Have you ever done something that you wish you had NOT

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Exceptions to Every Rule

I had a hard and fast rule for myself: Never, NEVER loan tools or guns to ANYONE! -But then, I moved into a neighborhood where a pretty sharp younger guy got interested in a vintage Sunbeam Tiger and, he being a pretty stand-up and responsible sort, I loaned him some tools from time to time (I had made my way through a Triumph TR3, a '51 Jag XK120, and a '59 Aston Martin by then, so I had the tools). Everything always came back clean, functional, and promptly.

So my young neighbor mentioned that he was taking some big customers on a week-long Georgia quail hunt. He mentioned that these guys he had invited were pretty serious shotgunners, and there would be Berettas and Perazzis in the camp. As I knew he was experienced, but had no personal guns, I offered him the use of my 1932 A.H. Fox Sterlingworth 12 ga. The gun came back "clean as a whistle" inside and out, along with a nice, big package of frozen quail breasts! We continued the arrangement for a few years, until I was able to find him a servicable Parker double for under $1000.

I would to this day loan that man anything he needed that I have, except for the wife I had when we were neighbors - wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy!

Apparently, he took a razzing from the auto gun guys for the old double, but as he said,"after a morning of shooting at covey birds, every one of those fancy autos became a single shot, and I still had 2 barrels!" He ended up high gun in camp for that first week trip, and for several years after.
 
I bought a used H&R Handi-Rifle in .243 Win with a cheap scope for a loaner to my grandkids. It had a few dings when I got it, so I cut the stock to fit the younger kids and loaded some Barnes bullets for deer. So far one-shot, one deer!!!

I also have a nice Rem 700 with new Pac-Nor stainless .243 Win barrel. That one won't get loaned out.
 
I try to be proactive in getting new hunters started. Many young people are interested in trying hunting or shooting. But most of them don't have any equipment in the family that they can use and having to obtain it would prevent them from ever trying hunting.

I watch the used racks and sales for Rossi single shots. Not real pretty, but they are functional, safe guns for beginners. Lightweight for the smaller kids. And no problem if a cheap shotgun or rifle gets beat up a bit, that's what they are for. Ended up with 3 guns and 5 barrels (12, 20, .22, .223, .30-06) that will cover pretty much any hunting trip with a couple of new folks for less than the cost of one good used bolt rifle.
 
I have many friends.. and about 6 of us buy and sell guns to and from each other...

I sold my savage 243 to my buddy and regretted it from the day I did it. He sold me a mk V wby 300wby mag and he regretted it.. oe day we just traded back, there was a little cash involved.. he got the weatherby cleaned scoped, and a nice handloading setup for it, and I got a lot of ammo and a squeaky clean savage.. and he can borrow my guns anytime... and he would probably never ask to! He would loan me anything I asked for, but I hope I never need to ask.
 
I have a very close knit and trusted group of only 10 friends that I will loan my firearms to. They live on my left and right hands.
 
I won't loan my guns to anyone who isn't related to me, and even then I limit it to those in my family that have proven their selves capable of handling, as well as properely caring for firearms. Just imagine if someone not familar with proper care of guns thinks oiling the barrel before firing one is a good thing. A simple mistake like that can destroy the firearm.
 
Yeah, I sold my Arsenal AK a while back and I really, really regret it still do this day.
 
I will loan rifles, but I'm not too far away. Let me explain....We have John C. Garand matches in the area. Some of the shooters don't have a Garand to shoot. Having 2 shooters on the same rifle is a pain as sight settings could be different. These matches does meet the requirment needed to buy rifles from from the CMP. We shoot issued M2 ball ammo so I don't have to worry about reloads. Down side is I have some M-1's to clean a couple times a year.

I also have a high mileage AR which is my back up rifle for High Power. I'll let a noob borrow it to sshoot a match. Rule is they either buy factory ammo or my reloads. My new AR is the one I shoot at matches and it needs to last awhile. I don't loan it out. And for the M-1 stuff I have one, a correct H&R which isn't loaned out because it's the one I shoot.

So far it's worked out for me.
 
My brother loaned his british 303 to a friend who said he was going deer hunting. The guy went home and shot his wife. Cops took gun.
 
The loaning of ANYTHING is a sore subject with me. Family, or in-laws are the worst!
A case in point; stepson. Nice likeable young man of 38. Polite, resspectful, and has little bad to say about anyone. But there's a fly in the oinment, he's horible in care of equipment or anything else. Simply has no sense of maintenance. Loaned him my Geo Tracker for a go to work vehicle. Got it back last month. It was trashed! I mean it was a mess!!! I had made this loan to him at his mother's constant insistance. Bad mistake. His wife is worse...She wanted to borrow my prized 45-70 to shoot coyotes in their area. They live in a country area, but there are many houses all around them. I refused. I explained that this weapon penetrates like a cannon and would not be right for their place. She got all huffy and then I told her that I've seen their weapons. All rust and dust. No way was I going to loan her my best shooter so she can go "pose" to her friends with the big gun, and I get it later rusted and filthy! She got all huffy again and I left. Thank goodness they moved far away! I'll never load a thing to anyone ever again. I have, to some good trusted friends in the past, but this was a good lesson for me. Never again. I WORKED for what I have, and there is little left after selling things to "afford" my wife's adventures! Others should do the same, work for it if they want it. I know that this is a hard line drawn in the sand, but I feel if one borrows something rather than buy it, one will have little respect for it. Afterall, they didn't pay for it right?

Off the soapbox and back on the ground....
 
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I keep one old rifle which has as it's the only purpose in life is to be loaned. It's a Remington 760 in 300 Savage. It works fine, it's reasonably accurate and powerful enough for most anything in North America. It's not the prettiest thing but the pump action is familiar to most everyone. Having a spare rifle in hunting camps has saved more than one person a lost hunt over the years. It's the only one I'll loan though.
 
I would not lend out my guns to anyone except for maybe my father, who would only use it to accurately-kill some varmint.

I learned from my parents that, whenever I borrow something, I try to return it in better condition than when they loaned it to me. If it is dirty, I clean it up better than it was, if there is a part missing or somehow broken, I take pains to repair or replace the part (obviously, if it isn't too expensive or more than the item itself is worth).

Also, whenever I borrow something, I go out of my way to pick it up at a convenient time best-suited for the owner and I take pains to return the item just as soon as I am finished with it.

People borrow some things from me and it is like I need a database to keep track of just who borrowed WHAT! After a while, I end up having to look like the jerk by calling them and telling them I need my tool back, or whatever it was I loaned them.

Some people are so careless and the least bit conscientious! I am so much the other way, people call me ANAL.:confused:
 
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