I moved this post here feeling it was a more appropriate than in the “What’s New” category:
I was lucky enough to strike a deal on this pair of rimfires. A Winchester 52B sporter and a Winchester 61 in 22 magnum. Looking forward to some trigger time behind them, although as clean as each is, I don’t know how much I’ll be dragging them through the brush. They’re more likely to get hunted in open, old growth oak woods on sunny days.
jsgwoodsman said Looking forward to some trigger time behind them, although as clean as each is, I don’t know how much I’ll be dragging them through the brush.
All depends on whether you know how to be careful, which is a habit I’m convinced is instinctive, not conscious, or “taught.” Plenty of folks can’t handle a gun, or anything else, without soon banging it into something or otherwise causing damage, whereas I can hunt hard with new gun that, barring some unforeseeable accident, still looks like new many years later. I wouldn’t hesitate to hunt either of those guns, but I wouldn’t put that out as a blanket recommendation to others to do the same.
Clarence,
I agree completely with your statement. I have a deer rifle that’s been used frequently every year for over 20 years with very little signs to prove it. It, like these rifles, are not loaned out to or handled by many people besides myself.
When I was a boy my father let a relative borrow a minty bolt action rimfire for a weekend. I believe the relative used it to go coon hunting (unbeknownst to my father) and when he returned it – it literally looked like it road in the back bed of the truck with the hounds for two days. The relative genuinely was surprised that my father was upset with his treatment of the rifle. I remember that lesson well.
jsgwoodsman said
The relative genuinely was surprised that my father was upset with his treatment of the rifle. I remember that lesson well.
I can believe it, because most people who are chronically careless don’t know any other way to act. Therefore, asking them to “be careful” is wasting your breath; they don’t know how.
Only activity I can think of that might subject a gun to more abuse than coon-hunting would be trench-warfare. For a good many yrs, I had wanted to tag along on a coon hunt, & finally got my chance. It turned into a classic example of “beware what you wish for”: staggering through thick brush, limbs smacking you in the face (even though I had both hands free), in & out of creek beds, & even with a good head lamp, your field of vision is so restricted it’s very hard to see a way around most of the obstacles. One time was more than enough for me.
It seems this problem has always been around. I made the mistake of loaning my almost brand new Model 99 Savage n 308 to my best friend to take deer hunting. It was returned with several dings and gouge in the stock and lever. My “friend” said he fell down climbing up a canyon wall in Arizona. My dad then told me that “you should never loan anything to anyone you aren’t willing to part with”. A lesson I never forgot. Got to look at the whole picture. What if an accident happens and some one is injured by your gun? We never stop learning and hindsight sucks! RDB
WE all have to learn and relearn some lessons. Years ago a very good buddy of mine was going to Alaska for caribou. His Ruger Super Blackhawk was missing its rear sight blade and he waited until very short time before going to see about replacing it. He asked me to take the blade off my pistol so to put on his. Well, I ended up just loaning my pistol plus its underarm holster to him. Showed how you pulled the pistol out forwards rather than “drawing” it upwards. He promptly returned it after the hunt. I broke it down and found water under the grips, inside the mechanism, etc. I used Birchwood Casey Barricade so there had been no rust yet. But my rear blade was missing! Later found he in turn loaned it to another in the party who got a caribou and was packing it out n a downpour. The buddy who had it drew it when he thought he ought to test fire it. Plus a few more times. Thus the blade was flipped off somewhere. No offer to pay to replace the blade, no apology for onward loaning it to someone who I would NEVER want handling any of my firearms, etc. Guess what? Not so close of buddies now days either. Bottom line, do NOT loan firearms when they are out of your immediate control! Maybe not then, either! Tim
tim tomlinson said
WE all have to learn and relearn some lessons. Years ago a very good buddy of mine was going to Alaska for caribou. His Ruger Super Blackhawk was missing its rear sight blade and he waited until very short time before going to see about replacing it. He asked me to take the blade off my pistol so to put on his. Well, I ended up just loaning my pistol plus its underarm holster to him. Showed how you pulled the pistol out forwards rather than “drawing” it upwards. He promptly returned it after the hunt. I broke it down and found water under the grips, inside the mechanism, etc. I used Birchwood Casey Barricade so there had been no rust yet. But my rear blade was missing! Later found he in turn loaned it to another in the party who got a caribou and was packing it out n a downpour. The buddy who had it drew it when he thought he ought to test fire it. Plus a few more times. Thus the blade was flipped off somewhere. No offer to pay to replace the blade, no apology for onward loaning it to someone who I would NEVER want handling any of my firearms, etc. Guess what? Not so close of buddies now days either. Bottom line, do NOT loan firearms when they are out of your immediate control! Maybe not then, either! Tim
This is not the first time I have heard stories like this. Fortunately, I’ve no personal stories to tell on the topic. I have known a few guys who have developed a specific strategy for the loaner situation. They specifically have at least one, “loaner” rifle or shotgun that are better suited for these circumstances. They are typically off-brand firearms and do not have, “condition, condition, condition.” I know some guys who have a designated, “truck gun” and usually these pieces are candidates for loaners.
steve004 said
This is not the first time I have heard stories like this. Fortunately, I’ve no personal stories to tell on the topic. I have known a few guys who have developed a specific strategy for the loaner situation. They specifically have at least one, “loaner” rifle or shotgun that are better suited for these circumstances. They are typically off-brand firearms and do not have, “condition, condition, condition.” I know some guys who have a designated, “truck gun” and usually these pieces are candidates for loaners.
Those “guys” run in a crowd I want no part of! No person I’ve ever known has asked me for the loan of any kind of gun, just as I’ve never dreamed of asking any one of them for the same. Do these guys also share their women folk?
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