Wearing out a gun

[sncup]

I’ve come to realize that I am not likely to wear out any of the firearms I have. The Virus problem has caused me to think about what I will be leaving behind – sooner or later.

Now that I rarely do competition shooting my guns are more likely to become inoperable because of rust or politicians. Where once I would put thousands of rounds down range in a year, it is now a few hundred. Age & medical problems limit the amount of fun a guy can have.
Having looked at numerous used firearms over the years I remember only a few that had real shooting wear. Most were handling damaged, especially the ex-military firearms.

Guns that I leave to someone else will likely see some use, but probably not “used up”.

As I watch TV about panic gun sales to new buyers, I wonder how many of those guns will have have less that 500 round fired in the next 5 years.

 

[Captain America]

...As I watch TV about panic gun sales to new buyers, I wonder how many of those guns will have have less that 500 round fired in the next 5 years.

Most will barely have 5 rounds through them.

 

[DeletedMember275]

I doubt that many of us will wear out a gun in our lifetime. Some of the younger, avid competitive shooters might, but most of us older types will only wear ourselves out trying. As for the 'panic' buy guns; many will be for sale in less than a year, still unfired. Others will sit, unfired, in a closet collecting dust and rust, but the owners will feel 'prepared' because they're 'armed.'

 

[Rick Courtright]

...As I watch TV about panic gun sales to new buyers, I wonder how many of those guns will have have less that 500 round fired in the next 5 years.

Most will barely have 5 rounds through them.

Hi,

A former co-worker went to work part time in a gun shop after he retired. He used to tell us the bigger the caliber, the better the deal one could make on a "like new" used one. He subscribed to that 5 round lifetime shot count, too.

Rick C

 

[Jeepnik]

I liken it to when the Jeep CJ became "popular" as a boulevard cruiser. Those of with Jeeps that actually used them off road were secretly pleased. You see we realized there were going to be a ton of barely used parts on the market sooner or later. In fact, I have an entire front end from a CJ stored in my larger shed. I've used a few parts here and there but it's nice to know I have ready spares on hand.

 

[powder smoke]

I may go 3 months without touching off a round, then get the urge and shoot hundreds
of rounds on a Saturday. Chain reaction now its reloading time which I enjoy almost as much as shooting! Life is good! ps

 

[Mobuck]

I haven't "worn out" any of the guns I've owned. I've had to replace worn parts on some but not "worn out" in the sense that the moving parts or bore was simply no longer usable. The materials used in modern firearms (even many of the "economy grade")are so much better than the older "user grade" guns follows the trend with vehicles.
Way back when a car that ran 100,000 miles w/o major repairs was a bragging point. Now, 100K is the trade in point and many of those vehicles have significant resale value.
I'll admit to having "several" guns which will probably never be fired in my lifetime (barring a zombie apocalypse). These aren't "collector" guns by any means just guns I wanted t own but haven't felt a need to shoot.

 

[arfmel]

The only one I’ve worn out was an alloy frame High Standard .22 revolver. The frame sure was soft.

 

[bobski]

99% of my guns will leave my safe in operational condition.
the only guns i sold that were worn out were guns i bought and got duped with.
hot potato!

 

[Kevin]

I have a "brand new" British Enfield 303. It's in about as good a shape as you could hope to find. I had to finish wiping out the cosmoline before shooting it.

I fired it 5 times, and put it away. :D

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That reminds me I need to get busy and check and clean my guns. They haven't seen much action lately. :(

 

[bogus bill]

My dad was a hunter but had just the basic guns. A Winchester model 61 with a octagon barrel that he bought in the late 1930`s, a Remington model 31 12 gauge he probably also bought in the 1930`s and a bring back K-98 Mauser he sporterised. He hunted & shot far more game than me and I own a ton of guns. He also kept just a couple of handguns. Once ice fishing he dropped through the ice with his car (A VW) and had his shotgun in it. We got the car out a week later. That night he took the shotgun apart and first cleaned it with hot water and then oiled it. I have it and there is no rust on it. It had sat in the bottom of a lake for a week! I never had a gun rust either. Once I lent a shotgun to a ex marine I used to work with. He brought it back a few days later covered in rust! Dad was a very conservative practical man. He was 6 ft 4 or 5"s and every long gun he had he either put on a pad or block of wood on for LOP.
https://i.postimg.cc/50y3wPsr/Win-61-21738.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/6QDtdftr/Dad-in-1946.jpg

 

[toysoldier]

The only gun I ever fund that was worn out was a cheap copy of a .36 caliber Colt Navy revolver with a brass frame. Recoil had pounded the cylinder into the brass frame, leaving an imprint that kept the cylinder from revolving.

