How long do you expect guns, scopes, etc. to last?

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Cleaning and lubing will only last a firearm so far. Parts wear and break, especially springs. The long term reliability of the firearm is the ability to find or make spare parts when they fail. In the absence of a company setup for long term such as Walther and Beretta, you will need a competent gunsmith that can make spare parts.
For the major components, I agree. Having a parts stash, or a reliable source, will keep things running far into the future.

To me, springs are like wiper blades and brake pads. They’re consumables that are going to need replacement from use (or even sometimes from lack of use, too). I can go OEM or aftermarket with a company like Wolff, who makes springs for out of production guns as well as currently made stuff.

A lot of my stuff was bought used, so I can’t give a round count on many of my guns, but I can look for signs of abuse/abnormal amounts of wear. This helps to give me a rough idea of how long it may last. Even my used guns should far outlast me, especially since I’m not an envelope pusher when I’m reloading ammo for them.

I do get a surprise now and again, like a newly purchased 629 6.5” Classic .44 Mag that had the tip break off the hammer-mounted firing pin while shooting with friends, a lightly used S&W Model 48 .22 Mag that locked up and has been in Springfield Mass. since June, or my used Dan Wesson .22 LR that decided to break the hand while I was shooting it last month. Those guns, while all are repairable, simply had small parts that broke out of the blue with no signs of imminent failure.

All in all, I believe that just about all quality guns, when given a reasonable amount of care and not having the pedal mashed to the floor with every bullet fired, should last for generations. The flip side is the less sturdy the construction, the harder you run it and/or the worse you take care of it, the sooner it’ll be scrap.

Stay safe.
 
It's not even something I much think about, but, I also know of so many very old arms that refuse to break down. Even in regular use.

Accessories, less so. leather or cloth slings will eventually wear out. Scopes and the like I expect to wear out in proportion of how much cheaper than median they are.

Magazines are a bit more binary for me. They either work or are some form of DOA.

Dunno. Is an interesting question in many ways. How long do I expect my saw to last? Mind, a saw will outlast the sharpness of its teeth, but those can be resharpened. And I have owned a hammer long enough to wear off its grip surface.
 
I've got a Spanish vest pocket that probably sold for the inflation adjusted value of 120$ new, and over 100 years later, still works just fine. A decade ago it got parkerized, and then some walnut grips. It gets shot once a year or so.
I have heard armorory stories of 1911's M16, and medium machine guns going past 500,000 rounds. Obviously parts get replaced.
 
It depends on quality and use. My Deer rifle is a quality Browning BAR, it get's shot maybe four times a year. Should last for generations if properly maintained. My Colt SP-1 is 50 years old and still shoot's like new after I don't know how many thousands of rounds. My handguns get heavier use, but so far a Colt Series 70 has had an extractor replaced, that's it. I wore out a Ruger standard model .22 in a dozen years, and a Olympic Arms Whitney Wolverine .22 in less than three years. So far heavily used CZ's aren't showing much wear. I think a lot goes with the old saying "You get what you pay for."
 
Depends. Some stuff I would just like to work when new. Some of them have outlasted their previous owner(s) so have lasted more than a lifetime.

I have a few firearms with more than 100k rounds fired with only spring/buffer replacements, lots more that will never see that round count, in a thousand years.
 
Barrel springs in semi-auto pistols are only suppose to last only 1,000 rounds or so. I was also told to buy a recoil spring for my Garand(which I did 5 years ago) and still don't see any need to install it.
 
I have an original Pennsylvania long rifle in my collection. Made by James Bown and Sons. Made between 1830 and 1870. It still shoots just fine. I'm pretty sure it's outlasted a few folks.
 
Barrel springs in semi-auto pistols are only suppose to last only 1,000 rounds or so. I was also told to buy a recoil spring for my Garand(which I did 5 years ago) and still don't see any need to install it.

I bought into that nonsense when I first started buying auto pistols (mostly Glocks and S&W’s) and used to replace mag and recoil springs at “recommended rounds”. What a waste! I have several guns with well over 10K rounds on recoil springs still functioning fine. Same with mag springs. I now have plenty of replacement springs in my “parts kit” waiting for action.

Do they wear out? Sure, at some point...but I’m pretty sure I’ll get plenty of use from them before they do.

I guarantee EVERY gun I own will FAR outlast EVERY overpriced cell phone, computer, or laptop I have!

YMMV
 
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