A personal view

[Beekeeper]

I have been around guns almost all of my life.
Got my first BB gun at 6, my first rifle at 12 ( for $3.00)
I have carried rifles for pleasure and have carried them in anger.
In all of those years I never had a relative or senior person in the military tell me to not worry about the rust and dirt, the stock nicks or loss of finish.
I have been admonished by an Uncle for not correctly cleaning my rifle and not keeping it as new as possible!

I have been drop-kicked over the moon by a senior non-com for having not kept my weapon as clean or better than my eating utensils.
If it showed wear ,OK but if it showed neglect , Katy bar the door!!
I see on diferent forums where the so called purists think you are destroying history if you do anything more than basic cleaning on a weapon.
I would think there is an old soldier who originally carried the weapon turning over in his grave at that thought.

There lives depended on it and there life was a living hell if they damaged it or failed to keep it sparking clean and looking like new for parade so where does the don't touch come in to effect as far as historical value is concerned?

Just a thought or two from an old gun owner


beekeeper

[30CAL-TEXAN]

I think our views are much the same Beekeeper, I have been looked down upon by quite a few times for my take on what should and shouldn't be done to antique military arms.

I own several of these old war horses and I would never want to do anything to harm them as I hope that my children one day get as much pleasure out of them as I do but I don't think that neglect in any form or fasion does them any good either.

None of my guns are display pieces. Some might argue that they should be but they can just go find their own to put in a glass case; I like to keep mine in shooting order just the way they should be and if they are going to be shooters I think the same practices of maintenance and repair should be followed as when they were in a soldiers hands.

I have no problem taking a new-to-me surplus arm, stripping her down to nothing and bringing her back to her former state of glory. I am confident that I can do this without hurting the weapon and that all the materials and methods that I use would have made the first soldier to hold that weapon proud.

I say Keep 'em clean and keep 'em shootin' 8-)

[oneokie]

Guns are basically tools. Rust and dirt can and will affect the function to some extent. Dings, dents and loss of finish show that the tool has been used.

[Bad Water Bill]

I have owned a 1911 with a low serial # since 1965, It came thru D C M at that time. That war horse looks like she has been there abd DID that. There is hardly any checkering left on the grips and the slide is grey instead of blue. It is still a very reliable piece and I have NO intention of changing anything on her.

These weapons were made for one thing only. They were and are made to defend and protect their owner. To me trying to make one of these wonderful guns look like new would be an insult to their fine history.

[Harter66]

Me 4!

Pointless to keep an unservicable tool. (Qualifiers maybe needed,like my 3rd-great-grandfather wore it out shooting buffalo off the railroad rails,it is documented to some VIP). To me the bumps and dings are just part of the stories they have to tell.

[Calamity Jake]

Yap take em apart, clean em up, put em back together, load some boolits and shoot em.

[Kraschenbirn]

The only one of my milsurps that I'd never consider 'improving' is the Remington-Rand M1911A1 that followed me home from SE Asia. The parkerized finish is worn through in places and there's a chip out of one of the bakelite grip panels but it was my constant companion for the second half my first tour and all of my second. I haven't fired it in many years but it rests on the top shelf of the safe in my office, alongside a couple G.I. mags loaded with genuine LC Ball ammo.

Bill

[Blacksmith]

Some guns are special and should be kept the way they are especially if they have historic suignificance.

Most guns are tools to be used for work and play and tools should be kept in good working order and improved if the owner desires. This includes quality rebuilds and appropriate upgrades.

I draw the line at Mall Ninja Tactical nightmares.

Blacksmith

[DCM]

Some guns are special and should be kept the way they are especially if they have historic suignificance.

Most guns are tools to be used for work and play and tools should be kept in good working order and improved if the owner desires. This includes quality rebuilds and appropriate upgrades.

I draw the line at Mall Ninja Tactical nightmares.

Blacksmith

You mean like this?? http://www.elec-intro.com/EX/05-14-17/geared_out_AR15.jpg

[Jailer]

I have the same view of my guns as I do cars.

What the sense in owning them if your not going to take them out for a drive once in a while?

[451 Pete]

I am over 60 and have been shooting since before I could hold up the rifle by myself. We didn't have a lot of money when I was a boy and we took care of the things that we had. When we would use a gun the first thing you did when you came in was to clean it. It was always put away wiped down with a bit of oil on a rag and a clean bore and action for the next time you used it. There was no excuse for a dirty rifle. I was taught that from as far back as I can remember.