 

[bogus bill]

I do have this old rusty cut down S&W American. It was found in the wall of a barn being tore down in Montana that once had been a stage coach stop. Wish I knew the true history to it. Probably made about in 1871.
https://i.postimg.cc/rpD2Jk37/S-W-American-4730.jpg

 

[Rook]

Some of these have a lot of wear but none have ever been worn out. I'm just the latest caretaker of my family guns. After I'm gone my youngest son will be the next.

I have my great grandpa's, my grandpa's and my uncle's guns. They date from 1893 when my great grandpa bought the Marlin Model 1889 that was made in 1893 to the last gun my uncle bought which was the Winchester Super-X Model 1 semi auto 12 ga. shotgun that he purchased in 1980.

Something interesting about that Model 1 is it was Winchester's last model shotgun made with a machined steel receiver like the Model 12. They were to expensive to manufacture in order to compete so the model 1 was discontinued in 1981. Here's an interest video made by Winchester back in 1968 about the Model 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0A1mLApJ5I

Here are a few pictures of the long guns I inherited.


Winchester Super-X Model 1.

Winchester Model 12s.

Marlin Model 1889 .38-40 purchased new in 1893 by great grandpa.

Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. pump.

Great grandpa used the old 1897 quail hunting a lot.

Browning A-5 20 ga. Mag. on top and a Browning Sweet 16 on the bottom of the photo. Some of my uncle's guns.

O. F. Mossberg and Sons Inc. Model 151M-B .22 LR with a Mossberg Scope no. M4c. My uncle was deadly on squirrels with this rifle.

Swedish Mauser Sporter, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevarsfaktor Model – 94, 6.5 x 55. Made in 1904. First centerfire rifle that I ever shot back in 1959.

I guess I've rambled on long enough. Not much else to do but reminisce these days in confinement.

 

[Achigan]

Some of these have a lot of wear but none have ever been worn out. I'm just the latest caretaker of my family guns. After I'm gone my youngest son will be the next.

I have my great grandpa's, my grandpa's and my uncle's guns. They date from 1893 when my great grandpa bought the Marlin Model 1889 that was made in 1893 to the last gun my uncle bought which was the Winchester Super-X Model 1 semi auto 12 ga. shotgun that he purchased in 1980.

Something interesting about that Model 1 is it was Winchester's last model shotgun made with a machined steel receiver like the Model 12. They were to expensive to manufacture in order to compete so the model 1 was discontinued in 1981. Here's an interest video made by Winchester back in 1968 about the Model 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0A1mLApJ5I

Here are a few pictures of the long guns I inherited.


Winchester Super-X Model 1.

Winchester Model 12s.

Marlin Model 1889 .38-40 purchased new in 1893 by great grandpa.

Winchester Model 1897 12 ga. pump.

Great grandpa used the old 1897 quail hunting a lot.

Browning A-5 20 ga. Mag. on top and a Browning Sweet 16 on the bottom of the photo. Some of my uncle's guns.

O. F. Mossberg and Sons Inc. Model 151M-B .22 LR with a Mossberg Scope no. M4c. My uncle was deadly on squirrels with this rifle.

Swedish Mauser Sporter, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevarsfaktor Model – 94, 6.5 x 55. Made in 1904. First centerfire rifle that I ever shot back in 1959.

I guess I've rambled on long enough. Not much else to do but reminisce these days in confinement.

What eye candy! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Thumbcocker]

I read somewhere that there were Rugerr standard models that had over 100,000 rounds through them.

 

[Heliman]

In 1958 my Dad bought his first “new” rifle. It was a Remington Model 721, 30-06. He had a custom stock made for it and installed a 4x Lyman Alaskan scope with tip-off mounts. He hunted with this rifle until 1962 when he purchased a new Model 700, 7mm Rem Mag. I then hunted with the 721 for 21years. After that, my oldest son hunted with it for 34 years. He just gifted it to my Grandson.

This rifle was used for load development and has taken 35 deer, 9 elk, 1 black bear, and many coyotes and grouse. In all those years the only worn out part was the extractor, which was replaced with a Sako extractor, and a couple of scopes.

