All . . .

I grew up in a house in which my father's guns, and then my stepfather's guns, happily resided. Both men, veterans from families of meager financial means, highly prized their quality tools--including firearms--and took great pains to ensure their respective tools's perfect functionality and reliability. Both men could, and did, view a beautiful rifle as art, and yet also, simultaneously, as weapon or survival tool.

The first real rifle I ever shot was my father's Remington single-shot bolt action .22, simple yet pretty, maybe five pounds in weight (if even that), very accurate, not a single unnecessary adornment anywhere on it, with a peep sight that worked. My father showed me how to disassemble and clean the rifle, which I was always required to do within a day of shooting it. I took up polishing the dark walnut stock on my own.

My stepfather's everyday working rifle was a .270 built on a Mauser 98 action embedded in what had once been a pretty, and nicely hand-checkered, light-colored walnut (or maybe rosewood) stock. But by the time I first saw that rifle in the late 1960s, it was already at least twenty-five years old and had been on countless expeditions to the wilds of Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Montana and just about every other mountainous state in the continental U.S. The rifle's checkering was worn almost completely smooth. The barrel might appear blue if you rubbed dirt and dust on it, but there was no original bluing left on it at all, worn off by many hard years of use in the field. The original sling swivels had sheered off and had been replaced with new swivels drilled into new holes--the mule carrying the rifle in a leather side scabbard had slipped off an icy trail in Idaho in -20F weather and and tumbled into a ravine--and the pistol grip of the stock had a deep crack nearly all the way through it that my stepfather had dealt with in the mountains via the contents of a tiny bottle of superglue and a yard or two of gray duct tape. Pretty the rifle was not. I once asked my stepfather why he didn't junk the old stock and put a new one on the rifle, and why he didn't reblue the barrel or replace it. Always a man of very few words except when he was trying to teach me something or was angry at me, my stepfather merely looked at me with surprised raised eyebrows and said, mildly, "Because she doesn't miss." And he was right. I never raised the subject with him again.

About five months ago I acquired an excellent condition Model 70 Featherweight in 7x57 Mauser. The previous owner had either been a gunsmith or had had one who was a good friend, because the bolt glitters like a diamond and glides like butter, the trigger is wonderfully crisp and light, the barrel is a gorgeous deep blue on the outside and is brilliantly bright and shiny on the inside, the stock is beautiful and lovely and pretty, and the rifle, overall, is a dream to handle. Alas, she is a touch rebellious and doesn't shoot all that well just yet--I've just started experimenting with handloads for her--but I did take the rifle to a P.O. Ackley-trained gunsmith to glass- and pillar-bed the action and do some inner work on the magazine and chamber, and I expect the rifle and I to come to an agreement about producing MOA groups (at least) in the near future. So far I've managed not to ding the rifle at all, although she has a very few tiny dings and scratches here and there on her already, including one or two accumulated at the gunshop (always a dangerous place for any rifle).

While at the range a week or two ago, my shooting partner, who knows how much I value the beauty and functionality of this particular sweet beautiful 7x57, pointed out that I was pouring sweat all over the rifle while testing it from the bench, and expressed concern that I was staining the stock or causing corrosion on the barrel from my gallons of sweat produced by a blistering TX sun. But to me, this kind of naturally-accumulated wear and tear is part and parcel of owning and using a fine rifle; it comes with the territory. I told my buddy that if the stock became a little stained, that was all right. If the barrel lost a touch of its bluing, that was all right, too. As long as she didn't miss when I needed her to shoot straight and true, little signs of accumulated wear and tear and love along the way would always be just fine with me and, I'm sure, with her, too.

Dave Petzel has character, and it shows in this blog. His observations about preserving the work and mastery of the gunsmith resonnates with me, and with my Dad before me. Johan seems to 'get it', too.

My old Mausers and Mannlichers have their 'smiths talking to me, every time I take them for a walk in the woods, or on the wide fields. Even my Great Grandfather's Kentucky rifle has the ernest care of a forgotten American smithy speaking across the century to my aging hands.

Personally, I believe that men of character honor that, and pass it on. Nothing is quite like a 'family' firearm, that has memories attached to it, and put into one's hands.

Rock on, Petzel.

Blue

I was taught that, if you have nice things, you have to take care of them. It works for firearms, relationships, trucks, or dogs. It doesn't matter the cost, to fully enjoy anything in life, you have to put in a little effort yourself.

Gunslinger

Maybe if the importation of one-handed opening knives is banned, a quality USA made selection will be manufactured!

Hope you get out West again this year.