I am retired now and one of the things I do is help out part time here at a local gun shop.( The owner there tells me that the only guns I care about are old and dusty. I tell him I think the old and dusty ones have more character. ) I see a lot of rifles, shotguns and pistols come in to that shop that are neglected and mistreated. Some look as though they have never had a patch run through the bore or a simple thing like a Q-Tip dipped in solvent used to clean the fouling in the action. The outside of barrels are rusty too just from sitting and never having an oily rag used to wipe them down after handling them or taking them out. It is a shame.


As for antique guns, if they are in safe working condition I will shoot them. I have restored a few, inherited a couple and swapped for one or two more. I will not replace wood if it can be salvaged and repaired. I have nothing against black rifles and shotguns, they are just not for me. Stamped metal and plastic just don't have the warm, fuzzy feeling of a finished piece of wood and an action that go's snick instead of clunk when you work it. Some of my favorite rifles and shotguns are well past 100 years old. It doesn't hurt them to shoot them if you know what you are doing and what they were ment to shoot.
Just my thoughts .... Pete

[Recluse]

Some guns are special and should be kept the way they are especially if they have historic suignificance.

Most guns are tools to be used for work and play and tools should be kept in good working order and improved if the owner desires. This includes quality rebuilds and appropriate upgrades.

I draw the line at Mall Ninja Tactical nightmares.

Blacksmith

I have a Colt 1911 that was given to me by my CO when I discharged from the military. There's a story behind the gun, our relationship and why he gave it to me. I refuse to do anything to it except clean it, shoot it and treasure it along with the memories it brings.

On the other hand, I have an Enfield Mark III .303 that I bought for $25 back in 1990 that had a brand new barrel when it arrived at our gun range/shop. While it may be a "war gun," it's not all original parts and I have no problem "sporterizing" it with a better stock, scope and sling.

It shoots ENTIRELY too good to leave as is where it rarely gets shot because it's heavy and unwieldy. If I make it more "user friendly," it will get shot a lot more.


I have the same view of my guns as I do cars.

What the sense in owning them if your not going to take them out for a drive once in a while?

That's what I keep telling my wife about all my old girlfriends. . .

:coffee:

[1Shirt]

Lack of cleanliness and care of weapons, is unforgivable! On top of that it is just plain stupid and shows poor upbringing! Not that I have much of an opinion on the subject.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[ErikO]

For me, cleaning and making ready for use is the other half the enjoyment of the shooting sports. I've volunteered at the range I shoot at to clean their rentals, they say that's what the junior armorers are paid to do. I still keep asking. ;)

[PatMarlin]

That's what I do.

I wind up being the one who cleans friends and family members guns when I visit, because many of them don't.

I just don't understand guys who treat their rifles like a shovel. My first- Marlin Centennial 39A like the one in my avatar looks as good as it did when I bought it 42 years ago.

[Rangefinder]

I personally refuse to own a safe queen. If I have it, it gets used. Not abused, mind you--like the rest of you, I like to keep things well maintained inside and out. I DO, however, have one that I am intentionally neglecting---my Sigma .40 gets cleaned only when I just can't take it anymore. The reason is that I hear over and over how it's really bad to fire lead through and auto like the .40S&W, and how bad it is to reload or shoot lead in an unsupported chamber, and so on... That's the one I like to break out whenever I hear that type of nonsense and pull the barrel out. It has somewhere between 3-400 rounds through it right now--some a little harder, some extra-soft HP's, all cast though. It has the same slight "seasoning" smear it had after the first magazine and it just won't really get any dirtier and accuracy hasn't changed one iota. It's my "myth-buster". It's always fun to hear someone who KNOWS what they're talking about who then has to stutter and mumble after their claim is shot all full of holes--pun intended.

[hiram1]

clean them keep them dry and have fun

[Janoosh]

As a collecter of arisakas I remember the Japanese soldiers coming out of hiding 20 to 30 years later, after WW2 ended. Make shift uniform, minor survival gear, and they kept their weapon serviceable. Do I oil the out side of any milsurp I have and remove any rust? Yes I do! Do I clean and maintain the wood? Yes I do! For myself.... And the next owner after me. And ALL my firearms talk. None are silent.