I don’t think you can wear them out if well maintained.....

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

When I was a kid, the carnies and fairs always had a shooting gallery, and for a number of years before they switched to pneumatic guns, the standard firearm was one of the old Winchester .22 pumps, a "gallery special" as I recall them being called, and they shot .22 BB caps, by the gazillions. I recall a "grown up" telling me some of them probably had a million rounds thru them. I wonder what kind of shape they were in when they retired? I doubt they got much of what we might call TLC!

On a better documented note, one of our Ruger factory-connected members years back (Coffee Pot or Pinecone?) told of a pair of .22s, MkIIs if memory serves, which came back to the factory for checkups and replacement of worn bits as required. At 500,000 rounds plus, each was still within factory spec when they went back to work! They were used at a summer camp if memory serves, and it sounded like the camp kept good records of their usage.

Rick C

 

[toysoldier]

A coworker asked me to look at a pump .22 that had been in her family for a long time. It was a Stevens Visible Loader, and the breech had stretched enough that it was no longer safe to shoot.

 

[Rook]

Speaking of the old Gallery Guns. I bought a Remington Model 12 A Standard Grade Pump that shoots .22 short, Long, and long rifle in the photos below. It was made in 1928. 31,697 were made that year. This rifle is a grade 12A Standard Grade, made from 1909 to 1936.

The gallery model the Remington 12 B only shoots .22 shorts.

Remington made several different grades of these old pump rifles. It would be hard to wear one out. They just keep on shooting. When I was a kid I looked forward to the fair coming to town. I loved to shoot those old gallery guns. Once I figured out which direction the sights were bent and adjusted my shooting for it. I won a lot of teddy bears for my girl friends. At one gallery on the walk at Daytona Beach, FL after I won 3 big bears in a row they ran me off and wouldn't let me shoot anymore. The small crowd that had gathered to watch me shoot started booing the owner and calling them some not so nice names. :D

Grades Offered:
12A Standard Grade,
12B Gallery Special,
12C Target, 12C N.R.A. Target Grades.
(12CS, DS, ES, FS chambered for 22 Rem Special cartridges)
12D Peerless
12E Expert
12F Premier

 

[gramps]

I may go 3 months without touching off a round, then get the urge and shoot hundreds
of rounds on a Saturday. Chain reaction now its reloading time which I enjoy almost as much as shooting! Life is good! ps

Ditto!!! Once it stops raining the mowing chores are caught up it is Range time! Kind of a reward fr my hard work. :mrgreen:
gramps

 

[contender]

What we see here,, in this thread is the fact that quality built firearms,, when maintained,,, will easily outlast several generations of owners. But even quality firearms,, when heavily used,, and neglected will wear out parts & eventually become less than serviceable.
Summer camps often use .22 rifles & some shotguns,, that are in constant need of repair. Competition guns which are used a lot,, shooting 50, 100, 200 thousand rounds annually can & will wear out. I've seen cracked frames, barrels almost smooth, etc on many competition guns.
So, can you wear one out?
Cheaply made guns with inferior metals,, absolutely.
Quality guns, used a lot & abused,,, yes.
Quality guns used a fair amount but maintained,, not so easily.
Quality guns, used some,, and maintained,, not likely.

 

[gunzo]

I've got a Remington Nylon 66 that I got new in 1974 & it now has over a 100,000 rounds trough it. I was shooting it just yesterday & noticed the bolt was slow.
I took it apart, wiped it down & took a tooth brush to a few places. I did notice that the chamber end if the barrel has been hit enough that the chamber mouth will have to be cleaned up one day.

I put her back together & ran another 100 through her & she was as smooth as ever.

 

[Thumbcocker]

I have also read that shooting gallery. 22's shot a gallery load with a graphite based projectile that pretty much designated on contact with any hard surface. No ricochet. Dont know if that would effect barrel life or not.

 

[Johnnu2]

I bought this Winchester Mod. 1906 while living in Mn. (sorry I left :-)). The action is tight as new but the barrel had pits.... actually craters.... throughout the bore. It still is able to hit soda-pop cans at 25 yds with 100% accuracy. It functions mechanically 100% as well. It's date of mfg. is 1911 and I suspect that it will continue to shoot as well as it does 109+ years from now (I will post an update with pics at that time).