Years ago I was in a gun store when a guy comes in with a paper bag.
Guess what's inside? Yep, a bag full of Ruger Mark II parts! The guy, bless his little pea-pickin' heart, had decided to take the gun apart before shooting it! He hadn't had the foresight to shoot the gun in before taking it apart. The owner of the gun shop was a friend of mine and the place was hopping. He didn't have time to mess with the guy so I told him I'd see what I could do. So I went to a little corner of the shop, sat down and tried getting the gun back together. It just wouldn't go. I did everything I could with the guy watching me, then I asked him to leave and come back in a half hour. (I didn't want him to see what I was going to do to his new purchase!) He left and I got my friend's tool chest. With the guy gone, I didn't have to worry about being gentle. As my dear grizzled little pappy used to always tell me, if it doesn't go...force it! And that's just what I did. I took a rag, put it over the hammer and what I did to that gun should never be witnessed by anyone calling himself a gun owner. And when he came back he had a fully functional, none-the-worse-for-wear Ruger Mark II.
Yes, I had beads of sweat across my brow and the look of a blacksmith who had beaten eight horseshoes out of a single piece of steel, but it was done, and I never forgot it. Now, me being able to take those things apart and put them back for a routine cleaning is a badge of honor. I have no problem taking them apart and cleaning them. I wouldn't deprive myself of the sheer pleasure of doing it. Yes, I know the new ones come apart much easier now, but so what? Let those weenies who shoot plastic pistols enjoy them -- the last remnant of steel automatic handguns. Take away the minor challenge and where's the thrill of doing it? I took the time to learn to take my Mark IIs apart for cleaning and by george, that's one of the things I love about cleaning them!
Why do people still shoot cowboy pistols? Not for ease of loading and unloading, speed of shooting
or convenience. It's because shooting them is fun. Same thing's true for cleaning your Ruger autos.
Remember Jeff Cooper? He wrote numerous articles saying that one should not take apart their .22LRs when they cleaned them. He said .22LR ammo had stuff in them that preserved guns. His advice? Clean the powder debris out of your rifles and autos with a toothbrush and break them down maybe once a year for a thorough cleaning! He said people put more wear and tear on their .22LR guns by cleaning them than anything else. I read those articles very carefully and studiously considered them. Then I did what I normally did with his articles. I laughed and cleaned my guns after every shooting! Not cleaning my guns is like not brushing my teeth. Ain't gonna happen.
I wouldn't worry about getting new guns if you've got the old. I predict you'll miss your old guns if you do. It's just the way the human mind works. After a spell you'll just be sorry you sold your old guns,
even if they didn't have keys! And what will come next, seat warmers on your toilet? Heaven forbid!