Handgun Neglect/Abuse

A

Amin Parker

New member
Hi all,

I have seen some nasty people neglect handguns. I have seen a Colt Python a few years ago that almost had me in tears. It had almost no blueing and the lockwork has been worked on by a butcher.

I have seen a few pistols that were so dirty their actions were so tight the gun could hardly hand cycle with bores that look like insects have been nesting in there. I have also seen countless pistols that have been left in cheap leather holsters for years with catastrophic results. It makes me sick.

Have you guys seen handguns that should have been treated with more respect?
 
On May 3rd, 1999,,,

A series of tornadoes devastated central Oklahoma,,,
My sister's house was completely destroyed,,,
Most of it ended up in Kansas somewhere.

But we did find parts of her dresser,,,
And the S&W Model 36 she had stored in a drawer.

Her husband bought her this pistol in 1964 when they got married,,,
I remember going with them to the creek bank to shoot it,,,
She fired 5 rounds, loaded it, and put it back in it's box,,,
Then she took it home and put it in her dresser drawer,,,
I doubt the pistol was ever touched again after that.

That's where it stayed until the tornado,,,
That's 35 years not being touched.

When I found the pistol the same 5 rounds were in the cylinder,,,
They were copper jackets and were corroded so badly,,,
I had to use a dowel and hammer to get them out.

The gun was only out in the elements for one day,,,
I was able to clean it up before any real damage occurred to it.

But the damage from sitting on it side in a cardboard box for 35 years is there,,,
The bluing is gone where it was in contact with the acidic cardboard.

It took a copper bore brush, an electric drill, and about an hour of polishing to clean the green corrosion out of the cylinder.

it shoots fine now,,,
But it looks really terrible,,,
What a waste of such a fine pistol.

Aarond
 
I see it several times a week. The last couple of years, there's been a huge influx of early-middle-age folks bringing in their fathers' guns, and frequently, those guns haven't received any attention in decades.

If Dad took reasonable care of them, and if he taught his children to do the same, they're serviceable. Unfortunately, I see too many examples where that was not the case, and I see a great deal of ruined classic guns.

is it bad to leave your gun holstered in the safe?
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Actually, that's one of the usual culprits. Over time, the tannin can trap moisture and cause rust. I've had to cut a few guns out of holsters that could not otherwise be removed.

A couple of years ago, we had a rash of storms and flooding in the area, and some of the guns I saw after that were truly heartbreaking.
 
Actually, that's one of the usual culprits. Over time, the tannin can trap moisture and cause rust. I've had to cut a few guns out of holsters that could not otherwise be removed.

A couple of years ago, we had a rash of storms and flooding in the area, and some of the guns I saw after that were truly heartbreaking.
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Are you serious?!?! Where I live it's very humid and gross too...They're all holstered. And some on top of the foam in the safes shelf...Should I take them out right now? No holsters for any of them? I'm nervous now! lol
 
Tom is correct,,,

Leather is a porous fiber material,,,
It will absorb moisture from humid air,,,
Trapping it against your guns surface promoting rust.

It's even worse if you have suede lined holsters and they get wet or absorb humidity,,,
The chromium salts used in the tanning process will etch into the steel over time.

I have had people bring old holsters to me that have stuck to the gun,,,
Like Tom said, it's truly heartbreaking.

Now I'll wait for the inevitable posts that will say,,,
"I've stored guns in holsters all my life and never had a problem."

Why take the chance?

Aarond
 
The first time I read about holster-rust on this forum, I was at college, and I called my dad to go down to my room and get Beretta out of its Galco.

It's fairly arid here, but why take the chance?
 
Constantine,

Sorry for my late reply, my baby daughter was in very playful mood and could not resist her.

I too have seen guns that had to be cut from holsters. One example was a Belgian Hi Power that was never fired, i nearly had a stroke.

Leather holsters are fine, just make sure you dont store the guns in the holsters. Give your carry gun a wipe with an oily cloth daily and you will be fine, no problem. Just dont leave them in the safe while holstered.

All the dream guns we like are out there, Broom Handles, Pythons etc and they are deteriorating badly and its a flippen shame. I have undertaken many years ago to service, and clean the guns of senior citizens for no charge. Now its not just senior citizens, i get calls all the time and i happily do it for the sake of the firearm in question.

