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It was at home after a trip to the range today. I set it on a shelf after double checking that is was unloaded and stuck it back in the pistol rug. I however was too damn lazy to zip the rug back up at the moment.

 

Three hours later I pick it up to clean it and it slides out of the unzipped case. Hit the floor and scratched it. It's very minor and I consider my firearms to be tools, not safe queens but it's still irritating because it was error on my part.

 

Shit happens.

 

Anyone else here ever clumsily mar, or tear something they love up from being too careless or forgetful?

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The pretty IZ-108 in the gun case with the side mount scope loose. Scope mount dings up the stock in multiple places as I bump down the road home. Later stuck spring guide launches out and puts another ding in the stock.

 

Spend over a month doing a pro-quality paint job on motorcycle. Very pleased with results. a month or so later I do a big trip and promptly scratch the tank. No problem, I did extra thick clear coat, so I can sand it out re polish and still be good. Do so. 2 weeks later 4" scratch in the same place. 

 

Stuff is for using.

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It was long ago when I parked my then brand new Bultaco (sp?) 250cc Alpina tight woods street legal dirt- enduro- trials bike on the top of a nasty very steep cut a way.  It might have been some sort of rock quarry.  I had to pee.  It was bad judgment.  Everything was fine until of all people who it could have been but my brother goes racing by on his matching brand new about 1970 model year "Taco" 250 Alpina bike.

 

He claims even to today he did not come even close to my brand new machine.  Well, you already know what happened.  Somehow the law of physics and Murphy applied and my brand new ride tumbled down the very steep drop off.  Not quite a cliff, but very close. Did lots of damage.  We managed to straighten the wheels, bars and forks and ride it back at about 10 mph.  Took all new stuff.  No insurance.

 

Moral of the story?  Shit happens and it happens sossss fast.  $Ouch$.  Lucky I was not on it.  The fall was at least 75 feet.  Rock onto rock.  My brother did help me pay for all new plastic, tank, lights, bars, levers, wheels, etc..  If memory serves the total $bill$ was over $750 bucks way back in about 1970.  It was like gravity beckoned.  Or maybe sucked instead.  I thought it was well away from the edge. HB of CJ (oldest coot)

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Pretty disappointed in myself for the wear on my laptop screen [tried to wipe it with a handiwipe and it left white streaks permanently] and the fact I didn't take better care of my car over my formative years.  

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It was long ago when I parked my then brand new Bultaco (sp?) 250cc Alpina tight woods street legal dirt- enduro- trials bike on the top of a nasty very steep cut a way.  It might have been some sort of rock quarry.  I had to pee.  It was bad judgment.  Everything was fine until of all people who it could have been but my brother goes racing by on his matching brand new about 1970 model year "Taco" 250 Alpina bike.

 

He claims even to today he did not come even close to my brand new machine.  Well, you already know what happened.  Somehow the law of physics and Murphy applied and my brand new ride tumbled down the very steep drop off.  Not quite a cliff, but very close. Did lots of damage.  We managed to straighten the wheels, bars and forks and ride it back at about 10 mph.  Took all new stuff.  No insurance.

 

Moral of the story?  Shit happens and it happens sossss fast.  $Ouch$.  Lucky I was not on it.  The fall was at least 75 feet.  Rock onto rock.  My brother did help me pay for all new plastic, tank, lights, bars, levers, wheels, etc..  If memory serves the total $bill$ was over $750 bucks way back in about 1970.  It was like gravity beckoned.  Or maybe sucked instead.  I thought it was well away from the edge. HB of CJ (oldest coot)

 

I bet you saw that in slow-mo. Hell, I see your story painfully, and I just read it. You may have won the thread. 

 

That's like my cousin. Restored a dodge dart. Repainted. Redid the engine with a bigger engine. Got back from fishing and put a new convertible top on. Changed the oil even though it had been warehoused for the summer. Got about 1.5 miles down the road and realized he had only started the threads on the oil filter and forgot to seat the gasket however many turns..  The new big block was now a. big. block.

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It sucks but it happens. I picked up a new A400 duck gun this year. I had just taken out the box and the phone rang, put the shotgun butt down on the floor leaning against my work bench..I go find my phone in the other room and answer it come back just in time to see the dog knock it over and it lands on the concrete floor. It had not been out of the box an hour and already had some "character" added....A gun is like any other tool if if looks brand new it means you don't use it.

