GTA

All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: fwbsport on May 02, 2019, 04:47:54 PM

Title: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: fwbsport on May 02, 2019, 04:47:54 PM
I was looking at all my air guns realizing every single one from old to new is marked by me. 

I always find a way to bugger a screw or scratch something and the latest thing I did to a brand new HW50s (.177) was DROP it in a floor slam on our hardwood (Acacia) floor!  That was about a week ago and I was so troubled by it I just boiled inside at myselft.  So I checked the scope's zero and the rifle seeing not a scratch was on it (but I knew I dropped it).

I began, at that moment a week ago, to realize I have a knack for trying to destroy my prized possessions for what ever reason.

Then I decided this comes with age and at 61 I remember all the marks I made on every single brand new gun I got--it's inevitable!

So now that I have told my story of my latest brand new HW50 I would like to see some toppers to this; keeping in mind I have MANY more true grit stories of making my guns truly mine as if I had etched my name on them! :-[
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Mark 611 on May 02, 2019, 05:28:36 PM
I'm sure we've all done this to our guns in 1 form or another! ;D
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Insanity on May 02, 2019, 05:33:36 PM
Its just character.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: A.K.A. Tommy Boy on May 02, 2019, 05:38:57 PM
John :

I broke a camo stock on one of my guns last winter while I was out hunting.  I was crossing a rocky area and slipped on the ice.
Between the buckthorn, wait-a-minute-vines, ice, sand, rocks & snow... these obstacles can have a dramatic effect on a wooden stocked gun.
After a hunting season around my place a wooden stocked gun will look like I took a chainsaw to it.


Best Wishes - Tom
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: c_m_shooter on May 02, 2019, 05:39:56 PM
I decided a long time ago the first thing I would do when picking up any new motorcycle from the dealer is to push it over off the kickstand and get that first drop out of the way.  I have since decided it is cheaper to buy used bikes that somebody else already dropped. Those scratches that other people can't stand don't show after you ride them in the rain and down dirt roads for awhile.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: triggertreat on May 02, 2019, 06:04:02 PM
I have dropped one of my guns two times from 4-5 feet high.  Once when the stock was off.  I ran cringed up hoping the gauge wouldn't be broken off.  I got lucky...Just the trigger blade broke into.  The other time it hit on the butt stock with no damage.  I have also dropped one in the mud.  What a mess that was.  It took forever to clean it all out.  life happens and then you die.  Now you know some of the reasons I go for synthetic stocks.  They were built for me and my clumsiness.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: bantam5s on May 02, 2019, 06:34:18 PM
I've been gradually building up my assortment of tools and with that comes screwdrivers, so I've been doing better at having / using the proper screwdriver for the job.
I've been buggering screws up less, but I hate philips screws, Robertson drive is one thing I definitely think the Canadians got right.
It's far superior than Philips in every regard I say.

Dings and scratches are still something I can't avoid, but none of my guns are expensive and they're just users after all so I don't mind too much.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: avator on May 02, 2019, 06:44:20 PM
One of my shooting benches is from our rear deck 30 some inches off the ground, the bench is attached to the hand rail so my shooting chair is a bar stool. You can imagine the distance from ground to gun on a bag.
I bumped my XS-60-C Gen I FD-PCP once and it went forward off the bag. First thing I did was run in the opposite direction in case it became a pipe bomb upon impact. I finally went around to access the damage. I found my gun sticking out of the ground with the barrel 6" into the dirt. I degassed, took it apart, cleaned it and it was good as new....... and.... this is the first time I've ever told anyone it happened.....
Thanks for the courage.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: maraudinglizard on May 02, 2019, 06:50:49 PM
I dumped my compressor off the roof my truck a month ago, got to my destination and realized I didn't have it with me any more, came home and there it was in the driveway next to the garbage can. Oddly enough it work and is still going strong. I have dropped and dinged up my fair share as well, you are not alone in that department. ;)
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: UlteriorModem on May 02, 2019, 06:59:44 PM
I dropped my brand new Seneca Aspen onto a large coral rock around the fish pond the second day I had it. Put a nice ding in the shroud!

My Titan has scratches in the stock, I know not how.

