfortunately I have lots of safe queens, some purchased in a fit of silliness – FEG 9mm and 45acp :-).
    Some purchased in an attempt to preserve a piece of Americana – 1939 Savage 99 in 300 Savage, completely restored, I took all kinds of abuse for restoring this old girl.
    I had a brief period of Soviet era handgun madness – Radom TT33, CZ 52, they aren’t nice to shoot at all.
    Then a period of American made .32acp’s – Colt 1903, Savage 1907, Remington 51 and an H&R copy of a Webley – almost impossible to find parts so don’t go to
    the range very often.
    Some NIB rarities – Benelli B76 and SW Model 52-2 with boxes and original tags.

    The rest of the collection, BHP 9mm, Caspian 45acp – 5″ and 4.25″, 38 Super 5″, S&W J series model 60, Colt Challenger, High Standard model 107 enjoy range time once or twice a month depending on time.
    I love them all and can’t bear the thought of parting with any of them.

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  23. I have safe queens, but for different reasons. I have a few never-fired guns that I do plan on using one day. I bought them cheap and kinda keep them on ice…as in hoarding. Plus, I have beaucoup ammo for everything I own. They include a CZ P-06 in .40S&W and a S&W 686 .357 that sits under the bed (loaded).

    I also own a new basic DPMS AR. I’ve fired it a bit, but only to sight it in. I’m kinda like a Swiss guy…saving it for the zombie attacks. Every guy’s guy needs an AR! 🙂

    Finally, I have a MR Desert Eagle in .50AE. I’ve only fired it a few times, but like it. I bought 200 rounds of ammo at $1.25/round. Now, it’s double that. Hard to want to shoot more than a few rounds at over $2/round. Every round fired is an experience.

    Otherwise, I just shoot my .22s, .380s, and 9s.

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