Who abuses their nice shotguns (Benelli/berretta/$1200-$2000)

I have nice shotguns, and I have "beaters". My BRNO side-lock sxs gets taken to the dove field every year, and on a quail hunt or two. It has a few scratches and scars, and probably isn't worth what it once was but I don't really care. It's a great gun, shoots amazingly, and is perfect for flying stuff. Not in the "beater" class at all, unlike my old Baikal IZH-43. Plain old boxlock sxs, choked full and modified. In pretty fair shape, but I'm not afraid to drag it through the brush or toss it up a creek bank and climb up after it. I've been know to hold down fence wire and knock tree limbs out of the way with it; it's been through rain, snow, mud, etc. It gets cleaned when I think about it (not often enough) but it still shoots! Same story with my Model 12's: I have one really nice skeet gun, one decent 16 gauge squirrel gun, and one old mismatched beater that I wouldn't care to toss across a creek or up a ditchbank. If I use my skeet gun, it gets cleaned every time; matter of fact it gets wiped down sometimes when it hasn't been used. Same goes with the 16 gauge; if the old beater M12 gets used it might get wiped down before I lean it in it's corner behind the kitchen door. Or it might not, but I really don't care as long as it works when I need it. I guess my point is here, as it was in the other topic, is if you're going to own them, use them. Don't abuse any firearm, I don't care if it's a $100 Savage or a $100k Purdey; but don't be afraid to use them either.

Mac
 
I wanted an 870 Special Field 20 ga for rabbit. Prices high. Said screw it and got a new Citori.
Hunter model, wood is boring. Figured i wouldn't mind as much when it got dinged hunting

Honestly, should have paid more for grade 2 ( better wood ).
 
I have a nice Montefeltro I've just been using in the dove field for the past few years. A few weeks ago I decided to take it rabbit hunting where I knew the wood would get scratched, but I'd rather enjoy it for the next 20-30 years vs have if sit in my safe and use a heavier gun.
 
Mercy Me said:
How often do you clean?
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Back when we shot every weekend, the gun got a rubdown with an oiled flannel cloth that we kept in a kit. It was put back in the case until the next weekend.
It's bore got swabbed only occasionally.
A drop of oil on the firing pin occasionally.
A drop in the hinge and lever.
I never saw the inside of the reciever.
 
mcb said:
If its not subjective then you will be able to draw a clear and definitive line that separates abuse from non-abuse. That would be pretty hard to do when we as a group can't even agree on how often a gun should be cleaned. Some subscribe to cleaning it after every use whether that be one shot or a 1000. Some only clean when accuracy or function start to degrade. Just one of many examples where we differ on use and handling.
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Bingo. I saw someone mention dropping as abuse. I scratched my head. Not quite the same as tossing it as far as one can or dragging it behind an ATV/Vehicle

Accidentally dropping your gun because your hands are frozen and it’s slick as snot? Not so much. The gun slowly falling over after you placed it there 20mins ago? Etc. nowhere near abuse IMO
 
Ok I see I used a poor word when describing hard use of a shotgun.

i clean my Guns after use if they get wet - I hate rust in all forms

The other day I had a shotgun in my lap as I kayaked down a backwater creek in Virginia, getting in an out many times, dripping muddy water all over the action

Unloaded then gun a tossed it up on a bank a few times, and i used it as a walking stick in a nasty freshwater marsh

The trigger group had mud embedded

And there was ice

It’s a krylonned 870 I bought in 2000 and I didn’t enjoy treating the gun like that

I don’t know if I could stomach treating a $1500 gun the same way, but then again, why own them if you don’t use them?

I also shoot 3 gun occasionally and have thrown a Daniel defense rifle with scope into a barrel without thought

Wet guns bother me for some reason
 
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