My Diana Chaser the paint is coming off the moderator.

More stripped grub screws than I can count.

All perfectly normal for me :D
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: happymecanic on May 02, 2019, 07:57:17 PM
I don't wanna say what my airguns (and other prized possessions) endured, but I feel your pain guys! I guess it's a normal part of owning something you really like :-[ ;D
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: UlteriorModem on May 02, 2019, 08:21:24 PM
I dropped a very expensive and large telescope off the mount once. I would swear it too 2 minutes to hit the ground while I stood and watched helplessly!
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Airspace on May 02, 2019, 08:42:19 PM
I dropped a expensive telephoto camera lense out of a tree and it landed lens first on the only rock within 30 feet in any direction of that tree. The good news was it only broke the front filter. Cost me a whole 8 bucks to fix and continue the shoot.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: larspawn on May 02, 2019, 08:53:05 PM
I decided a long time ago the first thing I would do when picking up any new motorcycle from the dealer is to push it over off the kickstand and get that first drop out of the way.  I have since decided it is cheaper to buy used bikes that somebody else already dropped. Those scratches that other people can't stand don't show after you ride them in the rain and down dirt roads for awhile.

That is a Harley truism!  I remember a few years ago bringing home my new Roadglide Special.  Rode home from the dealer and went to maneuver it around in the drive to park it in the garage and dropped it right there!  Argh.  Ground a spot in the lower corner of rear bag.  Can't see it but I know it's there.  Now it has bag guards in case it should happen again...which it will.  I've lowered it 1.5" so easier to flat foot but wow the increase in weight over my Softail caught me by surprise.  But yeah my theory on airguns is like Harleys.  The drop is going to happen so might as well get it out of the way.  lol

Oh, by the way the worst part was having to go inside and get my son to help me lift it back up.  WTH Dad, you just rode it home and dropped it already?  NEWB!  Argh!
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Duckfish on May 02, 2019, 09:02:11 PM
I shoot at our range 5-6 times a month.  Can't say I've ever dropped anything.  I bought a really nice set of tools so I don't bugger screws and such.  Just me I guess.   ???

Oh wait last month I dropped a set of cheap field binoculars.  Kinda glad they broke.  You can still use them but you have to close one eye.   :o
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Acapulco on May 02, 2019, 10:10:34 PM
here's one...
I pulled RWS850 from the rack by grabbing the forearm which came off and down it went.  ugh
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Acapulco on May 02, 2019, 10:15:17 PM
Another time when out shooting I left my new range finder on the hood of the truck...vent of wipers. I finally realized it driving down the road at 60 mph....they went flying....lol

I just laugh. Everything can be replaced or fixed.

no biggie
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: xtred1 on May 02, 2019, 10:23:24 PM
I know your just trying to get us to start dropping our guns. Its like not saying break a leg before a performance. “Or like the wife saying be careful” oh thanks honey now I am going to fall off the ladder while hanging the christmas lights. LOL

Why dont you just talk about ADs while your at it LoL  ;)
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: DanD on May 02, 2019, 10:46:54 PM
I call it the "I own it now" moment because I can no longer return the gun in unused condition.
The worst was when I set an HW97 precariously on a bucket and it tumbled off onto rough blacktop, pockmarking the buttstock.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: PCPhack on May 02, 2019, 10:53:53 PM
OP, I understand the sentiment, and I too can be clumsy. However, the older I get, the more such moments remind me that possessions are just stuff, and stuff is not what is important in life.

I have also noticed that the older I get, the less a bit of scuffing bothers me. Maybe it's because I too have more scuffs as time goes on.  ;)
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Yng@hrt on May 02, 2019, 10:55:53 PM
A while back I was disassembling all my Benji's to get pix of the bolt's. One of my most treasured of the bunch had a hex bolt screw with a flat head slot. Stripped the flat head slot because no doubt a hex wrench was used to set the screw & was torqued beyond what the flat head slot could handle. I must have pis%ed & moaned for days. I had no choice but to use my dremel & diamond bits to grind that sucker flushed with the bolt sweating out the hold time bumping the receiver. Kock on wood it didn't happen. Thank God my contact had the exact duplicate bolt with the same screw. In Fact he didn't know what the bolt was for until I sent him a pic. Whew!
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: wolverine on May 02, 2019, 11:58:45 PM
There are a few very minor dings from gun vises and sliding after being propped on a tree, but nothing upsetting.