Edited by sccritterkiller
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I had just come back from target shooting with my new Python in '79. I had it in a Hunter holster for Colts. Fumbling for keys to open the apartment door and out from under my arm goes the holster and snake. It landed butt first on the aluminum threshold. Nice deep crease in the wood grips. I later was able to steam most of the dent out. Always carried it in a bag after that until I was ready to strap it on.

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That sucks.

 

Here's my dumb moment:

Went to a gun show.  They require you dump your mag/chamber in your carry gun and zip tie the trigger back to show it's unloaded.

 

As I was walking out of the gun show I pulled out my pocket knife and proceeded to cut the zip tie off the gun while it was holstered (and I was walking and talking)...
Rather than cutting the zip tie free I managed to fling my pistol out of the holster, three feet into the air, hit a wall then slide down the concrete.

Man did I feel like a dummy.

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Ah heck... Just take a look at our kids. ;)

 

I'm always dreading that first oops, but feel so much better afterwards.

Now it has a bit of character and I can treat it like its not a safe queen.

Same goes for most stuff I own.

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I bought a brand new '03 Yamaha Warrior the summer of '02. Picked it out off the showroom floor and hauled 'er home. The very next day rolled it climbing up a steep river bank.

 

Busted a light, brake lever, and bent the steering stem. Quad was still rideable but never quite the same.

 

Just remembered that one again. Made me sick...

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Well, it ain't really yours 'til you knock the "new" off it, now is it! I'd tell you what I did to a brand spankin new Ranger boat a few yrs back, nothing debilitating, but bad cosmetically, but I still tear up thinkin about it!

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Just a few little things come to mind...

 

- When I was 11 I left my week-old Savage .22 (first gun) in the case. Pulled it out later and it was pitted with rust.

 

- got a $500 stainless 2.5" cat-back for my car. Slip-fit was EXTREMELY tight. Dumbass 18y/o self put an exhaust pipe expander on one section to attempt to loosen it up a bit. 304 stainless laughed. Expander broke inside the pipe while it was tightened.

 

- needed a gasket for a pool filter. Turns out the thing was freaking obsolete. Finally managed to find ONE. Accidentally ripped it 5min after leaving the store with it.

 

- while rebuilding the bottom end of an old dirt bike engine I was in the process of replacing the old crankcase seals (it was a two-stroke). Not paying attention, my dumbass 16y/o self put the new seals on the wrong sides of the crank. Destroyed both of them in the process of removing them.

 

- rebuilding the top end of same engine a few months later. Bought new piston and rings. Dumbass still-16y/o self doesn't realize that the wrist pin end clips I was using were designed for pistons with the relief cut for removing the clips. New piston did not have said cuts. Didn't realize until milliseconds after clips snap into place. Had to cut a groove in side of brand-new piston to remove said clips.

 

 

Good times.

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I am the same way...really chaps my ass when I chip or scratch my guns.  Just anal that way.

I bought a P1/P38 a few years back. I always liked the looks of that gun. I am positive it had never been fired as every patch through it, barrel, slide, and frame came out clean. I bought a repo hardshell holster, unstained and stiff as a board. I put the pistol in it for fit and heard the scratch as I withdrew it. Rivet from the retaining strap inside gouged the slide about 1/2" below the ejection port. Didn't stop swearing for 5 minutes.
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- got a $500 stainless 2.5" cat-back for my car. Slip-fit was EXTREMELY tight. Dumbass 18y/o self put an exhaust pipe expander on one section to attempt to loosen it up a bit. 304 stainless laughed. Expander broke inside the pipe while it was tightened.

 

I did the EXACT same thing when I was about 20. Since then I have learned what exhaust "expanders" are for and stopped using U-bolt clamps so I never need to touch one again. :) Fortunately when the tool broke it released all the tension so it just fell out of the pipe.

 

My list of other fails is too long to count. Live, learn, and repair as you go.

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While in the Guard we did an engine replacement on a Huey.  Got the shaft alignment wrong to where they'd touch.  Engine went from 103% RPM to 0% in 5 seconds as the two shafts friction welded.  $54,000 in damage.  Sorry taxpayers!

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While in the Guard we did an engine replacement on a Huey.  Got the shaft alignment wrong to where they'd touch.  Engine went from 103% RPM to 0% in 5 seconds as the two shafts friction welded.  $54,000 in damage.  Sorry taxpayers!

Mo Ron

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