Scratching and wear on guns

[Aluisious]

There's a lot of talk about using this kind of tool for that kind of job etc etc because people are paranoid of scratching their guns.

If you ask me, the rifles you see in use in Iraq, all worn and battered to hell, look the best. They look used, like a weapon should.

If I scratch my guns, I figure it's better sooner than later, because I can stop worrying about it.

Anyone else have a similar "beat it like it owes you money" attitude toward their guns?

[The Soup Nazi]

During the Day After Thanksgiving Shoot-n-Q, Ivanimal and I had a discussion about how when we get a new rifle, we should just scratch it up right off the bat so we don't have a fit dinging it up later.

[ocabj]

I took a brand new upper to the Creedmoor Cup. I've got plenty of scratches on it after 3 straight days of shooting, mainly from my sling hooks rubbing against it. I'm too zoned in when shooting a match to be concerned with babying my rifle. As long as I don't drop the rifle on it's muzzle, I'm all good.

That said, I don't baby my guns, but I don't abuse them. Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.

[AresXD40]

Well... I take good care of my weapons, clean em, make sure they are oiled, and not dropped kicked or beaten. I figure the better I take care of em the longer they will last and the more reliable they will be when I really need them.

[Ubergeek]

One of my regular shooting buddies puts tape over the case deflector on his AR (doesn't want it getting all 'brassed up') - he also keeps all the remote controls for his home theater wrapped in cellophane.

I don't go out of my way to beat my stuff up, but you can tell that everything I own has been well 'loved' (lots of silver showing through the black on my registered Colt HBAR). I'm paranoid about protecting the muzzle crowns on all my rifles though.

[Aluisious]

Well... I take good care of my weapons, clean em, make sure they are oiled, and not dropped kicked or beaten. I figure the better I take care of em the longer they will last and the more reliable they will be when I really need them.

Judging from the list of weapons in your sig, you could probably tumble them in the back of a cement truck for an hour and most of them would function fine afterwards.

They'd look like crap tho

I don't go out of my way to beat on my guns, but I'm too lazy to baby them. The scuffs and wear that build up with regular use just give "character."

[Black Majik]

uhh.... no comment...

[jumbopanda]

I would baby a gun if it had some really nice wood on it or if it was just a damn expensive gun. Stuff like AKs are beaters.

[Scarecrow Repair]

When I went to pick up my car, the dealer gave me the keys and asked what the first thing I was going to do was. I started walking towards the car and said Scratch the door so I don't have to worry about getting that first one. He freaked and asked me to at least not do it there :-) and I forgot all about it. Several weeks later it got its first scratch and I was quite happy ... been 21 years now, 374,000 miles, running like a champ. Toyota too ... :-)

[JamesY]

I don't know why, but I like to baby my guns, especially the expensive ones. If I scratch them up I'll feel bad for a while and think about refinishing them later. After 9 yrs of owning guns, I've only refinished 1. And that was the AK!

[Aluisious]

I don't know why, but I like to baby my guns, especially the expensive ones. If I scratch them up I'll feel bad for a while and think about refinishing them later. After 9 yrs of owning guns, I've only refinished 1. And that was the AK!

Oh, sweet irony!

[matango]

guns like my Russian M44 get treated like a tool, well used but not abused

I dont worry about scratches or dings, etc I'll lay it on the dirt, lean it against a tree, shoot it in the rain

I like the carried in combat "look"

sometimes I even use the bayonet for bayonet practice

I do keep it cleaned and well lubed

[ts]

AK-47 in Iraq = $ chicken

AK-47 in Cali = $300 (home made) or the one I got from Atlantic Firearms for $800

I am working on the maple stock right now, it has a Duracoat finish and I would be REALLY mad if it got a scratch on it.

[tankerman]

If your hunting rifle has wood stock and your worried about scratchs and dings then your not hunting.

[MadMex]

Three of my handguns are fortunate enough to suffer from holster wear.