Best regards

Thanks Del-
In this age when everybody from a guy who gets overpaid to play a game to a deceased pedophile to a schmuck who gets home from being a POW is called a "hero", it is a real good experience to read about a man that was a real hero, not once, but time and again.

NOS This is an Item of interest to current and former military members. This man was a true hero. Not to be confused with some of the clowns that our media call heros these days.

http://www.military.com/news/article/twotime-navy-cross-recipient-dies.h...

i have expensive rifles and rifles that i have paid less than 100 bucks for. i treat them the same and understand the circumstances that i take then into. every scratch is painful! but also a memory. it's called hunting.

For my first hunting trip I was loaned a pump shotgun from my grandfather. Before he handed it to me however, he removed and showed me the inside of the barrel. Inside it shined like the sun. Next he showed me the barrel of an old single barrel break action shotgun that his brother has used 40 years ago one New Years Eve and had never bothered to wipe clean the barrel. This barrel was dark and pitted. That one early lesson taught me to always take care of my equipment. I still clean each of my firearms immediately upon returning home...and the barrel of that old Marlin pump (which I now own) still shines like the sun.

I don't spend good money on equipment to pamper it. I spend good money on equipment so I have equipment that will absorb abuse and still function at a high level.

I consider all the scratches on my guns a fond memory.

I am a little late logging on. I own a 280 Cooper Model 52 Western Classic with a Z6 2X12 Swarovski sitting on top. I purchased it as a retirement gift (from me to me). It is beautiful and it shoots like a house on fire. It really loves Nosler 120 grain ballistic tips. On a good day, if I do my part,it will shoot 3/8 groups.I did not buy it to look at, I will use it to hunt. I am 66 years old and not using it never crossed my mind. I will never forget how my dad never used floor mats in his car or pickup. He said he would wear it out, it is his ride and he had no intention of saving the carpet for the next owner.
I will enjoy the rifle, it is mine. Sitting in my stand I will look at it just to pass the time, knowing I may shoot a nice white tail or a prime hog if the right one comes around and enjoy life to the fullest. You never know when your life may end, this could be the last sun rise. It is an event we all must face. The next person that owns my Cooper will know it was hunted with. I don't think I will care.
Jimmie D

Thanks, Del. My kind of hero, too!

Gunslinger

I know what you mean. I removed the original factory stock off my Remington 700 Classis .35 Whelen several years ago before it got too beat up. Still in about 95%. The blueing is probably about 90% except for the trigger guard and floorplate which have seen better days. The bolt handle is beginning to show wear and the BDL stock with fine figure has seen hard times before I bought it and put it on the 700. Because of the stock, it probably has more character than most in camp, but I never abuse it and clean, dry, and oil daily in the field. If an elk wanders close enought to smell the Rem Oil, he's already in trouble! My Weatherby wears a gray composite stock, but every other rifle has walnut and blued steel. All but one shotgun is wood/blued. I don't have any stainless guns, so I try to take care of what I have. Just like the 4x4 pickup with 277,000 miles driven daily.

Best regards.

"So to treat it like a shovel is something I am simply not capeable of doing. I might also add I intentionally do no spend (any) time around people who do or those who are carelessly hard on guns and other impotant gear."

I agree. Every time my rifle or shotgun goes into the field it gets cleaned when it returns. You can buy a nice looking gun or you can buy a plain old smokemaker, but they all get cleaned if they're mine.

I don't mind taking an upscale gun hunting, knowing that the wood is going to accumulate little scratches and dents. Even the king's own shotgun ought to be used to hunt. But whether it's a Weatherby Athena d'Italia or a Stoeger Classic Single it should be given proper care and maintenance.

IS THE BLOG DOWN?

All of my rifles and pistols are special to me. I bought nine of them new. The rest were used but in very good condition. I have tried to keep every one of them in at least as good condition as when I got them. A couple, I have brought back from less than good condition. I agree with you Gritz. They will be passed on at some point to people who will use and take care of them. My left-hand Remington 700 was used and had a couple of little nicks, but to me it is a beautiful rifle.

