Have you ever worn out a part on a gun?

[22-rimfire]

I pretty much wore out my first 22 rifle which was a Mossberg semi-auto; broken firing pins, pins, springs, etc. Now I never know what is going to break next, so I don't shoot it much any more. It needs to be gone thorugh carefully by a knowledgable gunsmith and parts replaced that are worn.

I would guess that no other of my rifles or handguns have been shot as much since.

 

[Dr T]

I wore out the hammer on a Savage Model 63 single shot 22. The firing pin wore a groove in the hammer so deep that it would no longer fire. It took thousands and thousands of rounds and about 5 years to do it.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I've decided some of these answers are dependent on where folks live! People from rural areas without many other recreational distractions are more likely to wear gun-parts out. 'Cause we can shoot all we want & don't have a lot else to do! We measure an "experienced shooter" around here by how many 5 gallon buckets of spent primers they have sitting around the reloading bench out in the garage. I recycled 3 last month at the scrap buyer. So I could buy more NEW primers! We shoot because we've never had gourmet coffee...uhhh, anywhere.

 

[oldgold]

Ghost Tracker-----That's funny right there......

I wore out a Ruger Security Six shooting .38's through it. Built it up for Action Pistol and around 67,000 rounds it quit working, nothing broken just worn out parts and frame.

Had a trap gun rebuilt three times.

 

[HOWARD J]

Hammer springs on Bauer 25 acp & 22 Baretta
recoil springs on Bauer 25 acp

 

[MtnCreek]

I've decided some of these answers are dependent on where folks live! People from rural areas without many other recreational distractions are more likely to wear gun-parts out. 'Cause we can shoot all we want & don't have a lot else to do!

Maybe some truth there. A generation ago, it was a different story. My father was only allowed to shoot when hunting; take (10) .22 cartridges hunting and you better come back with 10 squirrels, 10 rabbits, 10 cartridges or any combination that equaled 10. Evidently it bothered him somehow, because when I was growing up Saturday morning typically consisted of me plinking away with a few boxes of .22’s ($0.49/50ct) while dad washed or waxed his truck. Every once & awhile, he would tell me stories about his childhood during our weekend mornings together.

 

[Ronhall]

Not a gun, but a few barrels.

Barrels, triggers, and other assorted parts are all expendable parts of the COMPETIVE shooting game.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

Asking a Competitive Shooter if he's ever worn-out guns and/or parts is like askin' an Over-the-Road Trucker if he's ever replaced his...wiper blades! "Yep, once or twice".

 

[fastbolt]

As an owner and a LE armorer for a number of firearm systems I've had to replace either worn out, defective or broken parts more times than I can count. Nature of the way things work ...

Then again, I tend to shoot a lot and have also helped support more than a thousand weapons.

 

[browningguy]

Yes, the sear in my shoulder stocked Inglis high power actually wore out and had to be replaced. I had only put a few thousand rounds through it, of course no telling how many it had through it since WWII.

 

[Steel Talon]

Firing pin on an Old JC Higgins pump shotgun.

Same here literally after thousands of shells through my higgins the firing pin broke. Replaced it with a high standard firing pin..

My JC Higgins was made in the mid 50's 12 ga. vent rib/polychoke Carried on the trap range and in the field every year. Pin broke in 98,got it replaced in 99, now the extractor is fidgity got to get it fixed. Then retire the old girl, almost 60 years in the field.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

Ahhhh, a shoulder stocked Inglis. Very Nice browningguy!

 

[doc2rn]

The Ruger Standard (my first gun) was just rebuilt by Ruger last year and they sent me a list of the worn out parts they replaced. After I got it back their service guy called and wanted to know ~ how many rounds I had shot through it. As many as I could was my usual reply, and thats the truth. If I keep shooting it every range trip like I have been, I should reach a million rounds sometime when I am in my fifties. Love those 325 target packs!
I have also had to replace a few firing pins on some O/U shotguns from shooting trap, but never had a problem with my Rem 48 that still runs like a champ.

 

[230RN]

Extractor tip on a Colt goverment model broke off on me. Don't know what caused it but I had shot the thing for 20 or 30 years on a regular basis. bought a new replace ment ad was off and running.

Happened to me, too, and I've told how the gun kept shooting normally all day. Resulted in my first "ND/AD" when I racked the slide and no cartridge popped out, so I pulled the trigger. No harm done, though, except to ego. Long time ago. Now I visually and manually check the chamber.

I keep an eye on thin metal disconnectors which ride in a groove on the side of the slide, though no problem so far.

I had a significant crack in the recoil spring fork on a Ruger Standard once:


(Thanks for the pic, MidwayUSA!)

Once again, the gun kept running normally and I didn't notice it until I stripped it for cleaning. Ruger sent me a new one for free. This was loooong before Larry Potterfield's hair turned grey.

Apparently, the pawl on my Model 19 is wearing, since the timing is getting a little sloppy. On that one, I split the forcing cone at the back of the barrel after firing (insert large number here) full-house .357 loads through it. (Apparently a not-uncommon problem with the 19.)

I finally installed a replacement barrel*, but I think I'm going to replace the pawl on it on general principles. Might put a new hand in it, too, while I'm at it.

I never replaced the recoil spring on any semi, although with all the .45s around, I'm toying with the idea of building a simple spring-testing jig** to keep an eye on their status.... stati?

Terry, 230RN

* My son did the actual wrenching, since he has a frame clamp to do it with.

** Dowel marked in inches mounted in a plate, collar to push spring down, place on bathroom or other scale, push spring down with collar, note weights (forces) at various distances.