4 Reasons why Buying a Non-Firing Gun Makes Sense

Since I had two different people ask me recently why anybody would buy a gun that didn’t fire and couldn’t be made to fire, I figured it was a fair question that deserved an answer. Here are four reasons why:
(1)
Legal restrictions on sale of real guns. There are many places you simply can’t buy a “real” gun, or can’t buy the one you want, because there are restrictions on purchasing them in many countries, and even some states or municipalities in the United States. Non-firing replica guns are legal to buy and own without restriction in most of the United States and in many countries of the world, and don’t require any sort of license or permit. If you want a firearm to protect life and property or to use for hunting and target shooting, obviously the non-firing type doesn’t make sense. But what if you just wanted a classic .357 Magnum with an 8-inch barrel to add to your collection, or maybe the sleek 9mm pistol, like James Bond uses in the movies? Chances are, you could buy a non-firing gun.
(2)
They are safe to display in your home or office. Non-firing replicas do not fire, and cannot be adapted to do so. Barrels have metal plugs inside, and are not made of the kind of high-tensile steel required to withstand the pressure and hot gases of a gunpowder charge. Moreover, the chambers and clips are made a non-standard size so that real bullets won’t fit them, as an added safety measure.
So long as they are handled sensibly by responsible adults who use them as collectibles, in reenactments, living history performance or film productions, they are completely safe. “Handled sensibly” means because they look so authentic, you don’t take them out in public and wave them around where a cop or somebody might mistake it for the real thing and shoot you. Of course they should be kept out of the hands of children, too, for the same reason, and also because loading mechanisms and other metal moving parts in a quality replica can pinch or mash little fingers. But if you want to practice your western quick-draw in front of a mirror, you won’t accidentally shoot yourself in the foot, with a replica .45 caliber automatic! If you really want to unleash your inner Wyatt Earp, get yourself a frock coat, brocade vest and a replica of a Tombstone Marshall’s badge, and join one of the many quick-draw competition groups that abound.
(3)
Real antique firearms may be difficult or impossible to find, and cost a lot more. Despite the number of them that were captured and brought back to the United States, a real German P08 for sale is difficult to find. A thorough internet search yielded only one site that had two for sale, priced at $3107 and $6214 U.S. A search for the Broomhandle C96 submachine pistol yielded only one, and it was $3650 U.S.! If you go back even further in time, looking for an original 1861 Navy percussion revolver, or an 18th century flintlock pistol or musket rifle for your collection, you can find them, but be sure to bring your wallet! A recent auction of a mint 1861 Navy, still in the wood presentation case with powder flask and other accessories went for over a million dollars. You can find them for less, but they may be in poor condition, may not fire, and it probably wouldn’t be safe to try. Non-firing replicas of the same guns cost a fraction of that–even a classic Civil War Enfield P60 is easy to find and very affordable for almost any budget.
(4)
Affordable quality and authenticity. Except for the BANG, quality non-firing replica guns are just like the real thing. When we say “quality”, we’re not talking about those chunks of plastic resin molded and painted to look like a gun. Quality replicas are made of metal and wood (on models that have wood), like a real gun. “Ivory” or “pearl-handled” grips will probably be a polymer imitation, but in appearance, feel and action, they closely replicate the geniune article, right down to the action of real moving parts in the loading and firing mechanisms. Hammers cock and “fire” when the trigger is pulled. Clips insert and release (you can even get dummy “bullets” to load with some models.) Cylinders rotate, and/or swing out, depending on the model. A quality replica is heavy, and has the heft, look and feel of a real gun. How cool would it be to display a realistic replica of Wild Bill Hickock’s engraved Navy revolver on your desk, or hang a realistic copy of Dan’l Boone’s famous Kentucky rifle on your wall? You can find a replica of almost any famous pistol or rifle with a quick search on the internet. Non-firing replica guns are great conversation pieces, and a piece of history you can hold in your hands.

You can find historical information and details about famous firearms at www.gunclassics.com. Also, please visit us at gunsofold.com.

