Author Topic: Wear, Use & Patina  (Read 3777 times)

MikeBjerum

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Wear, Use & Patina
« on: May 12, 2019, 09:03:46 AM »
This is probably an all guns subject, but I encounter it mostly with handguns:

Wear and Patina caused by use - How many of you have guns, many, a few, or most, that show wear and tear from use?  I catch a lot of static for this.  My guns are not investments, they are not safe queens, they are not worshiped, and I don't sacrifice my skin for their skin.  My guns show the wear and scars of a life well lived.

I was teaching a class, and I had my two daily carry guns in use for demonstration:  An LCP I carry in a leather pocket holster, and a 1911 that I carry in an IWB leather holster.  For a class of students supposedly looking to learn, I was shocked at the ridicule I took (I really didn't take it, but that's another story) over scratches around take down pins, muzzle wear, corrosion spots from being carried wet, missing bluing, etc.

I don't believe I abuse my guns, but I buy quality, I maintain them, but above all, I USE THEM.  I have purchased several firearms that MOM (Manufacturer's Owner's Manual) stated on the first page "To maintain collectible and investment value ...".  In my opinion, this is your first sight in target paper!  Tear it out, and see if you can get a shot on paper and how tight a group you can achieve out of the box.

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Solus

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2019, 09:57:27 AM »
I agree.  Wear from use is not abuse.  I am not a gun collector.   I buy guns that fill a need, sometimes redundantly, but never give a though to a profit on resale...though if used for "trading up" their value will be lower. 
But then I don't fancy letting go of a gun that has served me well, even if it is replaced with something more fitting my current needs...when I have counted on them to save my life, if needed (which they have, thankfully, never been called upon to do) I get "attached".   Sort of like dumping a loyal and faithful dog as it grows old and slow.

And the wear shows they have done there job.

Getting sentimental, I noticed after several years of wear that my weeding band was nicked and scratch and dinged a few times....and then thought that the ring had "protected" my finger from those impacts...and then though that the marriage it represents also "protects" me from the dings of life....
 
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Majer

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2019, 01:02:34 PM »
All of my guns show use, Not abuse, They are maintained properly so they won't let me down in a time of need. I'm not going to worry about the loss of value because I won't be around when they get sold by my heirs, They will have served me well in the use that they were designed for, My shooting pleasure.
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Big Frank

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2019, 06:24:44 PM »
My 75th Anniversary PPK is my only safe queen. I haven't gotten around to shooting my LCP yet but I imagine it will get scratched and dinged up like everything else I have. If I start carrying it I expect it to get scratched and worn but there's no bluing to wear off. That's one of the things I like about stainless steel and hard chrome plated guns. I use a magic marker to touch up my blued guns until it rubs off. That's good enough for me.

I had a couple of tire plug kits that ran out of plugs and I saved the tools. I cut off the ends, ground them down, filed and sanded them smooth. The edges of tips are rounded off and now I have 2 pin pushers of different diameters. I don't have scratches around the pin holes on my guns but I used a hammer and center punch to move some metal around the pin holes on my 40 year old 10/22 so the pins don't fall on the floor when I take the stock off. Too bad these pins with spring loaded detents weren't around 30 years sooner.

https://www.tandemkross.com/Upgraded-Receiver-KrossPins-for-Ruger%C2%AE-1022%C2%AE-2-PACK_p_535.html
""It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency." - George Washington. Letter to Alexander Hamilton, Friday, May 02, 1783

THE RIGHT TO BUY WEAPONS IS THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher

tombogan03884

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2020, 03:30:36 PM »
I just ran across this .
One of the things I've been doing is watching Mark Novak's Anvil video's on You Tube.
His pet peeve is "When does neglect become "patina", DO THE F#$%ING MAINTAINANCE !"
Most of his vids are about fixing things neglected, especially blueing.

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #5 on: Today at 01:48:40 AM »

PegLeg45

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2020, 07:58:07 PM »
I just ran across this .
One of the things I've been doing is watching Mark Novak's Anvil video's on You Tube.
His pet peeve is "When does neglect become "patina", DO THE F#$%ING MAINTAINANCE !"
Most of his vids are about fixing things neglected, especially blueing.

My most-used 1911 gets the finish touched up when I clean it. While I don't have an issue with 'battle scars' and honest wear, I do like a my guns to look good. Just a personal preference.

If you put enough wear on a pistol, even with touch-ups, folks can tell it's been used like it should.
There was an old guy in our club years ago that always touched up the holster wear on his old Colt 1911. Even with the touching up, you could see the rounded edges from a lifetime of good use. It looked like it had one of those high-dollar carry bevel jobs done on it.

I wouldn't touch up an heirloom gun, though.
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tombogan03884

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2020, 08:37:37 PM »
I picked up a .380 CZ 82/83 The outside of it looks like it went though a fire and then got beat with a pipe.
But it shoots great and has several hundred rounds through it.
I may get it refinished some day .
Should have paid the extra $20 for hand select   ;D
As for the peckerheads Mike was originally commenting on, I just tell them, "Mine get used, they aren't safe queens."

Big Frank

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2020, 11:05:12 PM »
My first gun was a single-shot 20 gauge that got a ding in the barrel when it was behind a truck seat. It was a small ding but I could see it on the inside too. It was in a soft case but got hit hard somehow. That went beyond fair wear and tear into something else. I lopped off the dinged part of the barrel with a hacksaw, and down to the pistol grip of the stock too. I only had to pull the spring-loaded forend off to tilt the barrel off, and it fit into a padded attache case.
""It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal services to the defence of it, and consequently that the Citizens of America (with a few legal and official exceptions) from 18 to 50 Years of Age should be borne on the Militia Rolls, provided with uniform Arms, and so far accustomed to the use of them, that the Total strength of the Country might be called forth at a Short Notice on any very interesting Emergency." - George Washington. Letter to Alexander Hamilton, Friday, May 02, 1783

THE RIGHT TO BUY WEAPONS IS THE RIGHT TO BE FREE - A. E. van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher

tombogan03884

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2020, 08:09:06 AM »
To bad you chopped it off. They can fix that on a shot gun barrel.

alfsauve

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Re: Wear, Use & Patina
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2020, 10:34:26 AM »
I carried the same PPK/s for 20 years.  It's developed a "patina" from the leather holster.  Sadly, I also wore it out internally and was looking at a rebuild to get it reliably functioning.   Still miss that gun. 

Will work for ammo
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