I see nothing wrong with using firearms as an investment. There are lots of things to put your investment money into, but few that could actually be useful if needed. I'd hate to try to invest in sliced bread.
Although some would like to see it otherwise, AW prices are still on an upward trend. I have a few guns that I bought because I wanted to "collect" them, but one of the reasons I chose that particular rifle was because they do tend to increase in value. Right now, putting my money into Hi-Point Carbines just doesn't seem wise.
I don't think it's foolish to purchase guns that you don't plan on shooting, just because I know there are a lot of other guys like me that can appreciate the fact that something is NIB. As long as I'm not the only one that likes NIB stuff, it seems to be a good investment. Not to mention that NIB is NIB, whereas some guys would call a 90% condition gun 95%. Takes all the guess work out.