It's always good practice to treat rifles right. Do your best to take care of them, because mother nature will do her best to ruin them

WAMtn hunter; Hope you correct on the one hnd knives. I also collect knives and now its hard to find a knife tat even looks like a old Case. I got a Marbles Sheath knife my uncle gave me 64 yrs ago. Caried that knife on many hunts a well as my Son. Found ot that Marbls was back in busiess again so bought a exact Copy and now I use it. If it gets scratch or even lost doubt I would cry. I try not to abuse my equiptment, never used a gun as a Axe handle, but do use whenever I hunt a certain gun for what-ever game I'm hunting. ou may recall my True story of the older man coming into deer camp with a old looking beat up 06 with wood stock with Elec. tape around the grip and hardly any shine or blueing. No one said a word. Next AM old man was gone before us younger guys had a coffee.About 30 minutes after light BAMM. Shortly the old man came into Camp with blood on his hands and ask the Outiftter if he could borrow a pack mule to get his 6 x 6 out. Enough said. Looks don't matter, results do. Shoot-um-straight and often. Thanks the way I feel about my 700 CDL in 06, us while I'm around, if gets bet up or scratched so what. That gun has killed over a dozen animals and only once a 2nd shot used and it was not necessary. I hope I can beat all the finish off beforer I'm thru hunting. But I do clean and oil and wipe down after each hunt.

My firend in college had Beretta Golden Snipe that his dad had got a great deal on as an importer back in the late 60's. I had Topper and used to run alongside my buddy with a second shell in my teeth in case I need 2 quick shots, which was quite often. Boy I admired that beretta! It wasn't until I was 20 that I could finally afford my own O/U, which I fallen in love with since using Dan's Beretta. I bought a Citori in 1978 (fixed chokes).
A week later we were shooting trap at a friend's farm, and the guns were leaned up against the side of a barn (probably 5-6 shotguns)as we set up the thrower. A fellow showed up with one the regular guys we shot with, who was always a "borrower of guns". He had his kid with him, who proceeded to knock all the guns over in succession like dominoes. My new Citori got a nice scratch on the forearm. Rather than let this ruin our session, we used it as a learning experience for the kid.
About a half hour later, I went to the barn to get another box of clays. On my return, the gun borrower was instructing his kid the (im)proper use of a shotgun to shoot clays with my Citori. The kid had a big Carhart coat on and when he shot the gun, the rear stock got a nice zipper scratch due to his improper mount.
I really look after my gear, and while marks are marks, I like to be the one causing any damage through controlled use. This was a big lesson for me.
Thanks.

I personally don't clean the barrel of my hunting rifle until season is over, I sight it in a few days before season and the bore doesn't get touched till after the season is over as a clean bore always shoots a little off from a fouled bore and it was sighted fouled. And I've never figured out how to get the deer to let me take a fouling shot before shooting at it. I missed the best deer of my life because of cleaning my rifle mid season and not having an opportunity to re-sight before heading back out. Never again.

I also wouldn't consider buying a expensive work of art rifle, it would never leave the gun case. And a gun you can't bring yourself to use is worthless in my book. Sure some antique guns that are un-shootable have history that would make them worth owning, but buying a new rifle just to look at it? No. I prefer a good shooting used gun that if it ends up clattering down a mountainside I won't cry over for days. I have a few "new" guns leftover from when I had a small gun shop. A Llama IX-C 45 pistol, a Norinco JW-15 22, (Which I re-did the God awful stock on, it's now nicely checkered and Tung Oil finished and looks as good as it shoots with ammo it likes, CCI Blazer! Go figure) and a 25ACP hammer fired pistol that I cannot remember the make of at the moment, and a Savage pump shotgun I bought around 1985 when I started hunting, bought it at JC Penney! Try to do that today! (Yes, they were a real department store at one time)

I've never had the budget some of the people you talk about have.

I try to pamper them as well as I can as long as circumstances permit. Military people have to depend on their weapons in a way no civilian does outside of law enforcement. There was simply no question about it. It WILL be cleaned and oiled.

Eventually, with anything, a scratch here and there can't be helped. But deliberate abuse to my tools just doesn't feel right.

"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine."

Never know when your life may depend on your rifle, even on a hunting trip. Seems enough reason to take of it, especially since you though you may have 32 more, you probably won't have 32 more with you.

Dents and dings and scratches mean nothing to me at all if the gun came by them honestly during hunting activities, but those same marks stand out like a sore thumb for the rest of your life if they came about because of neglect and abuse. I really don't pamper my guns, some of them don't look all that great, but they all have gotten to were they are from use-not abuse.

my girlfriend just bought her self a brand new stag arms 6.8 mm Stag 7 for predator patrol. it is keep in a hard case mounted on the bed rail of the truck. she still keeps and older, dinged up handmy down mini 14 in the back seat though.

crm3006

Gonna pull the Whelen apart this week and apply some steel wool scrubbing, some touch up stain and a fresh coat of matte finish spray polyurethane. Then torque it back together, scrub the bore real good, and cut some paper! Maybe I can find a grip cap to replace the long broken and lost one.