HOWEVER,  my sailboats are a different story. Seems every time i repaint them, a dock rams into them ???



Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: anti-squirrel on May 03, 2019, 01:37:40 PM
I view airguns as tools.  Tools are there to be used.  Tools acquire dings, dents, and scratches.  No big deal.

If somebody flips out about dinging an airgun, maybe they should keep their airguns locked away in safes and treat them as museum pieces, IE: not to be used.  IMO, might as well not even buy 'em then.  Just open a catalog and look- and save a lot of money.

On the other hand, I generally don't drop stuff.  Decades of working on ladders and around rotating or moving machinery gave me lots of insight as coworkers and shipmates either got hurt, ruined tools or uniforms, or broke valuable equipment, so I've always held a belief my father explained to me when I was young:  Slow down and pay attention.  Served me very well for over 40 years.  Accidents by very nature are preventable.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: avator on May 03, 2019, 01:40:32 PM
Shi  tuff happens... pretty sure you can find signs on all my guns that say I had been there.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Xraycer on May 03, 2019, 02:28:25 PM
I decided a long time ago the first thing I would do when picking up any new motorcycle from the dealer is to push it over off the kickstand and get that first drop out of the way.  I have since decided it is cheaper to buy used bikes that somebody else already dropped. Those scratches that other people can't stand don't show after you ride them in the rain and down dirt roads for awhile.

That is a Harley truism!  I remember a few years ago bringing home my new Roadglide Special.  Rode home from the dealer and went to maneuver it around in the drive to park it in the garage and dropped it right there!  Argh.  Ground a spot in the lower corner of rear bag.  Can't see it but I know it's there.  Now it has bag guards in case it should happen again...which it will.  I've lowered it 1.5" so easier to flat foot but wow the increase in weight over my Softail caught me by surprise.  But yeah my theory on airguns is like Harleys.  The drop is going to happen so might as well get it out of the way.  lol

Oh, by the way the worst part was having to go inside and get my son to help me lift it back up.  WTH Dad, you just rode it home and dropped it already?  NEWB!  Argh!
Right before I finished school, a buddy, who rides, convinced me to buy a motorcycle. This was something I've always wanted anyways, so it didn't take much convincing. Up to this point, I've never even been on a motorcycle before.
My buddy rode it home from the dealership for me, and we met at a large empty parking lot for me to learn to ride.
I proceeded to putter slowly around the lot, and gradually built up speed as I became more confident. Then at some point, I, for whatever reason, panicked and locked up the front brakes, with the front wheels turned.  Over on it's side the bike went!
The bike suffered only minor cosmetic damages, while I suffered the more substantial mental anguish.
(https://i.ibb.co/m5sQQ40/Screenshot-2016-07-04-09-25-19.png) (https://ibb.co/JjLXXHq)
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Yng@hrt on May 03, 2019, 03:10:45 PM
I yet to understand why some folks frown on others wanting nice guns & that some of us do whatever is necessary to protect them. I have certain guns that are dedicated to hunting although maybe it’s the terrain in which I hunt which isn’t treacherous (foot hills) even in winter & even those don’t get ‘character marks’. This is not to say the rest of my collection isn’t used, which they are, only under much more controlled conditions such as in range, i.e.; table, cushions, & other protective gear, & all guns are wiped down after use.

I have other treasured powder burners & the same can’t be said about those but it all goes back to terrain, better known as the ‘Rockies’ here in NM, & time of year (winter) which is next to impossible for not having a spill.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: fwbsport on May 03, 2019, 03:18:25 PM
I'm laughing and crying at these confessions like a priest in the confessional wondering what to do with God's creatures..... ;D

While we're at at my Eliminator is permanently rust stained where it got caught in an Arizona monsoon.  That could happen to any airgun. Here's a better one:  I once overpumped an FX Tarantula to 250 Bar thinking the end number was the limit! I realized it in the middle of the night and drove to the nearest open desert area and discharged enough rounds (rapid fire!) to bring the BAR to 200!

