As you grow older, what are some words of wisdom can you share?

cslinger said:

Glocks come with all that extra added ugly at no extra charge.....don’t worry about scuffing them up.

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I replaced my still lovely Delta Elite woods gun with a G29, years ago, and am far more relieved now.

When I used to haunt all the gun shows,I complained to an acquaintance about having paid more for something I'd just found in better condition for less money! He said " You didn't pay too much,you bought too soon!"
That may be true. But I don't regret anything I've bought and probably still have the one I bought "too soon".
Not really sure any of that makes sense!!!

If you find a great piece in the used gun case and you know you want it, don't go home to "sleep on it" -- it won't be there tomorrow.

Don't sell any of your quality guns. You will regret it if you do. Only sell or trade off plastic guns.

If it's a clean K-frame in the used gun case, buy it -- you do need it.

Always negotiate (dicker) with the table-holders at gun shows; if they don't bargain, they're not there to sell anything, they're just getting away from their wives.

Don't put cheap glass on a quality rifle, ever.

Don't believe anything you hear in a gun shop.

A firearm is not your first means of self-defense or defending your loved ones -- your mind and body are. Keep your mind clear (alcohol in moderation, never drugs); exercise your body routinely and regularly, and for gosh sakes, learn at least one method of fighting or martial arts. If you're an obese person who wheezes bending over to tie your boots and is out of breath after scraping the snow and ice off your windshield, you are not a good example of a responsible gun-owner/shooter (no matter how expensive or cool the guns you own and carry are).

If you are a concealed carrier and you've never taken any sort of firearms training class, shame on you -- especially if you're spending your disposable income on cigarettes, beer, big-screen televisions, new guns or $650/month car payments.

Nothing has intrinsic value, whether gold, guns or good red beef..
An item is only worth what you or someone else is willing to pay for it.

Thus, research.
Know what you are looking at.
Know what you are looking for.
Find out what others are looking for.
Make your decisions accordingly.

Old Dog said:

If you are a concealed carrier and you've never taken any sort of firearms training class, shame on you ...

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Tsk tsk ... shame on me, then. Perhaps sometime in the next 44 years ...

Advice ...

Never completely lose the fear/respect that you felt when you picked up your first firearm and prepared to fire it. Once you lose that, it is much easier to get sloppy/dangerous.

Always remember the mythical Russian saying: Is gun. Is dangerous.

Train and practice. You are not the instinctual fighter you assumed you were in your youth. Shooting with some old toot relative at a rock on the 'ranch' isn't training or practice.

A few from my grand father....
If you don't want to get hit by a train ,stay off the tracks.
If you put your a** in the fire your gonna sit on blisters.
A little turns into alot,a leaky faucet will flood your basement.

R.I.P. pop pop

bassjam said:

I also don't buy into the "never sell any guns" mentality.

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Me neither. If I did, I would have had to buy a bigger house a long time ago because we don't literally have room in this house for any more guns/gun safes. On top of that, my wife is the epitome of the woman Corpral_Agarn recommended that gun guy fall in love with - my wife loves guns, hunting and shooting as much as I do. And she has as many guns as I do, maybe more.
However, this thread is about wisdom a person can share as they've grown older, not what I personally disagree with when it comes to guns. So I'll say this - I'm 70 now, my wife is not that far behind, and we each have guns that we bought on whims and never use. I wish we hadn't bought some of those guns.
And please don't anyone tell me that guns are always a good investment. No, they're not always a good investment. One example is the Ruger AR I bought just before the 2016 presidential election. It's still new, in the box, and I'll bet I won't be around long enough for it ever again to be worth as much as I paid for it.
Another example is the Shiloh Sharps .45-110 that has my initials engraved in gold on it. My wife ordered that rifle for me for our 25th anniversary, right after "Quigley" came out. I like that rifle - a lot. It's nice to look at, it's fun to shoot once in a while, and of course it has a lot of sentimental value. But a good investment? C'mon.

Don't ever put a quality handgun in a cheap holster. Nylon or anything that collapses is not made for serious work.

If you're gonna carry a handgun, invest in quality belts purpose-built for carrying holsters. Save your hard-earned bucks when you're buying generic or on-sale breakfast cereal or skivvy shorts, just don't ever cheap out on truck tires, gun belts and holsters ...

Before going out with your carry gun, inspect it, do a function check and ensure it's clean and lubricated. Every time.

Don't be that guy at gun school. Know what gear to bring (ask if you're not sure) -- and always, always, bring a back-up gun and holster.

If you were that guy at gun school, don't get your feelings hurt every time we tell the story (over the next ten years). It's all good, bro ...

Do not ever, ever presume to know what handgun your woman will love to shoot and carry, and for gosh sakes, don't ever buy her a gun without her first having shot it and carried it extensively.

If you've never had any firearms training, you just simply don't know what you don't know.