WAMtnhunter:
All my hunting guns that I use mostly are 700's except the B/P jobs and 2 are T/C's and a CVA inline. Been a Remington user for many years. In fact got my first Remington ( still have and use) a Sportsman 48 Auto thatthe bbl recoils and have 2 bbls for it. It has killd many deer as whr I once hunted for l5 yrs was Buck Shot only and I ordered a 30" full choke for the 48. Custom made are ok if you want to blow $ but my Remington 700's in classice 30-06 and 25-06 do me just fine. I cn;s see a gun smith improving on my results with a l0K gun. I do own one Custon built onMauser action real fancy but don;t like it or use it as i hate the claw extractor.When some rich hunter coe by with a bundle it goesm it's also a 06, dble set triggers, solid rib on top and a wedge in the forearm like a T/C B/P has 3 screws to hold action/to bbl. Beautiful Turkish Walnut with cheek piece. I traded several use guns for it as That was only way I could ever afford a Custom built rifle. With the 700's topped with Nikons and Leupolds mounts they shoot where I aim an thats all we need. The 06 and 25-06 have both killed game beyond 350 yds which I was fooled in distance, then I bought a Nikon Rangefinder so would know the dist. Just hope my health improves so can hunt here in NC this year. Been on sick list since Jan. no improvement. I got Position Vertigo or Mimniers disease. Take treatments weekly plus a to of Rx's. Shot-um-straight and very often.PS; If Dr get me straightren out will take my Son and a friend to Craig, Co next year for the 3 Season or which ever hs the longest seson after the lst season ad they get snow.Unless my mind changes,I've flown my last trip, as cost for luggage is out of this world and they ruined 2 high $ and quality cases. Did get a l/2 $ replacement on l.More later. I get dizzy if set up long.

I half agree with alot of the postings here. However, I love the fact that when I accidently drop my Rem 870 in the bottom of the duck boat, it slips out of my numb hands into waist-deep bog water, it acquires a few new scratches protecting my face from the bramble patch I am pushing through trying to catch up to my dog that has a grouse pinned down, I don't have to worry too much since it's already got "lot's of character". (Granted, it always gets stripped down to atomic level when I get home and gets a good oiling.)

Meanwhile, I have a Beretta Onyx o/u that I'm scared to take out on half my bird hunts since I tear up every time it gets the slightest nick or scratch.

Have a Mauser 98 rifle which started life as miltary arm.
Wont state caliber cause the caliber dosent matter,
It was new ( packed in cosmoline ) when I came to own it some 40 years ago.
Over the years,.with condiderablle expenditure of my limited funds as a youth. It was tweeked and worked,.. to what is presently decribd by some of my old hunting cronies as "one damn handsome rifle,.. and a shooter to boot".
As Ralph the DR says,. its not a prom queen but its lines are clean,.. and traditional hand cut checkering on the Italian walnut stock is still about 90 -95 % and it still shoots like a dream.
I think to some extent becuase I decided not to have barrel steps machined out. But I digress
As you might immagine I have taken good care of it.
Yet the stock now shows the miles its been carried through various terain over the past 40 odd years .
So last year i was gonna get the stock cleaned up ,. but
a man Ive hunted with for a very long time said ,. yohan ,. you could do it ,. but that gun's got what I call character now ,. so you might wanna thing that one over once more ,. I did and so ,.. I didn't.

I also mighht mention men who are familiar with it have offered to buy it for a lot of years.
(good luck with that) A nephew has asked to inherit it and one friend has a standing offer for significantly more than its worth . But it aint for sale.
The blueing is still 90- 955 % because with one exsception ( a screwed up compass causing me to be lost over night ) I cleaned it, each and every time I used it.
Regardles if the nights venue was a tent, a shack or snug warm cabin with running water and showers 5 miles from some of the best hunting in the upper midwest.

All that said so there is some levity here
I could probbaly afford to be rougher on things / equipment than I am.

But as mister Petzal says there is heart in that
piece and not just mine.
So to treat it like a shovel is something I am simply not capeable of doing .
I might also add I intentionally do no spend (any) time around people who do or those who are carelessly hard on guns and other impotant gear .
AS I have found generally,. and specifically,. I do not like that personality profile.
To be blunt they p1$$ me off.
Because they commit what I consider intentional or at least carelss waste for resons very likley already stated by Mr Petzal
In world where there are people less than 10 miles from most of us who dont have enough to eat and decent place to sleep.

Intersting Mr Petzal being 180 degrees apart on the political compass we seem to have a similar take on
other things ,. So how the heck is it that a died in the wool concervative ( republican? ) who would likley vote for a Brown Swiss Bull or Sara "O "Palin ,. if it
or it ,.. were running on the republican ticket.
Has anything in common with a concervative liberal like me and the other millions who decided to make the switch this last time around