Should I fire my recently bought "unfired" Colt Python.

[10mm]

I'd shoot it. What good does a unfired weapon do? If your worried about value dropping then don't.

[RedFord150]

It will only devalue that perticular Python by 12-1,400.....its your money, so its your choice.

The OP says he paid way less than $2K. Based on your math, this means the value drops to less than $500 just going from unfired to 98% condition. Do you really believe this?
I bought an unfired Colt Trooper a few years ago. I gave it to my Son for his 21st B-Day and we headed straight to the range.
Just my .02...

[Thefeeder]

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I'll offer a fired 6" Python and 1,000.00 in trade...I'm in the Bay Area and we can do a FTF.

[norcal77]

Its up to you ultimately, I personally WOULD NOT shoot it...unless you plan on keeping it forever..if that's the case, blast away:-)

[nrgcruizer]

I was a great deal $$ on a great gun.. I couldn't pass it up. I'm not a gun collector ,but I do own several Colt's. I also intend on purchasing more guns (Colt's). I also now intend on keeping my Python. I guess My question to all of you is ....If this was your gun would YOU shoot it or keep it as is?

Unfired in original everything....I'd keep it.

My grandmaster sold me his Python for $500, fired and no box. What did I do when I got it out of jail? Fired off 3 boxes of .357 magnum loads. Hadda make sure it worked like advertised. So I bought 1k of .357 magnums and a S&W 686 for $650 just to get my fix.

[nickel plate]

i took it to my local gun shop to be inspected. I was told it had been only fired once at the Colt factory. There was light marking on only one cylinder. I guess thats an unofficial testimony ,but I also looked to and I also saw the same. And no I did not pay 2 grand on gun. I spent much less than that.

The rotational scratch is avoidable when closing the loaded or unloaded cylinder into the frame by lining up one of the cylinder's six flutes directly in line with the cartridge extractor rod. You can then live or dry fire it (with snap caps) all day long and never create a scratch.

[newbee1111]

Did you really buy it as an investment? If you did then you should put it safely away until you sell it. If you don't think that you will be able to sell it when the colt market is at a high then its not an investment, its a collectable. There is nothing wrong with that either as long as you have the money for it. You would still have the same question as a collectable item and in that case I wouldn't shoot it either but I would have some display case to properly show it off.

In either case you should probably get a beater python to satisfy your "should I shoot it" question. The correct answer is to always buy more awesome revolvers.

[Dondiablo70]

I might just take you up on it send me pics.

[Dondiablo70]

[berto]

When you're on your deathbed will you think "I really glad I never shot that python" or "I really wish I had shot that python"? What's your endgame - investment, heirloom, shooter?

[thomashoward]

it would be a safe queen if it were mine.

Fancy paperweight. Spendy but they can be had. If you shoot it and it doesn't live up to the hype you have decreased its value.
I bought one and expected more. I sold mine

[Dondiablo70]

Good question berto. All I wanted was a Colt Python to have and shoot. Now this pristine 1979 "unfired" Colt python with box and original paperwork fell on my lap. Mind you I paid way below market value. so what's a regular guy to do.? Do I want to shoot it? Yes Do I want to keep it pristine? Yes. Do I want to keep it to pass on to my kids?.Yes. But now I'm the caretaker of this rare find. I understand it's not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But I am like many others out there that drool over the fact that its unfired and looking like if it just came out the box. So ... to answer your question Im not sure yet. thats why I thought i would ask the fine people a Calguns. I just don't want to be that dude that should have never fired a rare Python

[Quickdraw559]

First, I would get an honest appraisal. But, that's difficult because it's only worth what someone will pay for it. Maybe start a poll on the value? Many people on this site are damn near experts, if not a demi-god of firearm knowledge. At the same time, take everything with a grain of salt.

I would value it, then decide. If it ends up being 300%+ of your purchase price, I would keep it. Selling it in the future for 10 times as much as you bought it for might be rewarding. Anything under 300% purchase price, I would just shoot it, especially since you got a great deal on it. But, as someone said above, don't trash it. Shoot it, but keep it as pristine as possible. Also, take into account your current collection of Colt revolvers. If you're satisfied shooting what you have, then either sell it or hold on to it. No use in devaluing it if you have one just like it.

Basically, you're either investing for profit, investing to pass it on, or buying it for yourself. If you buy it for yourself, you're either buying it to shoot it, or buying it to look at. Since it's not a painting, I don't suggest looking at it. Have you contemplated buying a used version of the same gun? You could shoot the used one and pass on the pristine one.

[battleship]

There are plenty of calgunners who I'm sure would let you shoot there's, i included if you need to, but what you have is very hard to find even more so in this state. I think you know you have to keep it to marvel at. It won't be the same once you shoot her that's for sure and real collectors crave a python in this pristine condition they go Gaga over it.

[berto]

Good question berto. All I wanted was a Colt Python to have and shoot. Now this pristine 1979 "unfired" Colt python with box and original paperwork fell on my lap. Mind you I paid way below market value. so what's a regular guy to do.? Do I want to shoot it? Yes Do I want to keep it pristine? Yes. Do I want to keep it to pass on to my kids?.Yes. But now I'm the caretaker of this rare find. I understand it's not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But I am like many others out there that drool over the fact that its unfired and looking like if it just came out the box. So ... to answer your question Im not sure yet. thats why I thought i would ask the fine people a Calguns. I just don't want to be that dude that should have never fired a rare Python

Take pictures, drool near it for a bit, sell it, buy a shooter and shoot it, be happy. I'm not really into fancy stuff that gets stared at but never used. You can't really make a wrong decision here as long as whatever you choose to do makes you happy.