Using money to make money, at least with traditional methods such as bonds, CD’s, treasury notes, interest paid by banks, and the stock market is difficult today as our dollar’s buying power is slipping faster than today’s interest rates pay. What about firearms as an investment? The May 2021 issue of Guns & Ammo magazine featured two articles, “Golden Opportunities” by Robert W. Hunnicutt, and “Hard Assets” by Keith Wood, that have made me think about guns as practical investments.

In Hunnicutt’s “Golden Opportunities,” he states that “A lot of our older readers tend to gripe about gun prices these days, but consider that a $700 gun in 2021 dollars is about $200 in 1980 currency. I think he’s being conservative. In 1979 I bought a new, very sporty Chevy Monte Carlo for $4900. Today I couldn’t come close to that car for five times that amount.

Hunnicutt makes an even better point. He says, “If I had sold the stock in my kids’ college funds in January 2020 and used the money to buy 9mm handguns and ammo, my wife would have probably thrown me out! However, when inventories disappeared and prices shot up, I would have looked like a genius.” While this may have been true, purchasing, storing, and finally marketing the handguns would have been a nerve-racking hassle. What Wood says of the handguns is true, but we could have done as well or better with a truck load of 2X4’s or building material.

Wood tells us that the safest bets gun wise are unaltered guns with limited production numbers and original boxes. Clean pieces from iconic American brands such as Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Winchester are good property. When Wood talks about unaltered guns, he’s referring to guns that haven’t been re-blued or refinished, guns with replaced sites, and receivers that haven’t been tapped and drilled for receiver sites.

Kevin Hogan, president of Rock Island Auction, the nation’s leading auction house in quality firearms, advises against getting into guns purely for investment sake unless you truly enjoy owning the guns. I know what Hogan’s talking about. When I hold my 1851 Colt Navy cap & ball pistol in my hands, I think about Wild Bill, Deadwood, the gold rush, and Saloon No. 10. That classic piece you might desire will accrue in value, but don’t just buy it for investment sake. Buy it because you enjoy owning it.

Many iconic writers from the past have displayed an almost religious reverence for hunting roughed grouse and woodcock in woodlands as far west as northern Wisconsin. We South Dakotans have a superior opportunity with sharp tail grouse, prairie chickens, and Hungarian partridge. Mark opening day, September 18th, on your calendar.

The Norris area holds both chickens and grouse, and I’ve never been denied there when I knocked on a door for permission. Don’t bother looking for a motel at Norris, but Mission is only about 40 miles away. Closer to home, you might be surprised to know that the White Swan area holds some prairie chickens and public hunting access as well.

Most of my grouse hunting has been in the northwest - Corson County with its many “walk-in” areas in particular. One will also find huntable partridge populations in Corson and points north. I’ve also seen good grouse numbers in Harding County with its abundance of public hunting areas – primarily but not limited to school lands. Buffalo, SD has the Tipperary Motel, but don’t wait too long to get your reservation.

SD Tourism is once again touting the coming pheasant season, but pheasant numbers continue to dwindle, and prairie grouse give us an opportunity to diversify our upland hunting opportunities. Personally, I’m convinced that our pheasant decline is directly related to herbicides, but that’s all about profits, and understandably, herbicides are here to stay. There are those who won’t like what I’m saying, but I’ve never been one to mince words.

Getting back to sharp tail grouse, it is said that the only predictable thing about grouse is that they’re unpredictable. I’d start with alfalfa. They may flush almost underfoot, or they may be spooky and flush at 40 yards plus. My guns have two barrels. One will be choked “improved cylinder” for close shots, the other “full” for lengthy shots. God willing, come September 18th, you’ll find me somewhere out west, and I might throw in my bass fishing gear.

After reading last week’s 30 x 30 column, a reader labeled me a “patriot.” I’m certainly flattered. See you next week.