RAE,
the wear on your guns will be minimized if the parts are properly set up and fitted by a gunsmith. The first five years I shot CAS matches I shot only "out-of-the box" guns. I had a lot of mechanical wear showing up and many broken parts. There weren't as many matches then so I wasn't even shooting as much as I do now.
For the last 6 years I've been using guns that have been slicked up to one degree or another. It's been a long time since I've had a malfunction of any kind except mental. I have plenty of those. I measure my trigger pulls and even they are unchanged for over 2 years.
Every piece of machinery has weak points but if the strain is minimized the wear will be also. Rugers are very tough. Shotguns and rifles are very durable unless they are beat up by overly heavy springs or galled by ill- fitting parts. Colts, Remingtons, and clones have leaf springs that break pretty regular, keep spares on hand. If you're using stock springs, keep some firing pin retaining pins around too. The cosmetics are covered well already.
There is always some division in every aspect of any human endeavor. Many hours of discussion have been wasted over the "ethical" ramifications of internal action work and if that denotes a "gamesman" or "cheater" because not everyone can afford action work. SASS rules allow internal work.
You can learn to do your own action work, I did. Be careful, be patient, go slow, and pay attention. You can save money in the long run by having it done right even if you have to pay a gunsmith.
Joe West
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