1911 "Idiot Marks."

[Nemia]

On my 2 used SA SS Loaded and Champion Loaded, didn't manage to put scratch on it but the detent ball seemed already pretty easy to push, but with my new Target did it on the first take down and reassembly.

[ColetheGun]

This doesn't only apply to 1911s, also hi powers tokarevs and any other brownig-ish design

[drifts1]

Big deal. My guns are like tools. i dont worry about scratching my tools, neither do I abuse them.

[Ub3rDorK]

Big deal. My guns are like tools. i dont worry about scratching my tools, neither do I abuse them.

EXACTLY!...a gun is a tool. Like a butcher knife or a harpoon, or uhh... an alligator. -Homer J. Simpson

[JPN6336]

I put an idiot mark in my Sig GSR but it had to be replaced for another reason and I haven't put one in the replacement gun.

[timbo399]

I love my stainless SW 1911, love to shoot it, love to look at it. It was the first gun I ever bought 3 years ago, had never even fired a pistol before. Well of course first time I take it to the range with a buddy to teach me how to use it, we took it home and my first time ever disassembling the damn thing, POOF, an idiot scratch. Today, after 1000's of rounds, gun still looks flawless minus that one scratch. Does it bother me a tiny bit? yes, but not a big deal.

Very similar to when, many years ago, I bought a beautiful brand new set of Titliest irons and forgot to strap them on the the back of the golf cart and fell off onto concrete and scuffed up the bottom of a few of them. Damn was I pissed for about an hour, then it went away.

So with the 1911, after all the voracious reading I have done over past couple years and hundreds of hours spent educating myself on firearms, this mark always reminds me of when I was a complete and utter noob, my first time literally ever disassembling a firearm, so I guess my point is I have learned to embrace my idiot mark!

[Rob454]

i don't know why you guys call it a idiot mark. I see it as sort of like the first shopping cart dent on a brand new car. once its done it just doesnt hurt so much.

[Farva]

who gives a crap. unless you are a pure collector and not a shooter dont friggin worry about it.

[nick]

who gives a crap. unless you are a pure collector and not a shooter dont friggin worry about it.

Pretty much. I don't have one on either one of mine yet, but when I do (and it's likely a when, not an if), I won't care much. I shoot them, and when I'll be taking classes at Frontsight, my guns will likely acquire worse wear. So what?

[Can't buy anything here]

From what I am gathering here..it seems the people who don't know how to put their 1911s back together without scratching them are defending the scratches, while those who do know how are defending a scratch free gun...

[RedFord150]

Same here.
My Double Eagle had the 'Idiot mark' on it when I bought it used.
I was being really careful with my $1K Dan Wesson and slipped one day.
A friend once told me that guns are tools, not 'Art Work'. If you use them, they will get marks on them. Don't lose any sleep over it.

[RedFord150]

...on the stainless ones scotchbrite to blend it away if it did happen...

Tell me more of this scotchbrite you speak of...

[jimmykan]

Maybe 3 years ago, I bought my Kimber from Irvington Arms, and as Ian was demonstrating to me how to disassemble and clean it, he SPECIFICALLY warned me to be careful to not to cause an idiot mark.

I was doing a pretty good job of being careful, but after dozens of cleanings, I noticed a faint shiny arc had begun to form under the slide stop. Oh well...

[socal44]

it's carelessness that causes it

Not always. In my case, it was inexperience

[Untamed1972]

who gives a crap. unless you are a pure collector and not a shooter dont friggin worry about it.

Exactly.....if it's just a collectors safet queen...that's one thing.

But if you're usin' it like it's intended to be it's gonna get scratches on it.