Keeping the Original Finish on a Gun

(note: Sean is out for a short while taking care of some new responsibilities, so I will be guest blogging for a couple of posts, at most, while he is busy. -Eli)

So, you got a new gun 6 months ago, rarelyget it out to the range, and although it is a REAL beaut...you still feel possessed to do something MORE with it.

Sean might kick my butt for saying this, but perhaps you SHOULDN"T spend beacoup (pronounced BU-KU for those of you in Rio Linda) bucks on making your black pistol green, or your blue rifle ACU. Maybe you should REALLY be buying ammo and PRACTICING. I've got an adopted uncle (although he is as of yet unaware that he is adopted by me) that likes to say that "Ammo turns money into skill."

This couldn't be truer in 2009, when 95% of gun owners seem to 1) bitch about ammo availability and 2) be waiting for the Nintendo Wii version of the AppleSeed to learn how to hit.

FU FU FU FU FU FU FFU FU FUDGE! I just spit up a bit. Sorry.

Anyhow, back to my original point. Why take a nice Colt or Smith and have it sandblasted into oblivion, parkerized (you'd never buy a parked Smith, anyway, would you?) and then have that sucker polymer coated to match an out fit that you (likely) only wear twice a year, or at best, every other weekend for paintball? I mean, come on- it's cool to see pics of your gun online, but NOT on "Ugly Gun Sunday!"

Now granted, DuraCoat Refinishing and Camo is Sean's bread and butter, and a well done camo job (even some like on Xaviers' blog) is kinda badass, but only for someone that has ALREADY covered the basics and their bases. Before polymer coatings, there were those gawdawful "Franklin Mint" style blinged-out guns- who the hell ever wanted a $3000 Gold-plated, deep blued Tommy Gun, or an Elvis Tribute .45? AND THEY STILL EXIST. Have you SEEN the Gold Chuck Norris Revolver? AAACK! By a company called America Remembers-Remembers WHAT, exactly? That Americans apparently have too much disposable income, or that they have too many credit cards?)

If the damn thing is worn out, or likely to be an all-weather WORKING man's gun, or to be strapped to your ATV for most of its like, then cool. Some sort of polymer coating is definitely the way to go.

If it is just a "Cool thing" to bring a new shooter into the fold, then SWEET. VERY SWEET. (The anti-painted gun crowd can STFU now.)

But if you have only put one box of shells through it, can't hit squat, and know (if you REALLY in your heart suspect) that in 6-18 months you will be selling this gun at a loss to get something else new, then WTF, over?

Leave it factory, go practice with it, keep it clean, recycle your brass. Rinse & repeat.

If you can't do that, trade the damn thing for an XBOX.

Bring your piece to us when you have worn the finish off, or after pin-punch accidents where it is scratched up, or when you want the parts on you new build to all match in color. Bring us your pawn-shop salvage projects. Send us you crazy-color gift-firearms, Chick guns that get new shooters interested, etc.

Hell, even bring us the pieces you intend to go into museums (one such requested concept picture below.)

But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE- do not ask us to wipe the cosmoline & packing material off of NIB 1950's era 1911a1's and "do something cool" with them. Otherwise, I'll shrink wrap them, keep them in MY safe, and you'll never get them back.

Like my Dad (Sean) sez, sometimes the original finish is the best one-of-a-kind feature you can get. He won't even allow me to get any tattoos untill I have enough callouses from hard work- he doesn't want me to be some-tribal-tat covered sissy boy with "unearned decoration." So, the same goes for guns.

I might have upset some of you with this post, and if so, too bad. I won't guest-post much, and you can man-up and deal. Either that, or kiss my butt. Here, I'll hold it up for ya...



Elijah Michael Leonard "Galt"
aka "Eli"
DOB 6-5-2009

Talk to ya later...me & Dad are gonna go watch the latest GunTech DVD, then maybe he'll read me a couple of chapters from "the Gunslinger," or my new Jackalope book.

Later!

-Eli