If you've had firearms training, you know that you can always use more ...

Corpral_Agarn said:

Vote.

Speak up and be able to have a polite and sensible discussion about your rights with other people.


Dont be a jack wagon.

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Truth!

.308 Norma said:

And please don't anyone tell me that guns are always a good investment. No, they're not always a good investment. One example is the Ruger AR I bought just before the 2016 presidential election. It's still new, in the box, and I'll bet I won't be around long enough for it ever again to be worth as much as I paid for it.
Another example is the Shiloh Sharps .45-110 that has my initials engraved in gold on it. My wife ordered that rifle for me for our 25th anniversary, right after "Quigley" came out. I like that rifle - a lot. It's nice to look at, it's fun to shoot once in a while, and of course it has a lot of sentimental value. But a good investment? C'mon.

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100% agree. I guess if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket and you feel compelled to spend your money on something, guns are an OK investment compared to a car or boat that's going to plummet in value. But even the Colt Python can't hold a candle in "investment" value if instead you had put that money in an index fund, and the Python is one of the few guns that have increased in value above the rate of inflation. On average, I'd say guns are a slightly worse investment than hoarding your cash under your mattress.

Buy good guns, not the cheapo's. I have never regretted buying the higher quality name brand guns as there is always a resale market and they generally hold their value (mostly due to inflation) if you don't beat them up. AR's are probably the exception if you bought during the Obama scare. I could never figure out why a $600-$800 gun suddenly became a $1500 to $2000 gun. I didn't participate in that crap.

Practice.

My number one although it doesn't seem firearms related is "don't mess with the cook." However "a happy wife equals a happy life" and I don't get growled at at all when I drag in another gun or say I'm going to buy one. You can see my answer isn't off topic at all.

If you think you might possibly be at all interested in playing in a gun game/competing, start now. Don't wait until you think you are "good enough." No matter what, you won't be "good enough" to win when you start, and you'll get better, faster as soon as you start competing... and seeing what the people who actually are good enough do.

Back in 1956, advice from a WWII Carlson Raider. "If you can't think of any thing else to do, stay low, move quiet and go to where you here the guns".
Civilian version: think first, stick with your decision, Never,Ever Run.

blindhari
SGT
3rd Btn, 6th Inf

ATLDave said:

If you think you might possibly be at all interested in playing in a gun game/competing, start now. Don't wait until you think you are "good enough." No matter what, you won't be "good enough" to win when you start, and you'll get better, faster as soon as you start competing... and seeing what the people who actually are good enough do.

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This is solid advice.

I should have started sooner.

blindhari said:

Back in 1956, advice from a WWII Carlson Raider. "If you can't think of any thing else to do, stay low, move quiet and go to where you here the guns".
Civilian version: think first, stick with your decision, Never,Ever Run.

blindhari
SGT
3rd Btn, 6th Inf

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Never, ever run? Running is prudent and necessary sometimes.

Start reloading early.

You cannot miss fast enough to win. Yeah, it's old and well-worn, but it's true.

Better a relative handful of guns that you are well practiced with than many that you are not.

Accessories are important so buy quality when you can. Cheap gear that fails you will leave you embarrassed... or worse.

Concealed carry is a state of mind that is developed over time. By this I mean that different guns, different carry systems (holster types), different seasons, different climates, and different sorts of clothing all can impact how well you are able to concealed carry. Some folks may not particularly care too much if their piece prints or otherwise gives away its presence. Others care a great deal, particularly if being "made" can mean embarrassment, employment problems, or arrest. Practice this stuff in circumstances that won't leave you red-faced or worse if it doesn't work as well as you thought it would.

Try your damndest to never have to actually draw your gun with intent. Once it's in your hand and pointing at someone your life has just become a great deal more complicated even if you are perfectly legally justified in doing so. Be sure that doing so will be worth it before you pull it out. I'm not saying allow yourself to become endangered, but do be sure the situation is serious enough that producing a deadly weapon is justified. You will almost certainly have to do so.

How about:
Life's too short to

1. hunt
2. go to the range
3. shoot
4. <other>

with an ugly gun.

Just kidding.

I think my biggest regret with regards to guns is the money I wasted on obscure guns that I ended up selling at a loss.

If I had it to do again I would have kept my "collection" a lot smaller. I would have focused on commonality(9mm Glocks) and put all the money I saved into ammunition, magazines and training and I would have started stocking ammunition and magazines a lot sooner.

theotherwaldo said:

Nothing has intrinsic value, whether gold, guns or good red beef..
An item is only worth what you or someone else is willing to pay for it.

Thus, research.
Know what you are looking at.
Know what you are looking for.
Find out what others are looking for.
Make your decisions accordingly.

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Wrong. Good red beef has an intrinsic value, it can feed me. Guns have an intrinsic value, the can defend me. Gold only has value because the world says it does.