I found this article on American Rifleman recently. Interesting reading. Quick summary; author was helping a guy who intended the rifle they were working on to be kept in pristine shape. Author discusses the hard-earned scrapes and scratches on his firearms, and how they speak to him.
Of course, the article ignores the possibility of using some firearms in challenging environments, while reserving others for more careful treatment. You can have a sunny days only rifle/handgun right next to one that gets dragged out in rain, sleet, and pumice fields.
I guess that's my approach; I have a couple of firearms that are in fantastic shape, and I'd hate to be responsible for abusing them, even superficially.
And some that came to me with some battle scars, and I actually value them more because of those battle scars.
I've bought a couple intending for them to be knockaround guns, but even when I do that I tend to err (if it is an error) on the side of babying them to keep them looking good.
When I'm starting with a gun that's in great shape, that first scratch/scrape sure hurts, I know that.
How do each of you view this? "Keep them as perfect as possible?" "They are just tools, kick 'em around as needed?" "Little of column A, little of column B?" Specific stories and photos encouraged, of course!
Of course, the article ignores the possibility of using some firearms in challenging environments, while reserving others for more careful treatment. You can have a sunny days only rifle/handgun right next to one that gets dragged out in rain, sleet, and pumice fields.
I guess that's my approach; I have a couple of firearms that are in fantastic shape, and I'd hate to be responsible for abusing them, even superficially.
And some that came to me with some battle scars, and I actually value them more because of those battle scars.
I've bought a couple intending for them to be knockaround guns, but even when I do that I tend to err (if it is an error) on the side of babying them to keep them looking good.
When I'm starting with a gun that's in great shape, that first scratch/scrape sure hurts, I know that.
How do each of you view this? "Keep them as perfect as possible?" "They are just tools, kick 'em around as needed?" "Little of column A, little of column B?" Specific stories and photos encouraged, of course!