Posts about re-stocking cost and barrel sleeve cost make me reflect about purchases I have made and regretted. Perhaps others will learn from my mistakes or at least laugh that they are not the only ones who make them. No names, no accusations of being wronged or tricked into spending money. Just guns bought that should have been left not bought. No more project guns.
First, are all the guns with bad barrels I have bought are a mistake purchase. I know we all think we will find a second set of barrels for that ejector Smith, Fox, Remington, Lefever or whatever. The number of good barrels out there, to find and fit is about a tenth of one percent of the demand at best. Guns with bad barrels are just that, guns with bad barrels. I have got ten or more that I have been waiting to find orphan barrels to make good.
Second, is any project gun. I've got three plus safes full of them. Some are missing little things like fore-ends with metal. Some need repairs, some need restocking, some need to be redone. Fifty plus of them at last count. Might as well part them out. But I still hold out hope and since they are paid for I'll just wait a little longer. And not one of them could be donor guns for barrels. I looked at them and my luck does not run in that direction. How bad is it you ask to have that many project guns? Figure fifty guns at five hundred to a thousand each or more could buy half a dozen really, really nice guns not needing anything but to be used. Project guns tie up money that could be used to buy better guns in the long run.
Third, is any gun needing to be restocked should not be bought. Broken stocks, missing stock, stocks with so much drop they are best shot from the hip. Stocks butchered by others. Stocks worn into splinters just due to age. Oil soaked stocks that are just about to turn into mush. Hint if you have three dozen of them you will never get them done even if you buy your own stock duplicating machine. I know first hand because I have done it and some are still waiting to get done. Well to tell the truth the first dozen got done fairly fast but the second dozen have been a long process and I made the mistake of buying more.
Four, buying a bigger safe or multiple safes will just get filled up no matter how big they are. Worse build a gun room that holds several hundred is a major, major mistake. Do not ask me how I learned that lesson. My safes are full again with projects and guns for thieves to find instead of the good stuff and the gun room is full also. It does keep my wife from counting them at least.
Five, learning about a "new" make of double is not supposed to be motivation to buy one or more of them. If people just did not make them seem so great I would not be tempted to buy one for myself. I remember reading about the side opening SupperBritte O/U which were made back before I was born. They seemed like such a great novelty I just had to buy one for myself at major expense. Ten years later a whole pile of them were found and finished up by G&H for less than I paid for mine. With my gun I went from being a very good shooter to one of the worse shooters, in recorded memory, with it in my hands. If forced to commit suicide with that gun I would have been required to reload it twice. Sides of barns were completely safe from the inside and out side.
Six, never buy a "shooter" if you want a pristine gun. Shooting a gun is never enough if you get the "collecting" bug. If a C grade Fox is what you want having five Sterlingworths and several A grades will not fulfill that desire. And never buy a worn out gun thinking it will do until a better condition one comes along. You want, what you want and things will just not make you happy settling for less.
Seven, never be afraid to shoot a gun you have bought. If you can not shoot it for fear of decreasing it's value it might as well be in someones collection. If the gun is in shoot-able condition it can and should be shot. They are guns, not fragile works of art. Owning a gun and not being willing to fire it is like marring a beautiful woman and not sleeping with her to preserve her virginity.
Eight, there are no worse investments than guns for retirement. I have known some very smart financial advisers and not one of them have included guns in their portfolio. Guns are toys, not instruments of return, for your financial future.
Nine, no matter how much you know about a gun or a make of guns you can and will learn something new if you just keep your mouth shut and listen to others. Boards like this are great if you take everything with a grain of salt and consider what you know is not always fact. And worse some facts change over time.
Ten, if you have too many hobbies, no matter how much money or time you invest in them you will always be trying to add more to them. Doubles guns, rifles, Clay target shooting venues, live birds, hunting, dog training, gun repairs, stock work, checkering, woodworking, you name it.
In the end the best time I have spent is time spent with my kids shooting and getting them interested in shooting. To that end each of my kids are getting ten plus guns to share with their kinds in the future. A matched pair of .22's, a couple of doubles, a couple of rifles, several guns for clay targets. One each for son or daughter and child. If time permits and I last long enough, I will make sure each grandchild gets their own starter collection. Just no project guns or things of mine to finish.
