Pawn Shop Equipment?

[Seifer]

I'm no hunter irl but I would imagine that a hunter would treat their rifle and equipment like one of their own children Any real life hunters out there let their equipment get like this? Just curious

[Radamus]

They don't stay new forever - but there's different folks out there, some prefer a little dust on the bottle, some prefer the white glove treatment- Even if I was uber wealthy, I would treat a class AAA custom upland double barrel the same as my 1100 that spends a lot of time in the corner by my patio door, on my work bench, bottom of my boat or laying on a picnic table and little time in the safe.
I will say though, there's that 1 big scratch across the top of my turkey box caller that someone else did

[Hawkeye]

If you actually hunt with a rifle/shotgun, you can't help but add some character marks to it from time to time. Maybe it brushes against the tree or stand while you're hoisting it up or down, or you brush it against that barbed wire fence you're crossing, crawl through a thicket with it, fall down with it, etc etc. There are many ways these things can happen.

[Fletchette]

Of course...My Mossberg 500 has been used so much, and dragged though enough brush, that it looks like it's been in a war. But it's cleaned and oiled after every use, so it works just fine.

I also have a couple rifles (brush guns) that are all scratched up from hunting in timber, but they work fine.

[Radamus]

You know, the one person in the woods with a gun that scares me? the guy with all brand new sht, even his boots- that's nothing but red flags

[Seifer]

You know, the one person in the woods with a gun that scares me? the guy with all brand new sht, even his boots- that's nothing but red flags

I don't remember where I saw this but I saw somewhere this guy shot and killed some woman. Thought she was a deer!? How does that happen?

[Radamus]

I don't remember where I saw this but I saw somewhere this guy shot and killed some woman. Thought she was a deer!? How does that happen?

Yep, that's recent- lady was walking her dog and dude thought she was a deer. How does that happen? IDK, I'm still working on the one a year or 2 ago where the guy shot a horse, inside a fenced in corral, outside of the barn on a horse farm- When the cops talked to him he said he thought he shot a horse because of the way it ran off, wasn't like a deer, more like a horse - his words.....

[Violator31]

You know, the one person in the woods with a gun that scares me? the guy with all brand new sht, even his boots- that's nothing but red flags

Couldn't agree more.
About 30-35 years ago I bought an 870 Wingmaster. I've used it for everything. I only had one other shotgun, a .410 single shot (my 1st gun - 8th grade). I bought the 870 myself & I was very proud of myself & I still love that gun. I can take you to the exact spot in this guys pasture/woodlot where I got the 1st scratch on the stock of that gun. I was devastated. Looking at that gun now, & all the "character" it has, I can still remember a lot of the hunts where different scratches came from & I'm mad if I see a new one that I don't know where it came from.
For my Sons, I bought them the 870 "Express", it's the same basic gun but there isn't anything shiny on it. Every once in a while I consider getting one for myself, just so I don't ruin my "Wingmaster"....but I just can't do it. If I entered the woods with any other gun I would feel like I'm cheating on my 1st one . I saved & saved for that gun - she's a beaut, & I love her...but she's been used. Like Fletchette stated, that gun gets cleaned religiously. I used to love cleaning it, now, not so much. I still do it like I was taught, I just don't look forward to that part like I did when I was younger.
(and on those 870 "Express"s that I bought for each of my Sons - the guns that are designed to take a beating - both of those Boyz have pointed out scratches on them and they know just where they can from)(and they don't like it, just as much as I was disappointed when mine was 1st scratched).

[xOEDragonx]

My first gun was also an 870 express (20 ga), a beautiful thing for my 10-year-old self to see wrapped up under the tree christmas morning, and a good choice for the boys Violator. My collection has grown significantly in the past 15 years and I imagine it will continue to do so for a long time to come, but that 870 will probably always be my favorite "hunting" gun (yeah, I have a couple wallhangers too... some of them I just can't afford to shoot!). When I was a young tyke, I loved and respected that gun, but I was still a clumsy kid nonetheless. It's clambered out of goose pits with me, belly crawled through brush and been leaned on more trees and rocks then I care to count. It's got some nicks and scratches all around. At one point my father custom painted it for me, nothing too fancy but he's got his own little paint style I've come to love, and quite frankly I love the worn look the paint has been getting in recent years. It looks like a gun that's been well used and well loved-- which it has and is. It killed my first duck, first goose, first dove, first pheasant... there's even still a handful more firsts I'll probably take it for. No other gun on my rack looks quite as rough. But I don't love any other gun nearly quite as much.

[Djehmli]

If you are actually using it in the woods/fields - yes it it is going to show some wear and tear, even if it is lovingly cleaned and polished back at home. Not to mention the beating cases/bags etc take (duct tape anyone?)