Thread: Walnut and blued steel,

Originally Posted by Frodo

Pfffffffffffffffftt!

Rifles are made to be used!

And unlike a poxy plastic stock, wood can be restored to its original state.

As for the NZ bush being unforgiving on rifles - yeah, but only if you stumble around like you're King Kong on acid - tripping up all the time and being incognizant of what your hands are doing. An unwillingness to marr the finish on your rifle can teach you a thing or two about moving silently and efficiently through the bush. The same goes for rougher alpine terrain - especially if you're hunting solo - if you take care with the manner in which you travel, you may just spare yourself an accident.

Sometimes it pays to be gentle v.s fighting the environment around you - frantically bashing through scrub; smashing your plastic rifle into tree trunks/rocks; falling over on scree slopes...it won't do your gear any favours, nor you.

The bush is only as unforgiving as we make it. And if a piece of gear can remind us to pull the reigns in from time to time, then all the better.

Just another perspective.

Safequeens and treestands be damned!

This isn't my rifle - but look how classy it looks even with the worn finish. That's what honest wear looks like.

To a point I agree with you and I think you may have misread a single line about someone's else's rifle against what I do to my own.
yes they are meant to be used. yes they do get marked up and while you shouldn't be too worried about damaging them there should also be a hint of not trying too much like you commented on.
I have a friend who is like that, and I'd hate to see an expensive and or rare firearm in his possession. It would just get wrecked.
And yes that rifle is a classic, nothing wrong with a bit of patina-its lived @Shamus is closer to what I mean.
BUT if you have a classic rifle that's a minter and worth a bit I'd be like Ryan. If I knew it was going to a normal rifle, not so much. BTW I don't have expensive or rare rifles and the only reason mine are still in good nick is they haven't been out enough.
My old A5 shotty used to get a terrible beating carried through the gorse and blackberries in the old days. That's the main reason I got a set of synthetics for it.