Bunch of babies at the range.

[41Dude]

Maybe it is just me (Its possible) but if feels like the newer shooters are overly worried about wear, tear, scratches, or general use marks on their firearms. I have seen a lot of posts complaining about finish wear on semi auto handgun barrels ejection marks holster wear etc.
I was at the range and listened to a couple of guys worrying about why the finish was wearing off of the tight-fitting barrel. I was brought up to keep firearms clean not pristine. Not a rant. Just wondering.

 

[the_leper_colony]

What used to cost $50 or $100 now costs $300-$400 or more, plus there's 'Firearms Owner ID' requirements, background checks, and waiting periods in some places. Might cause some folks to consider a new firearm as something more than a "garden variety" tool.

Or maybe they're just sissies.

 

[Armybrat]

Everyone should keep their firearms clean & functioning properly.
A well-used & not abused, but clean, tool is a thing of natural beauty.
However, it is understandable for folks who want to keep certain works of art, sometimes known as BBQ guns, pristine.

 

[bigbillyboy]

I guess if you consider a gun a "safe queen " , then just keep it in the safe . I have some guns with honest wear just from being carried in the field .

 

[Johnnu2]

I'm anal....... always have been; keep my stuff clean (often even while at the range shooting). I don't worry about wear and tear because I know better, but I like to keep them spotless whenever it's possible. I guess the good news is that as I age significantly, I become somewhat more resigned to certain things that used to bother me because I just don't have the energy
J.

 

[the_leper_colony]

Guess for me, it kind of depends on what I paid for a firearm and/or what shape it was in when I got it. Years ago, I briefly owned a high-end 1911, in "like new" condition. Even a little wear would've knocked hundreds of dollars off its value, so I tended to carry & shoot other guns instead (and eventually sold the 1911, because I didn't need or use it).

Compare that to a foreign military surplus 9mm I bought cheap, with several pretty good dings & covered in black spray paint. After stripping off the paint, I found some nice worn bluing underneath - cleaned & lubed it, added some decent grips, adjusted the sights and called it "done". I reload for it, and it gets used. That's my kind of gun!

 

[contender]

I guess it would be a perspective viewpoint. Maybe these younger & newer shooters do not understand that it's a mechanical machine,, that has moving parts, and will show use.

Or as mentioned,, maybe they are just sissies.

 

[mirglip]

There has always been idolatry in the gun community. The fact is that a safe queen is worth a lot more money than a cosmetically compromised firearm in equal mechanical condition. I see this as an opportunity to buy and own great firearms at a reduced cost.

 

[Jeepnik]

Okay, so let's say a gun cost you $1000. And you don't want to use it. But I bet they drove there on a $30,000 vehicle.

Ignore these types and just enjoy your sport.

As an aside, I regularly carry and fire a. Left handed Randall 1911. Only a little over 400 of my model were made. I've had idiots chastise me for shooting it. I usually respond by doing a mag dump (when allowed) or two. Usually shuts them up.

 

[The Norseman]

I'm sorry I don't conform with most Gun
Owners, and don't need permission how I
care for my Guns. Safety first, I don't need
permission for that either.

I've spent a lot of money on the items I have.
I take pride in what I own, and they're not
tools to me.

My inherited guns are not pristine, work like
they should, have honest wear, and shoot
accurately, but now treated as if they're
the last ones on Earth.

My other Guns were bought new, they are
handled and treated carefully, and I shoot
them, but they are also treated as if they're
the last ones on Earth.

Wear marks from metal wearing on metal
is what happens. All is oiled or greased
accordingly. Cleaning is appropriate, but
doesn't always need to be detailed. Handling
is done in a careful manner always.

The best to you and your endeavors.

 

[wproct]

I'm kind of a middle of the road kind of guy when it comes to being anal about my guns. I do really like to keep the wood on my guns ding free and try to keep the bluing intact. However, there is nothing wrong with honest wear. Stainless steel handguns have helped a bunch in this regard.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I like my guns to be kept clean and in the best condition possible.
I don't abuse them and I sure don't treat them like my tools.
Anyone that say's " they are just tools " , probably don't use many tools.
Anyone that knows anything about construction and how tools are used , know what I mean.

So yes , it does bother me when my guns get scratched up or abused.
Normal wear and tear I can live with .

 

[Fox Mike]

Anything I take to the range is taken care of but not caressed. It will be cleaned when it gets home.

 

[tazbigdog]

It's hard to hear complaints about the normal wear and tear of their firearms. I have ear protection on.

 

[bobski]

they dont look at them as tools. they look at them as investments aiming not at targets, but at returns on the money invested....and could care less about if they can shoot it well.

 

[Bob Wright]

I look upon wear as "Character," the same as in life lines in a man's face.

Shortly after buying my Ruger Blackhawk back in 1958, I was crossing a barbed wire (bob war fence) fence and one strand snapped down and incised a perfect letter "N" in the outside grip. Each time I saw the mark, it reminded me of that incident.

Bob Wright

 

[turd]

^^^Bob war - now where have I ever heard that. I love it.

 

[41Dude]

I worked with a guy when I was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force.
We had a long complicated wire harness for the engine electronics called wire bundle.
He called it war bundle. Took me a long time to figure him out.

 

[Armybrat]

^^^Bob war - now where have I ever heard that. I love it.

It's a Texas term.

 

[turd]

^^^Well, maybe so, but I have heard it many times in South Dakota. Lots of bob war around here.