Agh! My new rifle...

Guys,

I went to the range to continue working on my load this past Sat morning. I was adjusting the turrets on my rifle when things went bad. The bench they have to sit on is rectangular with the legs angling out at about 15 degrees. I stood up to move around the bench and hooked my foot on the leg and that’s when things went into the crapper! As I stumbled back I touch the rifle knocking it off the rear bag and at this point it hit the concrete bench and the butt fell and hit the ground. By then I’d recovered and grabbed the barrel but the damage was done. The bench at the club is concrete and now my rifle and scope is scratched up with the rifle suffering the most damage. I went ahead and fired fifteen rounds down range and it seems to be ok. The scope was off but was easily adjusted. Any recommendations on what I can do about the scratches? The barrel has twisted fluting which really is where the scratches are the worst. Any recommendations is appreciated.

Mel

Ouch...the first whiskey dent is always the hardest to swallow.

No suggestions, but that stinks. I baby my stuff and this would bug the heck out of me. Hope someone comes along with some useful input.

Battle scar.

Load more ammo, shoot it some more.

You should see the $2700 scope I've had for only 16 months. Scars all over it. Oh well, it's a tool, and it keeps working.

I appreciate this outlook sir! I hate concrete benches though. I'll drape a towel when I use one. Sensitive skin and all

Amen.

stuff happens. I wouldnt worry about it as long as everything is shooting straight. I know it is probably your baby but consider yourself lucky if it still shoots great and think battle wound

I’m with FiremanJG
I’ve got over 8k in my 300WM that was custom built and I treat it as a tool. Why have something all shiny and pretty and scared to use it?

Was on a big ranch in September. Brought two rifles to the zero line. The guide/ ranch cowboy said "I see rifles with scratches and dings on the scope, plus a stock pack that looks like it has some sweat on it, I bet that guy ain't gonna miss".

Assuming the scope is aluminum, Birchwood Casey makes some stuff called Aluminum Black that works great for touching up aluminum stuff. A little cold bluing on the gun and you're back in business. That really does suck and I hope you can cover some of the damage.

Sounds like an excuse to cerakote the whole setup.

Years ago I managed to gouge a big hole in a wooden rifle stock that was right where I saw it every time I picked up the rifle. Finally I sold it and used that excuse for buying a new and nicer deer rifle.

As for Fireman being recognized by the ranch guide as a ‘shooter’, back when I was a ranch host/guide I looked for the guests with the worn rifles. I took them in my Jeep. I figured I’d do a lot less tracking if I loaded the Jeep with good shots. A fellow can pretty much look over a hunter and know right off if he’s for real or a dime store cowboy. Worn stained boots, worn rifle, binocs that have seen the miles and the dust, and worn jeans. And then there’s the smudged sweat-ringed hat. That’s a ‘tell’ for sure.

And when I was guiding for quail, I looked for the same signs of competence. I bet Oxner would have been on my Jeep for sure.

Yeah, I don't mind cars getting scratched and don't mind guns getting scratched either. If it performs the job I want it to, that's what I am after.

Maybe see if a gunsmith could work some magic on the scratches, but other than that, I got nothing. Sorry. Hate that it happened tho

^^^This

Its a tool, scratches are superficial and have no bearing on its function. The best part about scratches is that once you have a good, nasty, deep one that is really noticeable, it becomes a lot easier to use the rifle as it was intended from then on out....as a tool

Guys,

Thanks, I appreciate your responses! Yes, it’s a tool and needs to be looked at as such. And I use it as such but I always try to take care of my tools as best I can.

I bought a Cooper in 22 Tactical. Beautiful piece of shooting equipment. Very first outing to shoot it in, my grandson accidentally dropped the rifle (still in its hard case) and it landed on the hard packed ground behind the pickup truck. When we opened the case at the shooting bench, the stock was in two pieces! A clean break at the wrist. I thought my grandson was going die, right on the spot. He was 15 years old, but starting crying like a baby, and I tried and tried to console him, telling him that it was just a chunk of wood and that grandpa could fix it, but nothing worked. We packed up and went to the house, with me jabbering all the way and him still weeping. The old, "it's only a tool" line just didn't work with him. And, to this day, he is more careful with my rifles and his rifles, and almost invariably brings up the incident. The Cooper shoots like a dream, and one has to be really looking for it to see the crack, but he says he can see it "from a 100 yards!" (Cooper wants $600 for a new stock, and they tell me that they have to keep it for a month!) I just keep the rifle in the back of my safe when he's around, and we've got lots of other firearms to use!

I do the same....but all my tools still get use marks on them.....

my guns have a fair amount of scratches and dings on them but they are not just tools, they are more than that a lot of times. I get mad as heck when I scratch or ding a firearm. Yes, they will get beat up but most people take a fair amount of care with them.


I'm in the "I take care of my guns" category

My 270 has a scratch on the blued barrel from when my Dad leaned it on a barbed wire fence as we hopped it, unbeknownst to me. I shook my head at the time but now kinda smile when I see it.