Welcome! The Non-Smoking Gun’s Inaugural Post

Hello, and welcome to The Non-Smoking Gun. That’s what we call our blog. See, our site offers non-firing replicas of historic firearms (Although we now have blank-firing and black powder guns that DO SMOKE.). If they don’t fire, they don’t smoke, either (and neither should you, for any number of reasons. But hey, as a former 3-packs-a-day chain smoker myself, I know it’s hard to quit–no matter how bad it is for you–and I also know the world doesn’t need another ex-smoker getting all “more smokeless than thou” on all the remaining smokers! )
And on that subject, my state of residence (Arkansas) just passed a hefty tax on each pack of cigarettes, which is supposed to pay for creating an emergency trauma system. (You heard me right–there isn’t a single emergency trauma unit in the entire state! Can you believe it?)
Now, I realize that a trauma system is a good thing, and certainly every state in this day and age should have one, what with all the cell phone yakkers and texters too preoccupied with their cell phones to drive and other hazards loose on the highways. So yeah–it’s long past time this state got with the program and set up a network of trauma units! But–and feel free to correct me here, if I’m wrong–is it only smokers who get injured in accidents and end up in the hospital in need of trauma-trained medical staff? So . . . if smokers aren’t the only ones to benefit from it, then how come they are the only ones being made to pay for it?
I’m not so naive as to believe we have equal protection under the law anymore, but what happened to it, and when did we lose track of that concept? Well, it’s more than just a “concept”, actually. It’s only a key principle upon which our Constitution rests. Or rested. Sadly, the past-tense is more accurate in this brave new 21st Century world.
Even though I don’t smoke anymore and haven’t for many years, this still makes me crazy. When I did smoke and resided in Washington state, the state decided that Puget Sound was polluted and needed to be cleaned up. And how did they pay for that? Why, with an additional tax on smokers, of course–as if the smokers were personally responsible for the dirty water in Puget Sound!
All I’m saying is this tendency on the part of policians to single out a group of people and make them pay for something that benefits everybody is not only grossly unfair, it’s un-American! But see, it’s what they call a “sin tax”. They figure they can levy taxes on our vices all day long, and we won’t have the bad taste to complain, much less quit doing the thing they’re taxing. And it’s worked for them all these years, too, so there’s really no incentive for them to alter their un-American behavior. I’m thinking about the only way they’ll quit doing that is if it doesn’t work anymore.
So if you are a smoker, and you’ve been saddled with another one of these “special” taxes whomped up by the legistlature just for you, well, hey, there’s one more good reason for you to quit, right? That’d show ‘em! Just think of it . . . what if they passed a new tax on smokers to pay for something that benefited everybody, and all the smokers just said “Enough is enough”, and up and quit?
I wonder if they’ve considered that in these hard economic times, the smoking cash cow is probably already on its last legs, if not in need of some of those fancy medical techniques they use to revive trauma victims (or would, if they’d had the foresight to set up a trauma system!) And if they kill off the cow that laid the golden eggs (well, my metaphor just fell apart there, didn’t it! ), then where are they going to get the revenue to replace the extra taxes all those former smokers won’t be paying any longer?
Well, okay, I guess I’ve made my point. That clattering sound you hear is me climbing down off my soapbox. So, back to business. Here’s the kind of stuff we want to include in this blog:
(1) Articles and information about historic firearms and the people, places and wars that made them historic.
(2) Current issues concerning firearms and Second Amendment rights to be commented upon and open for discussion.
(3) Resources for Civil War and Old West re-enactors, living history performers, quick-draw competitors, etc. We’ll be working on developing a calendar of those types of events for people interested in participating or attending, along with articles and information on developing a character, creating a costume, etc.
(4) Other subjects as they arise
And speaking of other subjects . . . I’d sure appreciate it if you’d take a minute to let us know what you think of our site. Did you find it easy to navigate? Did you find the information you were looking for? If not, what kind of information would you like to see? Is there a product you were looking for and would like to see but didn’t find? We’d like for this site to be useful and interesting to you, our visitors. And the best way for us to make it useful and interesting to you, is to find out from you what kind of features and information you want to see. We look forward to seeing your comments and posts!
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em (and can afford ‘em!) Or not.