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View Full Version : I'll never borrow a rifle again!!!!


went522
10-06-2004, 12:16 AM
A few years back I was sighting in my 270 bolt the day before MN opener, after getting my rifle sighted where I wanted it I decided to take one final shot to make sure, BULLSEYE!! As I opened my bolt I heard something fall onto the concrete floor, my firing pin!!! It snapped in half!!! Seeing how I was 4 hours from home, I called my buddy who hunted in our group and asked if he had a extra rifle I could borrow till I got home to grab my extra. "No Problem" I have an extra semi-auto and just sighted it in last week. I didn't like the idea of 1) borrowing 2) not getting a chance to fire the rifle before I fired it at an animal. Need less to say I borrowed it.
As I'm sitting in my stand opening morning I spotted movement along a slashing, a nice doe, and she was moving quickly straight towards me. She was "hot" and had the biggest buck I had ever seen trailing her. As they made their way into my shooting lane I got a good look, a wide,heavy racked 10. He stopped at 20 yards! I put the cross hairs on his sweet spot and squeezed the trigger, NOTHING, not even a click! By now he was moving again and going straight away, my only chance was to manually eject a shell and hope it would free up whatever was "froze". He stopped and I put it back on him, squeezed the trigger, NOTHING.
I got down out of my stand and made my way back to camp! It was the longest walk I'd ever been on! When I got to camp my dad asked me if I'd seen anything? Well, I told the crew what had happened and my buddy the borrower started riding me, along with the rest of the crew, BUCK FEVER,BUCK FEVER, that rifle shoots perfectly fine! I handed it to him and told him to fire away. He set up a target got a steady rest and, WHAT THE #%$*, whats wrong with this #%&*# thing??? IT WON'T FIRE!!! So, we took it apart and it looked like someone took the trigger mechanism and dipped it in roofing tar! I don't think he cleaned that gun in 10 years! Every time we head out in the field together I ask if he's cleaned his gun lately? I have shot a few nice 8's since that incident, but still haven't seen one as big as that bruiser. I'LL NEVER BORROW A RIFLE AGAIN!!!!!!!

Anyone else had an experience like this, borrowed or not?

BIRDDOG

BD
10-07-2004, 05:06 PM
I allways take an extra rifle when I go on a trip. There were two times when my extra rifle saved one of my buddies when their rifle was out of order. One guy bought a new Remington, sited it in and it malfunctioned his first morning on his stand due to a poorly machined part. Another guy had a story equivalent to yours. Both benefited from me bringing along a well maintained extra rifle.

walleyeduran
10-08-2004, 05:43 PM
Had a simular situation, Day before the opener, went to shoot my Rem. 7400 one more time, you guessed it, the JAM O MATIC started. Had to borrow my dads rifle, which he had sited in. Missed a Buck, thank god is wasn't as big as yours. Moral of story, New Rugar M77 bolt, and JAM O MATIC is in gun cabinet for the remainder of it's years.

Little Fish
10-09-2004, 01:34 PM
When I still used a long gun for deer I carried two .308s to camp, one with a variable scope, the other with a peep. Never needed a spare, but at least had the choice of sights depending on the hunt. Now I just carry a S&W .44 Mag with a red dot.

RANGER
10-13-2004, 07:09 PM
I can't say that I have experienced your situation ONLY because I have always carried my own spare to the "hunt". I have a double sided case that houses two rifles that I have total confidence in! I haven't had the problems you have described with the firing pin BUT I had an occasion to go to the backup as the result of a bad round that fell apart in the chamber and couldn't be extracted in a timely manner (extractor sheared the shell casing, leaving it stuck)! Others in my group have used the backup, with success, on other occasions.

birddog
10-13-2004, 09:51 PM
Ever since that incident, I bring an extra rifle. Tough lesson though!

BIRDDOG

FOR BETTER OR WORSE FISHING AND HUNTING COME FIRST

Marble Eyes
10-14-2004, 01:34 PM
Always take a second on a hunting trip. always always always.

If I drop or bang one, I don't take it to the field. I get out the backup and use it. I sight them in before the trip, I make a distance-drop chart I tape to the stock of each rifle. Once it get where I am going I again go to the Range. One never knows.


I want complete confidence in my firearm when I need it. Paying thousands to go on a hunt or just the cost of the trip is not worth taking a chance on not having the equipment function properly.

It happens every year. You know the saying. An ounce of prevention...

Dawalleyeguy
10-15-2004, 01:33 PM
What do you have against Browning Rifles?

RANGER
10-15-2004, 07:03 PM
Browning rifles? You LOST me!! I don't see Brownings' referred to in this thread?????????????

Dawalleye guy
10-16-2004, 08:56 AM
Sorry,
When Ioriginally read this thread I didnt have my coffee as of yet. I mistook borowing for Browning....my fault.

Tight lines un-fogged scopes:7

RANGER
10-16-2004, 10:06 AM
;-)

Box
10-18-2004, 09:06 AM
My Dad lent a rifle to a neighbor once... only once, and never again... He or someone in his party ran it over with a jeep. I was only about 12 when the guy brought it back, but I remember crying when I saw it all scratched up. It still shoots, and my Dad never took any action, other than not lending guns anymore. It is an old Winchester 94 that he bought as a kid. I sure wish it was still perfect...

-Box

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