doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com To shoot or not to shoot (high condition)

You know of all the guns the members had me pick from the LC is the one I'm in $ wise the least. I know its nice and don't treat it like my camo Benelli. Sure was fun to take it out and show what can still be done with an old American gun. Not sure if everyone has seen the original packaging, so here's a look. JW

For whatever it's worth I have hunted big game here in Arizona* in day after day of rain/sleet/snow with wood stocked Ruger 77s without any problems whatsoever. All of my hunting guns are given a generous coat of Flitz's Gun Polish and of course properly maintained after the hunt. I have never had a problem with rust or anything else and they still look great.
*Yes it does rain and snow here particularly during the late hunting season.
Jim

No offense Timothy, but this makes absolutely no sense. Why even have it then? Why not just stick it in a museum? It's like being married to Scarlett Johansen and never laying a hand on her. What a waste.

Certainly its an individual decision, but I say shoot em! Thats what Messrs Parker, Smith, Fox ,and Lefever made them for. They want to be shot...Not languish in a vault somewhere...

Nothing wrong with hunting with a fine condition Parker, L.C. Smith or English "Best" if you have pockets deep enough to own one (or more) and the gun is used properly but NEVER ABUSED. Shooting a nice double in the rain?...probably not my first choice for the smart thing to do even if you're skilled enough to strip the entire gun apart and dry, clean and oil each and every individual part...a lot of work. I've seen the very wealthy "gentlemen" sportsman take a Purdey' out in the Duck boat and bring it back scratched and full of mud! These people do it for their ego and because they can...but I think they're idiots who do all gun lovers and collectors a serious disservice.

When it comes to a factory MINT example of a fine VINTAGE gun, I think the rules that govern our thinking must change. While we all may be shooters, we're also collectors too with a responsibility to act as caretakers of history. So why shoot a "mint" specimen when there's a ton of shooter grade guns available! Back in the 1950's many Sharps Rifles and Colt SAA pistols were cut up and modified to be "modern" shooters. As a result a lot of fine arms with great historical value were destroyed for future collectors to treasure.

Many of my guns are much older than I am now, and with proper care will be here for many more generations to come...assuming McCain is elected and not Obama.

Bottom line: if its survived a 100 years or more in pristine condition, appreciate it for its aesthetic value and shoot something else.

My Gawd, Timothy!! The Wolverines are in trouble and I'm going to send the Buckeyes to really give them a thumping here in a few weeks. You see what they did to the Spartans yesterday, didn't you? Seriously, I know how you feel. I guess these same guys don't mind all of the 1897 Winchesters having their barrels whacked off to make cowboy shooters. I once saw an beautiful engraved with gold- LC Smith Crown Grade being sold at my club with 18" barrels. But this summer I have been taking a few of my 21s out to the skeet range and shooting them- VERY carefully. One of my buddies had a beautiful old Joseph Lang at the skeet range. A lot of them shoot old classic guns at my range from time to time. I guess it all depends if you intend to use the gun or save it for selling at a later date. I put away several nice guns for years and never shot them. And I got top dollar for them in the past few years as retirement money. That is what I saved them for. Some of my guns I will absolutely not shoot. I did buy an old 21 that is pretty roughed up a few years ago that I always use for hunting. It is fun to have one as my "thumper". But, the next time you run into one of these guys with a 100 year old Colt, start spinning it around on your finger and ask them if you can take it to the range and quick draw with it. When they object, just say, "Hey!! It was made to be used, right?" I remember, a few years ago, one guy on here had taken a classic rifle to the rifle range and while it was sitting in the rack at the range, someone came up, picked it up without asking, looked at it and after making a snide remark about it, dropped it while he was setting it back down and cracked the checkered buttstock. We hear guys on here all the time telling about their dogs knocking them over while they were leaning against their cars, falling down and dropping them down a rocky hillside, driving off after they left it on the roof of their pickup truck and losing them in the woods. It would have been a lot better if it had been a $200.00- 870 that was abused. So, you have to decide what to do since it is your gun. But, as long as people feel the way you do, there will be a lot less grandchildren ending up saying, "Look what my knuckleheaded grandfather did to this wonderful gun!" Good luck.

I think it's apparent there is a happy medium between abusing a gun and never using it. It's called carefully using a gun.

I shoot my Parkers when I can and want, and I've nicked or otherwise degraded the condition of any.

I'll be taking a very high condition double rifle and a nearly mint paradox out hunting for whitetails in a couple weeks. I could save them for future generations.....but I'm just too selfish. I worked for them, I'm going to enjoy them. Just my take.
Steve

Yes, but you just have to decide if you want to be "very careful" with them and have them accidentally getting damaged or not. Personally, I am the type of person who is unlucky enough to have something happen to a gun. And you can't always prevent someone else for damaging your gun. We had one guy on here who had taken a nice classic gun to the trap range. He had the guy shooting next to him put a ding in his gun with a shell that ejected from the other guy's automatic. He was on here the next day asking us if he had the right to sue the guy over the dent in his gun. Hmmmm..... That's the chance you take on being careful, dude.

I would not use that L.C.S. because it came with the BOX. Due to restorations places like Turnbull's pretty soon the only way to make sure something is original is to ask for BOX, TAGS and original WAXED PAPER. Original box and papers actually sells ole' guns. Maaan, Americans luv ole' paper things!