How do guns die?

[KodiakBeer]

When I ran a gun store I commonly saw very old 'broken' firearms of all types come in "found in Gramps sock drawer" with nothing wrong with them other than worn springs or a lost magazine or some other simple remedy.
I suspect far more are just disposed of because they're "broken" with no attempt to see if they could be fixed.

 

[wishin]

I would guess that the vast majority of non-military guns meet their demise as a result of buy back programs and subsequent destruction.

 

[Dustin]

my 1894 winchester manufct. 1902 and my 1915 lee enfield smle are still going storng after all those years. i wouldnt hesitate to go deer hunting with either one. the 2 guns have stood the test of time.

 

[sonier]

+1 on boating accidents i lost most of mine somewhere in the atlantic fishing. Was a huge tragedy.......

 

[Joe Demko]

I don't think that anything happens to most of them. They are simply sitting in closets, drawers, attics, garages, etc. I've known lots of people who owned a gun or three that they never shot but also never got rid of.
If we consider the huge inventories of used guns held by collectors, gun dealers, and the like, that's a massive pile of guns right there.
I've never read about a gun buy-back that managed to get more than a tiny handful of guns (and most of them junk). LE destroys a few thousand, maybe, every year. These don't amount to a drop in the bucket compared to the millions already in circulation and the new ones constantly entering the market.
In short, most of them are still around.

 

[KodiakBeer]

I have a couple of Canadian friends who swear the bottom of every lake in Canada is literally paved with guns. Apparently, there is some direct correlation between gun laws and canoe accidents. The universe is a mysterious place...

 

[jeffmack]

My idiot brother's broken/lost parts/pawned/given away (that weren't his) more than a few.

I suspect the plethora of incompetent gunsmiths in my area has done away with a few, as well.

 

[sonier]

indeed mysterious and sad...... all those poor guns

 

[XxWINxX94]

Lack of care, poor/no cleaning and lack of interest are all common reasons why guns die.
However, there are guns that survive the test of time. These are often antiques that command thousands of dollars.

My 1853 Springfield is one of those guns that have "survived," and I shoot it a couple times a year.