[Jeff Higgins]

I'm sorry, but the whole "collector firearm" thing just really bothers me. As does the whole "collector car" thing, and for all of the same reasons.

When well-heeled collectors gain an interest in anything, the market for them is essentially ruined for the enthusiasts who enjoy using whatever article that may be. Look what has happened in the early 911 world - ten years ago, they were the most affordable 911's out there. Then the collectors found them and drove their prices through the ceiling. Now the true enthusiasts, who really enjoy driving and wrenching on them, can no longer afford them. And they sit parked in someone's garage, never to be driven again. Someone who could care less if it's an early 911 or an expensive vase. All they care about is the investment value.

Firearms, of course, went down this path long, long ago. To me, the fact that that Python has never been fired is a crime. I would have fired it before ever getting home on the day I picked it up. That's just me - to each his own. I just think it's a crying shame that at this point, no one is ever likey to fire that gun and enjoy it in the manner in which it was intended.

Sigh. Rant over...