I clean them, inspect them, shoot them, clean them again and return them along with advice. I will usually see the same gun twice a year and once i get my paws on them, they remain in good shape.

There are nice guns out there my friends. I see them almost daily, people just dont care.
 
FWIW, I personally put my pistols I have in my safe in their original cases when in the safe. The only time my pistols are in their holsters are when they're kept in my bedroom for either home defense or CC.
 
My stepmom's dad had a Ruger single six that rode in a leather holster in the map pocket in his truck untouched for over a decade.
Even being in Phoenix in fairly dry air the holster had to be soaked in oil to soften up enough to allow the gun to release.
The internals were rusted solid, and the outside should have been declared a crime scene,it would not even function.
After a three day soak in penetrating oil the screw heads sheared off and left the shanks tight as hell.
It ended up getting cut in to a couple of pieces and recycled.:mad:
 
Well, I don't know its history. But, it has a good home now...

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armsmaster, that's a neat setup. I'm going to make one tomorrow. I've seen some bad one's. I don't consider katrina guns actual neglect but the guns brought into my 'smith after the hurricaine would bring tears to your eyes. if the owners had just hodes them down with motor oil or diesel, most would have been saved. i have seen some awful ones from outright neglect too. model 19 left in the cabin of an offshore sportfisher in leather holster (complete loss) to several guns that were just never cleaned by their owners. When the rust would get really awful they would hose down with WD-40 and knock the heaviest stuff off with a shop rag. I leave my pistols out of the holsters, both leather and nylon. I have about 5 that stay in holsters b/c they get used all the time and are cleaned regularly. There's just no sense in it. I get upset sitting on the deerstand looking at my rifle and pistol noticing the blueing wear on the bolt and little dings on the stock that haven't even broken the finish. that's just honest wear on a well cared for rifle and it drives me crazy. i just don't understand why someone would tear something up that could last a lifetime. Any time someone asks me why I would spen so much money on XYZ gun, i explain that it's not a car that I'm going to get rid of in 5 years, this thing is going to be with me my whole life and a few hundred here or there is really irrelevent. I do have a tight budget, (I'm talking within reason.)
 
Ha I usually have a meltdown over my guns every few months or so. I am sort of OCD about the bluing. Some of my guns have discolored slightly or I imagined they have and It drives me insane because I cannot decide which... or prevent it, will all my oiling and cleaning. :(

Other then that the only time I've ever had problems was when my uncle/godfather passed away and he had borrowed our Nylon 77 we found it a few years later in a soft case... :( It's not a pretty but it reminds me of him. Also I took down my SR9 one day it was really hot at the range. and the sweat on my hand from holding the barrel went unnoticed for a few months. I was happy it was stainless. :o
 
I personally put my pistols I have in my safe in their original cases when in the safe.
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If the case has any foam in it, this is not a good idea, for the same reason as the holsters (trapped moisture in close proximity to metal).

In a safe, you can keep the humidity at bay using a GoldenRod or dessicant, if you leave the gun where dry air can circulate around it.
Do a search, and you will find plenty of guns that were stored in their case (with foam) having rut where the foam was in contact with the metal.

Dry air is your friend. A good CLP is another friend.
 
All I can say is y'all must live in some really humid areas.

A lot of problems with guns come from local affliction. Live near the ocean? Don't leave raindrops on your gun very long, or the salt in the rain from the air will cause rust. Honestly, that's the only time in my entire life that I've had a problem with rust on my fiream.

But I live in Az, where it's pretty dry most of the time. Few problems, even if a gun is left in a holster or soft case for extended periods.

Daryl
 
Had an old lady bring a NIB, Colt Woodsman in once that had been stored in an attic. It looked absolutely pristine on the RH side, but the left side must have formed condensation under the Cosmolene paper, and pitted the gun about as bad as I have ever seen.
Sad way for a nice piece to end up.
 
Respect for a gun? Come on. Guns are tools. Some folk throw their Craftsman in the tool box all greasy and ugly, some folk clean em off to the point of spotlessness and place them carefully in an equally spotless tool box. It's theirs and I could care less what they do with it as long as lines of safety aren't crossed. Gun = completely inanimate object. It's a hunk of metal with some added wood or plastic.

LK
 
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