And, as a parting shot I loaded my HW57 and fired it without pushing down the pellet in the pellet slot! Sounded like it dieseled!
That was only two days ago!

Today?  What have I done?  Thanked God my FWB Sport is still unmarked!

But today is not over.....
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: anti-squirrel on May 05, 2019, 10:41:18 AM
For those who buy nice guns and then do not use them due to fear of damage, I cannot fathom such logic, but this is why we are all different people.  Now,  Folks who buy high end air rifles that are bench-queens- that means you respect your investment so good on ya for taking pride and care in your lead-flinger- at least you're still putting lead down-range.

I have friends with more than $3k invested in their ARs, and those rifles have yet to see a round chambered.  These same people own newer pick-ups, 4WD quadcabs and they were driven from the dealership to the truck shop to get a lift kit, larger rims, and fancy tires.  Never seem 'em loading cement or Durock into those trucks, but they look nice :)  But then I could add that they own chrome-ified trailer-queens that get towed to Rapid City and then driven to Sturgis...

I dunno, maybe I'm crossing boundaries, but when I buy something, it is to be used.  Even the high-end exotic super-fancy airguns deserve to be used.  Dings, dents, and other signs of use are still signs of use, so at least you know it ain't just a piece of mechanical art intended for viewing only.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Xraycer on May 05, 2019, 01:08:33 PM
  These same people own newer pick-ups, 4WD quadcabs and they were driven from the dealership to the truck shop to get a lift kit, larger rims, and fancy tires.  Never seem 'em loading cement or Durock into those trucks, but they look nice :) 
Mall-terrain
 ;)
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: the fuse on May 05, 2019, 07:41:56 PM
My deck is two flights up from black top. We live above an industrial garage. I dropped a real nice scoped QB-57 off it. Landed with the scope first. The rifle came out OK. The scope not so well.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: buellm2 on May 06, 2019, 12:30:24 PM
A long time ago I was carrying a shiny new young woman into our house and I dropped her.  She got a couple dings on her beautiful hide.   I briefly thought about trading her in on an undamaged version.   Decided to keep her, good decision.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: avator on May 06, 2019, 12:36:56 PM
A long time ago I was carrying a shiny new young woman into our house and I dropped her.  She got a couple dings on her beautiful hide.   I briefly thought about trading her in on an undamaged version.   Decided to keep her, good decision.
Something tells me we're not talking about an air gun. :o
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Bayman on May 06, 2019, 04:59:30 PM
I decided a long time ago the first thing I would do when picking up any new motorcycle from the dealer is to push it over off the kickstand and get that first drop out of the way.  I have since decided it is cheaper to buy used bikes that somebody else already dropped. Those scratches that other people can't stand don't show after you ride them in the rain and down dirt roads for awhile.
Dude you're my hero. I thought I was a practical guy but I could never kick over a new bike. I completely understand the logic though. I used to bemoan every new scratch in my boat when it was new. Now that it's 15 years old and beat to *(&^ from fishing it hard, I enjoy it so much more because I'm no longer worried about messing it up. Sometimes it's easier to enjoy things after accepting they're not perfect. This includes people.
Title: Re: I hate to start this up but...
Post by: Insanity on May 06, 2019, 11:45:03 PM
I decided a long time ago the first thing I would do when picking up any new motorcycle from the dealer is to push it over off the kickstand and get that first drop out of the way.  I have since decided it is cheaper to buy used bikes that somebody else already dropped. Those scratches that other people can't stand don't show after you ride them in the rain and down dirt roads for awhile.
Dude you're my hero. I thought I was a practical guy but I could never kick over a new bike. I completely understand the logic though. I used to bemoan every new scratch in my boat when it was new. Now that it's 15 years old and beat to *(&^ from fishing it hard, I enjoy it so much more because I'm no longer worried about messing it up. Sometimes it's easier to enjoy things after accepting they're not perfect. This includes people.

When going through school I had a instructor that would drop a bike just because it's good traning. I once albeit easily talked him into making 2 other students take a goldwing off thier lift just so he could let it fall over. Proving that accidents happen and only thing is to learn and move forward.